Unique Honeymoon Destinations For 2025

From cowboying in Utah to dusk dives with whale sharks, these are new wave honeymoons worth saying yes to, says Jemima Sissons. Here are some ideas for where to honeymoon in 2025.

Where To Go For Your Honeymoon In 2025

The Athena poster honeymoons of long ago conjured up starry eyed couples on icing sugar beaches, free flowing cocktails in hands, doing… as little as possible. The sands have shifted and the newly betrothed are just as likely to be donning their Salomons and ditching their phones as seeking out under-the-radar palm-fringed islands. ‘Couples are increasingly looking for activities and experiences that make their honeymoon feel completely different to a normal holiday, whether it’s through adventure or exclusive access,’ says Charlotte Wells, director of global tailor-made product at A&K. This, with a side order of sustainability and wellness. 

‘Now couples are seeking deeper, more immersive diversions that offer both adventure and luxury, and – importantly – a chance to reconnect with nature,’ adds Tamara Lohan, co-founder and CEO of Mr & Mrs Smith. ‘The self-care honeymoon is still very much an evolving trend. Couples are looking to unwind and fully reconnect, not just with each other, but with themselves too.’ 

Alongside adventure, more and more couples are taking an increasingly ethical stance in their honeymoon choices, according to Original Travel’s founder Tom Barber: ‘Many are choosing to ditch air travel, and go by train or seek out a lesser-known region of a popular country to alleviate the issue of overtourism.’ With this in mind, where in the world should honeymooners set their sights?

Adventure

62° Nord, Norway

For a trip rooted in sustainability, Norway’s 62° Nord embraces the ideal of friluftsliv, the ‘free air’ life, which centres on enjoying nature without leaving a footprint. Spanning three properties immersed in majestic settings, rugged adventure encompasses everything from hiking remote mountain passes and fjord swimming to sunrise kayaking and, for the intrepid, seeking out polar bears in loftiest Svalbard. Cosy up in the remote Nordic chalet-style Storfjord Hotel or the storied Hotel Union Øye overlooking the fjords, where evenings are spent alongside log burning fires.

BOOK: From £347 a night, 62.no

(c) Marius Remoy

Bolivia, South America

Heading to the salt flats of Bolivia, bed down in a bespoke light-impact camp, which will disappear without a trace after your departure, overseen by pioneers of the most stylish derring-do escapes, Cookson Adventures. Experiencing the world’s largest salt flat in total privacy, the trip combines private-chef picnic setups with visits to giant cactus islands, before exploring the rich cultural heritage of the country’s capital La Paz. ‘We’ve definitely seen more honeymooners going for away longer, almost treating it like a mini sabbatical,’ says Nick Davies, managing director of Cookson Adventures. ‘They see it as a great opportunity to start married life positively by doing an epic adventure together, building new memories through experiences.’ 

BOOK: From £150,000 for two weeks, cooksonadventures.com

The Lodge at Blue Sky, Utah

For superior mountain dwelling, playing cowboy by summer or ski touring in winter, escape to the spectacular The Lodge at Blue Sky, Auberge, nestled under the gaze of the Wasatch mountains in Utah. Learn to horse whisper or axe throw before a private Macallan-led dinner at the hilltop Speyside Yurt.

BOOK: From £1,200, aubergeresorts.com

New Wave Beach

Rodrigues, Mauritius

With its easy-on-the-eye villas and flip-and-flop ease, the Maldives has its place, but there are some enviable new sand and sea escapes in far-flung locations. An hour-and-a-half’s flight from Mauritius is the (for now) untouched Creole island of Rodrigues, offering nature at its rawest, limestone caves, volcanic peaks and swathes of lagoons that are home to rare birds and marine life, such as the noddy seabird. Bed down in the sparkling-new Constance Tekoma with just 32 Creole-style beachfront rooms.

BOOK: From £2,169 for seven nights per person, including return flights and transfers, turquoiseholidays.co.uk

Musandam Peninsula, Oman

Also less on the beaten track, Oman’s Musandam Peninsula is one of the least visited but most beautiful areas of the country. Combine a four-night stay at Six Senses Zighy Bay with excursions on a dhow cruise around the coast and snorkelling in the crystal-clear water. This is offered by Audley Travel, which found that 19 percent of their clients last year were travelling on a honeymoon. Alex Bentley, head of product at Audley Travel, says: ‘We are seeing a rise in bookings for hybrid trips, such as pairing a Kenyan safari with time relaxing on the beaches of the Seychelles.’

