Unique and adventurous honeymoon ideas

Picture spending your honeymoon curling up together in a tent on the side of Mount Kilimanjaro. Or holding hands while sitting a few feet away from mountain gorillas in Uganda’s rainforest. Perhaps the ideal way to celebrate your new life together is exploring the hidden gems of Sri Lanka! Or, even more adventurous, why not kick of the Mr and Mrs lifestyle by going high-altitude trekking in the Himalayas of Nepal?? Or go white-water rafting in Bhutan? Or travelling to the most scenic spots in Iceland? At Follow Alice we have a great selection of unique and adventurous honeymoon ideas for you that are sure to blow your socks off.

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro would make a super epic, and unique, honeymoon!

The recent trend towards adventure travel and ecotourism has impacted the honeymoon market. More and more honeymooners want to travel somewhere unusual or remote, and to inject some real adventure into their trip.

Some go all out, trekking in the mountains, camping, kayaking or rafting and sleeping rough, ‘yurt-ing’, or staying in off-grid eco lodges. Hot showers and flush toilets generally not included.

A honeymoon is a great time to explore wild places with your best friend

The more popular option, however, involves 'soft' adventure travel, with newlyweds wanting a plump bed, solid roof and perhaps a soaking tub at the end of each day. For such folks, hotels, lodges or glamping is more the tune they’re whistling, with good doses of adventure sports and cultural outings taking place during the day.

According to Pinterest, 2019 saw a major uptick in safari honeymoon research. If your honeymoon thoughts are aligning with those of these Pinterest users, know that we offer a handful of fantastic trips in that vein:

We offer all of these trips in our adventure trips portfolio. 😀

Lake Manyara in Tanzania offers a beautiful honeymoon safari and getaway

- American relationship therapist John Gottman

One of the reasons behind the success of tour operators like Follow Alice is that we offer travellers the safety of heading to destinations where you might feel uncertain about going on your own. Most of our adventure trips take place in African and Asian countries. Here, the languages, cultures, customs and transport systems are usually quite unfamiliar to many international travellers. 

There’s great benefit to travelling with an experienced tour operator, not only in terms of safety but also in terms of logistics. Tour operators organise your accommodation, transport and more. They also take most of the admin off your hands. And finally, they’ve done most of the research for you, having identified the best spots within a region or country to visit.

A Sri Lankan honeymoon can include hiking, canyoning, white-water rafting, surfing, diving, snorkelling, stilt fishing, attending festivals and more

Here are the details on these epic adventure trips, each of which would make for an extraordinary honeymoon!

Get to know your spouse even better by taking on the challenge of a lifetime together – climbing Kilimanjaro! Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa, and the highest freestanding mountain in the world. And yet it doesn't require any mountaineering skill or equipment to scale it – just hardy hiking boots, strong legs, and some grit and determination.

Start married life the way you want it to continue ... full of adventure!

Picture yourselves leaving all the finery of the wedding behind for a true outdoor adventure. You'll fly to Tanzania and check into a beautiful lodge. The next day you'll meet some fellow trekkers and be driven past game and open savannah to Kilimanjaro National Park. Headed by one of our trusted lead guides and accompanied by an experienced mountain crew, you'll start by hiking along dirt paths through beautiful rainforest. At the end of the day, you and your new Mr or Mrs will climb into your two-man tent (which has been set up for you by the crew) to chat over the day's events.

Climbing Kilimanjaro is a true adventure

The next day you'll trek up above the trees and enter moorland and heath, where the vegetation is sparse but includes towering lobelias and groundsels. On this day and the next you'll be climbing over and around rock and cliff faces, and things will be getting chilly and the air thin. In the evenings you'll sit holding hands in camp chairs drinking hot drinks and looking down over the African plain.

When you finally reach summit day, you'll wake around midnight and turn to each other and say: "We can do this!" You'll then put on your warmest layers, your beanie and gloves and thermal socks, and you'll join the group as you trek over scree and ice to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro just after sunrise. Can you see yourselves beaming for a photo at Uhuru Peak, 5,895 m above sea level??

There are seven Kilimanjaro routes leading to the summit of the mountain.

We love the camp life on Kilimanjaro – and climbing into warm sleeping bags after a day of hard hiking!

