The ideal honeymoon

No, no, I'm not talking about my honeymoon, I bet that would be the first idea that came across your mind, yes? :) Instead, I would like to talk about the different types of vacation honeymooners could have, and what would be your ideal choice. What if you're given three distinctive choices for a holiday with your loved one, which would you go for?

1. Adventure-based
This is definitely something different from the typical honeymooners' dream. Imagine days and days of walking around with a heavy backpack larger than your torso, staying in budget motels and eating street food. Some examples:

a) Backpacking across Nepal
I have a friend who went for this crusade once, and she told me about her life-threatening experience there. The whole trip was about 1 month, and she actually wrote a will before she left, in case anything happened to her! Both herself and her husband joined a group of 4 to go for the trekking trip, and they rented a jeep with a driver to explore Nepal and the Himalayas. They had to sleep in tents without washrooms for days. Toilets would be in the jungle or bushes. Probably bathed once a week. Suffered due to altitude sickness. Ate lousy food along the way. And the roads were just next to cliffs, such that a small mistake in judgement would cause all of them their lives. It was all very scary, but she found what she wanted from the trip - spiritual awakening. As for her husband, a photography buff, he found what he wanted from the trip too - amazing pictures and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Of course, not all couples are as lucky as them, to want the same thing in their lives and to want it hard enough to pursue it, regardless of the risks involved.

Himalayas (Source)

b) Climbing the mountains
Well for a nearer escapade, perhaps our very own Mount Kinabalu would suffice. I have been there years ago and I have to say, peer pressure works! Also, spending 2-3 days hiking with your partner could end up bringing you closer to each other, and understanding each other's weakness/strength, provided the plan doesn't backfire and both of you end up arguing the whole time! However, reaching the peak after buckets of sweats and lots of mind power really helped to boost my confidence. Of course, not forgetting the breath-taking sunrise that greeted all of us which made our hard work all the more worthy.

Mount Kinabalu (Source)

If Mount Kinabalu is too easy for you, perhaps you should try the Everest! :)

Himalaya Mountains (Source)

Mount Everest (Source)

c) Trek the Great Wall of China
For history buffs, perhaps a good example would be to trek the Great Wall of China and to admire the over 6,000km long wall of greatness. I never fail to be impressed with how people from centuries ago were extremely resourceful and smart to have built such an ever-lasting piece of art. Up until now, there is no other structure that is even remotely similar to it.

Great Wall of China

d) Dive in the deep blue seas
I have too many friends who are interested in diving! I think it would be a very romantic experience in the deep sea, for lovers to be surrounded by beautiful corals and sea life. Too bad I'm not all that interested in this, perhaps I am just too geli with fish or any other live sea creatures. Even the experience at a fish spa was a challenge for me!

Red sea diving (Source)

Turtles at Sipadan (Source)

2. Traveling in style
If you're not an adventure freak, perhaps you could choose to travel in style. This would be the category that most people I know opted for. To me, traveling in style would mean staying at hotels, having wonderful meals and having transportation arranged with comfort. This type of getaway definitely has its perks because you get to travel in comfort and have good food, but of course, all of these come with a price. :) Some examples:

a) Tour in Europe
I have heard of plenty of couples joining for 8 or 10-day tours to European countries, and all provided great feedback. In my opinion, this type of honeymoon vacation is definitely enjoyable, especially experiencing the culture and lifestyles of other countries. A drawback in this would be the large amount of time required to cover more countries. In fact, even with a 10-day tour, it would still be somewhat rushed, because of the vast amount of traveling required in between the countries in Europe, and not to mention the very long flight from our beloved country. Therefore, for people who prefer to tour in a more relaxed manner, they might have to do it free-and-easy, and with a longer holiday too.

Eiffel Tower (Source)

Imagine all the things that you could do during the trip! Shopping in Milan, romancing under the Eiffel Tower, cruising on a gondola in Venice, taking pictures with the guards at Buckingham palace, eating the best pasta in Rome and so much more!

b) Milking the cows
*LOL* I actually meant visiting countries like Australia and New Zealand. Some people love to enjoy scenery and serenity of the countryside that comes with fresh air. One popular choice would be New Zealand, where there are plenty of farms, meadows and cows! Just looking at pictures already bring me to dreamland. Imagine seeing this scenery every single day!

New Zealand (Source)

3. Rest and relax at spa villages
Finally, this is the third category where lovers just go to one location, preferably some where isolated, and spend a few days there, just kicking back and relax. And with an added premium, you get to have people serving your every needs, almost treating you like a king too! For this category, I can't run away from the Banyan Tree resorts!

a) Banyan Tree treasures
I first heard about the Banyan Tree resorts from a lifestyle programme on the TV. At that time, it was introducing the Banyan Tree Bintan resort, with amazing footage of how each chalet looked like and how peaceful the surroundings were. Seriously, for people who enjoy privacy, Banyan Tree resorts is the place to go! They have many resorts all around the world, but you could see from their list that the locations they choose are usually outskirts, with names that I have not even heard of. I suppose they choose non-commercialized places to promise tranquility, away from the hustle and bustle of tourists. Look at some of the Banyan Tree locations below (Source):

Mayakoba, Mexico

Bintan, Indonesia

Look at the Bintan resort! Each chalet practically has a private pool, facing the sea! Isn't that just amazing? I could see myself rewinding at the end of the day on one of the beach chairs by the pool, enjoying a glass of wine. And swimming in my private pool in the early morning, while watching the sunrise! Gosh, I think this would be my definition of heaven.

Madivaru, Maldives

Seychelles

Lijang, China

Are you blown away yet? I think my choice would be to go to one of these resorts and spend probably 5 days or a week there, just getting pampered and spoiled with my husband-to-be. I read that with a price, you get to have massages every day, right in your own chalet! And breakfast in bed. And tea by the poolside. And candlelit dinner by the beach. Need I say more? :)

What is your choice?