The out-of-the-box honeymooners

The pristine beaches and white sands are passe.

From the untouched shores of Maldives, Mauritius and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, honeymooners have upped their travel quotient to include exotic destinations. More and more newlyweds in the city now want to tread the off-beaten path, and explore destinations that give them out-of-the-box experiences.

“So, sand bashing in Vietnam, diving with sharks and learning a step or two with African tribals are some of the things youngsters are looking at," reveals Sadabrahma Reddy, a city-based travel agent. ?

?Just back from their honeymoon, Swati and Abhishek Singh went for a week-long vacation to South Africa. “We did not want to go to the same old places and bump into other newlyweds. SA was great because it has beautiful beaches, safari rides and immense amount of history and culture to soak in," says Swati.

Since the couple loves partying, they pub hopped all through the night and till it was time for breakfast. “Clubs there are open till 9 am and some of the best joints are on Sanctum Street in Johannesburg and Long Street in Cape Town," adds Abhishek.

While the Singhs spent close to Rs 4 lakh on their romantic holiday, Elizabeth and Ben Mathew spent less than half the amount and came back with another beautiful story. This young couple went the South Asian route to Cambodia and Vietnam. Their wanted to experience something beyond the ordinary.

“My husband and I love culture and history. Hence, we thought of going to these countries. Another reason we decided to go there was because it wasn't very expensive, but still offered a different setting," says Elizabeth, a homemaker.

Mohit Gupta, chief business officer, holidays, MakeMyTrip adds, “With the wedding season just around the corner, honeymoon-planning is in full swing. Australia, South Africa, Greece, New Zealand, Jordan and Spain are the top international preferences. There is also an emerging trend amongst honeymooners, with many opting for offbeat and exotic locations. Bekal (Kerala), Coorg, Meghalaya and Pelling in Sikkim are popular options for this segment."

Techies Jisha Balan and her husband Vimal Edayath decided to head to Bhutan. “We went to Thimpu, Punaka Paro and Bumthang. Punakha Dzong is a beautiful dzong (a temple where Buddhist monks live) in Bumthang whose beauty is almost untapped. Given the long drive, very few people opt to go there (no airport in Bumthang yet!)," recalls Jisha.

So what could be the reason behind choosing an exotic, almost virgin locale?

Is it the fact that very few people have been there or is there a deeper reason? Sadabrahma Reddy, a travel agent explains, “The experience of exploring a new place together adds excitement to the new relationship and makes for some great memories. Besides youngsters these days have enough money at their disposal and want to see parts of the world that are not very touristy."