By Sean Harder
10 Honeymoon Destinations
A honeymoon is a chance to celebrate love and a new chapter in life. It's also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit someplace special. Whether you're looking to take it slow and relax beneath the sun or go on an international adventure, here are 10 ideas for a rewarding excursion.
1. Maui, Hawaii
The view from Maui. Photo by Sean Harder.
Stay oceanside near Kaanapali. Rent a soft-top Jeep. Make the drive to Hana. Welcome the day above the clouds at the House of the Rising Sun and sun yourself on Little beach.
2. Rome, Italy
The Colosseum. Photo by Sean Harder.
Get a cozy boutique hotel near Vatican City, where it's relatively quiet. Then tour the city on foot, being sure to visit the Pantheon, Colosseum and Forum. Visit each site at night, too. Dine outdoors at one of the restaurants encircling Piazza Navona as the sun sets and the street performers appear.
3. Dublin, Ireland
Oliver Goldsmith Statue at Trinity College, Dublin. Photo By Sean Harder
Stay somewhere with a river view. Go to a club. Forget the Guinness Brewery tour and just drink Guinness instead at any pub you come across. Walk the campus at Trinity College and dare to rent a car and venture beyond the city.
4. Mumbai, India
Visitors at Haji Ali Mosque, Mumbai. Photo by Sean Harder.
Have an adventure, because you can't avoid it in Mumbai. Eat great food. Take regular taxis everywhere. Negotiate purchases confidently. Walk the jetty at low tide to get to Haji Ali Mosque. Give small change to the poor. And have a drink at the Dome, the rooftop bar atop the Intercontinental Hotel.
5. Savannah, Georgia
Oaks, draped in Spanish moss. Photo by Sean Harder
Stay in the Historic District. Stroll through Forsyth Park. Sun yourself on Tybee Island. Walk beneath the Spanish moss at Wormsloe Plantation. Finish the night with dinner and a drink on River Street.
6. Negril, Jamaica
A woman sells bananas on Negril's beach. Photo by Sean Harder
For a fun time, fly into Montego Bay and catch a taxi to a non-resort on Negril's Seven Mile Beach. Sun yourself near blue waters. Eat at local restaurants. Lunch on the Jamaican patty for $1 and dine on curried lobster. Go on a glass bottom boat ride. Snorkel. Trust your taxi driver.
7. New Orleans, Louisiana
Jackson Square in New Orleans. Photo by Sean Harder.
Help a city recover and have fun doing it. Take a Segway tour through the French Quarter and Algiers. Drink a Mint Kulep at Pat O'Brien's. Have a Muffaletta sandwich for lunch, and dine on seafood at night. Listen to lots of live music.
8. Istanbul, Turkey
The Blue Mosque in Istanbul. Photo by Sean Harder.
Stay somewhere with a view of the Bosphorus. Visit the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace. Bargain for a good price at the Grand Bazaar. Go to a Turkish bath house.
9. Beijing, China
Summer Palace, Beijing, China. Photo by Sean Harder.
Find discount airfare and enjoy the budget vacation created by China's low currency valuation. Stroll through Summer Palace. Walk across Tienanmen Square. Get a glimpse of Mao's body. Buy the Peking Duck. Walk the Great Wall and visit the night market where you can eat fried scorpion.
10. Kenya
Giraffe spotted on safari. Photo by Sean Harder
Go on safari. Bait a lion for a sundown spotting. Take a very good camera with a zoom lens. Visit a village. Volunteer for a day with a nonprofit. Walk through Kibera slum in Nairobi. Don't forgot what you've seen when you leave.
About the Author:
Sean Harder spent seven years as a newspaper reporter, most recently as the military reporter at the Savannah Morning News. He's reported on local government, environmental issues, homelessness, and crime.
Photo Credits:
Courtesy bonvoyageweddings.com
