Post-wedding long trips to nearby hills are passe. Shorter, and luxurious honeymoons are here to stay Spouse? Check. Married? Check. Bliss? Check. Honeymoon? Sure. For how many days? Ummm… With official obligations leaving newly-married but working couples with less than 10 days to get their pheras and the ahem-ahems over with, an increasing number of city jodis are opting for shorter but luxurious honeymoons.
Says city boy Smit Somaiya who got married in December last month, “I was in grave dilemma because I had to either postpone my honeymoon by another six months or accommodate it in the fortnight leave I took for the wedding. I had to compromise on the duration of the honeymoon. Cutting down on the days meant lesser destinations to visit. So we opted for an exotic locale like Kota Kina Balu in Malaysia and made the most of our few days of isolation by just relaxing in our resort.”
Small screen actors Gourab Chatterjee and wife Anindita too had to opt for a compact four-day honeymoon. “We both had hectic shooting schedules around our wedding date and we were only left with four days for honeymoon. So we planned a short but luxurious trip to Goa. Once there, we had a blast and could not distinguish night from day,” shares Gourab.
Not surprisingly, honeymoon budgets have shot up greatly. Says Vishal Somaiya of Miles Holidays Private limited, “Luxury is a necessity now. We are getting a lot of requests from young working couples for short duration but uber luxurious honeymoon packages. Rather than spending a fortnight in budget hotels, couples prefer to stay for smaller durations in luxurious properties and resorts. Youngsters are all too willing to dish out 5 to 6 lakh for a four-night vacation because the idea is to make the honeymoon memorable. On our part, we suggest all inclusive cruise trips for the ultimate experience.”
So which are the destinations that fit the bit for these privilege leave-starved couples? Rishi Dakalia of Plan My Holiday says, “We are getting a lot of requests for international beach destinations. Maldives,Hong Kong and Dubai are a few of the most-sought after locales because they mean shorter flights which help save time.”
Pritish Shah of A Travel Duet — Handcrafted Honeymoons — which specializes in honeymoon packages — shares that they include customized ‘bond over experiences’ for couples.
“We sit with the couples to analyze their interests. Accordingly we formulate a honeymoon plan which would help them know each other better. For instance, we may plan cooking lessons, food trails and adventure sports as per their individual traits. We have also introduced something called the Photo Safari as part of which we delegate a photographer with a couple. He would take candid but priceless shots of the newlyweds.”
But not everyone is in favour of smaller honeymoons. Sajan Gupta of Vayu Seva Tours and Travels says, “We don’t recommend small honeymoons. It makes sense to plan shorter trips for celebrating anniversaries and birthdays, not honeymoon. If you are spending money on expensive flights and hotels, you might as well spend a week at that destination! Any less and it doesn’t make sense to go at all.”
Well, no matter the duration or destination, just take your honey for a trip that will make her feel on top of the moon!
10 must-carry items
Universal charger: Travelling with gadgets will not be a pain if you are carrying this lifeline.
Honeymoon journals: Your personal dairy to jot down memories.
Passports and relevant documents: To prevent security issues and save yourself from time-consuming legal hassles
Umbrellas: To save you from that sudden downpour. Also comes handy when you want a private moment!
Insect repellent: Who wants bug or mosquito bites if you can have love bites from your honey!
Medicine kit: Don’t let a bout of cold or paper cuts take away the joys of honeymooning
Camera: Think of all the selfies you want to click and yes, post online!
Masterlock: Play safe, stay safe
GPS device: Get lost in wilderness. But then come back to the safety of your resort
Foldable bags: For all the “unplanned” shopping that the Mrs embarks on
Most sought-after destinations for a smaller honeymoon
Racha Island, Thailand
Tiomen Islands, Malaysia
Nikoi Islands, Indonesia
Desert resorts, Dubai
Bentota, Sri Lanka
Boutique hotels, Singapore
Fregate Islands, Seychelles
Mauritius
Maldives
Bhutan
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