Honeymooners' paradise...

Remove all ads!

I'm getting married on July and it's about time that we organise the Honeymoon thingy. I was looking forward to go to some place full of sun and beaches , but the missus (being Irish and therefore sickly pale with the occasional freckle here and there) can't stand being slowly cooked under the sun, and would prefer going to a place with mountains and lakes.

So, I know both Germany and Austria have a lot of very nice places for hiking or simply relaxing in the countryside. I've also seen some pictures of Slovenia and it looks gorgeous, but I wouldn't know where to go to avoid holidaymakers.

Could I get any input? I'm also intrigued by Canada, but I've heard that they speak funny...

 

Come to New Zealand! It's the most romantic place on Earth. The whole country is one big hiking / relaxing paradise.

 

If your willing to come to North America....

Grand Canyon, Arizona. The most awesome hiking you'll ever find. There is a camp at the base in the canyon -- but you need reservations. Downside: just basically a big hole, no mountains or lakes (a bad ass river that you can take a wild tour down though). Mountains and lakes can be found an hour south in Flagstaff (Oak Creek Canyon is quite beautiful and is just South of Falgstaff).

Yellowstone, Wyoming. Some hiking, also some grizzly bears and buffalo. The sights are quite remarkable.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. The views are breathtaking. Hiking at 12,000 feet (3,650 meters) is also breathtaking.

 

Don't forget the Pacific Northwest of the US! The weather there is just about perfect in July, and there's great hiking all the way from Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens in Washington, through the Columbia Gorge and across Mt. Hood, and down to Diamond Lake and Crater Lake in Oregon. Portland and Seattle offer plenty of civilization for a break from all the wildlife, too.

 

Not to mention the great wineries in the Columbia river basin....

Some people would consider a winery tour a pleasant hike with a nice reward at the end.

 

Canada is a nice place for a honeymoon. The Rocky Mountains around Jasper sound like they meet your criteria. Lake Louise is the local honeymoon money pit but there are plenty of much more affordable and equally nice locations around.

Personally, I have to agree with Harbourboy though. Based upon my travels my first choice would have to be New Zealand. It is a long flight to get there but it is definitely worth it.

 

People have mentioned some good places. The Columbia River gorge is a good one. So is Yellowstone. Another good place would be the Eastern Sierra Nevada and/or Lake Tahoe. If you want someplace more remote, Glacier National Park is a good place. An Alaskan cruise might be a nice honeymoon, too.

By the way, congratulations on getting married. I'm getting married in 24 days and we're going on a Hawaiian cruise for our honeymoon.

 

Come to Australia. It will be winter then so you wont be baked to a crisp (just mildly toasted ). Theres the Blue Mountains for the missus and the secluded beaches close by along the coast. Spend a week at each and you'll each see what you wanted to see. Also there is the Mountains through Victoria and the Great Ocean Road which is an amazing place to visit.

Also, I'll back up Harbs by saying that NZ is a hikers delight and has some really great mountain ranges (watch LotR if you want to see some) but I don't know about that whole "most romantic place on Earth" statement. Sounds a little hyped up

 

How about Scotland? Plenty of Hiking, and tons upon tons of history if you like that. But unlike Tal, i cant make any promises about the English of the inhabitants...

 

I got married here, so it MUST be romantic!

 

Thanks for all the suggestions!

@Dalveen: I lived in Scotland for a year and I still visit it every now and again, to try and decipher what the locals say (ach, there's nay hope fer this lad, aye!)

@Harbourboy: Visiting NZ is something I must do someday, but probably not this time. We haven't got many days for the trip, and the idea of spending two full days just to go there and come back is a bit daunting...

@Dinsdale: Going to Sierra Nevada would be a laugh, actually. I am originally from Granada, in Spain. And those mountains behind the Alhambra castle are the 'original' Sierra Nevada.

The US and Canada do offer great landscapes too. Gee, perhaps we should put all the names in a hat and choose blindly...

 

What about Belfast? You could have an action packed honeymoon in Republican Falls Road, or Loyalist Shankill (bring both a Rangers and Celtic shirt).

Seriously, I really recommend Crete (its pretty much all mountain), just don't go to Malia as its full of annoying British (and the occasional American) tourists. Chania is very a nice city. Its very romantic with is Greek, Venetian and Turkish architecture. The Samara Gorge is a must see.

 

It's a bit expensive, but...

check this out.

Greece is also great. There is a lot of hiking to see the sights and you can always stop for a day or two in Corfu.

 

Ah yes the Banff Springs hotel. My Mom worked there doing laundry during the summers when she was in high school. It is a very nice looking hotel but I would rank it as the #2 Canadian Rockies honeyoon money pit.

I strongly prefer Jasper over Banff actually. Banff is more touristy and I think the Jasper area is actually a lot prettier. Of course going to both Jasper and Banff on the trip is a perfectly valid option.

 

Stay away from any of the US states that *don't* make contact with the ocean.

If I were you, I'd take a cruise. Since you're wife to be doesn't like the sun, a cruise is a perfect solution, since you don't *have* to go out in the sun. It's true that a lot of the activities to be had on a cruise involve the sun...but that's what SPF 50 sun block lotion is for!