Whether you are looking for long- or short-haul, sun or snow, here are four of the best new honeymoons for 2018.
Magical Mauritius
Indian Ocean beaches, colonial history, kitesurfing, wildlife… there are plenty of reasons why the thought of a honeymoon in Mauritius is tempting. Not to mention special celebrations to mark 50 years of independence in 2018. And now there is a new and luxurious place to stay on the island.
The Victoria Beachcomber resort is opening its new adults-only wing, Victoria for 2, with the first swim-up pool rooms on Mauritius (swim directly to your own terrace). Or if you fancy a room with a view, around half will look out over the lagoon.
With the resort’s position on the west coast, you are guaranteed gorgeous evenings watching the sun set over the ocean too, including from the wing’s new restaurant. Along with its own adults-only pool, there is access to the rest of the resort facilities, including a dive centre — and, if you can drag yourself away, lively Grand Baie and the capital Port Louis are both nearby.
The Lights fantastic
The eerily beautiful glow of the Northern Lights is guaranteed to leave you with magical honeymoon memories — although the thought of standing for hours in the cold is a lot less enticing. Happily there is a new adults-only boutique hotel on Finland’s Lake Inari, which promises plenty of style along with one of the wildest and most beautiful settings to enjoy it.
New this year from The Aurora Zone, Nangu Hotel has large windows in all its rooms, from which you can gaze out at the snowy scenery and lights flickering in the dark sky, plus there is the option of superior rooms with panoramic lake-view windows — one has its own private sauna too. Or there is a traditional communal sauna for the hotel’s 24 rooms. You also have a restaurant to relax in after days of husky sledding, seeing reindeer and snow-shoeing across the landscape. theaurorazone.com
Cambodian culture
With several new hotels for 2018, it is easier than ever to see Cambodia in style. On the south coast, the five-star Six Senses Krabey Island is due to open by the middle of the year, with 40 private villas and spa on their own small island, while in the nearby unspoilt Cardamom Mountains, a luxury tented camp, Shinta Mani Wild, is welcoming guests later in the year.
Its sister property, Shina Mani Angkor in Siem Reap, is also adding 10 villas — a good base from which to explore the temples.
Selective Asia (selectiveasia.com) is offering all three of these and can create tailor-made trips to include capital Phnom Penh as well — including the classic Raffles le Royal.
White Isle style
Whether you have happy memories of the clubbing or of the boho atmosphere, there is a new reason to consider Ibiza for a honeymoon — one of the world’s most stylish and luxurious brands has come to the White Isle.
Nobu Hotel Ibiza Bay, near the Unesco World Heritage site of Ibiza Town, is right on Talamanca Bay, with a laid-back beach-club vibe.
The rooms, decorated in cool white and aqua, have mini cocktail bars — and if you fancy splashing out, the Presidential and Royal Suites are more like mini villas, with private terraces looking out over the sea.
Naturally, the hotel has its own Nobu Restaurant, one of four eating places on-site. And there are two pools, a spa and boats to charter.
Jet off to Jaffa
If your ideal getaway is a city break, you will love an urban retreat for your honeymoon too — and while the buzz and culture of Tel Aviv will always be attractive, it is Jaffa which is in the spotlight at the moment, with two high-profile hotel openings that might catch your eye. The W Jaffa is due to open its doors in March, in a building that once housed a 19th-century convent and hospital. With more minimalist décor than the eye-catchingly edgy W hotels in Europe’s cities, there are original features such as the stained-glass chapel, now a bar, and nods to Jaffa’s own long port heritage.
And joining the W is The Setai Tel Aviv, the group’s third property joining its hotel in Miami and the Sea of Galilee. The five-star hotel has its own intriguing history too — the historic spot was once a Crusader fortress before becoming an Ottoman jailhouse. Its 120 rooms and suites are arranged across the five buildings, which also feature a spa, a Turkish hammam and even a rooftop infinity pool for some of the best views out across the city.
W Jaffa: starwoodhotels.com
The Setai: thesetaihotel.co.il
