Honeymoons for Adventure Seekers

Diving and Snorkeling in the Virgin Islands

Couples who enjoy scuba diving and snorkeling expeditions will love a honeymoon in the Virgin Islands.  Consider honeymoon packages which include airfare and dive and snorkeling excursions.  Some also offer all-inclusive options, special couples dive experiences and luxury packages that include spa services.  Here’s a list of a few of the best dive locations.

• • St. Thomas has several popular dive sites.  Cow and Calf Rocks are a perfect spot for beginning snorkelers. The rocks barely breach the surface of the ocean and are connected by a series of underwater tunnels, caves and arches that are fun to explore.  Coki Point Beach is another snorkeler’s dream with its beautiful coral reef and the brilliant fish that shelter there. The Cane Bay Wall will challenge novice divers and experienced divers alike as it drops from shallow waters to a depth of 3,000 feet.  Book a dive boat to drop you right over the reef and explore the massive wall for stingrays, eels, nurse sharks and turtles.

• St. John is another dream location for divers.  Eagle Shoals is located on St. John’s east end.  Arches, tunnels and caves are its signature features. The cave, known as “The Cathedral”, is encrusted with vivid sponges and orange cup coral. Schools of black durgeons, porkfish and silversides populate the shoal.  Hurricane Hole offers an opportunity for kayak excursions and snorkeling in the Coral Reef National Monument.  Snorkel in the mangrove forest to view snappers, barracudas and starfish.

• St. Croix boasts numerous locations for diving and snorkeling.  The Buck Island snorkeling trail allows you to swim along with an astonishing variety of colorful fish, blue tang, parrot fish, juvenile reef sharks and sea turtles as they make their way along the reefs.  Davis Bay offers dive sites for both novice and veteran divers.  Explore various interesting shipwrecks at Butler Bay.

Hiking in Iceland

Folks who love to travel and have new experiences are now discovering Iceland. There are so many interesting things to see and do – viewing the northern lights, exploring ice caves, relaxing in hot springs, visiting spectacular volcanoes and waterfalls, and attending the breathtaking Reykjavik lava show are just a few of its attractions.  Hikers will have the opportunity to walk on the largest glacier in Europe, the Vatnajokull Glacier.  A four hour drive from Reykjavik takes you to this immense glacier  and its outlet glaciers where you will do your hiking.  Other glaciers are accessed more easily, but choosing Vatnajokull means fewer crowds and a more complete experience.  Tours include your equipment, crampons, helmet, harness and ice pick, and of course you are accompanied by an experienced guide.  The 3-4 hour hike takes you high on the glacier, traversing narrow crevasses, past ice caves and over massive chunks of ice.  On this tour you can also opt for a zodiac boat ride on the glacier lagoon to view spectacular ice formations.

If you have the time for a deeper dive into the Icelandic wilderness, opt for one of the many multi-day treks that include overnights in tents or huts.  One popular six day hike begins with bus transport from Reykjavik to Landmannalaugar where you’ll begin your six day, 34 mile trek through Iceland’s highlands, passing valleys, lakes, unexpected forestland and black sand deserts.  Reaching the Fimmvörðuháls Pass, you’ll see craters and breathtaking landscapes resulting from the dramatic 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano.  Accommodations are in shared cozy, well-equipped huts (maybe not ideal for honeymooners, but great for making social connections with like-minded outdoors lovers). 

Other treks take you to the South Coast where you’ll hike the Golden Circle, enjoying unique geology at Pingvellir National Park, the Gullfoss waterfall and Icelandic wildlife viewing.  Reward yourself at the end of your journey with a soak in the geothermal waters of the Secret Lagoon. 

And don’t forget to spend a little time in Reykjavik itself.  It’s an amazing modern city with a lot to offer.

African Safari

If you love nature, but prefer to enjoy it without sacrificing privacy and creature comforts in the process, consider a honeymoon like no other on safari in Africa.  Luxury tour operators specializing in African adventures can ensure a romantic honeymoon that you won’t soon forget!

If you’re traveling as far as Africa, might as well stay a while.  Consider a twelve day safari that includes visits to Africa’s most famous game preserves, game drives and animal viewing with knowledgeable local guides on several days, drives through the vast grasslands with cultural experiences in local Masai villages and a visit to the Ngorongoro Crater before flying to Zanzibar for some well-deserved relaxation on the beach. 

Accommodations on the safari will exceed your expectations.  Your first “camp” is the Masai West in the Masai Mara Game Reserve.  Your comfortably furnished, secluded chalet is situated atop the Oloololo Escarpment and presents a panoramic view of the reserve below, where you’ll see an astonishing number of animal herds (gazelles, antelope, zebras and impalas) grazing below as you wake to the call of songbirds.  The camp offers Masai cultural tours, walking safaris, sundowners (evening social hours), and a lounge and pool area. Morning and evening game drives with local guides bring you close to the “Big Five” and some more exotic animals for photography “shoots.”  On the third day your tracker will  guide you to the Mara River area where you can hope to encounter black rhinos, a species that is rapidly declining. You’ll be sure to see elephants and hippos and other animals enjoying a drink and a dip in the water.

The following day you’ll cross the border into the Serengeti National Park.  Your luxury tented campsite at Lemala Ewanjan features views overlooking the Seronera Valley – the location for the Great Migration.  You’ll be hypnotized watching the parade of thousands of animals before your eyes.  You can even opt for a balloon safari over this beautiful terrain.

After two days on the Serengeti, you’ll take a private vehicle to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.  Along the way enjoy views of the Olduvai Gorge and varied wildlife along your track before arriving at Kitela Lodge.  A private cottage suite overlooking the Ngorongoro Gorge and waterfall awaits you for your two night stay.  The Ngorongoro Crater, formed by the collapse of a massive volcano, is 12 miles wide and 2,000 feet deep, and its fertile floor attracts a virtual jackpot of wildlife.  Here your guide can help you spot leopards, one of Africa’s most elusive animals.

You can never get enough of watching Africa’s majestic animals in their natural environment, but maybe now it’s time to move on to the ultimate honeymoon destination – the stunning beaches of Zanzibar.  After your two hour flight you’ll have a private transfer to Breezes Beach Club and Spa for two days of utter relaxation in a deluxe room with its own private terrace.  Be pampered in the Frangipani Spa and enjoy chef-prepared meals on the beachfront at the Tides and Sultan’s Table.  Fresh seafood from the Indian Ocean and other local delicacies are prepared with unique Zanzibari spices and techniques.  You can opt for tours of Stone Town and the former Slave Market, do a little snorkeling or shopping, or just collapse and enjoy your time alone together.  You’ve earned it!

Other itineraries offer journeys into Uganda to encounter jungle gorillas, trips to dynamic Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe or the beaches of Cape Town, South Africa.  No matter which kind of African adventure appeals to you, it’s bound to be a honeymoon experience that the two of you will treasure for the rest of your lives.

Let a Travel Leaders Honeymoon Specialist help you prepare an itinerary that will make your African honeymoon a dream come true.