guest post: honeymooning in africa!

Because Tommy and I had somewhat of a lame honeymoon experience, we constantly scheme about "the honeymoon of our dreams."  Usually this fantasy involves beaches....and lots of them.  But after reading this, I'm pretty convinced that an African safari is the raddest honeymoon idea ever.  What do you think?

Luxury Safari Honeymoons in Africa

Africa.  One of the best places in the world to honeymoon.  Most couples want activity and beach on their luxury honeymoon in Africa; Africa delivers these options in spades.  A safari is a real adventure, especially for first timers – the magic of seeing animals in the wild a real adrenalin rush and something you’ll never forget.  Want more?  There are plenty of options nowadays to try a walking safari, horse safari, a mountain biking safari or perhaps glide over the African plains from the romantic heights of a hot air balloon.  And you’ll definitely be wanting some R&R on the beach.  The main difficulty is choosing where to go: there are so many great options to choose from Mozambique’s crystal clear waters to Zanzibar’s dazzling white sands.

Here are some of our favorite safari and beach honeymoon ideas:

Safari and Beach: Tanzania and Zanzibar Holiday

Perfect after a summer wedding, this honeymoon idea gives you chill-out beach time both pre and post safari – ideal if you need a couple of days to re-charge before your early morning game drives in Tanzania’s sprawling Selous Game Reserve.

 

African Sundowners: Luxury Safari and Beach Holiday

If you’re after luxury, adventure and some of the best wildlife viewing in the world, you’ll love this honeymoon or luxury holiday suggestion: kick off with a visit to Victoria Falls before your safari in Botswana’s Okavango Delta and finish on the squeaky white sand of Mozambique.  Sublime.

Luxury Honeymoon in Kenya and the Seychelles

15 nights of honeymoon bliss could be heading your way… create unforgettable safari memories on the rolling plains of Kenya’s Masai Mara before heading to the fairytale shoreline of Praslin in the Seychelles.

i dream of kauai

i grabbed all of these beautiful pictures from the resorts website:  http://www.villasatpoipukai.com/

If Tommy and I had to do it all over again...the honeymoon that is...we would have skipped big city site-seeing and opted for a romantic tropical get away...with beach sand between our toes and lots of alcoholic beverages with mini umbrellas in them.

I got an email about The Villas at Po'i Pu Kai in Kauai, Hawaii and I cannot stop day dreaming.  Get me outta this cold dry weather!  Please?  I'd love to relax in the warm comfort of the sun with a lush landscape of exotic flowers blooming all around me.  Bring it.

I showed Tommy the website...we hope someday to have the opportunity to travel somewhere so incredible (it's my new vacay dream.).  Golfing, surfing, hiking, snorkeling, beach bumming...heaven.  You should know, they offer amazing wedding packages there.  So basically...somebody get married there and invite us.  Please.

guest post: honeymoon destinations

I want to thank Marcela, of Wanderable, for composing this great post about honeymoon destinations.  Tommy and I wish we would have done a relaxing nature infused honeymoon complete with scenic horizons and alcoholic beverages served in pineapples with mini umbrellas.  :-)  Someday.

Top 10 Honeymoon Destinations for Nature Lovers

Although not a hard-core hiker, I love viewing the exotic and raw landscapes that nature provides, from the sheer cliffs on the Siq to Petra (Jordan) or the lava-ravaged fields of the Big Island in Hawaii. This list is an overview of the ten most popular honeymoon destinations for couples who want relaxing romance in vast nature landscapes.

Have your friends and loved ones share your memories with you with a honeymoonregistry. Click here to see a sample of Wanderable’s honeymoon registries.

Sign up for an early invite with the code MOUNTAINBRIDE.

Ben McDarmont

 1.   Australia

When: Although good weather available all year, October - March has the warmest climate.

Australia provides a glimpse of everything from busy city lights, to relaxing beaches, the outbacks, the great canopies of the rain forest, and the profound darkness of the caves. The Kakadu National Park is repeatedly mentioned as being two of the world’s top ten national parks and is renowned for its cultural heritage through its aboriginal sites. Also, I would not leave Australia without seeing the Great Barrier Reef and Ayers Rock in Uluru.