BOOK: From £10,595 a person, audleytravel.com

The Philippines, Southeast Asia

While Thai beaches remain well-trodden, and Bali’s Eat, Pray, Love-style spiritual retreats well ticked, the Philippines remains blissfully under the radar on the South East Asia circuit. Putting the emerald northern archipelago on the map, private-island resort Lagen Island in El Nido, Palawan, re-emerges after an extensive renovation. Framed by lush forest and a sparkling lagoon, it offers a two-level spa, a vastly expanded beach area, a new dive centre and a biodiversity discovery centre where guests can learn about the island ecosystem before seeking out reef sharks and sea turtles in secluded bays.

BOOK: From £1,000 a night, elnidoresorts.com

Water & Rail

Raja Ampat, Indonesia

Recalling a golden age of Agatha Christie-style travel, water or rail offers slow, sustainable voyaging. In far-flung Raja Ampat in Indonesia, marine citadels teeming with aquatic life greet snorkellers and experienced scuba divers. Aqua Expeditions’ luxury vessel Aqua Blu is the first long-range ocean explorer yacht permanently based in Indonesia. Days are spent swimming with whale sharks, snorkelling with manta rays or spotting iguanas on land before sundowners at an ancient fort and then on-board feasting on spice-route inspired catch of the day with sambal.

BOOK: From £8,231 a person for seven nights, aquaexpeditions.com

La Dolce Vita Orient Express, Italy

Rail travel is getting a glossy makeover this year too with some spectacular new routes curated around gastronomy. From this spring, La Dolce Vita Orient Express launches in Italy, the country’s first luxury train with 12 deluxe cabins, 18 suites and one La Dolce Vita Suite designed by Dimorestudio and furnished with Gio Ponti pieces recalling the glamour of the 1960s and 70s. Expect less-travelled locations such as Matera in Basilicata and regionally inspired cuisine overseen by three-Michelin-starred Heinz Beck.

BOOK: From £3,000 a night per person, orient-express.com

The Britannic Explorer, England and Wales

Closer to home, soak in the majesty of the British Isles on The Britannic Explorer, a Belmond train, which will offer the first ever sleeper train touring England and Wales, with three-night journeys departing from London. The three routes will traverse Cornwall, the Lake District and Wales, with interiors dressed by Albion Nord, and zero waste food in the limed oak-lined dining carriage by L’Enclume’s chef, Simon Rogan.

BOOK: From £5,800 a person, belmond.com

Luxe Wilderness

Hakone, Japan

Set in a secluded, sacred valley accessed by a private monorail, Japanese heritage informs every corner of the newly opened Espacio The Hakone Geihinkan Rin-Poh-Ki-Ryu. With only nine private villas, walls are cloaked in traditional Kawakami depicting gods alongside kumiko woodwork and washi paper detailing. After a piping hot onsen fed by its own spring, dine on delicate morsels overseen by Michelin-starred chef Yamagishi Takahiro.

BOOK: From £1,500 a night, lhw.com

Bandhavgarh, India

Journeying west to the lush hills of Madhya Pradesh in central India, seek out majestic tigers at the new Oberoi Vindhyavilas Wildlife Resort in Bandhavgarh. Wildlife tours will be directed by Ratna Singh who qualified as the region’s first female naturalist 18 years ago. Situated in the heart of the 400 sq/km Bandhavgarh National Park, which has the highest density of tigers in the country, the 19 air-conditioned luxury tents and two villas offer private decks, swimming pools, and fire cooked dinners under starlit skies.

BOOK: From £800 a night, oberoihotels.com

The Elephant Coast, South Africa

Seeking the big five safari in South Africa remains Scott Dunn’s most booked honeymoon destination, but it’s easy to stay away from the hoards. After decompressing with a few nights by the ocean at Thonga Beach Lodge on KwaZulu Natal’s Elephant Coast, fly to Marakele National Park where an air-conditioned vehicle will whisk you to Marataba Mountain Lodge for immersion into safari surrounded by nature. With five Scandi-style rooms, wood-burning fireplaces, and private decks overlooking the 67,000-hectare park, there is game spotting by day; by night, turn the phones off (there is no signal) as you slumber in treetops in their Thabametsi treehouse, serenaded by the sounds of rare birds and the rustlings of antelope and leopards.

BOOK: From £6,745 a person, including international flights, scottdunn.com