With the pandemic taking centre stage, it means that all weddings are on hold for the next few months, until they sort out this crisis. This means it’s given couples time to rethink, where they would really like to travel for their honeymoon.
They say the world is your oyster, and it is, but that can make it tricky to decide where to go on your once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon. Who says you should stick to traditions? Times are changing, so are the honeymoon destinations.
Long gone are the days where a honeymoon was just a fortnight on the beach. Now, anything goes, whether it’s hopping between several destinations or seeing how you can make your honeymoon an environmentally friendly one. There’s no limit to what your honeymoon can look like and now something different is the new normal. Here are a few honeymoon trends, I think that will be on the rise in 2020/2021.
Eco-Moons Back in 2019 this was the hottest trend and is continuing to grow! Being more environmentally friendly is something that is becoming more and more important in today’s world. That extends to a honeymoon and newlyweds are trying to blur the boundaries between a romantic escape and green travel, making sure they’re helping the planet while enjoying a slice of paradise.
Resorts like Bawah Reserve in Indonesia or Six Senses Laamu in the Maldives always have their fingers on the pulse when it comes to reducing waste, offering a sustainable way of living and getting guests involved, so they feel like they’re giving back to the island they’re staying in.
To be more eco-friendly, honeymooners will be mindful of who they give their money to. They’ll demand that hoteliers are hot on the reduction of single-use plastics and water consumption. They’ll also try and eat local produce wherever they can and take part in trips which support local businesses or focus on community outreach.
Second City Moon
Second city moon is essentially the practise of skipping out the major tourist destination in a country and staying in a lesser known one instead. Couples want to see more, head off the beaten track and visit somewhere they’d never have previously considered.
Second city travel is the perfect trend for honeymooners, because not only does it allow you to do things a little more cheaply (ideal after splashing the cash on a wedding), but it also means you don’t have to shuffle about with so many other tourists.
Mega-Moons Can’t decide where to go? Then just splash out on it all! A mega-moon is a multi-country, multi-continent honeymoon where no expense is spared. Mix a few destinations and go all out when it comes to lavish accommodation. We’re thinking a few days in the bright lights of Los Angeles before moving on to the South Pacific paradise of The Islands of Tahiti – perfection! Or you can fly the other way around the world and head to New Zealand first, before then heading to Tahiti. With epic destinations and epic places to stay, you can’t really go wrong!
Mirco-Moon
Now that you’ve heard of the term “mega-moon”, where couples take a sabbatical from work and spend several months travelling, but 2019 saw the rise of the micro-moon and it’s a trend which will continue to grow in 2020/21.
Instead of going on one big honeymoon to the Maldives or such like, couples will opt for lots of long weekends away during their first year, as a married couple. They might go on a Parisian city break one month before taking a road trip to the Lake District the next. Opting for lots of micro-moons will make getting time off work much easier, and you’ll always have something to look forward to! No more post-honeymoon blues. You’d actually be surprised how far you can travel in 4 days… Just remember, since you’re splurging on shorter amounts of time, luxurious accommodation is paramount.
Foodie Honeymoon
Couples will be booking their honeymoon depending on niche foodie destinations that are usually a challenge to track down in 2020.
There’s also a growing trend for vegan foodie tourism, with lots of vegan food tours operating in plenty of worldwide destinations. Hoi An in Vietnam has a brilliant vegetarian foodie scene (as well as some of Asia’s finest street food). Over in France, historical Vegan Food Tours operate in Lyon and Bordeaux, so you can try twists on French classics.
If you want to jump on the local food bandwagon, consider local cooking classes, local distillery tours and street food safaris. Make a beeline for Vietnam for spectacular Asian street food, or a honeymoon in the rural hills of Italy.
Acti-moon Places like Oman or Yosemite National Park in California speak for themselves when it comes to an adventurous honeymoon but even most beach resorts now boast a wealth of water sports (which will come as part of your honeymoon package) so you have alternatives to spending time on the sand. Nature walks, boat trips and much more are often available, with most hotels offering an activity-packed schedule that you can dip in and out of whenever you please. Head to Mauritius, where resorts like Constance Prince Maurice have an enviable selection of water activities you can try. Even when you have a splendid stretch of sand in front of you, there are plenty of different ways you can enjoy your slice of paradise!
Mindful-Moons
If 2019 was the year of self-care and slowing down, 2020/21 is the year of taking that mentality away with you. Granted, we all use holidays to relax, but the new travel trend of mindful holidays gives relaxation a whole new meaning.
Hitting the beach and switching off from work is no longer enough. In 2020/21, couples will be after honeymoons which make them feel.
For the ultimate mind and body restoration (which, let’s be honest, after planning a wedding is kind of crucial), look towards wellness sanctuaries and resorts with yoga and mindfulness classes on tap. And don’t be fooled – you don’t need to head off on a regimented yoga retreat to really restore your mind. There are plenty of couple-appropriate options out there.