OneLovePhoto

2.   Hawaii

When: April - October, recently, the rainy season has not been as prominent, so may still be worthwhile going all year around.

In the small cluster of islands, you can enjoy all sorts of underwater adventures from snorkeling in the Molokini crater, to a submarine adventure, to getting scuba certified in these warmer waters. If you’re looking for wildlife, don’t miss the turtle reef kayak tours, whale watching, or even just swimming with the dolphins. Romance is everywhere; gazing at the sunrise from Haleakala volcano, an amorous walk on the many beaches, or trying new foods at the luau. Exotic landscapes, ravaged by volcanic activity, abound at the Big Island Volcano National Park. On Maui, you can delve deep into the magical wonderland of rain forest canopies and waterfalls, before exploring the Tropical Plantations where you can taste a variety of tropical fruit in their natural habitats.

destination africa

3.   S. Africa (Capetown and Kruger National Park)

When: April - June; September - November

Explore the gorgeous city of Capetown, with its botanical gardens and its stunning, penguin-populated Boulder Beach. Or head out to Kruger National Park, where you can enjoy the savanna landscapes and African sunsets. It’s one of the largest game reserves with wild animals (the big five), where you can enjoy the thrill of the photo hunt. Kruger National Park has a larger variety of mammal species than any other African Game Reserve (147 species).

mine :-)

4.   Costa Rica

When: December - April

Costa Rica is the perfect mix of cocktails and nature. Relax with a cocktail on one of the many beaches, or submerge yourself into the luscious canopies of the Monteverde Cloud Forest and revel in its famous sky walk. It’s a colorful tropical wildlife paradise with toucans, red-eyed tree frogs and spider monkeys amongst many more. With Arenal Volcano and Lake Arenal, Palo Verde National Park and the Cano Negro Reserves, there’s more than enough for the nature-lover to wander around in.

maldives tourism

5.   Maldives

When: November - April

The Maldives are easily one of the most sought-out honeymoon destinations. They are the perfect place to unwind as you sunbathe on the beach with a cocktail in one hand and a good book in the other. You can also explore the gorgeous coral formations with starfish and colorful schools of tropical fish.  It’s the perfect destination for snorkelers and divers out there.

here

6.   Italy

When: April - October

Italy is one of the most romantic places in Europe. Take a walk through history and explore the streets of ancient Rome and the Vatican, venture through the ruins of Pompeii or just indulge and marvel at the historical arts that frame the romance of Italy. For the height of romance, a serenaded gondola ride in Venice is an absolute must before you leave the country.

If you’re looking to be more in touch with nature, you can revel in the majestic Alps or the charms of Tuscany. In Cinque Terre National Park, you can bask in the picturesque landscape of the Bay of Poets or go through the “Via Dell’Amore”.  Whatever it is you’re looking for, if there’s romance, you’ll find it in Italy.

View Wanderable’ssample honeymoon registry for Italy.

flickr

7.   Borneo

When: March - October

Submerge yourself into this eco-tourism hot-spot and surround yourself beneath the luscious canopies of the rainforest as you roam amidst the wild orangutans and enjoy various treks through the wildlife. Alternatively, you can visit the Gunung Mulu National Park Caves where the most extensive caves reside with hundreds of kilometers worth of passages laden with indoor waterfalls. The caves are also home to hundreds of floral and animal species. As you leave the darkness, you can choose to go to the secluded white sand beaches in Sabah or go to Mabul and enjoy scuba diving in the tropical reef. In Mabul, if you’re lucky, you can even see baby turtles hatching!

here

8.   Belize

When: Subtropical climate all year round. The driest months are January - May. Try to avoid hurricane season between August - October.

Belize boasts of all of nature’s beauties: plunging waterfalls, lush rain forests, and jungles filled with jaguars, toucans and flitting hummingbirds. For a dive into history, you can explore the largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere, or visit the “Blue Hole”, an Ice Age remnant of a dry cave system that is now inundated with color and silhouettes of grey reef sharks. For the less experienced divers, try snorkeling in the Hol Chan Reserve, waving at the surge of colorful fish and sea turtles in the exquisite coral reef. Get adrenaline-charged by swimming in Shark Ray Alley among vegetarian sharks and manta rays. Belize is also laden with history; take a land tour through the Mayan ruins in Caracol and explore the massive sky palace of Caana or the sacred Mayan stalactite caves.  

here

9.   Dominican Republic

When: Any time of year.

