The wedding is over, but the start of your new life together has just begun, so set the tone for your future with the perfect honeymoon. Shannon Oddie of honeymoon specialists Travel Associates has a range of suggestions that will have you taking moonlight walks on the beach, soaking in a Jacuzzi with a glass of champers or enjoying a couple's massage as you make treasured memories to last a lifetime.

"Choosing the type of honeymoon you want will steer your travel agent in the right direction," says Ms Oddie.

So it’s time for a heart to heart with your beloved. Is it beach relaxation, a cityscape, a cosy cruise, desert, lake or mountain scenery that you’re after? Do you want a secluded honeymoon or does a getaway with exciting nightlife and lots of activities complete your fantasy? Do you want to explore cultural landscapes or head for the adventurous outdoors?

All your honeymoon dreams can be fulfilled — you just need to ask.

Mauritius
An island holiday fit for a king. That’s what you’ll experience in Mauritius. The destination has long been a South African honeymooner's favourite. The destination is well-priced, offering a range of accommodation from five star resorts through to self-catering options, and Mauritius is only a four-hour flight from Johannesburg so the honeymoon begins as soon as you touch down.

Thailand
Visitors to the picture perfect island of Phuket can take some time to relax on great beaches, explore historical and cultural sights and enjoy the laidback island lifestyle. Even the serious shopper is catered for, while the nightlife on this island is electrifying.

Bali
Bali's wide variety of attractions, the physical beauty of the island, and the year-round pleasant climate make Bali a place regarded by many visitors as the "Ultimate Island". Lush and tropical, Bali beguiles with its picturesque beaches, rice fields, mountains and volcanoes. The island beckons all seeking the ultimate romantic escape. Begin your most important beginning in Paradise.

Zanzibar
Zanzibar, the 'Island of Spices' is one of the few true tropical islands in the Indian Ocean with beautiful beach weather and plenty to keep you occupied. Activities to keep you busy include diving and snorkelling (Zanzibar has some of the world’s best and safest dive sites), dolphin safaris, dhow trips and of course magnificent deep-sea fishing (barracuda, marlin, sailfish and billfish to name but a few). But what would a holiday be to this tropical paradise be without the beaches? And Zanzibar, with its coral reefs, has legendary beaches.

The Maldives
Strung across the equator, in the vastness of the Indian Ocean, lies a nation of islands — the Maldives. It is one of the last unspoilt places on earth and 1200 palm fringed islands with sparkling white beaches, turquoise lagoons and coral reefs teeming with brilliantly coloured fish, make this a unique tropical paradise.

Marco Polo described it as 'the flower of the Indies' and the very name Maldives is derived from a Sanskrit word meaning 'garland'. The beautiful islands lies within 25 atoll formations spread over an area of 90 000km². A honeymoon in the Maldives is a wonderful experience.

Mozambique
Mozambique, a former Portuguese colony, gained independence in 1975 and was plunged into many years of civil war. Thankfully that is all in the past and this beautiful country is fast regaining its reputation and popularity as one of the world’s top diving spots.

With more than 2500kms of coastline to explore you’ll be spoiled for choice if Mozambique is top of your 'must see' destination list.

There’s the Inhambane Peninsula, the Bazaruto Archipelago, Bazaruto and Benguerra Islands, Pemba and the magnificent Quirimbas Archipelago. Found in the Cabo Delgado province of Northern Mozambique, the 32 islands of the Quirimbas Archipelago are unspoiled and largely undeveloped.

St. Lucia
To get away from it all in a superb and uniquely South African setting then head for the incredibly romantic Rocktail Bay Lodge in the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park of northern KwaZulu-Natal.

Here between Kosi Bay and Sodwana Bays lies an area that is wild and undeveloped, with Rocktail in the centre. Pristine yet unspoiled. This whole region has been declared a World Heritage Site and with nearly 40km of unspoilt pristine coastline, it is the ideal spot for diving and snorkelling amongst some of Africa’s finest and least explored coral reefs, which have only recently become accessible to divers.

Knysna
Part of the incredible Garden Route, a honeymoon in Knysna will have you enjoying a trip to The Heads or a sundowner ferry cruise on the lagoon and don’t forget to indulge in Knysna’s finest oysters. Take a tree-top tour or visit one of the many quaint coffee shops. A visit to Noetzie, the seaside castle settlement 30km’s from this pretty town, is a must or hop on the Outeniqua Choo-Choo for a scenic trip to George and back.


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