Mark Twain once said that we will be more disappointed by the things we didn’t do than by those we did. Honeymoons are no exception.
There’s nothing more binding than an adrenaline rush, and an adventure is sure to bring the two of you closer. Why settle for fruity rum drinks on the beach when you and your new spouse can dive a coral reef or ride the rapids?
An adventure honeymoon takes a bit more research and planning—the last thing you want is to begin your marriage fighting about who forgot the mosquito netting. Often the amenities aren’t the same as those at a sophisticated resort, and appropriate packing becomes a necessity. To maximize your budget, opt for a package. Adventure comes in all shapes and sizes, and, much like marriage, it’s all in how you live it.
Dive Down Under
Australia’s Heron Island is a 44.5-acre coral cay, half national park, half luxury resort, located on the Tropic of Cancer and along the Great Barrier Reef. More than 70 percent of the Great Barrier Reef’s coral species are located around the cay, making Heron a world-class place to snorkel and dive. The water temperature is nearly perfect: around 70 degrees in the winter and 80 in the summer. Snorkel right off the string of powder-white beaches and delight in the Technicolor fish. Dive among turtles, whitetip reef sharks and moray eels while exploring colorful gorgonian and staghorn coral. Humpback whales migrate between the Heron and Wistari reefs. More than 20 dive sites are less than 15 minutes away, which means that you can spend the morning in bed and take an afternoon dive.
If neither of you is a diver, start your marriage with a mutual hobby and use this opportunity to become PADI-certified. If you’re already avid divers, night-diving the reef will strengthen your trust in each other and let you share an adrenaline rush.
The Heron Island Resort has beachside suites and spacious beach houses with outdoor showers that offer spectacular views of the reef. All meals are included. An added bonus: Day-trippers are forbidden on the island, so the surrounding reef is exclusive to Heron guests.
When you’re ready to surface from your room or the water, the resort offers guided reef walks, coral-viewing cruises, and day trips to nearby Wilson Island. From November to February, there’s ample opportunity to watch sea turtles nest.
Getting there: American Airlines, United Airlines, British Airways, Qantas and Air New Zealand fly to Sydney from New York and Los Angeles. Qantas offers daily flights from Sydney to Gladstone, where a helicopter will whisk you away to Heron. A daily ferry transports passengers on a two-hour trip between Gladstone Marina and Heron Island.
For more information, visit heronisland.com.
Bike Western Ireland
Remember that feeling of freedom when your dad took the training wheels off your bike—the sense that now, anything was possible? Biking the winding back roads of Ireland’s western coastline with your new spouse is about as close to reliving that moment as you can get.
It also happens to be extremely romantic.
Ride through lush pastures and centuries-old Gaelic villages, pedaling past fields of peat, misty lakes, crumbling fortresses and Stone Age ruins, then sip a pint of Guinness and listen to the fiddles in whatever local pub you happen to stumble upon. There are plenty of elegant country inns, castles, and manor houses where you can rest for a night ... or two.
If you choose a cycling outfitter’s all-inclusive trip, your only decision will be which package suits you best. Companies like CycleWest Ireland and Backroads cater to your ability level and tastes, offering a pampered adventure in which they plan the itinerary, provide the gear and meals, secure top-notch accommodations and transport your luggage.
Self-guided tours are another option if the two of you prefer to ride alone and set your own pace. Bike Riders Tours offers a self-guided trip, still with the all-inclusive perks. A word of caution: Start cycling months before you arrive so you’re prepared for the hills, wind and primitive roads—and bring your own helmet.
Getting there: Delta Air Lines, US Airways, American and Continental fly from St. Louis to Dublin; Aer Lingus flies from Dublin into Shannon Airport.
For more information, visit discoverireland.com.
Hike Glacier National Park
Romance in the wilderness? You bet.
Glacier National Park is about as scenic as it gets, with towering snow-capped mountain peaks, lush green valleys bursting with wildflowers, countless waterfalls and endless blue sky. The 1.4 million-acre park in northwestern Montana is unspoiled nature, a giant playground where you can spend your days hiking to glaciers, fly-fishing and river rafting. And if wildlife is your thing, you can even ride horses along mountain trails past bighorn sheep, moose or possibly a grizzly bear taking an early-morning bath in one of 200 lakes.