In the Dominican Republic you can enjoy laid-back afternoons in the pristine, turquoise waters and soft white sand. You can also visit Jarabacoa, filled with pictoresque waterfalls and kaleidoscopic endangered wildlife. At the Bahia de Samana you can observe humpback whales (January - March) and manatees. The Dominican Republic is famous for having the best windsurfing destination in Cabarete, where there is a vibrant nightlife filled with merengue and salsa dance clubs.

here

10. Norway

When: Wintertime

If you’re tired of hearing about gorgeous warm weather and beaches, and want something a little different, consider going to Norway in the winter. You’ll enjoy snuggling closer to your partner to generate more warmth whilst indulging in the breathtaking view of the aurora borealis.  This light-filled display is only seen in the Arctic Circle, when the sky is at its darkest and Norway at its coldest. You can enjoy walking across glaciers and crossing distances on a dog-sled. For a unique experience, you can also consider staying in a hotel made out of ice.

if you're going to san francisco...

We love that bridge now :-)

If you are going to San Francisco...buy a travel book.  We had a couple but it still didn't feel like enough.  

Biking across the Golden Gate Bridge!  The tops of our hands were sunburned and swollen for WEEKS after!!  ha!

To sum up our honeymoon in three words:  it wasn't great.  It was actually pretty bad...so bad that we hate referring it to our honeymoon and have decided to think of it as a "trip" and will take a REAL honeymoon someday in the future.  Of course, you will see us smiling and having fun in these pictures...because we did smile and have fun...but we shared a lot of laughter over how miserable everything was!

At first, we felt bad about not having a good time...we felt guilty about complaining to each other about how miserable we were...we didn't want to be ridiculous for not making the best out of our situation.  Then we realized that it's OK if it wasn't the dreamiest vacay we've ever been on.  We aren't big complainers when it comes to life - the two of us are easy going, and easily amused....so clearly....the sucky honeymoon must have really sucked.

First of all...the moment we stepped off of the airplane, I got sick.  Like, SICK.  Like I couldn't breathe through my nose, I had the most painful wicked bad cough that made my body shake, my abs sore, and my throat raw and nearly swollen shut....my joints ached, I lost my voice completely, and I was freezing 99% of the time (I had no idea that summer in San Francisco felt like Phoenix in the winter...I literally needed a coat!)  Oh, and I was exhausted.  I think all of the running around I did in those moments leading up to our honeymoon finally caught up with me.  What with the excitement of our wedding, followed by my last minute classes/tests/paperwork for graduation, AND packing like crazy people for our big cross country move...ohmygod...my body needed to rest.  I had reached my limit. 

My fave day - spent in Napa...enjoying a picnic, a bottle of wine, a baguette,  and some delish cheeses with my love.

Touring the wineries was such an exquisite experience...I would love to do that again someday!

As lovely as we thought San Francisco was...it was not what we ended up wanting out of a honeymoon.  After our crazy lives of non-stop action for the month leading up to the honeymoon, all we REALLY wanted was to sit, lounge, kiss, romp, and drink lots of pretty alcoholic beverages with little umbrellas in them...and to just relax.   We didn't want to wake up to hit the pavement for site-seeing...to battle crowds...to get elbowed on buses...to get lost every 5 minutes...especially my sickly self.  (We did stay in a beautiful hotel...it was rather lux and I considered never leaving the warmth of the fluffy bed...but I didn't want to miss out San Fran...and I didn't want Tommy to miss out on San Fran.  We would venture out in the early afternoon and spend a few hours exploring...and then I'd have to go lie down...it was sad.)

