Honeymoon destination suggestions

[8bit]

Will be going on honeymoon in April next year and we're struggling to decide on where to go. Basic requirements:

• Nice but not too "cheesy", i.e. not one of these places that will be crammed with dewy-eyed couples but still with good accommodation, stuff to see/do etc.
• Ideally not enormously far away and/or big time difference
• Be somewhere that has a good food culture
• Have reasonably good weather in April

The first, third and fourth points need little explanation but the second one maybe does - we're going back to Croatia for a short break in July for a music festival. This means we probably won't be having a terribly long honeymoon (maybe 10 or 12 days max) so don't want to spend lots of that time travelling and/or getting over jetlag.

Some ideas so far:

• Morocco (Marrakech has been mentioned, anyone been to Casablanca in the last few years?)
• Italy
• Sri Lanka (although that's maybe a bit further than we'd like to travel)
• Iceland (the soon-to-be mrs. 8bit is wary of the weather there that time of year)

Keen to hear from anyone who's been to any of the above places or has any other ideas of places which are a reasonable fit for the requirements above.

Thanks in advance

[durbster]

How about Turkey? Fascinating culture, lovely people and some cracking locations. You can do boat trips around the coast which I haven't done but a lot of people rave about. Have a search for Gulet cruises.

Flights are about four hours and prices are good. I think April is about when the season begins so it won't be too hot too.

It had never crossed my mind before a travel agent mentioned it when we were looking for a wedding destination and it turned out to be spot on.

[M.J.S]

If you are into walking, good food, great wine and friendly locals why not consider Tuscany?
For our honeymoon we walked from hilltop town to hilltop town in Tuscany stopping off for wine and food along the way. Our bags were transported from place to place, so all we had to do was arrive at the next hotel.

I think we used a firm called InnTravel as they provided a route and transport for us.

Enjoy wherever you go!

[acd80]

We did a multi-city package. 4 days in Orlando, a weeks cruise in the Carribbean and 3 days in Vegas. The Orlando and Vegas hotels and flights from Vegas to Orlando were included free of charge with the package. We got the best of both (three?) worlds with our honeymoon.

It's always worth having a look on Travelzoo-that's where we found our package.

[8bit]

Cheers for the suggestions.

Turkey, not sure - the o/h and her friend did a holiday there a few years back, found they got a lot of unwelcome male attention. Suppose that would be less likely if we're there as a couple and it depends where you go - not sure where they went but it was likely some fairly mainstream package holiday destination.

Tuscany, yeah that sounds good, we like walking but not masses of it. We've gotten quite into Italian wines lately (Primitivo and Sangiovese for me please) and we love Italian food. I take it there are nice places to stay there?

Multi-city thing sounds good too, thanks for the website suggestion. I had mentioned San Francisco but we're not sure on that because it would be a 12 hour flight and a fair time difference to adjust to, given we're not going away for a long time that might not leave much time to enjoy it.

[LuS1fer]

April is going to be iffy for Europe.
Though we have had great weather in Mallorca in April in the past, proper beach weather, it had rained the week before and was cloudy when we were leaving.

Further south in Spain around Almeria is technically desert as they have low rainfall but having been there in October, i would desccribe it as akin to a mild summer but the area is graeat for driving to the Cabo de Gata park and up to Granada, the Alhambra palce etc.

Better weather is normally guaranteed in the Canary islands and there you have markedly diffrent islands from the mild and less developed Fuerteventura and Lanzarote to the bigger Tenerife but all are ripe for exploration.

One of my favourites is southern India but you have the pain of getting a Visa sorted. Worth it though but it's a good 10-11 hour flight but I think only a couple of hours time difference, if any.

[Ilikebeaver]

We went to morocco for ours and didn't enjoy it.

We came home early too, but that was due to sever food poisoning.

Recently went on the honeymoon we should have booked which was Italy. Staying in Massa Lubrense near Sorrento, it was pure bliss

[Olf]

Tuscany sounds like the right place for you - look at basing yourselves in Sienna or Lucca - avoid Pisa (apart from the tower) and florence (not at all relaxing). Visit the little wine villages, Montepulciano etc and amazing places like Bagno Vignoni. Weather in April can be and prob will be gorgeous. Italy can get very cheap if you do it right. If you want good value and less swank mix a nice Sienna hotel with something rustic but genuine accommodation like www.tenutailcorno.com.

Have fun!

[uk_vette]

Ilikebeaver said:

We went to morocco for ours and didn't enjoy it.

We came home early too, but that was due to sever food poisoning.

Recently went on the honeymoon we should have booked which was Italy. Staying in Massa Lubrense near Sorrento, it was pure bliss

.
Big thumbs down for Morocco.

Also severe bad guts.
Not the normal 2-3 day affair either, more than a week.

Think they washed the lettuce down the toilet.

Parts of Italy are great, but Naples is a bit "different" to say the least.

v.