An expert guide to planning your honeymoon

Dreaming of the perfect honeymoon but don’t know where to start? We're here to help. We know that organising a wedding can be full-on, time consuming and, let’s face it, a bit stressful. Get creative and excited with our ultimate honeymoon guide.

Researching is half the fun

“Finding the right honeymoon is personal and we always take our lead from the happy couple. Your idea of romance could be a secluded water villa in the Maldives, or an epic adventure trekking through misty mountains and villages in Peru. Book in a date night with your other half, pour yourselves a glass of wine, and start researching.

A great place to start is our Honeymoons page, where you’ll find heaps of inspiration. Spend an evening browsing our honeymoons magazine – it has 101 romantic ideas to inspire you. Our honeymoon lookbook includes some breathtaking experiences – find out where you can sleep in a luxurious tent in the desert, or where you can have lunch in a dazzling lagoon. Social media is also a brilliant source for inspiration and our Kuoni Honeymoons Instagram page is well worth a follow.

Once you’ve come up with your honeymoon wish list, make an appointment to speak to us so we can get planning. This can be over the phone, in-store or via video – we’ve adapted the process to make it just as fun whichever way you choose. But don’t worry if you’re not sure what you want, that’s why we’re here! We can inspire you and tell you all about our favourite resorts, then tailor an itinerary that’s perfect for you both

Talk to an expert for the best advice

Although browsing the web is great for inspiration, it won’t necessarily give advice that’s tailored to you. We know the best advice comes from someone who has been there. Our Personal Travel Experts have travelled to our amazing honeymoon venues in person, testing out everything from the fruity welcome cocktails to the luxurious sunbeds on the resort beach. So come and chat with us – we can tell you everything you need to know.

If you have an in-store appointment, you can relax with a glass of bubbles or piping hot espresso as we get to know you. Or, if you book a video or phone appointment, you’ll be able to relax at home while we chat through your ideas. Keep an open mind; we might even suggest something you hadn’t thought of and often we find that this approach creates the most fabulous honeymoon.

We can guide adventure-hunting couples to a magical sunrise after a starry-skied trek to a volcano in Bali. Or for the ultimate romantic evening, we can tell you where you can spend the night in a beach bubble in the Maldives.

It’s normal for couples to have different visions of the perfect honeymoon, so we can suggest an itinerary to combine adventurous activities with lots of time to unwind. One of my favourite itineraries is pairing a beach stay in Mauritius with a few nights exploring the wild beauty of La Reunion – where you can hop on a helicopter and fly over the Jurassic-like landscape. Once we have created your bespoke honeymoon, you can relax knowing everything will be looked after by your Personal Travel Expert, and they’ll be on hand throughout your honeymoon countdown.

Book early to get the best offers and availability

To get the best offers, it’s a good idea to book early. As well as the satisfaction of putting a big tick next to ‘honeymoon’ on your wedding to-do list, you’ll also get your pick of availability. Some of our smaller Maldives islands have only a few rooms; new-arrival Kagi Maldives Spa Island has 50 stunning villas and boutique Kandolhu has just 30 villas. Our intimate safari lodges are also highly sought-after. We love Lemala Nanyukie in Tanzania, where there are just 15 ultra-chic tents with private pools overlooking the wildlife-rich savannah.

If you’ve swooned over Instagram pictures of breakfast with the giraffes in Kenya and decided that it’s a honeymoon must-do, you’ll need to book months in advance, so talk to us early and we can secure your ideal dates.

There are also lots of early booking discounts to take advantage of, and your Personal Travel Expert will find you the best savings. Many resorts include extras such as a free bottle of Champagne or a swanky room upgrade. We love the honeymoon inclusions at the Viceroy Bali. For 2021 stays, you’ll be welcomed into your incredible villa or suite with a heart-shaped box of roses, and be treated to a two-hour spa treatment, petal bath and candlelit dinner. Honeymoon offers vary, so ask us and we’ll advise you when you book.

Decide on your honeymoon budget

We handpick the best hotels in their class, so from small and friendly beach retreats to opulent five-star resorts, we can help to find the right honeymoon hideaway for you.

Multi-centres in Asia are popular with honeymooners looking for amazing diversity and value. Pangkor Laut in Malaysia has swoon-worthy views and even has its own water villas – for a slice of what you’d pay to stay at a water villa in the Maldives. If your travel dates are flexible, sign up to our emails to see our ‘offer of the week’. We often feature our favourite hotels with unbeatable savings and you might spot an offer that’s perfect for your honeymoon.

In the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean, choosing to go all-inclusive is a great way to save money and, quite often, paying a little more for upgrades is worth it. Kuramathi Maldives offers an indulgent à la carte dining option, so you can pick a different restaurant for every night of your stay (and the food is delicious). In Singapore, opting for a Club room at the Pan Pacific gives you extra money-saving benefits such as free breakfast, afternoon tea and sunset canapés.

Of course, your honeymoon might not be all about saving; this is the one holiday that you could be looking to go all out. How about starting your adventure sipping Champagne on a lie-flat bed in the sky, or treating yourselves to a stay at one of the world’s best water villas? We’ve built fantastic relationships with our travel partners, so we can get the best rates for those once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

A great way to get help with the cost of your honeymoon is by signing up for our gift list service. This offers a more personal way for friends and family to contribute towards your adventure. It’s easy to set up online once you have booked, and we’ll then send you some announcement cards you can pop into your wedding invites.”