Except for the Marangu route, all require you to camp. Part of the adventure of climbing Kilimanjaro is how it brings you back into contact with nature.

Every day you hike through beautiful terrain, surrounded by the natural vegetation. Those who are observant see plenty of wildlife, including - on certain routes - large game like elephants and antelope. Climbing Kilimanjaro actually takes you through five different climate zones: forest, heath, moorland, alpine desert, and arctic. You pretty much enter a different ecosystem every day of the trek!

Climbing Kilimanjaro is a great adventure holiday for couples who like to test their limits, experience new things together, and do their things their own way.

Want to know more about climbing Kilimanjaro? We've got you covered!

– Silvia Coimbra

A Kilimanjaro trek is a truly unforgettable experience!

Here's an idea: go all out for your honeymoon by pairing a Kilimanjaro trek with a Tanzanian safari! Both adventures take place in north Tanzania, so we find many clients like to climb the mountain and then reward their efforts with a relaxing safari trip to see the Big Five!

Tanzania is arguably the ultimate safari destination for wildlife lovers. With 16 beautifully maintained national parks, it offers some of Africa’s best game viewing. Some of the animals one can find on safari include African elephants, lions, zebras, hippos, wildebeests, hyenas, caracals and kobs. Tanzania is a beacon when it comes to preserving its natural heritage - it has 42,000 square kilometres of national park! Picture the two of you taking safari drives during the day and then glamping in a private tent at night!

African bush elephant having a munch

Some of the highlights of our Tanzania safari trip are:

The Serengeti has an enormous lion population

During our time on safari we can visit any or all the following world-famous sites:

Lake Manyara National Park is one of Tanzania’s smaller parks, but it packs a real punch, boasting savannah, bush plains and evergreen forest. The chance to see elephant families moving through the forest is reason enough on its own to visit this gem of a park!

One of our groups dining at Lake Manyara

The word serengeti means ‘endless plains’ in the Maasai language, and this is truly apt. Serengeti National Park is home to the Great Migration, the famous annual migration of over two million grazing animals like wildebeest, zebra and gazelle. Our drive in the park affords us ample game-watching opportunities, as well as the chance to visit the beautiful Olduvai Gorge. We’ll also visit the Maasai Culture Boma to learn about the history and culture of this fascinating tribe.

The herds of the Great Migration are on a scale you've never seen before!

Southeast of Serengeti National Park is Ngorongoro Conservation, home to Ngorongoro Crater, the largest collapsed volcanic crater in the world! The walls of the crater have created an oasis of wildlife. You can expect to see plenty of lions, elephants, zebras, hippos, wildebeest, jackals, kobs, eagles, vultures, and so much more. There are also brightly coloured flamingoes in the crater lake and hippos in the swamp, which is where we stop for lunch!

Ngorongoro Crater would be a must-see even if it didn't possess a staggering quantity of wildlife!

Tarangire National Park is a truly fantastic, underrated game park that is at its best during the long dry season (June to October) when large herds of animals flock to its river. Of special note are the enormous elephant herds, which can number into the hundreds. The park is also a great place to visit for its different landscape, which includes immense baobab trees, quirky sausage trees, and iconic towering red termite mounds.

One of our groups by an enormous baobab in Tarangire

Lake Natron is our newest safari offering, and we're really excited about it! This hyper-alkaline lake sits on the border with Kenya and is in a very remote region, inhabited by small Maasai villages. The waters are too alkaline for most animals, but lesser flamingoes are hardy and blanket its surface. At times the water turns shades of pink, red and orange, and you can even see this red hue from space! It's an otherworldly sight, only made better by having the active volcano Mt Ol Doinyo Lengai in the background!

The Maasai people have a strong and distinct heritage, which shows in their beautiful clothing and jewellery

And if that's still not enough for you ...

You could easily head south to Zanzibar after your safari to end off the honeymoon with some time spent dipping your toes in pale blue, warm waters and sipping on cold, fruity drinks! We can totally make that happen for you. ⛱

Zanzibar offers a wonderful end to an adventurous Tanzania honeymoon!

Uganda is known as the Pearl of Africa, for very good reason. This lush country has mountains, jungle, mountain gorillas, savannah, the Big Five, island-dotted lakes, rich culture, welcoming people, and so much more.

