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Some
honeymooners crave action beyond the hotel room and the heart-shaped
Jacuzzi. While many couples envision themselves lying peacefully on a
beach after the wedding, others might find this too boring for their
tastes. “Adventure” honeymoons can jump-start a marriage and provide a
lifetime of memories.
If
you’d rather be energized than relaxed by your trip, there are plenty of
options, from white-water kayaking to volcano hiking to cave abseiling and
paragliding. Or you can combine relaxation with recreation by taking a
golf honeymoon to an all-inclusive resort.
Paddle
the legendary white water of the Rogue River in Oregon through an
expedition with Orange Torpedo River Adventures. This outfit invented the
sport of inflatable kayaking and provides expert guides for half-day runs
or four-day trips. They also offer specials for trips in the Grand Canyon
and Chile. Check www.orangetorpedo.com.
If
hiking up an active volcano, biking across ancient salt flats, horseback
riding across dunes or walking through a field of geysers sound like your
idea of relaxation, then Patagonia in northern Chile should be at the top
of your honeymoon wish list. Luxury accommodations at Hotel Salto Chico
include an indoor heated pool at the edge of the Andes Mountains. Go to www.explora.com.
If
biking is more your style, take an ultimate mountain bike vacation (www.dreamride.com)
in Moab, Utah. Moab features exotic, challenging “bikesurfing” trails
and bizarre rock formations by day followed by relaxing evenings away from
crowds of tourists.
The
“Indiana Jones Adventure Tour” is an all-inclusive guided adventure
that begins at a jungle-garden hotel in Belize and takes honeymooners on a
trip to discover the mysterious Mayan ruins. Cross the border to Guatemala
and investigate the rainforest and underground caves in Tikal National
Park. You’ll even spend a night at a jungle camp – not your typical
honeymoon experience. For more information, go to www.global-travel.co.uk.
Closer
to home, the White House Inn in Wilmington, VT, (www.whitehouseinn.com)
offers a five-night honeymoon package including snowshoe and cross-country
ski trails and “extreme” tubing on Vermont’s most famous sledding
hill. Then, relax with a romantic, five-course candlelight dinner in an
old-fashioned country inn setting.
At
the other end of the adventure spectrum, take the plunge at Australia’s
Great Barrier Reef. You’ll find dolphins, whales, endangered sea
turtles, moray eels, royal blue starfish and about 1,500 other exotic
creatures residing on and around this mammoth chunk of coral. The 120-foot
luxury catamaran Reef Encounter (www.outbackencounter.com)
caters to both novice and experienced divers.
Staying
“down under,” Queenstown, New Zealand, may be the perfect honeymoon
adventure spot. Here, in one of the world’s great mountain resorts, you
can go bungee jumping, jet boating, hang-gliding, aerobatic flying and
swinging through a canyon on the world’s largest rope swing. In
Queenstown, you can have a ski vacation honeymoon and a June wedding at
the same time (www.queenstown-nz.co.nz).
Cruise
West offers an eight-day whale-watching cruise in the Sea of Cortes, the
760-mile-long gulf between mainland Mexico and the Baja peninsula. This
relatively unpopulated desert region, flanked by beautiful mountains on
one side and blue-green waters on the other, is a favorite among migrating
gray whales and resident breeds. Go to www.cruisewest.com.
Back
on high ground, newlyweds can get marriage off on the right foot by hiking
the spectacular vistas of Yosemite National Park in California. Yosemite
offers one of the most challenging landscapes on earth, from 1,000-foot
waterfalls (including the appropriately named Bridalveil) to
glacier-carved cliffs and forests of giant sequoias. Nearby Chateau du
Sureau is a turreted inn with 10 uniquely decorated rooms (www.chateaudusureau.com).
Lake
Tahoe was named the best winter sports honeymoon spot in the world by
“Modern Bride.” The serene beauty of Tahoe, surrounded by a bowl of
10,000-foot mountains, annually attracts thousands of couples to exchange
and celebrate vows. Alpine and cross-country skiing, snowboarding,
snowshoeing, dog sledding, kiteboarding, sleigh rides, and boat cruises
are available at a moments notice. The Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority
offers a free wedding and honeymoon planner which can be ordered by
calling 1-800-AT-TAHOE or visiting www.bluelaketahoe.com.
Couples
can get marriage off to a swinging start at first-class golf and spa
resorts such as the Greenbrier in West Virginia; Turnberry Isle in Florida
(www.turnberryisle.com);
and the Ritz-Carlton Rose Hall in Jamaica (ritzcarlton.com).
Or, take a trip back to golf’s birthplace with a honeymoon at
Scotland’s Old Course Hotel Resort, adjacent to St. Andrews, the
world’s most famous golf course. Actor Kevin Costner recently
honeymooned at St. Andrews with wife Christine.
If
you’re not experienced with the type of adventure you crave there are
guided trips available for just about everything. Tour groups also require
a lot less time to plan, which can be a huge advantage. Another bonus:
getting in shape for your action-packed honeymoon is a great way to
relieve wedding-related stress!
So,
get outside and find an adventure. You’ll still find time for that more
intimate honeymoon “action.” |