If you are among those who think a honeymoon in Cambodia is somehow awkward, imagine what could be more romantic than watching the sun rising behind the magnificent Angkor Wat towers or watching the golden glow of sunset over the Bayon faces. It is true that the image if massacre is still looming behind the country whose people are struggling to lay their path our of poverty, but exciting fusion of culture and world-class resorts make Cambodia a unique destination for luxury honeymoons.

Siem Real, a township located only a few kilometers away from the country’s most popular temples including Angkor Wat, perfectly combines Western atmosphere and warmth of Asian tradition whilst being among a few largest religious monuments of the world featuring impressive architectural beauty, Angkor Wat is not only a must visit to first timers but also enticing visitors to return. Another temple worth to visit is the one that gained its worldwide popularity through Angelina Jolie’s Tomb Rider, Ta Prom. Mostly formed of ruins with major parts preserved only by roots of soaring trees, you will truly dissolve yourself into the ancient age here. At the gate to the ancient capital of Ta Prom is Angkor Thom with its guardian figures called Bayon. Siem Reap will for sure make your honeymoon even more memorable.

Uniquely decorated with contemporary blend of Art Deco and Asian charms, luxurious villas composed in a form of traditional village within tropical garden makes Heritage Suites a good accommodation option. Authentic Asian feel that carefully created through well defined oriental furnishing with creative lighting impose a romantic atmosphere. Bathroom is a feature by itself with large bathtub for two and an open shower surrounded by walled garden. Other options are Bungalow Suites that feature private steam room or Angkor Suites that offer private Jacuzzi.

If beach is your theme of choice then Song Saa Private Island Resort can be your choice. Occupying two small islands Koh Kueen and Koh Bang that are connected by a foot bridge, they are surrounded by pristine clear water with beautiful coral reef.

For the ultimate in luxury honeymoons head to the Song Saa Private Island Resort, the perfect place to end a touring honeymoon of Cambodia, or to simply retreat to as a destination in its own right. The resort is located on two small islands, Koh Ouen and Koh Bang, surrounded by reefs and connected by a footbridge. Comprises of only 27 overwater suites, most of the islands remained undeveloped rainforest. Song Saa offers amazing private tropical island experience offering the very best in luxury honeymoons.

With only 38 exquisite rooms at five star standard, Hotel Martinhal compliments the stretch of divine beach on Portugal’s sunny Algarve with a solitude an privacy. Being far away from crowd it becomes a perfect sanctuary for lovebirds, couples in honeymoon.  Recently opened in summer 2011, from its commanding position Hotel Marinthal overlook Marinthal Beach surrounded by Cost Vicentina National Park, about an hour drive from Faro airport.

This specific area of Algarve has been a favorite destination for long. Nature lovers appreciate its unspoiled wilderness whilst surfers and scuba divers adore its pristine beaches and sparkling waters. Hotel Martinhal is the first five star resort in the area and immediately created a perfect place for couple to relax and enjoy one of the most beautiful beaches of Algarve right on their doorsteps.

The 38 beach front five star suites offers breath taking sea views each comes with private balconies suitable to savor romantic moments together. There are also spacious Village Houses which fit best for families. London based designer Michael Sodeau brought combination between classic and modern in furnishing and interior, which then perfectly mixed with architectural simplicity of the resort to create a series of unique pieces in a clean and bold design, using muted tones and local natural materials, such as cork and wicker, to make his interiors elegant, modern and timeless, whilst retaining supreme comfort and quality throughout the design.

Local caught of best fishes are offered in the three restaurants available in the hotel, chic Portuguese fine dining restaurant “O Terraco” is perfect for a special candlelit dinner, informal beach front restaurant “As Dunas” and bistro style “Os Gambozinos” in the resort’s village square.

Off the beach, Finisterra Spa pampers honeymooning couples to relax and unwind in tranquility. A carefully selected range of treatments pay tribute to the areas seafaring traditions with a series of exotic massages, rituals and treatments that have their roots embedded in the “Age of Discovery” and the establishment of “The Spice Route”.