A mountain gorilla as snapped by our client Woody

At Follow Alice we’ve put together a wild adventure holiday that takes in the best the country has to offer: we explore the capital city of Kampala, go on a mountain bike safari, row in traditional boats on the lake, zip line into the water, visit chimpanzees in the wild, and go on a boat cruise. And finally, our pièce de resistance: we take a trek in the rainforest to see mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. It’s all epic times in Uganda, and the perfect destination for a romantic and out-of-the-ordinary honeymoon getaway!

A Ugandan safari is a must when you visit the country

During your stay stay in Uganda, we take you to various beautiful spots around the country. Some of the exciting activities on the cards are:

Our client Soren took this snap at Lake Bunyonyi

Those with more time on their hands might like to also:

Murchison Falls is a powerful waterfall on the Nile River

The gorilla trek is the highlight of our trip. And for good reason. The mountain gorilla is an endangered animal – there are estimated to be fewer than 900 in the wild. They live only in Uganda, the DRC and Rwanda.

The jungle hike to find a mountain gorilla troop is quite something in and of itself!

We’ll take a guided trek through the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to find a troop to observe. As the name of the forest suggests, we’ll be trekking through dense vegetation. You can expect overgrown trails, walls of green, dripping leaves, rivers and rivulets, forest sounds, mist and perhaps the odd downpour! Trekking through such an untouched and thick forest like this is a treat in and of itself.

Mountain gorillas are known for being mostly gentle and shy. The gorilla troops that are visited are habituated ones, meaning they’re used to the presence of humans. It’s wonderful to watch them interact among themselves, and hear their grunts and barks. Very few people are afforded the opportunity to view these gentle giants in their natural habitat – those who do rarely leave the forest unaffected.

Read our blog posts to learn more about Uganda and all it has to offer:

An infant mountain gorilla chilling on its mom's back

Not everyone can climb Mount Everest, but most of us can make the trek to its famous base camp. The Everest Base Camp trek is a challenging but ever-so-rewarding two-week hike through the Himalayas.

The trek starts in the temperate zone at around 2,500 m and requires you to climb up to the alpine zone at over 5,000 m. During the trek we hike as a group up steep, forested valleys, over suspension bridges, across desolate valley floors and lake beds, along high contour paths, and over snowy mountain passes. 

It's not all snow and freezing winds on the Everest Base Camp trek – some days are sunshiny and positively balmy!

We stay in traditional Sherpa villages, eat Nepali food, visit Buddhist monasteries, stand back for passing yaks, dip our toes in icy high-altitude lakes, and marvel at snow-capped mountain peaks every way we turn. And in the middle of it all, we get to stand in Everest Base Camp, where the prayer flags are pulled at relentlessly by the wind and we contemplate the start of the trail taken by many greats to reach the top of the world’s highest mountain.

This two-week trip to the Himalayas of eastern Nepal is not just about standing at Everest Base Camp. No, no – it has so much more in store for curious and intrepid travellers. When you travel to do the Everest Base Camp trek with Follow Alice, you’ll:

Yaks are a common sight on the Everest Base Camp trek, not least because they're used by porters to carry trekkers' luggage

The Everest Base Camp trek is 65 km each way when you walk the most direct route. This is the traditional trek route. There are, however, variations to this route, a common one being the Everest Base Camp trek via Gokyo Lakes.

The peaks in the Himalayas are always covered in snow - just the way we like them!

If you’re a curious soul who doesn’t mind a little discomfort for the sake of new experiences, then the Everest Base Camp trek is for you!

Our client Kevin took this snap on his EBC trek

You don’t need any mountaineering skills or equipment, nor do you need to be an athlete. You do, however, need to be reasonably fit. Simply put, if you’re able to go on a day-long hike wherever you live without falling over with fatigue and complaining that life is no fun, then you should be perfectly able to tackle Everest Base Camp. 

If you’d like to know more about the challenges of the trek, we recommend you read How hard is Everest Base Camp? This blog post describes the trek route and surrounding terrain, daily hiking hours, the dangers of altitude sickness, and more. You might also like to check out out Everest Base Camp 16-day trip itinerary, or our shorter 10-day itinerary which sees you flying the home route via helicopter instead of walking!

