So gents, let’s be honest… so far your involvement with wedding plans has probably been fairly minimal. Other than drawing up your half of the guest list, getting measured for a suit and ensuring the bar will be sufficiently stocked it’s likely you’ve had a fairly easy ride! But while your bride gets the wedding plans sown up, traditionally the honeymoon is all on you.
There are plenty of stunning honeymoon destinations in Asia (please see our Top 10 Honeymoon Destinations), but it’s the thoughtful little extras that can really make yours stand out. So, here’s a few little cheeky tips on the best honeymoon surprises for your bride, to help you get married life off to a flying start and earn some mega brownie points.
1) Rock the Frock, Reef Villa – Sri Lanka
Sometimes choosing between a traditional wedding at home and jetting off for a simple boho beach wedding can be tricky. Reef Villa make this decision a little easier with their novel Rock the Frock photo shoot. All you have to do is sneak the dress onto the plane when you jet off for your honeymoon and treat your bride to a surprise private reshoot on the beach. What a great excuse to wear the dress again and capture that iconic sand between your toes sunset shot. It also just so happens to be a rather picture perfect hotel to while away a few days on your honeymoon. Prices from $300 – for more details click here.
2) Mr & Mrs Welcome
This will be your first holiday as Mr & Mrs. One lovely and cost free touch is to make sure your holiday is booked under your married name. Have your travel agent ensure that the arrival signboard at the airport reads ‘Mr & Mrs…’ and that all of the hotels know that you are on honeymoon and to refer to you as ‘Mr & Mrs…’ You could even get them to spruce up your vehicle with a ‘Just Married” sign and some trailing balloons… just a thought.
3) Private charter your very own junk in Halong Bay, Vietnam
Not all marriages are smooth sailing, but the honeymoon certainly can be! Escape the crowds and whisk your new wife away to the most secluded and romantic corners of the globe. We can’t think of a more perfect setting than Halong Bay in Vietnam where thousands of islets pierce through the calm, emerald green waters. Privately chartering a junk of your own guarantees you’ll get the privacy and intimacy that a setting like this deserves. Even better, you could surprise her with a romantic dinner for two on a secluded beach or cave. Two of our favourite private-charter options in Halong Bay are Paradise Privilege (starts from £900 per night, click here for more details) or Princess Junk (which starts from just £400 per night click here for more details).
4) Petals & Candles, Tea Trails – Sri Lanka
There are few times in life when you are safe to overload of romantic clichés without coming off as cheesy. Your honeymoon is the ultimate safe zone, so going OTT with the rose petals, champagne and candles is all good. Throw in a beautiful roll top bath at Ceylon Tea Trails and you have a luxurious treat for your new bride. Have your personal butler draw you a bath while you are out on a walk through the surrounding tea fields and return for a romantic soak before dinner. Prices from $500 – for more details click here.
5) Do the unexpected – like hiring an old American jeep to drive out to a Vietnamese tribal village.
If your new bride is an adventure junkie, surprise her by giving her a completely unique experience. You want her to have the most memorable trip of her life, right? So after you have showered her with rose petal baths try something a little different. We particularly love the excursion you can take in an American jeep from Hoi An, in central Vietnam, to Bho Hoong Bungalows in the Truong Son mountain range. Here you can dine with village elders and stay in a stilted traditional bungalow, while supporting sustainable tourism. We think it’s a pretty special place anyway – read more about it here.
6) Romance Upgrade
It would be lovely to think us girls are all in with a chance of marrying millionaires, but in the real world we realise that first class flights and limousines are likely to overstretch even the most generous of groom’s wallet. There is nothing to stop you from seeking out a few free upgrades however. Your travel agent can log a request with your hotel for a complimentary room upgrade. This entirely depends on their availability on the day, but if you done ask you done get and after all they want you to walk away as happy honeymooners.
7) Organise a surprise candle-lit dinner in the temple grounds at Angkor, Cambodia
We love the ‘can-do’ attitude at the Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor in Siem Reap. They can even help you set up an incredibly romantic candle-lit dinner in the grounds of the impressive Angkor Complex, which would surely go down as one of the best honeymoon surprises ever. If your budget doesn’t stretch to this don’t be afraid to ask your agent for ideas – if you’re staying a cute beach resort I bet they could arrange a private candle-lit dinner on an isolated stretch or sandy cove, or a quiet table in the corner of a garden lit by fairy lights? There are always more options than you realise.
So while your Bride-to-Be is pouring over the seating plan for the fourth night running, get going with your ideal husband honeymoon surprises. Remember the better the honeymoon, the more honey coming your way 😉
(and Kate x – actually this post was mainly crafted by Kate, I must get her a snazzy signature!)
PS If you would like us to help organise your honeymoon in Vietnam, Cambodia or Sri Lanka then please do take a peek at our travel agency page or contact us on here.
