Dream Destination Hawaii & South Pacific
What could be more romantic than honeymooning on a tropical island? Like love and marriage, honeymoons and islands naturally go together. That's especially true in Hawaii and the South Pacific. Picture the two of you surrounded by sunny skies and rainbows, swaying palms, blue water and glorious beaches. Simply tuck a flower behind your left ear-meaning you're "taken"-order a passion fruit drink, and let the spirit carry you away.
Oahu
Couples find the best of all worlds on Oahu: lush Pacific island scenery, 112 miles of white sandy beaches, great historic sites and a melting pot of big-city fun in Honolulu. Hawaii's largest city has everything from live theater and opera to world-class shopping, nightclubs and multicultural dining. The rest of the island unfolds more slowly with secret rainforest trails and waterfalls, calm bays and giant waves. Beach Lovers: Plunge into the happy-go-lucky beach-party scene on Waikiki, then steal away to Halona Cove for a kiss like the one in From Here to Eternity-filmed onsite. Natural Wonder: Join the teeming wrasses, Moorish idols and more than 50 other species of friendly fish at Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve. The price of admission includes a nine-minute orientation film, then you're free to snorkel to your hearts' content. Local Culture: Stroll hand-in-hand through Honolulu's Bishop Museum, a treasure house of changing and permanent exhibits. The marvels range from feather capes and dogtooth anklets to a model live volcano. Pleasure Trip: Visit the North Shore to see the gargantuan surf breaks at Sunset Beach, Waimea Bay and the Banzai Pipeline. As you drive along Kamehameha Highway, make a pit stop for shave ice and T-shirts at Matsumoto's Shave Ice in Haleiwa. Dinner for Two: Splurge on the seven-course tasting menu at Alan Wong's Restaurant-a gourmet mecca almost impossible to find and always crowded. The menu changes daily according to the market's best ingredients and the whim of the chef, a James Beard Award winner. After Dark: Party to a different drummer every night of the week at the Egyptian-themed Zanzabar Nightclub, a Waikiki hot spot with two dance floors, light shows, oxygen bar and VIP room.
Maui
Honeymooners fall madly in love with Maui, the second largest and second youngest Hawaiian island. They join more than two million pilgrims a year to unwind at the lineup of luxury resorts on the sunny leeward shore. They play on 81 beaches and 16 golf courses, snorkel, dive, hike, explore and mingle with the people of Maui-as warm and friendly as the climate. Beach Lovers: You'll instantly see why Kaanapali Beach captures newlyweds' hearts with its lineup of indulgent hotels, beach butlers, reliable sunshine, great snorkeling, whale watching from shore, nightly cliff diving ceremonies, mai tai bars and mellow Hawaiian music. Natural Wonder: Snuggle in a blanket as you watch the sunrise from the rim of the Haleakala Crater, the largest dormant volcano in the world. Local Culture: Feast on kalua pig, ahi poke, pohole salad and poi at the Old Lahaina Lu'au, widely regarded as the best and most authentic Hawaiian luau in the islands. The evening's entertainment traces island history in song and dance. Pleasure Trip: Meander back in time along Hana Highway, a 53-mile drive along the eastern shore. Averaging 11 curves per mile, the road winds past verdant jungle, waterfalls, ocean drop-offs and red- and black-sand beaches to Hana, a sleepy outpost with the authentic vibe of old Hawaii. Dinner for Two: Experience the castaway fantasy of Mama's Fish House, a kitschy classic and Maui's most romantic seafood restaurant. This is where the locals propose over mai tais, then return to tie the knot on the beach. After Dark: Meet the artists and gallery owners of Lahaina on Aloha Friday, when the galleries stay open late.