The mountains of the Everest Base Camp trek are the uncontested stars of the show

The Annapurna Circuit trek is an incredibly varied and exciting high-altitude trek. Located in Nepal’s central Himalayas, the Annapurna region boasts some of the world’s highest mountains. Most famous is Annapurna I, the seventh highest peak in the world at 8,091 m (26,545 ft). 

The Annapurna Circuit is a high-altitude trek that takes you up into a rain shadow

On the Annapurna Circuit trek we hike deep into the Himalayas. We wind our way up steep, forested valleys and canyons, walk narrow paths that snake round the sides of mountains, visit an ice lake, and cross a bleak summit pass. The higher we climb, the fiercer the weather, with strong winds and temperatures that drop below freezing at night. It's a fantastic adventure trip for newlyweds (and others) who want a challenge and something out of the ordinary!

The people groups we meet along the Annapurna trek route vary greatly.

Spinning prayer wheels is a tradition in Tibetan Buddhism

At the trail’s start we meet Hindu communities with close ties to Indian culture, but when we enter into the remote mountains we meet Tibetic groups who are closely connected in culture to their neighbours to the north. Along the trail we encounter temples, prayer flags, stupas, gompas, prayer wheels, and more. Every day on the Annapurna Circuit introduces you to something new and surprising.

Many treks around the world involve hiking from Point A to Point B and then back along the same route, often because the terrain dictates it. Not a problem, but arguably not ideal. The Annapurna Circuit route, by contrast, is a roughly circular route that takes you anticlockwise through the valleys and gorges and over some of the heights of the Annapurna Massif. Every day brings something new!

This snap of Pisang comes from our clients Vonie and Amanda

We start in the small village of Pisang. Over the next few days we hike deep into the remote mountains, eventually climbing up into a rain shadow. Colourful prayer flags and Buddhist stupas (religious monuments) can be seen all along the trek route. The pinnacle of the trek – both literally and mentally – is reaching the top of the mountain pass Thorung La. Thorung La is 5,416 m (17,769 ft) above sea level. It’s a snow-covered spot that’s blasted by fierce winds.

After this special moment of victory, the trek’s descent begins. The route drops down from the chilly heights into the woods before reaching the hills and plains of the Mustang District, where we spend a night. Next we fly to the beautiful lakeside city of Pokhara, a popular tourist destination, where we stay a night. We have the option of exploring the city, canoeing on the lake, ziplining above the trees, and more!

Pokhara is a beautiful lakeside city that'a s truly romantic getaway spot

The Annapurna Circuit trek is one of the most popular treks worldwide. This is because of the sheer diversity and beauty of the trek route. We can vouch for the fact that every day on this trip is new and exciting. And also that the hard work and sweat to complete it is one hundred percent worth it. The views, the people and the memories are truly special. 

The lower portion of the Annapurna Circuit is very lush

The Annapurna Circuit is a non-technical route, which means you don’t need any special experience or skills to complete it. You just need a good pair of hiking boots and a decent level of fitness. So if you’re a reasonably fit person with an adventurous spirit, we hope to share the experience of trekking the Annapurna Circuit with you soon!

Want to know more? We've got you!

You can also take a look at our Annapurna Circuit itinerary.

We can't wait to take you trek the Annapurna Circuit!

Bhutan is a small country sandwiched between China and India that has the Himalayan mountain range running through it. It has an abundance of natural beauty, and is rich in culture, religion and history. At Follow Alice we’ve put together an exciting itinerary that takes in some of the most culturally rich and picturesque spots of the country. This holiday is a truly unique and adventurous honeymoon idea!

One of the highlights of our time in Bhutan is hiking to Tiger's Nest

Our Discover Bhutan itinerary has three themes: adventure sports, history and culture, and R&R. And of course, you can inject plenty of romance too! Put together we think they make for the perfect adventure honeymoon!

Some of the exciting outdoor activities on offer are:

One of our Follow Alice groups rafting the Mo Chu in Punakha

Some of the culture and history activities we’ve got planned are:

Bhutanese monks wear distinctive red robes

If you're keen to visit Bhutan – and maybe even make if your honeymoon! – then you might like to read:

Archery is the national sport of Bhutan

The beach honeymoon is far and away the most popular among newlyweds. And we totally get it: couples are keen to relax in beautiful, warm surroundings after the busyness and demands of a wedding. But how about choosing a more exciting and culturally rich beach destination than is the usual?

