London - The traditional romantic beach honeymoon is becoming a thing of the past, with more newlyweds opting to begin married life with something more adrenalin-fuelled.
Alongside candlelit dinners, couples massages and beach walks, most honeymooners want to spend at least two days on activities such as scuba diving, zip-lining, or even cage diving with sharks.
And many treat their post-wedding break as the “wish list” of all holidays, taking the opportunity to have a go at several “once-in-a-lifetime” pursuits, according to a study.
They want to devote at least a third of their honeymoon to experiencing new cultures and visiting historical sites.
The survey of 2 000 unmarried people in Britain also found the “perfect honeymoon” would consist of four days spent lying in the sun, temperatures of 27°C, getting through two books and enjoying three “exciting” activities.
Researchers also found people would 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 10 people would like the thrill of a bungee jump on their romantic getaway.
But many people also hope for a holiday filled with romance, imagining themselves walking along the beach hand in hand at least five times during the two-week break.
They also want to enjoy four candlelit meals and share three spa treatments together.
And while many people visualise themselves trying new things on honeymoon, most want to enjoy at least eight hours of sunshine a day and spend at least a quarter of the break sunbathing.
Men and women envisage their honeymoon including a couple of hours of “me time” every day.
And while 53 percent want plenty of time to work through their “beach reads”, a sixth want to be able to check social media, while 12 percent would like to ring home.
And after it’s all over, it’s time to do it again: one fifth of people have friends or relatives who have tried to recreate their honeymoon by returning to the same destination, embarking on the same activities, eating in the same restaurants and sightseeing in the same places.
Derek Jones, of luxury holiday specialist, Kuoni, who conducted the poll, said: “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.” – Daily Mail
TOP 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