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The question:

My fiance and I are planning our honeymoon in September. We want luxury, white, sandy beaches and are looking at the Maldives, Mauritius or Seychelles. The Caribbean would also appeal, but we're worried about the hurricane season. Also, is there a risk of storms/rainy season in the Indian Ocean? Our budget is around £3,000-£4,000 and we're considering going all-inclusive as it seems to offer good value.
Chris

The Maldives are lovely, but only for about two days - then things get a tad boring, the sense of being in a vacuum can be suffocating and the staff at some of the high-end spa resorts are a tad obsequious, although to be fair, that’s their job.

I’d recommend Sri Lanka instead, you’ll get a lot more for your money. Rent a beach-side villa down south of Colombo, they usually come with staff who’ll prepare fresh meals any time of day and you can then relax on your own beach satisfied that your money is filtering into the local community rather than some corporate chain of mega-resorts. Also, you’ll likely not have to deal with the uncomfortable silences fomented by a restaurant full of honeymooners.
Gareth Roberts

We went to Sri Lanka for our honeymoon and it was absolutely amazing. You fly to Colombo and then get a taxi to one of the many villages on the Southern coast such as Bentota, Hikkadu, or Galle. The food, weather, beaches and people are all perfect.

I would recommend going to :
- Bentota and staying in Saman Villas (own private infinity pool, private dinner on top of a rock overlooking the beach is free for one night because you are on honeymoon)

- Tangalle – Amanwella. This is top end luxury and very expensive. We stayed there for five nights as a treat and it was worth every penny. The beach for the villas are around the most beautiful crescent shaped beach. If you are on the beach they bring you white towels and ice-cold water, the restaurant is gorgeous and not too expensive with great cocktails. The only down point is that once you have one Aman experience then you will only ever want to stay there (there are eight in the world)

- If you are interested in yoga there are several yoga retreats in Sri Lanka
Hope this helps.
Kia Kulasuriya

Cocoa Island in Maldives run by COMO is heaven on earth. We went for our honeymoon and on the first morning thought the staff must scatter the petals under the canopy of trees because it was just too perfect. It is a small private resort of absolute luxury – but understated and blissfully relaxed.

We also spent a week staying at the Four Seasons and it felt large, commercial, busy and without soul. When we arrived at the Four Seasons my wife cried wanting to go back to Cocoa. It is your honeymoon don’t think about saving money on all-inclusive – maybe go for less time.
Alistair Wotton

The question:

We want our honeymoon to perfect§, which means a lot of boxes to tick:

• Travelling for two weeks in August
• Within one longhaul flight of Heathrow
• Large, deserted, white beaches
• Temperature 25 - 30C
• Luxury resort with friendly and attentive staff
• Choice of excellent restaurants serving fresh, local cuisine within walking distance of the resort
• An emphasis on relaxation, but with opportunities for getting out and experiencing local history and culture
• Cost = up to £2,000 per person
Ben and Ems

There's no doubt in my mind at all. Thailand, and more specific - PhiPhi Island. There's plenty of resorts spread all round the island and there's plenty to do such as scuba, sea fishing, snorkelling or just do very little.

We went on our honeymoon and had simply the best time of our life. You'll need to get another flight after the long haul but for this one compromise you'll get all the other things you want. We went end of July to start of August. First we stayed in Phuket which was amazing and I would recommend the Hotel Cape Panwar, which is built into a cliff. The restaurants are fantastic.

People will say it's rainy season, but when it does rain, and it's not often, it's a 25-minute massive downpour which is quite an experience.

Back to PhiPhi, we had our own beach area at the exit of our bungalow undisturbed for approx 200 meters with just the tiny shell crabs to keep us company. Food, people and scenery are all unbelievably amazing. Please go.
Colin Walker

I recommend the state of Pernambuco in Brazil, particularly the state capital Recife and its sister city Olinda, and a nearby resort called Porto de Galinhas.

All three have quiet, sandy beaches. Recife's Boa Viagem is the high end of things, where you'll find more expensive hotels, whereas Olinda has boutique accommodation called Pousadas, the most luxurious of which is probably Pousada Sete Colinas. Porto de Galinhas is where Recife's well-off take weekend break. For attentive staff, guides, chaperones and helpers abound in any of the places you stay.

Porto de Galinhas is just down the coast and the day I spent on the beach there was one of the most idyllic of my life - people wander up and down selling you food, drink and whatever else you might need. It is as good as any beach in Rio or Sao Paulo state and yet a lot less crowded, yet not totally secluded either.

The weather in August is starting to warm up as obviously being Southern Hemisphere, the seasons are upside down, so over there it is spring - which isn't the hottest it gets but if you're stepping off a plane from London, it's going to be a lot better than the weather you've come from, but not oppressively tropical at that time of year.

