Top 10 honeymoon destinations, part 2

Land's End Beach, Los Cabos (Credit: Bruce Herman/MTB)

In Part I of this post we listed Numbers 6-10 of our Top 10 Honeymoon Destinations for 2009 (Italy, U. S. Virgin Islands, Aruba, Las Vegas, and the Turks & Caicos Islands). We based the list on a combination of objective and subjective criteria, including a formal poll of readers at The World’s Greatest Honeymoons; an informal poll of travel-writer colleagues; statistical industry trends; and an appreciation for destinations that we feel offer consistent reward and value.

Now, in Part 2, we’re listing Numers 1-5 of this year's Top 10 Honeymoon Destinations:

1. Hawaii: Caressed by gentle trade winds, kissed by balmy weather, and perfumed by bright red and blazing yellow flowers, Hawaii is our No. 1 choice for a romantic honeymoon destination. Who couldn't feel love when breathing air redolent with the scent of pineapple and plumeria, or when wandering hand-in-hand along a lonely beach dotted with swaying palms? In these Islands you can indulge in every imaginable luxury, or opt for simplicity. You can have all the big-city nightlife you want, or nestle into your own private cottage in a quiet lagoon. The most exotic of all American states, Hawaii offers an added plus: it's a top Value choice for both honeymooners on a budget and those who can afford the best.

2. Jamaica: Long, long ago—back when nature’s gifts were being doled out—Jamaica strolled off with far more than her share. Situated about 90 miles south of Cuba, Jamaica, 146 miles long and 50 miles at its widest point, is the third-largest island in the Caribbean Sea. It’s crammed with huge waterfalls, mysterious grottos, deep caves, high mountains, lush rainforests, thick mangroves, 120 rivers, and a great many fertile fields. In the north you'll revel in reef-protected white sand beaches; in the south you'll fall in love with gorgeous black sand beaches. And everywhere are those stunning turquoise seas.

3. Mexico: The current swine flu scare has put a temporary kabosh on Mexico’s popularity as a destination for honeymooners (and everybody else), but that will quickly pass. Most people visiting here travel to Mexico’s fabulous coastal regions—places like Los Cabos, Cancun, Cozumel, and the Yucatan Peninsula—where accommodations range from inexpensive to top-end luxury. You'll find a diversity of activities: visit World Heritage Sites, explore the breadth of Mexico’s cuisine, tour an agave ranch or a Colonial-era silver-mining town, track down as many of Rivera’s murals as you can, wander amidst ancient ruins... Or you could just laze on the beach in the daytime and disco all night.

4. Tahiti: French Polynesia’s Tahitian islands long ago set the standard for all that’s best in tropical fantasy. The thing is, as you’ll find out if you travel here, Tahiti is a place where fantasy becomes reality. I once spent a month here, most of it on Bora Bora, and the visual (and other!) memories from that escapade remain vibrant. Those pale turquoise waters rimmed with sugar-white or volcanic-black sand. Those lush green mountains, rich coral reefs, and beautiful people. And those dazzling flowers: purple-red bougainvillea, snow-white gardenia, peach hibiscus, orchids of every color. This place is a slice of heaven, all right.

5. St. Lucia: Nestled into the Eastern Caribbean between St. Vincent and Martinique, stunning St. Lucia is known for green-forested mountains that soar heavenward and flower-filled valleys that tumble dramatically to the sea. The island’s most famous landmark is the Pitons, two pointed volcanic peaks that rise side by side halfway down the western coast. With its captivating coves and bays, pristine white- and black-sand beaches, small fishing villages, and friendly people, St. Lucia remains one of the least spoiled of all Caribbean islands.

 For more info: 

• Read Part 1 of this post, covering Numbers 6-10 of the Top 10 Honeymoon Destinations of 2009.
• Still curious? Check out different sets of Top 10 Honeymoon Destinations offered by other publications around the world.
• Keep up with Suzie's Adventures in the Worlds of Food & Wine at The Culinary Gadabout