Once the nuptials are said and champagne polished off, you can finally unwind with your new hubs on a sexy little getaway. But how do you choose where to go and what to do? We chatted with Jeff Element, Canadian President for The Travel Corporation, on choosing your destination and booking one of the first trips of your married life.
How to choose
Just like with any trip, you and your travel partner need to decide what kind of travel style you have. The difference with this trip is that, typically, you want to make sure you plan for all that hanky panky that happens on the honeymoon, meaning you’ll likely want at the very least a private room (not that you can’t steal off for some out-of-the-room sexy times, but it’s easier when you have a hotel at your disposal. Hotel sex > regular bed sex). However, this doesn’t mean that you need to sacrifice adventure on your honeymoon, either. Element explains that when choosing, you need to be realistic with yourself first: People need to be honest with themselves and say these are the kinds of experiences that I want and then you can figure out which direction you want to go in. So how where do you start? Element explains that part of the world should be the first on your list, search by destination, then start working your way down to the style that you want. And while budget is important (especially after throwing a very large party), Element suggests it shouldn’t be your 100 per cent deciding factor. Obviously stay within your means, but also understand that it is an important trip, and just like your wedding, (hopefully) and once-in-a-lifetime experience. Time of year is also a contributing factor, but Element reminds us that traveling to certain areas in low seasons are actually a great way to save money.
Guiding light
For lots of people, honeymoon means parking on a beach for a couple of weeks, with some local culture peppered in between drinks (me), but if you’re going to a part of the world that you’ve never been before and are hoping to take in a lot in a short amount of time, doing a guided tour on your trip might just help make it happen. The Travel Corporation has a bunch of options (including the ever-popular Contiki) that cover all kinds of travel styles from super-luxe to more adventurous. Element explains, we have ˜at-leisure’ tours, which are more regional-based where you don’t travel far day-to-day. You’ll stay in the same hotels [for a few nights] and we don’t leave before 9am so you can sleep in, especially if you go out at night for dinner and drinks”it’s a much more relaxed pace.
Honeymoon hot spots
If you don’t have a direction for your honeymoon yet, honeymoon hot spots are always a good place to start, but it’s important to keep in mind that they will likely be busier and more expensive. Element explains that Italy in general is always one of those must-see destinations, but right now Capri is the locale-du-jour: Insight Vacations would do Capri up in luxury style. You arrive at the shore level and you go up to the town up on the mountain in open-top taxis to make your way up and then you stay in a palace from the 1700s. It’s really a luxurious experience with beautiful views of the Amalfi Coast and you really get that extra attention to detail. If Europe isn’t your speed, Element says that Asia is always a good option. It used to be, and it is still quite exotic, but it just seems that much closer to home and great for the adventurous couple, he says, adding, Myanmar, which has recently opened up to tourists coming in, is one of those places that you go and it’s a memorable and insider experience to the destination that you wouldn’t get anywhere else and you wouldn’t get on your own either because we do take you to places that would be pretty hard to get to.
The Wedding Planner is an ongoing series where we give you some real-life wedding planning advice, from finding the dress to dealing with that ever-growing guest list, over the next few months as we figure it out ourselves.
Image courtesy of The Travel Corporation