The food available in Brazil is stunning. They have populations of Chinese, Japanese and Italians who migrate up north, plus their own cuisine is based on fish, coconut, coriander and generally is very healthy indeed. Breakfasts are always substantial, consisting of the usual cereals but also cake, papaya, watermelon, and local honey and cheeses.

For local history and culture, the city has a legendary carnival and there is a stunning array of colonial architecture as its backdrop. The old town of Recife (Recife Antigo) has regular live music events and Olinda is home to Maracatu, rehearsals of which go on all year round and which are always interesting to watch. Capoeira is practised in places, and the city also has a wonderful complex called the Casa de Brennand, which houses art by a renowned local artist of the same name.

Many local artists in Olinda exhibit their colourful carnival-inspired work from their homes. And there is also a movement of trendy modern music called Mangue (Mangrove), which is inspired by fusions of carnival drumming and modern forms like Hip-Hop and Ska.

There are direct flights to Recife from London airports, although I remember my last visit being from Gatwick.
Marc Starr

I suggest the Maldives. Stay at Hivafen Fushi and Soneva Gili resorts.
The rack rates at hotels can be discounted - heavily - up to 40% sometimes.
Try Linara Travel, and Atoll Paradise. Both agents provide great rates and you can also get honeymoon packges with the hotels which include dinners, boat trips as well as massages all included
Emma

Several recommendations for you:

East Malaysia - Borneo would fit your requirements almost perfectly. There's a 12-hour flight to KL and then a two-hour local flight to East Malaysia.

I have lived in KL for almost eight years and one of my favourite local destinations is Kota Kinabalu in Sabah. I can recommend the Tanjung Aru Shangri La hotel - it is set on the beach, with boat access to a beautiful marine park, the staff are impeccable in their politeness and dedication to service, the food excellent and the rooms spacious and airy. You would be hard pushed to do much better.

However, if you fancy a few days in a little more isolated luxury, the Nexus Karambunai nearby is also stunning. The advantage however of the Tanjung Aru is that it is set closer to Kota Kinabalu town and the myriad of fantastic restaurants. Malaysians love their food and you are ideally placed to experience some of the finest seafood available. Prices of hotels are good as is transport and eating out.

Other than relaxing on the beach, there are lots of things you can do - a steam train ride through the jungles is a great way to spend half a day; you can organise trips to the hot springs and rainforest canopy walkway or to Mount Kinabalu national park; you can even arrange an overnight trip to the Orang-Utan Sanctuary in Sandakan in the north of Borneo. It is a 20 minute flight away past Mount Kinabalu - very spectacular.

In addition to Kota Kinabalu, Kuching in the southern part of Malaysian Borneo is also worth checking out. There is a great resort at Santubong - The Damai Beach, and its twin the Damai Lagoon. It was formerly a Holiday Inn, but I'm not sure now. Again, lots to do there - day trip to the Semangoh Orang -Utan reserve, another to Bako national park, around Kuching city itself, and the Cultural park, where the Rainforest music festival is held in July is just across the road. There you can find all kinds of different tribal houses rebuilt and set in the most idyllic landscaping. There are fewer opportunities to dine out here than in either Kuching city or Kota Kinabalu.

Also worth checking is Langkawi (though it has become a little westernised, including prices - in recent years) and some of the islands off the east coast of Malaysia. Though I would say that most if these, whilst providing the miles of deserted beaches you want, are a little bit small to sustain two weeks holiday.

Also well worth looking at is Bali. You can book a cheap fight from KL with Air Asia - it takes about three hours and is a truly stunning island. Check out Air Asia's website for bargains - they fly to lots of Asian destinations and also have tie-ups with hotels which are generally very favourably priced.

In Bali, I would recommend the Alila Manggis in Candidasa which is away from the crowds on the east of the island. It's a beautiful boutique hotel set on a deserted beach. Beats the crowded Kuta any day. Check out Ubud while you are there - it's worth spending a couple of nights in this arsty, very stylish town in the middle of the island. The Alila group also have a hotel here which boasts the most spectacular infinity pool overlooking the Balinese rainforest and paddy fields. Really special.

Anyway, I hope that this has been useful. Good luck with your wedding and with your honeymoon plans.
Kind Regards
Helen L

I know that I fail the one long-haul criteria, but Broome in the north-west of Western Australia satisfies all the others and it is perfect in August!
Franklin Gaffney

I'm a Welsh chap who married a Californian 20 years ago. We honeymooned in Whitefish, Montana, in what was the first steps of winter.

A house on the lake and the national park a few moments away, it was quite unique in as much as we both came from entirely different landscapes and climes. It was magical as a consequence, as it was new (like our betrothal) and a pure experience of newness and possibility - a perfect way to begin a new age.

Just recommending something that carried no baggage, and whichever way you go, go somewhere beyond your past.
Good luck to ya'
Best
Michael

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