Honeymoons and anniversaries are probably the most popular types of romantic travel. The best honeymoon destinations tend to focus on leisure and natural beauty (rather than, say, the edification of museum strolls). The Vacation Gals are big on family travel, of course; inspiring parents to take their kids on interesting vacations is one of our great passions. But maintaining a lively, compassionate bond between those parents is just as important. Happy and healthy families are predicated on thriving relationships, after all. Romantic getaways are just as important as other types of travel. The most romantic places in the world for honeymoons are also, perhaps, the most romantic overall.
The best honeymoon destination recommendations that the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) has derived from a poll are all in tropical spots. The top 5 honeymoon destinations, as judged by travel agents helping their North American travel planners put together perfect romantic getaways, are as follows:
1. Hawaii
2. The Caribbean
3. Mexico
4. Tahiti
5. Bora Bora
That’s right, Francophiles, Paris didn’t make the top 5 best honeymoon spots, as requested by travelers planning their honeymoons! I was surprised to see that the top destinations for honeymoon planners were all, unilaterally, tropical beach spots — but when I considered this, it made sense. France is expensive (not that anywhere that requires air fare isn’t automatically more pricey than somewhere drivable), and this poll was limited to travel agents planning romantic trips for North Americans. Say what you will, we Americans sure love our beach vacations.
Survey respondents ranked Hawaii as their top pick for best honeymoon vacation destination. No surprise there; Hawaii is simply wonderful. The most popular of the island chains for travel — Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island — are diverse with distinct pulls for romantic and family travel. From Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island to the incredibly lush, “old Hawaii” feel of Kauai, there’s something for every tropical honeymoon wish. Quieter Lanai with its Four Seasons resorts is ideal for a top-notch romantic getaway.
All the way across the US, the Caribbean is the second most popular spot for honeymoon travel. I had my own honeymoon in St John, a US Virgin Island, and have been to several other Caribbean islands — the romance therein is unmistakeable. Like Hawaii, the different Caribbean islands are all distinct; even the three US Virgin Islands are easily distinguished from each other. Some are flatter and drier (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, i.e. the ABC islands) and some have mountains and rainforests (including Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands).
Mexico is the third most requested destination for US honeymooners using ASTA travel agents. This was great to see, as Mexico’s border states are suffering an excruciatingly bad time. Most of Mexico isn’t, and popular travel destinations like Cancun and the Yucatan Peninsula, Cabo and Puerto Vallarta remain safe and popular vacation destinations — and the country as a whole benefits from legal economic growth.
The fourth and fifth top ranked honeymoon destinations are harder to get to from the US, making them both more elite and pricey for upscale romantic getaways, and more secluded for honeymooners (in fact, the islands’ secluded location was one of the reasons that ASTA travel agents noted that their clients wanted). Now, I’ve never been to Tahiti or Bora Bora. The South Pacific islands are famous, though, for their natural beauty and incredibly luxurious resorts.
Where is your favorite romantic getaway destination? Sure, I had my honeymoon in one of the top 5 ranked spots, but since then I’ve grown to love many great romantic destinations not on the list. All travel is good. May your next romantic trip be to the spot of your dreams.
Yay for the Caribbean – that was my honeymoon destination, too.
Been married 4 years now and my lovely wife and I honeymooned in Mexico. It was romantic and great.
Since I was married at Hana on Maui, I’m partial to a Hawaiian honeymoon. We spent one week at Hana and then a second week at Kona Village on the Big Island. Unfortunately, the recent tidal wave from Japan’s earthquake put Kona Village out of business for the time being.
We did the absolute opposite for our honeymoon: We went to Thailand and Cambodia for several weeks. While we had a little beach time in Phuket and Phi Phi, we spent most of our time seeing cultural things, as well as a trek in northern Thailand. Looking back, it was romantic, in that we were exploring together…but not as relaxing as it could have been. Our favorite romantic vacation has been – by far – our time in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. So there’s something to that whole Caribbean thing after all!
These are all perfect spots for honeymoons! There’s romantic spots everywhere so it’s up to the couple.
Romance is where you find it. And newlyweds are going to find it anywhere. It sounds cynical, but I think the tropical beach vacation has been sold as a concept and a most people would have been just as happy in the middle of a forest, in a mountain chalet, or in a city apartment. Its who you are with, and your personal comfort level that counts.
Now, I’ve never had a honeymoon, but these top five do seem to be dictated by expansive beaches — the tropical island dream. I’m surprised, too, that nowhere in Europe features. But maybe more people want to be walking hand in hand down perfect beaches and enjoying tropical cocktails amid the bougainvillea than dallying in the Louvre and eating steak?
Obviously I’m a huge fan of the Caribbean, but I would give an arm and a leg to spend a week in Bora Bora. Then again, that would make it a little difficult to swim in that blue water lagoon wouldn’t it?
Cheers!
Our Honeymoon was spent on Peter Island in the British Virgin Islands. My good friend, Jane Rutledge, of HuntsvilleGo.com( phone: 256 534-4652) planned the perfect honeymoon for us. I introduced her to my fiance for planning and my request was simple, “ocean, beach, quiet, beautiful..and no agenda!”
Peter Island was all that, and more! There was a welcoming cocktail party, two restaurants with most amazing variety of fresh seafood, fruit, vegetables and bakery items…(the diet started immediately upon homecoming), a calypso band and New Orleans-style Mardi Gras Carnival dancers on stilts.
The staff was wonderful and provided us with a champagne,fruit and cheeseTete-e tete sunset viewing on the highest point of the island. The first day I slept for 2 hours in a hammock right outside our private cabin’s back door, which opened out onto the most beautiful view of ocean, palm trees, sailboats and a beautiful pool. We later had private scuba diving lessons in the pool and were then taken out to deep water with our private instructor and photographer…. again beautiful coral formations, but the only fish we saw was a very large BARRACUDA!
Another day, a picnic in an isolated cabana on one of its quiet beaches and provided us with snorkel gear to explore the amazing variety of coral.
I was thrilled to be given a personal, botanical tour of the grounds and gardens by the head grounds keeper who identified every beautiful flower, plant and palm tree. The original “desert island,” rocky, barren and without much vegetation was transformed, by hand, into the beautiful, lush, tropical paradise we immersed ourselves in for eight wonderful days!
Put Peter island on your agenda, and thanks for your great destination blogs!
Happy, Healthy, Traveling!
HeartDoc
Feel truly romantic at this auspicious location by taking a flight to Mexico and giving your loved one an exotic gift yet very romantic.
Nice Beautiful. Awesome list of destinations . thank you for sharing this information with us.
A great list! thanks for sharing. I think you might like to add Halong Bay Vietnam if you write about top 10 honeymoon destinations