Kauai
Fifty miles of white-sand beaches ring Hawaii's oldest, northernmost island. Known as the Garden Isle, Kauai draws couples seeking a one-of-a-kind honeymoon in nature. Only three percent of the island is developed, so rather than crowds of people you can count on plenty of privacy, outdoor adventure and romance. Beach Lovers: Poipu Beach, with its handful of low-rise resorts, is never crowded. But for total seclusion, pack a picnic and take the two-mile drive to the rocky cliffs, dunes and casuarina trees of Mahaulepu Beach. Natural Wonder: Gaze over Waimea Canyon, the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, before coasting downhill from 3,600 feet to sea level aboard a comfortable cruiser bike. The half-day tour from Outfitters Kauai comes with a personal guide, island lore and refreshments. Local Culture: Hop aboard the narrow-gauge Kauai Plantation Railway and see fields of sugarcane, pineapple, banana, papaya, coffee, hardwood trees and flowers that illustrate Kauai's plantation history as well as its modern-day farming concerns. Pleasure Trip: View the Na Pali Coast's towering cliffs from the 11-mile Kalalau Trail-one of the world's great hikes-or go by Zodiac, catamaran, kayak or helicopter. Dinner for Two: Order from Roy's Classics on the menu at Roy's Poipu Bar & Grill in Koloa. The restaurant combines local charm with the internationally renowned fusion cuisine of Chef Roy Yamaguchi. After Dark: Linger over a microbrew at Kapaa's Lizard Lounge & Deli, a laid-back tavern with a fun-loving clientele. You can root for your team on TV; play Foosball, pool or darts; and groove to live rock 'n' roll, reggae, blues or Hawaiian tunes on Wednesday and Friday nights.
Molokai
Hawaiians consider Molokai the most Hawaiian of the islands. More than half the population (7,800) claims native ancestry. The closely guarded rural lifestyle gives honeymooners an island happily lost in time. With only one hotel, two golf courses and less than a dozen restaurants at hand, most couples rent cars and self-service cottages or condos and quickly adapt to life without traffic, traffic lights, mail, elevators and neon. Beach Lovers: Yours may be the only footprints on three-mile-long, 100-yard-wide Papohaku Beach. Natural Wonder: Time your trip right and tour the Nature Conservancy's Kamakou Preserve, a pristine rainforest sanctuary filled with over 250 indigenous plants and native birds on the slopes of Mount Kamakou, Molokai's highest mountain. The monthly hike follows a raised boardwalk designed to safeguard the forest floor. Local Culture: Fortify yourselves with Molokai bread, pastries and cookies from Kanemitsu Bakery & Coffee Shop in Kaunakakai. Then take a free kite-flying lesson at the Big Wind Kite Factory in Maunaloa, no strings attached. Or talk story with Tuddie and Kammy Purdy, owners of Purdy's Natural Macadamia Nut Farm in the central Ho'olehua district. Pleasure Trip: Ride the famous Molokai mules down the world's highest sea cliffs to one of the most stunningly beautiful and inspirational places in Hawaii. At Kalaupapa National Historical Park, you'll learn about Father Damien, a nineteenth-century priest who loved and served his colony of outcast lepers long before a cure was found. Dinner for Two: Dine barefoot at sunset aboard Molokai Sailing's Hoku Kai (Sea Star), a 53-foot luxury sailing yacht. Entrees include ahi and shrimp kabobs, yellow-fin tuna linguini and mahi-mahi tacos. A romantic option: champagne and caviar. After Dark: Celebrate Aloha Fridays at the Hotel Molokai's Hula Shores Restaurant & Lounge. The evening includes a torch-lighting ceremony; Hawaiian "aunties" who entertain through music, hula and tales of island lore; and a live band all night.
Lanai
Well off the beaten tourist path, Lanai sports only 30 miles of paved roads. Yet countless trails crisscross almost 90,000 acres of countryside, inviting explorations by foot, bike and four-wheel drive. The island harbors just one little town and two high-end resorts (both under the Four Seasons banner), making it ideal for newlyweds seeking quiet isolation and sophisticated comfort. Beach Lovers: For romance and intimacy, head for Hulopoe, where the palm-fringed white sands face a marine preserve with gentle waves and crystal-clear water. Natural Wonder: Rent a jeep to visit Keahikawelo, the Garden of the Gods. Steeped in ancient legend, the red lava-rock formations resemble something out of Star Wars - especially when seen at sunrise or sunset. Local Culture: Trace the history of Lanai from ancient times to recent Dole pineapple plantation days through artifacts displayed at the Lanai Culture & Heritage Center. Then lunch on pineapple pizza at Lanai City's Cafe 565, housed in an old plantation home next to Dole Park. Pleasure Trip: Hike to the top of Lanaihale, the island's only mountain, and thrill to views of six Hawaiian islands across the water. Dinner for Two: Arrange for cocktails in the Pagoda and a private candlelight supper in the Orchid House at the Four Seasons Resort Lana'i, The Lodge at Koele. After Dark: Come home to flowers on the bed, champagne and a candlelit bubble bath for two.
