To the honeymoon and back

Whatever your honeymooner type, with Anantara’s collection of distinctive hotel and resort experiences, we’ve got you covered.

The Traditionalists
If Venice, Rome and Paris are called the cities of love and romance, it’s because they are. Safe in this knowledge, you settle on a classic European honeymoon complete with Vespa rides and Le Marais shopping extravaganza. Now about that elephant in the room. The crowds that these European heavyweights inevitably draw can leave you hot and bothered rather than blissed-out.  

A stone’s throw from Vilamoura’s marina and beaches, Anantara Vilamoura Algarve Resort famously sits on the grounds of Victoria golf course - home of the Portugal Masters. If you are immune to the thrills of putting, try resort’s signature “Blown Away” hot air balloon experience instead. 

As you sail high above the orange groves, cork trees and emerald valleys, spare a thought for those still queueing for their turn at the top of the Eiffel Tower.  

The Unplugged
Perhaps you spontaneously eloped to get hitched in Joshua Tree and honeymooning somewhere remote and offbeat feels like a logical next step. Or maybe it was your micromanaging an elaborate three-day wedding that made you (and your spouse) want to go off the grid to recharge those batteries. Whatever the reasons, your decision to hide away in a far-off corner of the world is your ticket to a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Zambia Hotel by Anantara elevates you above the mundane and gently places you on the shores of the mighty Zambezi River. Phones on silence or (gasp!) switched off and the only sounds to reach your weary ears are the soothing murmur of the cascading Victoria Falls in the distance and the occasional ruckus caused by the monkeys in the garden outside your veranda.  

Dinnertime at The Royal Livingstone is a high-octane affair with all the bells and whistles one comes to expect from the Royal Livingstone Express. As the lovingly restored steam train journeys through the national park and over the rushing water of the Victoria Falls, you are served perfectly executed concoctions, excellent dinnertime conversations and a six-course meal. 

Surrounded by such a kaleidoscope of colours and with wildlife roaming free at your doorstep, it’s only a matter of time before you reach for your mobile phone and end the self-imposed digital detox. The place is pure magic and someone needs to tell the world about it. Make it your job. 

The Cast-Aways 
Oh the Maldives. Everything they told you about the Indian ocean paradise is true. You will stop wearing shoes. The sunsets are technicolour and you will never tire of them. Hermit crabs are seriously adorable. Oh and your home reef – that’s where all the action is.  

At Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort, if you feel there are not enough hours in the day for all the activities, this rough itinerary is a good place to start: welcome the new day with a dawn asana, go mantra snorkelling, set sail with your own captain, cycle under the palms, join Anantara’s Coral Restoration Programme, swim with hammerheads, catch a wave, marvel at a Maldivian sunset, try a new restaurant. After a moonlit dip, start planning a return trip to follow the progress of your adopted coral as it quietly rebuilds itself in the reef nursery.