Using a sensual blend of aromatic oils, perfumes, spices and herbs taken from the exclusive Terraké spa brand and VOYA range of 100% organic seaweed based products, guests can embark on the ultimate spa journey with one of Finisterra’s six ‘Signature Rituals’. These are based on the travels of some of the most famous Portuguese explorers and their encounters with various continents and cultures. Try for example the ‘Vasco da Gama’ Indian hot stone treatment, named after the first navigator to discover the sea route to India. Re-mineralising the body and releasing muscular tension, the body is warmed with heated red jasper and semi precious stones and swathed in aromatic oils of cinnamon and rose.

For a more energetic experience the resort offers a choice of heated swimming pools, tennis courts and glass sided Padel tennis courts. Alternatively for surfers and windsurfers or kite surfers the area provides a great environment to take on the Atlantic elements for which the area is renowned.

Martinhal offers a choice of honeymoon packages from a 2 night Mini-moon which costs from 175 Euros per person per night until 20 September 2011 (excluding 16 July – 31 August when the cost is 201 Euros pppn) and comprises a 2 night stay in a terrace room on a BB basis with room service breakfast and romantic surprise on arrival as well as a Romantic dinner in the hotel’s fine dining restaurant, O Terraco.

The four night option includes all of the above with the addition of a couples massage in the resorts Finisterra Spa and costs from 163 Euros per person per night (or 189 Euros pppn from 16 July – 31 August). The seven night package includes two separate couples massage treatments in the spa and costs 161 Euros per person per night (or 187 Euros pppn from 16 July – 31 August).

Martinhal is easily accessible via scheduled flights to either Faro or Lisbon. From the airports, guests can either hire a car or take a private transfer organised by the resort. Flying time from the UK: 2 hours and 40 minutes.

For bookings and reservations, email res@martinhal.com or log on to martinhal.com .

When it comes to honeymoon destinations, most newlyweds have set aside a nice little bundle for their ultimate getaway.

But a unique suite in the Maldives – while offering unbeatable views of the local marine life – is likely to eat up the entire average wedding budget, let alone the honeymoon accommodation costs.

Conrad hotels are offering a breathtaking suite at their Maldives Rangali Islands resort, which has to be seen to be believed.

Normally the hotel’s ‘Ithaa’ restaurant, the domed ‘reverse aquarium’ is being converted into a special submerged bedroom in honour of the hotel’s fifth anniversary.

A night below the surface of the Indian Ocean would have to rank as the number one night to remember, and the romantic experience comes with a complimentary champagne breakfast the following morning.

Of course the aquatic entertainment – provided by the likes of blue-striped snapper, sting rays, parrot fish and moray eels – is also (quite literally) on the house.

Unsurprisingly, however, the hotel is keeping a ‘price on application’ policy – the Ithaa wedding experience is not listed on the Conrad hotels website, and potential guests are advised to personally request the room at least 14 days in advance.

A King Deluxe Water Villa - until now the top-of-the-range accommodation at the Maldives Rangali Islands resort – is a tidy £1,156 a night… and it’s above water.

It’s safe to say that this experience is not for the budget-minded.

There are many variations on the history of “honeymoon.” It has been thought that it occurs from the practice of the ancient Teutons of drinking honeyed wine (hydromel) for thirty days after marriage. Attila the Hun is said to have died after overindulging in hydromel during his wedding feast. Hydromel, also known as mead or metheglin, is a honey wine that not only symbolized the sweetness of marriage but also had reputed aphrodisiacal properties. This beverage is said to have been drunk at the wedding feast, but also every night for the next month. One version states that the Babylonians had a practice of the father of the bride giving mead to his new son-in-law for the first month of the marriage.

As wonderfully romantic as the above explanations are, there is evidence that the term “honeymoon” is first used in the 16th century (1546) to mean ‘the period of pleasure immediately following a marriage.’ The concept of a honeymoon being tied into a vacation or trip did not occur until the 18th century. Dr. Samuel Johnson stated the honeymoon was ‘The first month after marriage, when there is nothing but tenderness and pleasure,’ comparing it to the moon which begins to wane as soon as it is full. Many dictionaries described the honeymoon as “the period of waning affections.”

Even if it is only a legend, drink of cup of mead with your beloved and watch the moon grow full again.

