9 Unique honeymoon destinations
The greatest piece of advice anyone can offer you regarding your honeymoon is to not waste the opportunity. Don’t just go to Destination X because it’s the honeymoon thing to do. Instead, seize the moment as your chance to really get out there and explore something wonderful.
Need some ideas to take you beyond the ordinary honeymoon hotspots? Here are 9 suggestions to get you started.
9 Unique honeymoon destinations
1. Walls Are for Squares – Null Stern Hotel, Switzerland
Tired of the tyranny of walls? Sick of ceilings keeping you down? Then you might want to check out the Null Stern Hotel in Switzerland.
There are no rooms in some of the rooms found in the Null Stern Hotel. In fact, there isn’t any hotel. These particular “rooms” are built into the rolling hills of the countryside. You get a bed, one heck of a view, and that’s it.
Additionally, the original concept of the Null Stern (the outdoor “rooms” are a more recent addition) was built by artists tasked with repurposing an old nuclear bunker into something beautiful. If that sounds a little too gritty keep in mind the hotel was nominated for the 2009 Worldwide Hospitality Awards and in February 2010 GEO magazine ranked it in the top 100 hotels of all of Europe.
2. Beauty on a Budget – Havasupai Falls, Arizona
The fantastically beautiful Havasupai Falls are part of the Grand Canyon network. The area has both traditional hotel lodgings and camping sites, with the Falls and their swimming holes being the actual draw. Prices start as low as U.S. $17 a night.
There are however a couple of catches. First, you’ll have to hike 16 km (10 miles) both ways – the Falls are on a reservation without direct road access. Also, because of its renown, it can be difficult to snag some reservations.
3. Enjoy the Clean Lines of a Desert – Mongolia
Mongolia is a location that rarely comes up in conversations about honeymoons, but it really does deserve a look.
First of all, there’s the history. Mongolia has been the crossroads for more than one conflict between the west and the east, and it has more than its fair share of museums and monasteries for you to explore.
And of course there’s the desert itself. Clean and quiet, you and your significant other will have a wonderful opportunity to enjoy each other’s company as you take a horseback ride out amongst the golden rolling dunes.
4. Hunker Down for Your Honeymoon – Spitbank Fort, UK
You want a snazzy honeymoon destination, but you also want to run around in a villain-style hideout. Now you don’t have to choose! The Spitbank Fort, a boat-ride away from England’s south coast (about halfway to the Isle of Wight) used to be exactly what it sounds like – an island fortress.
Nowadays the fort has been dressed up to the nines with eight luxury rooms that incorporate features of the original fort.
5. Woo Your Loved-one in Old-World Surroundings – Dubrovnik, Croatia
Dubrovnik has seen its share of tough times, both in terms of human conflict and natural disasters like floods and earthquakes. Despite all of that, or perhaps because of it, the Dubrovnik of today is a beautiful destination filled to the brim with old world architecture and history.
When you want to get a little more active you can leave the museums behind and head down to the numerous beaches for some kayaking, swimming, or laying around in the sun.
6. Northwest Wet-suit Surfing – Tofino, Canada
Not a lot of people expect to take their first surfing lessons in Canada. But Tofino, found on beautiful British Columbia’s Vancouver Island, offers just that – learning to surf in the Pacific Ocean’s waves. Sure, it’s a little cooler than hitting the surf in Australia or California, but on the plus side there are far fewer sharks.
And when you’re ready to hop off of the board for a little while you can enjoy a wide variety of other outdoor-related activities like kayaking, hiking, wine-tasting (the Island has its own fair share of vineyards), salmon fishing, or easing your surf-tested muscles in the nearby hot springs.
7. Dine Underwater – Maldive Island
The Maldives are jewels in and of themselves – bright green bits of land dotted through the brilliant blue waters of the Indian Ocean.
But here is where things get really special – you can dine in an underwater restaurant. Named “the most beautiful restaurant” in the world by the New York Daily News in 2014, the Ithaa restaurant’s glass walls allow you to watch the aquatic wildlife around you as you eat. Is it in poor taste though if you order the seafood platter?
8. Go on an Antarctic Adventure – Antarctic cruises
If you want to come back with some bragging rights after your honeymoon don’t just go on a vacation – go on an adventure. Antarctic cruises whisk you away to get close to icebergs, say hi to seals, get investigated by more than one species of penguin, and take in the awesome pristine beauty of the Antarctic itself.
Plancius, pack ice, zodiac, Svalbard, Spitsbergen
9. Celebrate Your Honeymoon With the World – Anywhere
Honeymoons don’t have to be about you. Instead of heading to a vacation destination you can put effort into achieving a charitable goal. You can help clean up a remote beach (some Polar cruises offer beach-cleaning expeditions). Spend time cleaning up the animals for adoption at a shelter. Or you could plant trees, knowing that they’ll keep growing along with your new marriage.
