Picking a honeymoon destination can and should be a big decision.
When Kim and I were planning to get married, the more exciting and enjoyable part was planning the honeymoon! We came to a decision rather fast, deciding that we had to visit Australia.
It was a great trip and a country that I’d love to visit again in the future.
So where are couples going on their honeymoon these days?
If I had to guess, I’d assume Hawaii. It seems as though just about anyone I ask has gone there. (I’ve yet to visit the island and I can’t say that it ranks high on my list at the moment.)
Travel + Leisure had an article recently about “The Unexpected Place Couples Are Heading For Their Honeymoons“.
I expected to read about a bunch of different exotic destinations but boy was I wrong.
T+L mentions, based on a “survey from Westin Hotels & Resorts, 75 percent of couples that took a honeymoon in the last five years traveled to (or stayed in) the United States and Canada“.
While the US and Canada do have a lot to offer, I wouldn’t consider them (besides Hawaii) to be exciting honeymoon destinations. The survey reports that trips to Canada have tripled in the past 5 years while European destinations have gone down almost 50%.
The survey included couples from the US, Canada and Mexico.
So why are couples choosing more local destinations? The Westin survey says couples want active, adventurous honeymoons. Travelers also wanted more time on vacation, taking less time to get to the destination.
I don’t know about you, but there’s a lot of adventure to be had all around the world. I was definitely a bit surprised to see this uptick in the US and Canada be selected for honeymoons. What do you think?
Find out more from T+L here.
One important thing to bear in mind about a honeymoon is how tired you can be after a wedding. We didn’t leave for our honeymoon until two weeks after the wedding which gave us some recovery time and allowed us to visit with everyone who had flown in for the wedding. If we had gone immediately the only thing that would have suited would have been a beach vacation. I can understand why people choose somewhere relaxing.
A fun relaxing option that can work well on point is combining Tahiti with Easter Island so you get some luxury but also some adventure too!
I agree it’s a great time to go to Canada and the Euro is still fairly low too.
Ang- One of these days we will get to Hawaii. (I do want to visit all 50 states!) Canada is a great place and currently such a great deal!
Ruby- Alaska sounds like a great choice!
welltravbrit- Wow! That sounds like an Africa mega-trip! I’m dying to go back. We’ve been to South Africa (2X), Namibia, Kenya & Uganda. (I don’t count Egypt.)
Phoenix- Definitely a good reason to consider it! I’d love to visit some of Canada’s National Parks.
Canada would be because the CAD is at all-time lows relative to the USD!
Here’s where we went on our nine week honeymoon in 2000. First we flew to Senegal and than went overland to Mali where we toured the country; Timbuktu, Dogon country etc. We flew to Ghana for a few days and then on to South Africa to see Cape Town and enjoy some luxury in the wine country. We then flew to Zimbabwe to see some friends and took the train to Vic Falls where we started a 10 day flying safari in Zambia ending with a flight to Malawi. From Malawi we went overland to Dar es Salaam again partly by train and spent five days in Zanzibar before flying home! It was the prefect mix of high end and hitchhiking !
I think Alaska for a honeymoon sounds fabulous 😉
We just booked our honeymoon (for next year) to Alaska! Still part of the US but definitely something different.
You guys have to visit Hawaii!!! I loved it. I didn’t think I would. I was afraid it would be too commercialized/touristy. It’s kinda like little Tokyo in Honolulu. New Zealand also reminded me of Hawaii. I’m really surprised about Canada. Although I am visiting Canada 3x this year (2x last year) after not having gone since I was in elementary school. Gotta thank avios for that =P.