Glacier has everything from rustic cabins to historic backcountry chalets. Located in the “Switzerland of North America,” on Swiftcurrent Lake, Many Glacier Hotel is a rustic, historic hotel with a Swiss feel and a panoramic view of the mountains.
For those who’d rather cuddle in the same sleeping bag to keep warm in the chilly mountain air, the area also has 10 official campsites and numerous backcountry camping grounds. Open-air camping is perfect if you’re looking for serious alone time. You’ll need a free permit from the park service, and you’ll need to know what you’re doing. Bears and mountain lions won’t hesitate to visit.
Make sure to muster the energy to hike to see one of the 27 remaining glaciers; it’s believed that they’ll be gone by 2050, so this could be the one aspect of your honeymoon fit to share with your grandchildren.
Getting there: The closest airports are in Kalispell and Great Falls, Mont. Big Sky Airlines, Delta Connection and Northwest offer services into both cities. US Airways also flies into Kalispell. Car rentals are available at both airports.
For more information, visit glacier.national-park.com/info.htm or call 406-888-7800.
Photograph Ugandan Mountain Gorillas
Known as Africa’s friendliest country, Uganda is on the equator and the East African Plateau, where the East African savannah meets the West African jungle. Along the ridges of the Albertine Rift, the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to Uganda’s main attraction: the endangered mountain gorilla. Follow a guide as he slashes through the dense tropical rainforest until you come in close range of a mother gorilla and her baby feeding. Travel the savannah plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park and zoom in on elephants, buffalo, hyenas, giraffes and more than 600 species of birds. Did you know that lions climb trees? In the Ishasha sector of the park, it’s not uncommon to spot one lounging in a fig tree. If you’re lucky, a boat trip along the shores of Lake Edward will offer plenty of photo opportunities.
And just because you’re on safari doesn’t mean you have to rough it. In fact, the accommodations are sexy and sophisticated: Soak in an outdoor bathtub beneath the stars at the Apoka Lodge, or enjoy the view of Lake Edward from your suite’s balcony at the Mweya Safari Lodge.
Travel + Leisure recently rated Big Five Tours & Expeditions third in its 2006 World’s Best ranking of tour operators and safari outfitters. The company offers an 11-day safari through Uganda and Rwanda and a three-day gorilla-tracking excursion in Bwindi. English is the official language. Although the Ugandan shilling is the local currency, the euro is widely accepted. Visas are required to enter the country, and you must show a certificate confirming vaccination against yellow fever.
Getting there: Northwest, British Airways, Continental, United and Virgin Atlantic Airways fly to London. From there, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and SN Brussels Airlines fly to Nairobi, Kenya, and then on to Entebbe International Airport, located 25 miles from the capital, Kampala.
For details, check visituganda.com.
Explore Copán, Honduras
Copán was once the “Paris of the Mayan world.” Begin your new life together by exploring the ruins of this ancient civilization, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s nothing less than surreal to wander past elaborate sculptures of crocodiles and human faces carved into temple walls.
Known as Xukpi to the Maya, Copán is located in a fertile mountain valley in western Honduras. This Mayan city thrived between the fifth and ninth centuries, and today the portrait stelae (3- to 5-meter-tall sculptures of Mayan rulers) that line walkways in the ancient city’s central plaza are considered some of the best surviving artwork of the period.
When you’ve had your fill of the ruins, kayak the Copán River, spelunk Cavernas El Boquerón, birdwatch in the Macaw Mountain Bird Park & Nature Reserve or go for a horseback ride. Lace up your hiking boots, grab a bottle of water and walk uphill for about an hour until you reach Los Sapos, “The Toads.” The rocky outcropping is carved in the shape of toads—a symbol of fertility—and is believed to have been a birthing site for Mayan women. The view of the Copán Valley is spectacular.
Lined with white adobe buildings and cobblestone streets, the tranquil colonial village of Copán Ruinas is surprisingly cosmopolitan. The Hotel Marina Copán offers honeymoon packages that include everything from Champagne to the entrance fees for the ruins and tunnels. The Hacienda San Lucas is a bit more secluded, with first-class service and authentic Mayan cuisine.
Getting there: American Airlines and Continental fly from St. Louis to San Pedro Sula (a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Copán), where charter planes, car rental and luxury bus service are available.
For more information, visit copanruins.com.