Big Island
The Big Island, the largest and youngest in the Hawaiian archipelago, spans more than 4,000 square miles. In winter you can ski on the slopes of Mauna Kea and sunbathe on the beach that same afternoon. Roads lead from windswept coasts and tranquil bays to rainforests, desert and steaming lava flows. Even the beaches come in a wide diversity of colors: black, white, gray, green and salt and pepper. Beach Lovers: Head for Hapuna Beach State Park, one of the nicest beaches on the island and possibly anywhere in the world with its clean white beach, sandy bottom and great surf for beginning body boarders. Natural Wonder: Follow the Kilauea Iki trail in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. It takes you through a primeval forest into a crater still steaming from its last eruption in 1959. Local Culture: Join the Hawaii Forest & Trail farm tour and meet Big Island ranchers and growers in their element. The trip concludes at Merriman's Restaurant with a gourmet feast made from ingredients gathered along the way. Pleasure Trip: Ride horseback over an 11,000-acre cattle ranch with Paniolo Adventures. The views stretch from the often snow-covered slopes of Mauna Kea to Maui across the channel. Dinner for Two: Watch the sunset from Huggo's on the Rocks, an open-air fine-dining restaurant built over the water in Kona. After sundown, the light from tiki torches attracts giant manta rays who perform an aquatic ballet while feeding along the rocks. After Dark: Bundle up and wish on the stars over Hawaii's most sacred mountain, Mauna Kea (whose summit reaches 13,796 feet), surrounded by the largest collection of telescopes on earth.
Islands of Tahiti
Mountain peaks draped in emerald greenery and turquoise lagoons filled with Technicolor fish-that's what first draws romantics to the five archipelagos of French Polynesia. Once on land, the smiles of the Tahitian people seal the deal. The main island of Tahiti is the largest of the 118 islands and atolls. From Tahiti, couples can quickly hop to smaller gems like Moorea, Bora Bora, Raiatea, Taha'a, Huahine, Rangiroa, Manihi and Tikehau. All have honeymoon-worthy lodgings, and many offer that ultimate honeymoon amenity, the overwater bungalow. Beach Lovers: Behold the sunset from Bora Bora's world-famous Matira Beach. Natural Wonder: Meet black fin reef sharks in their natural habitat with Huahini Nautique. You can watch them feeding from an overwater platform or get up close and personal with guides on either side. Local Culture: Arrange for matching wedding rings at Moorea Tattoo. A leader in the ancient Tahitian craft's renaissance, tattoo artist James Samuela studied at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Pleasure Trip: Learn to judge the value of a pearl by visiting Le Musee de la Perle in Papeete. Then, before choosing your own souvenirs, tour a pearl farm off Manihi, Rangiroa, Raiatea or Huahine to see for yourselves how the region's signature black pearls are grown. Dinner for Two: Pull up a chair at Bloody Mary's on Bora Bora, a celebrity hangout and expat mainstay where the menu revolves around the catch of the day. After Dark: Treat yourselves to pit-roasted pork, a pareo parade and Tahitian fire dancers at Moorea's Tiki Village Theatre.
Islands of Fiji
The very word Fiji conjures thoughts of primitive drums, friendly locals and the warm, welcoming sound of "Bula!" Of the more than 333 islands in Fiji's archipelago, a select few hold spectacular resorts for lovers in Paradise. Endless beaches, infinite blue sky and brilliantly clear waters frame some of the best diving, snorkeling and surfing in Polynesia. Beach Lovers: Plant your flag in the long, slow smile of deserted white sand fronting your bure at Vatulele Island Resort, and room service comes running. Natural Wonder: Brave the Naihehe Caves in Viti Levu's Sigatoka Valley with Adventures in Paradise Fiji. The caves' highlights include sparkling stalactites and stalagmites, a sacred pond, cathedral, priest chamber, ritual platform and cannibal oven. Local Culture: Experience the thriving tribal lifestyle of Fiji with a visit to a traditional village. Etiquette requires you to ask permission and bring kava (a mildly narcotic pepper-root drink) as a gift for the chief. Just off the main island of Viti Levu, witness a fire-walking ceremony on the tiny isle of Beqa, birthplace of the ancient Fijian ritual. Pleasure Trip: Careen down the rock mazes of Viti Levu's Wainikoroiluva River in a white-water raft. Rivers Fiji trips range from all-day excursions to multiday, multisport expeditions. Dinner for Two: You'll feel like the king and queen on one of the private dining decks at Royal Davui Island Fiji, where the menu of fresh regional cuisine changes daily. After Dark: Arrange for a night dive at Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort on Vanua Levu. Then top off the adventure with a couples massage and a dip in the hydrotherapy pools at Namale - The Fiji Islands Resort and Spa.
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