Maybe you didn’t have the cash to take a dreamy overseas post-wedding trip. Or COVID-19 kept you close to home.
If you’re thinking of celebrating your love somewhere exotic, you’re not alone: 44 percent of couples planning a honeymoon in 2023 chose an international destination, according to wedding planning website The Knot.
Here are four dreamy destinations to consider that are worth the wait.
Couples can take long walks on the beach in Aruba.
Aruba
Billed as “One Happy Island” by the Aruba Tourism Authority, Aruba boasts long stretches of powdery white sand and consistently sunny days in the 80s.
Visitors from the U.S. will find it easy to communicate and get around this Southern Caribbean gem. Most locals speak multiple languages — English included — and the U.S. dollar is accepted everywhere you go.
Honeymooners get a lot of love with discounts at hotels, restaurants and attractions through the “One Happy Honeymoon” program sponsored by the Aruba Tourism Authority. To get the perks, let the participating hotel know you’re planning a honeymoon when you book, and check with the tourism authority for any promo codes you may need.
Participating hotels include the adults-only Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort and the Boardwalk Boutique Hotel Aruba. Or choose an all-inclusive resort, such as the Divi Aruba All Inclusive.
Foodies will appreciate the range of cuisine, including European specialties at the Quinta del Carmen. Sip gimlets infused with homegrown basil in the tropical gardens of a century-old mansion before feasting on locally caught fish and Dutch family cooking. Enjoy a turn at the tables in casinos that have earned Aruba the nickname “Las Vegas of the Caribbean.” Snag duty-free deals on diamonds and more in the capital city, Oranjestad, or board a sunset dinner cruise. If you’re in party mode, island bars buzz until the wee hours with live music.
There’s romance around every corner in Paris.
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Paris
Smooch on the sidewalk or canoodle in a cozy bistro banquette. There’s romance around every corner in the dream destination for lovers, spiffed up for the 2024 Summer Olympics. (Note: Paris is pretty booked for the Olympics, so be sure to plan around the event.)
Stay tucked away amid gardens in the romantic Pavillon de la Reine hotel and spa, a 17th-century mansion where the future wife of Louis XIII once lived. Wake up in a bed strewn with rose petals at the Secret de Paris Hotel & Spa. Rooms are themed as Paris attractions, including the Musée d’Orsay art museum and Moulin Rouge nightclub. Or splurge on a suite with a terrace at the elegant Hôtel de l’Abbaye, a former monastery. The hotel is near shopping and cafés with white-aproned waiters, including the see-and-be-seen Café de Flore.
Celebrate with champagne at the Eiffel Tower’s Michelin-starred Le Jules Verne. Rooftop views of Paris monuments are free at the Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann department store. Snap a selfie to send to friends and family back home. Sadly, you no longer can attach padlocks with your initials to symbolize enduring love on the Pont des Arts pedestrian bridge over the Seine. About 700,000 were removed in 2015 to avert a bridge collapse. But to paraphrase Humphrey Bogart in the movie Casablanca: You’ll always have Paris.
Couples can enjoy views of the rice fields in Bali.
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Bali
The lush Southeast Asian paradise where Julia Roberts found her soulmate in the movie Eat Pray Love is one of the world’s more romantic and exotic getaways. This Hindu island is famous for welcoming residents and spiritual ceremonies.
Honeymooners seeking a beach getaway can book a bungalow with traditional Balinese decor in the gardens of Tandjung Sari resort. Lovers of art and culture head to the inland town of Ubud, boasting batik boutiques burning good-luck incense and a café by a lotus pond. Stay by the jungle and rice fields in a villa with private pool at Kaamala Resort Ubud and indulge in a traditional Balinese massage for two. Sit shoulder to shoulder at riverside Murni’s Warung in Ubud and order signature Indonesian dishes such as nasi goreng — savory fried rice and chicken sate topped with a fried egg and homemade peanut sauce.
Romantic villas and beautiful scenery draw couples to Lake Como in northern Italy.
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Lake Como, Italy
Lake Como is known for its postcard-perfect views and romantic hotels and restaurants. It’s also known for helping famous people fall in love: Musician John Legend and now wife Chrissy Teigen took their first vacation together to Lake Como. They also got married here and returned a decade later to renew their vows.
George and Amal Clooney maintain a lakeside villa here and spend date nights at Il Gatto Nero (The Black Cat), with a dimly lit interior and a terrace with bird’s-eye lake views.
Book a swoon-worthy room with a lake view and antique furnishings at the old-school Grand Hotel Tremezzo (open mid-March through the end of October). Its intimate lounge tended by formally dressed barmen is perfect for a prosecco toast. If you want to roost in Bellagio, with its upscale shops selling leather and silk, stay at the Hotel Excelsior Splendide. The family-owned lakeside Hotel Olivedo in Varenna is a welcoming base for honeymooners on a budget who want to hike well-marked paths in the foothills of the Alps or kayak in the lake’s cool, clear water.
