Nothing stays the same forever, except the internet’s recommendations for the top 10 honeymoon destinations.
It seems no matter where you look, the top 10 honeymoon destinations are always basically the same. Hawaii appears on basically every list ever written, as does Florida, and Italy has been named more times than its worth mentioning.
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There’s no denying all these places are seriously beautiful and make great honeymoon destinations. However, in the Instagram age where unique experiences in out-of-the-way locales are the ultimate luxury, it pays to look slightly further afield. As planes and cruises make the world smaller and smaller, finding something special that’s off-the-beaten-track can make any honeymoon that bit more memorable.
On the other hand, the old favourites are visited by thousands of honeymooners every year because they’re well prepared for newly-weds. There are hotels, attractions, and plenty of entertainment for those who are seeking a special vacation with their new husband or wife.
The solution is to find a fitting compromise.
On this list you’ll find details of some of the world’s best-loved honeymoon spots, alongside alternatives which offer similar but in some cases quirkier options.
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By GlobalDataTop 10 honeymoon destinations and where to go instead:
1. Hawaii
When discussing honeymoon destinations, nowhere comes up more often than Hawaii. Chock full of gorgeous hotels, sandy beaches, incredible sights, and stunning local traditions, Hawaii is an incredible spot for couples in love. There’s no getting away from the fact that any holiday snaps from Hawaii are sure to make friends and colleagues green with envy. However, with the recent volcanic troubles you’ll have to be careful about which spots you choose to visit.
Best hotel for honeymooners:
Top restaurant for date night:
Perfect attraction for couples:
- See a traditional Hawaiian luau
Where to go instead: Fiji
While Hawaii is the go-to spot for honeymooners, another option is Fiji. The two destinations share plenty of similarities. Both are volcanic islands surrounded by crystal blue seas. In addition, both locations have a fascinating culture with plenty to learn from the locals. Like Hawaii, Fiji has many different islands offering different experiences, so it’s easy to find something to suit your needs.
Best hotel for honeymooners:
Top restaurant for date night:
Perfect attraction for couples:
- Listen to the bird song and explore the beautiful nature pools in Colo-i-Suva Forest Park
2. Italy
It’s no surprise that Italy commonly features in lists of the top 10 honeymoon destinations. The country has everything – history, culture, sights, and that’s to say nothing of the wonderful food. Whether you’re visiting the gorgeous lakes and picturesque towns in the North of the country or basking in the sun along the Amalfi coast or exploring the sights and sounds of Rome, Italy has something to offer everyone.
Best hotel for honeymooners:
Top restaurant for date night:
Perfect attraction for couples:
- Explore the beautiful island of Capri just off the coast of bustling tourist town Sorrento
Where to go instead: Slovenia
While it may not be as well-known for its sights as Italy, Slovenia is still a gorgeous destination. There’s a fairytale-like quality to the country’s lakes such as Bled and Bohinj, while the country also has its fair share of quaint seaside towns like Piran and Izola. The rivers in Slovenia range from white-water rafting-ready to being total Italian riviera lookalikes. Plus, Slovenia is famed around the Mediterranean for its wines and cheeses.
Best hotel for honeymooners:
Top restaurant for date night:
Perfect attraction for couples:
- Walk the shores of Lake Bled or take a rowing boat out on the water
3. Caribbean
The only item on this list that’s made up of multiple countries, the Caribbean is all just about equally beautiful. From golden sandy beaches to lush jungles, luxury resorts to old pirate hideouts, the Caribbean has literally everything a newly-wedded couple could possibly ask for. Kingston and Havana are must-visits, filled with beautiful architecture and shops filled with treasures.
Best hotel for honeymooners:
Top restaurant for date night:
Perfect attraction for couples:
- Have your own Pirates Of The Caribbean adventure by chartering a boat to explore the untouched coastlines
Where to go instead: Cape Verde
While the Caribbean may be the most famous place for pirates, they also spent some time in Cape Verde. Just off the coast of Mauritania, the Cape Verde islands are on the equator, just like the Caribbean, so honeymooners are guaranteed to get just as much sun. Also like the Caribbean, the Cape Verde islands are an eclectic mix of cultural influences which make them a unique location. They’re also slightly smaller than the Caribbean islands, so everywhere is just that bit more luxurious.