Written by Judy Thomas

Newlyweds will surely find bliss in these far-flung romantic retreats (though they might be paying back the bills for a lifetime). When agent Anne Morgan Scully of McCabe World Travel honeymooned in Hawaii almost 40 years ago, the height of luxury was a clamshell sink and a humble hot tub. Fast-forward a few decades and things are decidedly more extravagant for newlyweds in resort land. “The expectation of what a honeymoon suite should be has changed enormously,” says Scully, who regularly counsels couples on finding fabulous vacation destinations across the world. “It’s not only a matter of size but of having all the bells and whistles.”

Today’s top honeymoon suites, in her book, offer amenities such as private pools, sunken Jacuzzis, outdoor showers, and “major” terraces. “The terraces are getting bigger than the rooms,” she says.

Given the odds that this trip could be the most expensive and extravagant of a couple’s life together, Scully also stresses that being fussed over is high on the list of expectations for modern honeymooners: “Couples are very aware of whether the hotel staff ‘get them’ and are turned on to how much attention or privacy they need.”

So we went in search of the best honeymoon suites on the planet. Many of them come with round-the-clock butler service. Private plunge pools are increasingly a feature of high-end rooms, as are novelties such as walk-in “rain showers” and dedicated spa rooms within the suite, where couples can arrange for massages. Then there are the really decadent extras like screening rooms, top-shelf sports cars for guest use, and private workout areas.

Privacy, of course, tends to be a crucial concern for honeymooners, and resorts are increasingly catering to solitude seekers with stand-alone villas, suites separated from public areas of the hotel, and access to exclusive beaches or other natural features. (Certain villas at Parrot Cay, in Turks and Caicos, for instance, have direct access onto the beach from their terraces.) Over-water bungalows provide an even greater separation from other people. The presidential suite at the Palacio Duhau in Buenos Aires comes with its own separate entrance so that guests never have to mingle with the hoi polloi in the lobby.

Sometimes the luxury factor is a case of unique access, like at Eagle Island Camp in Botswana, where guests booking the Romance Suite have a personal game-watching drive with a dedicated guide. In other cases, it means getting the royal treatment: guests in the Crystal Penthouse Suite on Crystal Serenity cruises are ferried to and from the ship by limousine.

But no amount of champagne and limo service can make up for a hotel room lacking in romantic ambience. That’s why Dallas is abuzz about the honeymoon suite of the Stoneleigh, originally designed by legendary interior designer Dorothy Draper and recently revamped by her protégé Carleton Varney. “A honeymoon suite in gray and beige will never sell,” Varney declares. “People are desperate for color in this time of dreariness. They want a return to the glamour of yesterday.”

Written by Emma Sloley
Published on Travel+Leisure

As with any vacation or holiday you must realise that the actual honeymoon destinations are probably the factors that are most important of your honeymoon vacation. The best option is to choose honeymoon destinations that both of you will enjoy. Consequently to really love your honeymoon it is best to choose exotic honeymoon destinations that both you and your significant other have dreamed of going to. Obviously there are a huge amount of tropical honeymoon destinations all over the globe where you both can enjoy a week or two of wedded bliss. Obviously it is imperative that you should know these vacation destinations and their locations and also that you probably are going to have to hand over some serious money in order for you to fully enjoy your honeymoon destinations.

That said you have to consider that taking your honeymoon in a tropical location does not mean that you have to spend a huge amount of cash, there is no need to have your bank account emptied. Do some research online or with your travel broker and choose the best honeymoon destinations that fall within your honeymoon budget. Before you book your honeymoon vacation with your travel broker, make sure you check out all the different honeymoon destinations available to you. You can peruse travel magazines or even bridal magazines. Using bridal magazines is a great idea as they specialize in showing you the best honeymoon destinations vacations. These honeymoon destinations are located all over the world. Perhaps your idea of great honeymoon destinations might be Hawaii, a Caribbean island, Bora Bora, Europe or even one of the exotic islands in Asia like Bali or the Maldives.

All these are great exotic honeymoon destinations. For all these destinations you will locate excellent honeymoon packages at your local travel broker. That said, probably the best option to save your hard earned cash is to book your honeymoon package online. You will find that booking your honeymoon vacations online will offer some great discounts as well as providing you with most options when it comes to honeymoon destinations. Taking all these factors into account will help you choose your honeymoon destinations and ensure that you have a wonderful honeymoon vacation.

Written by Vernon Wells