Dinesh (red shirt) is our fantastic Sri Lanka local leader

Sri Lanka is an island of green hills, tea plantations, ancient temples, spicy food, astonishing wildlife and postcard-like beaches. In other words, it has it all! We invite you to explore the hidden gems of Sri Lanka with us in one of our action-packed trips.

During the adventure we’ll raft, snorkel, bike, tuk-tuk, swim, surf, hike and take a train ride through the amazing nature of this scenic island. We’ll also go on safari to see elephants, leopards, crocs and other exciting creatures. And finally we’ll relax and dine in some of the most beautiful boutique hotels and adventure lodges the country has to offer.

Sri Lanka makes for a very romantic honeymoon destination!

The landscape of Sri Lanka includes idyllic warm-water beaches, tangled jungle, tea plantations, and tree-covered mountains. In our 11-day trip to the island we explore the northwest of the country, where the turquoise waters meet the shore in beautiful white-sand beaches and pristine mangroves, and palm trees frame the scene. We then travel inland to go on safari, hike high into the mountains, and explore an ancient rock citadel. We also travel south for a dose of colonial history, some epic water sports, and more beautiful beaches. 

Sri Lanka offers you the beach honeymoon PLUS so much more

While staying on this beautiful island you can pick and choose from all of the following exciting activities:

Sri Lanka is a paradise for the adventurous spirit, and we’re excited to show you all the amazing locations and activities we discovered there. And it’s not just us who are in love with this island nation – Lonely Planet named it the number one country to visit in 2019!

We take Sri Lanka by storm, travelling all over this gorgeous island, including by train

We know that no trip to Sri Lanka would be complete if you weren’t exposed to some local colour and culture. So don’t worry – we’ve got you sorted. We offer our guests the following handpicked outings:

And finally, what’s an island getaway without a little R&R? We’ll book you in for a one-hour Ayurvedic massage at Spa Ceylon. In addition, there’s time to dine and party in vibrant Colombo, the country’s capital city.

Any honeymoon worth its salt offers up plenty of opportunities to eat delicious food

You might also like to check out our suggested Sri Lanka itinerary!

We go stilt fishing with the locals in Sri Lanka!

And finally, here's one more unique and adventurous honeymoon idea for you ...

Iceland. The name alone is capable of conjuring up spectacular visions of steaming volcanoes, gushing waterfalls, hot springs, small seaside villages, hardened animals, steep fjords and canyons, the Northern Lights, black-sand beaches and isolated churches.

And that's barely touching the surface! The varied landscapes and sharp colours of Iceland are a photographer's mecca, and the adventure's delight.

Sunset at the canyon Markarfljotsgljufur

Iceland is the perfect destination for hiking and trekking, caving, rafting, snowmobiling, walking on glaciers, boating, fishing, sea kayaking and even just stone skipping!

And then of course one should also take time to relax in as many natural hot springs as possible. You can also attend the exciting festivals of Reykjavík, visit a turf-covered village, and gaze at the Northern Lights.

Yes, Iceland really is this beautiful! And we'll be sure to take you to see Seljalandsfoss, shown above.

Our Wonders of Iceland summer itinerary offers the very best of the island nation that can be fit into nine days. But please use this simply as a jumping board for adding or subtracting items that do or don't appeal to you – nothing is set in stone. We're happy to work with you to create your ideal Iceland getaway, and can up the adrenaline activities if you wish!

Myvatn thermal baths

Some of the highlights of our suggested Iceland itinerary are:

Hiking the spectacular Laugavegur trail in Iceland's fierce and unforgiving interior is one of the additions we highly recommend to those able to add a few more days to their Iceland stay.

The interior of Iceland has a stark beauty and we'd love to lead you on a multiday trek there

David, our fantastic Icelandic local leader, will be your driver and guide during your Iceland adventure. He'll ensure you see the best of the north, south east and west of his country! To do this, you'll travel the well-known circuit road of Iceland so that you see all aspects of this fascinating and unique nation.

Lupines, a remote church and snowcapped mountains ... a quintessentially Icelandic summer scene!

Feeling inspired to take on a unique and adventurous honeymoon? Or do you have any questions and would just like to know more about one or two of our trips? Please contact us and we'll be in touch soon!