26-28 quirky honeymoons 19/9/08 14:35 Page 28
In-depth Knowledge
can combine
helping at a tsunami
orphanage in
Thailand with private
touring in and around
Bangkok and a beach
stay. In Fiji, coastal
touring and a stay in a
luxury eco-resort
could be combined
with helping at a
support project for solo mothers.
While accommodation for Hands Up honey-
mooners can be very comfortable, Hill says agents
should warn clients that the mental experience of
volunteering may not be. “Going to an orphanage
in the developing world can be an eye-opening
experience. And some of the mothers on the Fiji
project have pretty scary backgrounds. It can be
emotionally draining at times.” He encourages lodges that New Zealand specialises in.”
volunteers to build “decompression days” into Lawman recommends staying at the five-
their itinerary to help them readjust. room Lake Taupo Lodge, jet boating to the
Adventure operator Explore! this year intro- Orakei Korako geothermal area and hiking in
duced volunteer tours to its programme. While the Tongariro National Park, then using
honeymoon requests are rare, couples account Queenstown’s seven-suite Matakauri Lodge as
for about half of volunteer numbers. Explore’s a romantic base from which to try out the local
recently announced move into tailor-made bungee, jetting and 4X4 experiences.
holidays means volunteer breaks could now If your honeymooners want similar action
be tweaked to better suit honeymooners, closer to home, Iceland or the Azores could
for instance by ensuring private accom- appeal for their volcanic landscapes and
modation and adding on other activities. adventure activities.
“Tailor-made will definitely suit adven- Group adventure holidays may not be
turous honeymooners and they are one of obvious for a honeymoon, but Explore’s
our target markets,” says sales manager Greg Thurston says they offer a fun atmos-
Greg Thurston. phere and can be combined with time
Teaching on anti-poaching projects in alone. He recommends Explore’s In Style
Kenya and Tanzania, beach patrolling with programme because it offers “more
turtle conservation groups in Ghana, and characterful, interesting accommodation”
helping build energy efficient stoves in and he believes newlyweds would enjoy
Guatemala are experiences that Thurston Namibia. “People get a chance to stand on
believes could work for honeymooners. one of the giant sand dunes, go on safari and have
Gap Year for Grown Ups can arrange volunteer From top left: coast and desert environments,” he says.
placements in more than 40 countries. The volunteering in a wildlife Or for those, perhaps inspired by the latest
company does not pay agents commission but sanctuary, Australia; Indiana Jones film, he suggests Peru, taking in
its two-week experiences – which include volun- Namibia’s giant sand Lake Titicaca, Cuzco and Machu Picchu. “This is
teering in a wildlife sanctuary in Australia and dunes; hiking in New a once-in-a-lifetime experience, they can have a
pygmy elephant conservation in Borneo – could be Zealand; fast thrills beach holiday anytime,” says Thurston, though he
incorporated into longer tailor-made honeymoons. onboard the Shotover agrees that “combining a tour with beach time is
I-to-i, now part of First Choice, also offers volun- Jet, New Zealand probably your best sales tool.”
teering holidays and pays some agents commission African safaris are a popular staple in main-
by individual arrangement. Its Meaningful Tours stream wedding programmes. But for different
combine adventure travel with volunteer projects nature experiences, Wildlife Worldwide’s Chris
in Latin America, Asia and Africa, though accom- Breen recommends India or Ecuador and the
modation may be communal. A spokesman says Galapagos islands – which can now be reached
i-to-i has booked several honeymooners. by luxurious boats.
“You could dine out under the stars, that’s
ADVENTURE & ADRENALINE quite easy to organise, for instance on the sand
When an engaged couple tells you they want to banks of the Zambezi or a beach in Costa Rica,”
take the plunge, they might not be simply referring says Breen. He adds: “One of the things we try to
to their wedding vows. With adventurous holidays encourage people to do is spend at least some time
on the increase, even newlyweds may want to being privately guided – that’s two people and a
throw themselves off the end of a bungee rope. naturalist guide.”
Julian Lawman, New Zealand product manager He advises agents not to be scared to suggest
at Travel 2, says the country is a natural choice an active honeymoon. “The key tip is to always
for lively lovebirds: “New Zealand is renowned recommend adventure because more often than
for its appeal to adrenaline-seekers. But there are not people won’t have thought of it. They’ll only
two other activities to link into the destination for have thought of going somewhere, lying on a
honeymooners – the wine regions and the luxury beach and staying in a luxury hotel.”
28
TTG Knowledge WEDDINGS & HONEYMOONS September 2008 For all contact details go to www.ttglive.com
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