WEDDINGS & HONEYMOONS ISLAND HONEYMOONS DESTINATIONS
underground and the waters off shore play host to whales. Couples can hike, bike, dive, sail, fish, horse ride, go canyoning and even swim with wild dolphins – and then relax in the natural thermal pools. Or try: For something totally different, suggest Svalbard. This archipelago in Arctic Norway is home to more polar bears than people and couples can feel their hearts melt among snowcapped peaks, icebergs and glaciers.
ABOVE: Hawaii
in the world for same-sex couples. But that’s only the start of its appeal. Honeymooners can choose between buzzing beach clubs and secluded coves, historic sites or boutique shopping, and can spend their evenings enjoying the island’s legendary club scene, or dining à deux at romantic restaurants. Myconian Collection is a family-
owned group of nine properties that are all just as welcoming to same-sex couples as hetero honeymooners. Choose one of the Mykonos Town hotels for couples that crave nightlife, or select a property in Elia Beach for those seeking a quiet retreat. Or try: Iceland gave same-sex couples equal marriage rights in 2010, two years after electing the world’s first gay head of state. Honeymoons here are filled with adventure, with mountains, waterfalls, glaciers, geothermal spas and the chance to see the northern lights.
w CULINARY COUPLES Romantic dinners are de rigueur on honeymoon, and Thailand’s islands are full not only of hotels that know how to pamper foodie couples, but are also dotted with little local restaurants serving authentic specialities, so clients can immerse themselves in Thai cuisine.
w ISLAND-HOPPING HONEYMOONS Why have one island when you can visit two, three or four? Hawaii is a beach paradise, but
each island has its own distinct personality. Let honeymooners get to know more than one with an island-hopping itinerary featuring lush, secluded Kauai with its dramatic scenery, high- energy Oahu, beachtastic Maui and volcanic Big Island. It’s not hard to build a bespoke itinerary – dozens of flights connect the main islands every day. Or try: For something closer to home, consider Croatia. The Dalmatian and Istrian coasts are dotted with islands, and couples can choose whether they’d rather hop independently by ferry or join a small ship cruise to combine the joys of exploring on land with relaxing on deck.
New island openings
Honeymooners can choose buzzing beach clubs, secluded coves, historic sites or boutique shopping
The luxurious Anantara Rasananda Koh Phangan Villas is set on a white-sand beach, where the Dining by Design team can set up a table for two on the sand. There’s a Thai restaurant, a teppanyaki and sushi eatery, and the island’s only sea view wine cellar. Plus, the Spice Spoons cooking school can get them whipping up coconut chicken soup or Thai fishcakes in no time. Or try: Singapore’s melting pot of cultures means it’s a tasty treat of an island where honeymooners can switch from street food tours to fine dining restaurants in the blink of an eye.
w ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE Not every newlywed couple wants lazy days on the beach. The Azores is a hidden treasure – an archipelago of nine islands in the Atlantic. Wooded volcanic slopes ring vivid blue crater lakes, subterranean lava tunnels snake
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w In the secluded Andaman Islands, the Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Andamans, will be the first luxury resort on idyllic Havelock Island in the Bay of Bengal when it opens in March. Its beach villas are set between jungle and reef, and divers will delight in meeting manta rays, loggerhead turtles and reef sharks beneath the waves.
w On Crete’s north coast, Nana Princess will open on May 1, with villas and suites with a host of private facilities spanning gyms, saunas and even heated whirlpools – a first for the island. The hotel’s private beach features gazebos for guests.s.
w Six Senses Fiji (pictured) opens in April on the volcanic island of Malolo, and will suit couples who care for the environment as much as each other. It’s 100% solar- powered, and sources produce for its five restaurants as locally as possible, from farmers, markets, fishermen and its own gardens.
w The Indonesian island of Flores will welcome its first five-star this summer. Ayana Komodo Resort, Waecicu Beach, is in Labuan Bajo, the launching point for boat trips into the Komodo National Park, the only place in the world where you can see komodo dragons in the wild.
PICTURE: HAWAII TOURISM AUTHORITY/BLAKE BRONSTAD
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