Adventure Honeymoons

The Age

Wednesday July 2, 2003

Tracey Kift

Today's newlyweds can be found in the remote jungles of Borneo, the mountains of Nepal and the beaches of Cuba

For many adventurous wedding couples, the walk down the aisle is just a warm-up for that much anticipated honeymoon.

More and more Melbourne newlyweds are trading in traditional honeymoon destinations for exotic locales, focusing on adventure.

Flight Centre's Victorian general manager Rachel Miller says newlyweds are choosing trekking, cycling or walking trips, joining group tours or heading for new honeymoon hotspots like Cuba, Mexico, Russia or Iceland.

Asia is another increasingly alluring alternative for the adventurous honeymooners, she says. Couples can take rice barge cruises in Thailand; explore the jungles and caves of Kota Kinabalu in Borneo; trek through the highlands of Vietnam; or travel through the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal.

South American honeymoons can take in the Inca trail in Peru, the Amazon jungle in Equador and Chilean lakes district - in fact, some of the most exotic destinations are to South and Central America.

In Europe, newlyweds are cycling through Tuscany and taking walking tours across the south of France.

Even 'stay-at-home' honeymooners are exploring the Daintree and Cape Tribulation in forest treks or camping in the Top End.

With many people marrying later in life or for the second or third time, Rachel says couples are often looking for a new holiday experience.

"People are wanting to do more than sit by the beach or pool on their honeymoons. Couples are tailoring their holidays to visit a new country, take in the scenery and build fitness."

Flight Centre's Armadale manager Natalie Watts says today's newlyweds are generally spending more money and time on their honeymoons.

Most of her clients have a budget of $10,000-$30,000 for a holiday of two to four weeks.

Natalie says honeymooners are looking for something entirely new and, depending on their budget, there's a wealth of options to consider.

Living it up

For $10,000

• Spend 10 nights in Malaysian Borneo in five-star accommodation, exploring the Sabah and Sarawak rainforests, climbing Mount Kota Kinabalu, enjoying some of the best white sand beaches in the world and visiting the Sepilok orang-utan rehabilitation hospital to interact with the orang-utans.

• Spend eight nights at Longitiude 131 at Ayers Rock, the only resort on the grounds

of the Uluru National Park, enjoying the resort's amazing, 180-degree views of Uluru, before taking a helicopter flight over Kings Canyon.

Big spender

For $20,000

• Spend seven nights in Mexico at the seaside city of Playa Del Carmen, followed by a further five nights trekking through Mayan ruins.

• Spend a week in Villa Salce in Italy - a house owned by the Counts of Bagnolo in Umbria, with an indoor pool - and a week in Northern Lazio learning Roman cooking styles.

Extravaganza

For $30,000

• This doesn't come cheap but it's unique! Spend six nights at a luxury eco lodge in the Amazon rainforest canopy, then move onto a four-night stay in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, to coincide with Carnivale in February.

© 2003 The Age

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