So now, we recommend tropical honeymoons to those that ask us our opinion.  It's funny because we  NEVER even considered a tropical honeymoon.  You see, we aren't traditionally "sit on the beach" kinda people...we kindof thought that a tropical honeymoon would be a "waste" of a trip.  We wonder where we got that logic to begin with...I have no idea...but we now know the error of our ways.  A sexy romantic relaxing honeymoon in the arms of your beloved in a warm tropical paradise sounds pretty perfect to me.

Of course we did some rad stuff -  ate ourselves silly for one (I pretty much ate soup.)  We gathered with some of our best friends a couple of times, toured Alcatrez on a night cruise tour, explored Napa Valley (oh how romantic!), did the whole Giant's stadium, biked across the Golden Gate Bridge, did some beautiful art museums, hit up the Exploritorium, walked in the pretty parks, road the trolley's, and did I mention we ate ourselves silly?

At the jazz club down the street from our hotel...probably drunk.  Notice the tops of our hands?  burned from bike riding.  Doy.

In the dug out at AT&T Park (beautiful ball park!)

Of course we had to go to Alcatraz!

We ended up liking San Fran, of course, it's a charming city...and I would love to go back!  I wonder where we will go for our REAL HONEYMOON?  Any affordable tropical locations you guys would recommend?  (I am thinking Punta Cana.)

how to honeymoon

When I found out that Meghan, of We Ski Slow, and her husband were going to honeymoon in New Zealand I went nuts...such a dream it is for Tommy and I to travel there!!  Here are some tips from Meghan involving honeymooning.  I thought it terribly appropriate for Meghan's advice today - as Tommy and I are now officially "honeymooning" in San Francisco!  Finally - some rest and relaxation with my sweetie.

This is the easiest and some may say the best part of wedding planning.   The only thing that is crucial is that you go as soon as possible.  We went right after our brunch the day after the wedding.  You will be exhausted and ready to be with your shiny, new spouse.  Alone.  As in without members of your family or any friends.  I have heard of people successfully honeymooning with others but to me that just sounds like a vacation.  You only get one honeymoon (this is not strictly true- we have been on three, the secret is to call all solo vacations honeymoons.  It works for us.) 

Ok with that being said, where do you go on your honeymoon?  Truth is, it does not matter.  Is Tahiti not in the budget, repeat after me, it does not matter.  You will be happy to relax and spend time with your shiny, new spouse.  We went to a cabin in the mountains for 3 days and we did nothing.  It was perfect.  This cost nothing. If time is of the essence and you are strapped for cash, ask around. You may know someone with a little cabin. We packed some food and movies and our hiking shoes.

I am happy that we delayed our "real" honeymoon for a few months becuase it gave my crazy planning side a chance to not go cold turkey after the wedding and gave me something to look forward to (I have heard a few folks talk about the let-down after the wedding).

Ok so what next?  Sit down with your partner and figure out what is feasible.  Plan accordingly.  How long do you have?  Where have you always wanted to go?   What cash is available?  You have associated wedding planning this is similar but without seating charts.

For us it meant brainstorming.  We threw around ideas over several months until we found something mutually fantastic.  We knew that we wanted to go somewhere far away.  We knew we wanted to be active, maybe camp some, eat good food, see ridiculous scenery and generally have an adventure.  We chose New Zealand for our delayed honeymoon.   We had two weeks and some money to burn.  After doing some reading of guidebooks, travel magazines and online sources it seemed that the only way to see New Zealand was from a campervan.  The trip grew from there.

You may think that spending your honeymoon in campervan sounds the farthest thing from romantic (let's face it, at some points it was!), so plan something a bit more cushy.  Or beachy or whatever.  The point is that you do something that you are generally thrilled about.

We knew that we wanted it to be "special" so we planned a few greatest hits in there.  I found an eco-resort that could only be reached by water or foot, we took a glacier helicopter tour, we kayaked with seals, we jumped off a bridge.   But much of the trip was the little moments like when we stopped the van to consult a map and saw a sheep giving birth or finding the world's best meat pie or drinking wine in the campervan after parking for the night watching the sun set.  

If planning a honeymoon is the last thing that you feel like doing you can go to an all-inclusive, becuase this is what they are made for.  No decisions need to be made.  Pay the money and you are done.  Show up, eat, drink and be merry. 

