| Destination: Honeymoon
Whether your newlywed adventure includes tea-drinking in Turkey or getting lost in the Louvre, make it the trip of a lifetime. By Craig Vollmer The wedding ceremony is over. It’s off to the honeymoon. Where will you go? Somewhere exciting. Chiang Mai, Thailand
With a population of 170,000, it’s the smaller, more relaxed, less expensive sibling of Bangkok. Why honeymoon in Chiang Mai? The quintessential place to relax, its hospitality is well known in the rest of Thailand. When traveling anywhere else in that country, the first question a native Thai will ask is, “Have you been to Chiang Mai yet?” If you love that Thai restaurant down the block, you can take a weeklong Thai cooking course in Chiang Mai. You’ll get to know other people from all over the world while cooking side by side. I was shown new, exotic Thai recipes that I could then burn and over-spice as if I were in my own kitchen. For a cooking course, I recommend the Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School. When you’ve had your fill of cooking, book an elephant for a three-day jungle trek. It’s the ultimate in powerful yet green transport. You can visit a jungle tribe along the way. If a ride through a hot jungle isn’t your style but you like shopping and have some cash, know that Chiang Mai is the shopping capital of Southeast Asia. The night market, your gateway to near limitless shopping, includes stands that line both sides of the street for miles. Keep in mind that bargaining over the price is the national pastime. Start your offer at
no less than half of the asking price, smile and have a good time. If
you don’t want to haggle, that’s fine. Even at full price, anything
you buy will cost half of what you would have spent in the United States.
The food is some of the best in the country. Though most restaurants are good, I recommend Blue Diamond and AUM restaurants. My taste buds are still haunted by the fresh, savory dishes I was privileged to eat there, such as Spicy Prawn Salad, Red Curry with Roast Duck and Steamed Banana Cake. If you want your honeymoon to be extra special, time your trip to coincide with one of Thailand’s many colorful festivals. My favorite is the Songkhran festival. It’s like a Thai New Year and involves lots and lots of water. Imagine a citywide water fight that goes on for a week. Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand
Though more difficult to reach than an all-inclusive resort, Ko Pha Ngan’s scarcely populated beaches and relatively low cost make the trek worth it. Activity recommendations include snorkeling, romantic beach walks and relaxing until you seriously start considering moving there. Stockholm Built atop the archipelagos, Stockholm’s old town is the main but not the only attraction. It is colorful, vibrant and mazelike, and I recommend getting lost. No tourist book will tell you this, but getting lost is a great idea. You’ll discover a hidden treasure unique to your trip that you would not see otherwise. Stockholm has mild temperatures in the summer and a sun that descends around 11 p.m. You’ll have plenty of time to walk hand-in-hand along the clear canals, shop in fashion-leading stores and visit world-class museums such as the Vasa Museum. It was created around an almost perfectly preserved ship that sank in 1628 and was reclaimed in 1930. Try to hit the midsummer celebration when May poles are erected, flowers are everywhere and schnapps flows freely. Cuzco, Peru Check out the local Inca ruins or the colonial buildings on top of them. Make Cuzco the base for your visit to the country’s biggest attraction, Machu Picchu. Descend from the Andean peaks and move through the cloud-filled forests to the lowlands of the Amazon via horseback, whitewater raft, mountain bike or old-fashioned trekking.
If your adventurous spirit extends to the culinary, try the local “cuy” — what we call guinea pig. What does it taste like? Better than hamster but not quite as good as gerbil. Paris, France Paris has 140 museums, but even if you went only to the Louvre it would take nine months to see all the art there. If you and your new spouse are museum hounds, Paris is the place. Otherwise, grab a baguette, a bottle of wine and some cheese, then take in a striking view of the Eiffel Tower from a grassy spot. Romance will ensue. Athens, Greece
In 1923, Greece and Turkey engaged in a forced population exchange in which many of the Greeks in Turkey relocated to Athens, which nearly doubled the city’s population overnight. Today, Athens is a mass of hastily constructed concrete apartment complexes that stretch as far as you can see. Combine that with pollution, heat and over-tourism and you have many reasons not to go there.
Amana Colonies,
Iowa The small towns that dot the area are quaint and interesting; shopping and dining are a treat at locally owned establishments that take pride in their products and services. Visits here can be an annual affair. Prague, Czech Republic
Architecture in Prague includes Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles. Beer is another big draw. The Czechs invented Pilsener in 1842 and have been making some of the best Bohemian beer since then. Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Each king built temples that were more grand than his predecessor, culminating in Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is a lesser known destination because for nearly 70 years, Cambodia has been involved in wars or was isolating and oppressing its population. That’s a thing of the past. Cambodia has been safe for travel for more than 10 years. Istanbul, Turkey
Take a romantic night cruise on the Bosphorus, then learn the meaning of the word “unique” while wandering around the Grand Bazaar. For a full day of entertainment, buy a rug. Though you easily can find the perfect Persian rug, much tea-drinking and bargaining will be needed to seal the deal.
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