The traditional romantic beach honeymoon is becoming a thing of the past, with newlyweds now seeking a mix of relaxation – and adrenaline-fuelled activities, it has emerged. The trend was revealed from a study which found an increase in the number of couples who want more than sun, sea and sand from their first holiday as Mr and Mrs.
The figures show that as well as the standard candlelit dinners and beach walks, most newlyweds want to spend at least two days endulging in acvitities such as scuba diving, zip lining, Segways or even cage diving with sharks.
It also emerged many will treat their honeymoon as the ‘wish list’ of all holidays, taking the opportunity to have a go at ‘once in a lifetime’ pursuits.
The study, of 2,000 (unmarried) people by luxury holiday specialist Kuoni, also found the ‘perfect honeymoon’ consists of four days lying in the sun, temperatures of 27 degrees, getting through two books and enjoying three ‘exciting’ activities.
Derek Jones of Kuoni said:
”This shows that couples still want that romantic beach idea with unparalleled service and excellent hotels in places like Mauritius and the Maldives, but they are also leaning towards a more active, cultural and authentic experience on honeymoon.
”This means destinations such as Italy and Vietnam are becoming more popular choices than years ago for honeymooners.
”People are no longer content with a week or two lounging around by the beach or pool, instead newly married couples are hoping for a bit of adventure, they want to learn more about the country they are visiting and return home with tales of the amazing things they have seen and done.”
The study also found newlyweds intend to blow at least £5,000 on their dream honeymoon, and devote at least a third of their 14-day break experiencing new cultures and visiting historical sites.
Researchers also found Brits would ideally like to travel for more than seven hours by plane to their honeymoon destination, and check into a five star hotel on arrival.
One in ten people would like the thrill of a bungee jump on their romantic getaway.
But many people also hope that once they have walked down the aisle, and finally get on their perfect honeymoon, it will be filled with romance.
Additionally, the average person imagines walking along the beach hand in hand at least five times during the two-week break.
They also want to enjoy four candle-lit meals and share three spa treatments together.
And while many people can visualise themselves being brave and trying new things on honeymoon, most want to enjoy at least eight hours of sunshine a day and spent at least a quarter of the fortnight sunbathing.
But both men and women also envisage their honeymoon including a couple of hours of ‘me time’ every day.
And while 53% want plenty of time to work through their ‘beach reads’, a sixth of Brits want to be able to check social media, while 12% would like to ring home to mom.
One in 10 people claim they would probably contact friends from their honeymoon, while 7% would play the odd computer game.
Interestingly, a fifth of people have friends or relatives who have tried to recreate their honeymoon all over again – by visiting the same destination, embarking on the same activities, eating in the same restaurants and sight-seeing in the same places.
Derek Jones added:
”We’re seeing a growing trend for ‘special occasion’ travel.
”Many customers are also using milestone events in life, such as wedding anniversaries or ‘big zero’ birthdays to recapture the romance of their original honeymoon and use those events as an opportunity to see more of the world and splash out on another trip they can tick off their wish list.”
BREAKDOWN OF THE IDEAL HONEYMOON
Set off three days after the wedding
14 nights
Abroad
Minimum 7 hour flight
27 degrees Celsius
Five star hotel
Eight hours of sunshine
26% of the holiday spent sunbathing
Read 2 books
32% of the holiday Sightseeing / visiting sites
One hour and 41 minutes ‘me time’
12% of honeymoon spent doing sports and activities
Four candle lit meals
Three massages / spa treatments
Five romantic beach strolls
Paid for by the bride and groom
Minimum spend £4,930.89
Booked online
Top Modern Honeymoon Activities
Swimming with dolphins
Snorkelling
Hiking / trekking
Scuba diving
Cycling
Cage diving with sharks
Zip lining
Segway
Paragliding
Surfing
Top Ten Honeymoon Destinations (2013)
1. Maldives
2. Thailand
3. Sri Lanka
4. Mauritius
5. Indonesia
6. Arab Emirates
7. USA
8. St Lucia
9. Malaysia
10. Kenya