Best hotel for honeymooners:
Top restaurant for date night:
Perfect attraction for couples:
- Climb to the top of one of Cape Verde’s stunning hills to watch the sunrise with a romantic breakfast
4. Mexico
If all you want to do is sit in the sun and slowly bake for two weeks, you won’t find anywhere better than Mexico. The country soaks up plenty of sun and there are literally hundreds of gorgeous luxury hotels to capitalise on it. However, there also some other bits and pieces to see such as Mayan temples and beautiful coastlines that are well worth taking a boat out on.
Best hotel for honeymooners:
Top restaurant for date night:
Perfect attraction for couples:
- Lounge by the pool all day, what more could you want?
Where to go instead: Colombia
As a country bordering Central America, Columbia has lots in common with Mexico. Both get bountiful sunlight at all hours of the day, both share a similar ancient history and are littered with beautiful ruins, and both share the same colourful architecture and foods. However, as Mexico has become a more and more popular place to honeymoon, prices have started to rise. Columbia offers a similar, but totally unique experience at a fraction of the cost.
Best hotel for honeymooners:
Top restaurant for date night:
Perfect attraction for couples:
- Visit the ruins and explore the rainforest in Tayrona National Natural Park
5. Greece
Since the release of Mamma Mia! Greece has regained plenty of attention as a hotspot for newlyweds. No doubt it will see another resurgence when that film’s sequel arrives in summer 2018. Greece, like Italy, is known for its ancient history. From the Acropolis to the temple of Apollo at Delphi, you can’t throw a stone in Greece without hitting at least ten sites of archaeological interest. But the country is so much more than its history. Rolling hills, crashing waves, and fields of olive groves are all part of Greece’s charms.
Best hotel for honeymooners:
Top restaurant for date night:
Perfect attraction for couples:
- Take a tour up to Delphi to find some of Greece’s most beautifully preserved ruins where the ancient Greeks sought advice from priestesses who could apparently see the future.
Where to go instead: Portugal
It might not seem the most obvious alternative but Portugal has many similar draws to Greece. Both are coastal countries where locals share a relaxed, amiable attitude towards tourists, and a diet of delicious seafood. Both are home to beautiful old-world towns and architecture, and both have unique and engaging histories (of very different natures.) Portugal’s Algarve is definitely worth seeing if you love a dramatic set of cliffs with crashing waves beneath.
Best hotel for honeymooners:
Top restaurant for date night:
Perfect attraction for couples:
- Explore some of the quirky shops and boutiques on the harbour side in Porto
6. California
Like so many places on this list, California is a popular spot due to the sheer variety of places on offer. There’s the dazzling sights of Los Angeles and San Francisco to the quiet natural vistas of La Jolla and Yosemite to the dramatic dunes of Death Valley. The best Californian honeymoons will take in all of the above on a road trip extravaganza.
Best hotel for honeymooners:
Top restaurant for date night:
Perfect attraction for couples:
- Cycle from San Francisco’s famous Pier 39, across the Golden Gate bridge then take a boat ride back to the city past Alcatraz
Where to go instead: Australia
Australia is much bigger than California and, as such, there’s even more variety. Take in some culture and arts in Sydney or venture out to see the deserts of the Northern Territory (the only place in the world with wild camels) or relax by the seaside on one of the many beautiful coasts. You could even stay in a bubble tent to be the envy of everyone you meet for the rest of your lives together.
Best hotel for honeymooners:
Top restaurant for date night:
Perfect attraction for couples:
- If you’re visiting Australia, you have to trek out to Uluru (sometimes known as Ayres Rock) just to see the scale of it
7. Florida
Known mostly for its theme parks, Florida is also home to some other great sights and sounds. The Everglades national park is also an ideal place to kick back and get in tune with nature as you encounter alligators up close and personal. Elsewhere, Florida is also home to the Kennedy Space Centre so there’s something for science enthusiasts. Finally, there’s Miami which is exactly as full of clubs and bars as you’d hope.
Best hotel for honeymooners:
Top restaurant for date night:
Perfect attraction for couples:
- Since you’ll almost certainly be going to Disney anyway, in addition you should take an airboat ride through the Everglades
Where to go instead: Japan
Sure, Japan might not be the first place you think of when you consider alternatives to Florida, but consider this. Both are filled with bustling metropolises as well as quieter more natural areas. Both are home to huge entertainment hubs and theme parks. Japan certainly has all the attractions of Florida, plus it’ll give Western visitors a far greater sense of having traveled somewhere and experienced a totally different culture.
