If you’re looking to plan the perfect honeymoon a number of factors must be considered from cost to the amount of time you have available, and whilst in an ideal world, we would all go travelling in luxury for a couple of months in order to celebrate our voyage into married life, this isn’t always realistic.

However, this is your honeymoon - and therefore, this is the time to dream big in terms of your travel plans. The list below offers three main suggestions to inspire your honeymoon vacation:

THAILAND

Known as being the “land of smiles”, Thailand is a magical kingdom that has something to offer everyone - whether you’re looking for a laid back beach vibe, swinging in a hammock on a deserted island, the hustle and bustle of city life, the culture of temples and hill tribes or the adventure of swinging through the jungle and racing down river rapids.

Thailand remains a firm favourite for honeymooners, as whilst it’s become very developed there is still much unspoilt beauty in the tantalizing Kingdom of Thailand left to discover, particularly in the region of Krabi and Koh Lanta, but the undeveloped and rustic image that was so prevalent twenty years ago has unfortunately been somewhat replaced with neon lights, massage parlours, non-stop parties, and gridlocked congestion. 

There are a number of five star boutique hotels perfect for honeymoons in the regions of Krabi, Phuket and Koh Samui, but a more authentic experience can be found by taking in more remote parts of Thailand such as Pai and Udon Thani, in the North.

Whilst in Thailand, particularly if you visit the North, you may want to head into Laos, where life has a much slower pace - the cost of living is significantly cheaper than the tourist areas of Thailand too… but don’t expect to find the same standard of home comforts you can expect to find in tourist resorts within Thailand.

ITALY

Another firm favourite, on everyone’s bucket list is Italy. Beyond the obvious cities of Rome and Venice, which in reality, whilst very beautiful and certainly worth visiting, are touristy to the point of being a little abrasive on both the soul and the wallet. There are two regions within Italy that are particularly perfect for honeymoons: Lake Garda (about an hour from Milan airport) and Tuscany (best option is to fly into Pisa airport).

Lake Garda offers refined luxury whilst retaining a comfortable, authentic and accommodating vibe that is the antithesis of the fashionista fuelled pretension found in cities such as Milan and Rome. Here, you can take scenic boat rides, go horse riding, climbing, walking and even paragliding. It’s therefore a fantastic spot for those that love nature, good food, fine wine, and a warm welcome from the locals.

Tuscany is an incredibly popular choice with travellers who are drawn from all over the world in search of fine wine, delicious food and beautiful scenery. This enchanting region has marvellously mild weather, almost half of Italy’s artistic heritage, and traditional people that make Tuscany feel less of a tourist destination and more of a home. For a real treat, head to Borgo Santo Pietro - in fact, you really do want to pause reading and check out this link, as it’s been voted one of the world’s most romantic hotels and deserves a place on everyone’s honeymoon bucket list.

Similar to Lake Garda, when you enter Tuscany, you feel like you are part of the experience - rather than an outsider looking in; as this romantic and majestic land will welcome you with open arms.

TURKEY

This one may seem, somewhat of a curve ball, but it’s good to include something different and also something that offer exceptional value for money - as the value of tourism within Turkey at the moment is an absolute bargain. You can find deals in moderate accommodation (e.g. a three star one bedroom apart-hotel) for $20 for a week!! This is cheaper than you’ll find in places like India.

The reason Turkey has become so cheap, is due to supply and demand. There have been a few isolated incidents of terrorism, along with a political situation that has led to many holiday companies withdrawing from the region (i.e. the vast majority of their inbound tourism came from Russia; who since a political disagreement have since refused to travel to Turkey).

This means, there are hundreds and hundreds of hotels that are empty - as the bottom has fallen out the market; and the only way to fill these rooms is to discount heavily, which is why, hotels that were once $40 per night are now $40 per week - serving as a loss leader, in the hope their guests then spend money on food and beverage.

So, now we’ve established Turkey offers a fantastic deal, and that the majority of the country is an incredibly safe, calm and peaceful land of respect and culture… indeed, the Turkish people are some of the most sincerely hospitable people around… let’s take a look at where to go within Turkey.

Istanbul is the clear capital of tourism and is famous for being one of the most interesting and culturally rich places for city break in the entire world. Then, there are the mystical lands filled with natural “fairy chimneys” in the Cappadocia region - or hidden away seaside coves such as Olympos, just a couple of hours from Antalya. 

SAFARI

One last bonus, because we simply couldn’t resist - is the option to go on a safari. For many, a wildlife safari is the trip of their lives, and this is exactly what you should expect from your honeymoon. There are budget options, but budget is a relative term, when it comes to facilitating a safari and is certainly in contrast to the $20 a week prices available in Turkey. Indeed, a safari should be luxurious - and if you’re interested in living it up in a luxurious safari retreat, you should take a look at elephant plains game lodge reviews, which is a perfect option for honeymooners with a particular penchant for elephants, luxurious living, and the most incredible stargazing.

In summary, a honeymoon is the one time you should feel perfectly justified in splurging - and these four options all provide fantastic value for money, and bang for your buck, in terms of the experiential aspects of the destination. A honeymoon, for most people should be more than a luxury resort - it should be a life enhancing immersive experience where the memories last a lifetime.