Or pick a town a few hours drive away, find lodging, a few interesting restaurants and chill. 

Or look for a State or National Park near you, throw the tent and cooler in the car and go. 

Always wanted to river raft? Book a trip.  The kind where they feed you gourmet snacks. 

our dreamy honeymoon

here.


Once we found out that our road tripping through the National Parks wasn't feasible with our insane schedule, we became a couple of brainstorming maniacs.

Things we wanted:

1. an American adventure
2. a place we had never been together
3. Preferably a place in our "top 3"*
3. 1 week long**
4. Southwest airlines hub***
5. 5 star digs****

SAN FRANCISCO here we come! This is a place that has been at the top of our list forever (and remarkably one of the only major cities in our nation that we haven't explored together.). This romantic city will soon have the coveted title of "our honeymoon spot." The first adventure we enjoy as a husband and wife team. A destination we can make repeat visits to throughout our lives. We will feel immediate and intimate connections when conversations turn to San Fran, or when movies/book/television shows take place there.

We are over the moon with excitement!

Note: It was tricky because the two of us have done so much travelling in our day that selecting a place we both hadn't been together was hard! San Francisco is literally one of the only cities that fit the bill!! So it's the perfect place for us. Oh. And this is where my parents honeymooned after their 1980 wedding...kinda cute....eh?

*"top 3" - we each have lists of the top places we want to experience...nationally and globally. When we compare our lists it is AMAZING how much they overlap! This helped us locate a dream destination - easy.

**1 week - this was our limiting factor and why a road trip simply won't suffice. I have no idea how long people typically go on honeymoons...but we literally only have 6 days....6 glorious magnificent days. Then it's moving time...where we pack up our respective cars and caravan out to our new home in upstate New York.

***Southwest Airlines - we have two round-trip tickets we have to use by September. Gotta love that. Free travel.

****Thanks to my Dad's generosity (and time share points!), we will be living like high rollers at a five star super lux resort. Ahhhhh!!!

^note: on Valentine's Day we made out way into a bookstore (big surprise there) and bought our first San Fransisco travel book...and then we cuddled together in the movie theater and began dreaming until the previews started.

honeymoon dreams

Zion National Park

Tommy and I set out to organize our honeymoon road-trip extravaganza a lil while back. Our dream was to road trip it out west, and then make our way across the country to our new home back east.

The Grand Tetons

We would plan to camp out in our beautiful national parks and every couple days stay in a luxurious resort (thanks to my parent's time share points!). The road trip included such incredible locations as the north rim of the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Antelope Island, Jackson Hole, Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Tetons National Park, Mt. Rushmore, the Black Hills of South Dakota and more. *squeal!*

The Grand Canyon (north rim! never been there!)

Mt. Rushmore

WE WERE STOKED! It's pretty much all I could talk about for days.

And then we found out it wouldn't work that way.

And I was devastated for an hour or so.

Back to the drawing board.


*We already have some ideas to explore. And we aren't bummed or sad or let down. We will see those places someday :-) and WE ARE STILL STOKED FOR WHATEVER ADVENTURE COMES OUR WAY!!

american honeymoons

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I love to entertain my thoughts with this quandary. I have a list about a mile long of places I yearn to experience. Currently at the top of my list are classics like Prague, Venice, Greece, Ireland....oh and from here my list can get obnoxiously long. Unfortunately (or fortunately...depends on how you'd like to look at it) fantastical journeys abroad aren't in the cards for us this year.

So now we are looking at honeymoon spots here on our American soil. We are toying around with the idea of camping...and some places we are entertaining:

Yosemite National Park

Glacier National Park

Yellowstone National Park via here

Are you honeymooning stateside? Where are you going?

honeymoon films

I think this is really fun! LOVE the idea of filming some of the adventure of the honeymoon...and I especially love the look when it's captured on 8mm. So nostalgic. Makes me dream about all the places I'd love to travel with my loverboy.

Our Honeymoon from First Floor Films on Vimeo. (From First Floor Films)

Our Honeymoon! from Heather Harney on Vimeo. (From We Met In A Bar)

La Luna de Miel from BrandenLower on Vimeo. (From Erin Ever After)