Best hotel for honeymooners:
Top restaurant for date night:
Perfect attraction for couples:
- While we’d definitely suggest a walk in the beautiful Aokigahara forest, given that area’s morbid associations, you might find it more charming to see Tokyo from above by exploring the heights of the Tokyo Skytree
8. Thailand
A burgeoning favourite for Westerners abroad, Thailand is the place to go if you’re looking for an experience of true traveling. In addition, as a favourite location for Westerners, locals are increasingly likely to speak a language that you’ll be familiar with, always handy if you’re a nervous traveler. The main attraction of Thailand is the opportunity to experience a totally foreign culture that’ll be so different to anything Western tourists have experienced before. Everything from the food to the nightlife to the hotels are done very differently. You’ll feel like a pair of true globe-trotters when you come back from Thailand.
Best hotel for honeymooners:
Top restaurant for date night:
Perfect attraction for couples:
- Find a secluded beach and live out your The Beach fantasy (the bit before it all goes horribly wrong, that is!)
Where to go instead: Vietnam
Given the USA’s war with Vietnam, the country leaves quite a sour taste in the mouths of many Westerners. Still, it shouldn’t because Vietnam is an absolutely stunning country, offering much more than just memories of a foolish and futile war. Like so many countries on this list, Vietnam has something for everyone. Seeing its rugged mountains and stunning coasts in person is a once in a lifetime experience that anyone would be lucky to experience. Or, if you’re pressed for time, do both at once in the country’s famously beautiful Ha Long bay.
Best hotel for honeymooners:
Top restaurant for date night:
Perfect attraction for couples:
- As mentioned above, you can’t visit Vietnam without also taking a cruise through the beautiful Ha Long bay area, where mountains rise out of the ocean like giants
9. Tanzania
More and more people are opting for an African safari holiday, and there’s no where better for that than Tanzania. Luxury safari resorts with honeymooners in mind are springing up all over the country at the moment. If you’ve ever dreamed of seeing the creatures from Planet Earth up close and personal, here is your best bet.
Best hotel for honeymooners:
Top restaurant for date night:
Perfect attraction for couples:
- If you’re going to Tanzania you’re going there for a safari; there’s no getting around it. A sunset safari will make the trip extra special
Where to go instead: India
For nature lovers, the most irritating thing in the world is hearing people talking about seeing ‘lions and tigers’ on an African safari. In fact, you’ll never see a tiger in Africa because they do not live on that continent. You might be lucky enough to spot one on an Indian safari though. India is also home to elephants, jackals, bears, rhino, deer, so it makes just as good a location for a safari as Tanzania.
Best hotel for honeymooners:
Top restaurant for date night:
Perfect attraction for couples:
- Again, you’ve got to go on a safari in India. Meeting a Bengal tiger face to face would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Just be careful to avoid tiger ‘temples’ which exploit the animals on show
10. French Polynesia
One for the couple searching for luxury, French Polynesia is the place to go. If you’re looking for a romantic beach honeymoon, you won’t find anywhere better than here. Places like Bora Bora and Tehurui are the favoured holiday destination of celebrities like the Kardashians and Justin Bieber. For those looking for a classy break and a bit of privacy, these exclusive islands won’t be beat.
Best hotel for honeymooners:
Top restaurant for date night:
Perfect attraction for couples:
- If bathing naked in a hot tub in Bora Bora is good enough for Justin Bieber, it’s good enough for you
Where to go instead: Madagascar
While Bora Bora is the dream for beach holidays it’s also quite… dull. French Polynesia is gorgeous but there’s not much going on. Madagascar is quite different. While the island off the coast of Africa also has the same beautiful white sandy beaches and blue seas, it also has a wealth of plenty of other incredible vistas. From fields of jaw-dropping Baobab trees to lush jungles filled with lemur to dazzling mountains, Madagascar is incredible. For nature lovers there are few places in the world quite like it.
Best hotel for honeymooners:
Top restaurant for date night:
Perfect attraction for couples:
- There’s so much to sea and do in Madasgascar but one really romantic adventure might be to go snorkeling and observe all the colour corals and fish just off the coast. Just remember to also watch out for sharks!
