Photo from Turtle Fiji

Originally Posted On: https://www.turtlefiji.com/where-to-honeymoon-during-covid/

 

WHERE TO HONEYMOON DURING COVID?

Like so many things that were put on hold during the Coronavirus pandemic, honeymoons were no exception with newlyweds forced to re-book, postpone or cancel their dream trips altogether.

But as vaccines are rolled out worldwide and travel restrictions start to be lifted, honeymoon destinations during Covid are now back on the radar, promising to be more romantic, luxurious and indulgent than ever before.

With more than two years of limited or no travel, newlyweds – who may not be quite so new now – are looking to splurge on their honeymoon, to reward themselves for getting through the pandemic and enjoy their honeymoon to the max.

So where to honeymoon during Covid? And what are the safest islands to travel to during Covid? Restrictions remain in some of the more farther-flung parts of the world, but many other destinations and amazing resorts are re-opening with precautions in place to make your honeymoon safe, secure and unforgettable – for all the right reasons!

HONEYMOON DESTINATIONS DURING COVID

COVID-SAFE FIJI HONEYMOONS

With over 85% of all adults fully vaccinated, Fiji reopened its borders to international travelers for the first time in two years in December 2021. Tourism accounts for forty percent of Fiji’s economy and the border closure saw many locals unemployed.

Now, nearly every hotel and tour operator in Fiji is following Care Fiji Commitment (CFC) protocols, a World Health Organisation-approved standard for best-practice health and safety measures for travel in a post-Covid world. In recognition of the CFC, the World Travel and Tourism Council recently declared Fiji as a ‘Safe Travels’ destination. The CFC also provides visitors with the reassurance that the only people you interact with on your travels will be vaccinated.

Every tourism business in Fiji will also have a dedicated Wellness Ambassador who is responsible for rolling out these enhanced health and safety measures and keeping everybody Covid-safe.

Renowned for its remote islands, exclusivity and outdoor experiences that all help with social distancing, Fiji has to be one of the safest islands to travel to during Covid.

HONEYMOON AT TURTLE ISLAND FIJI

Turtle Island Fiji

a privately-owned luxury island in the Yasawa archipelago, is perfectly positioned as a safe honeymoon destination during Covid.

This tiny, 500-acre island – accessed via a 30-minute flight from Nadi – re-opened to guests in December 2021 after almost two years of closure to international travel, due to the global pandemic.

Purchased in the ‘70s by the late Richard Evanson, an American entrepreneur and eco-visionary, Turtle Island Resort rose to fame as the location for the 1980 Blue Lagoon movie and has now become regarded as the place to visit for an authentic Fijian experience in a pristine environment.

Honeymoon couples will love this slice of Fijian paradise that offers snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, as well as horseback riding and and private beach picnics.

As the Fiji borders remained closed to travelers, the passionate Turtle Island staff – under the guidance of Managing Director, Richard Evanson Jnr. – turned their focus to developing new food and beverage initiatives and guest activities to welcome back travelers while also providing critical support to local communities.

The last year has also seen the Turtle Island team conduct ongoing maintenance on the 14 light-filled bures (Fijian villas) which are dotted along the island’s front beach to ensure peaceful privacy and sunset views.

With the latest refurbishment in 2019, the low-rise environmentally designed accommodation – which offers a king-size bed, spacious newly renovated bathrooms, expansive lounge area and generous verandas – are ready for guests who will enjoy the fresh and breezy outlook.

COVID-SAFE AUSTRALIAN HONEYMOONS

News that the Australian government is reopening its borders on 21 February to quarantine-free travel for fully vaccinated travellers from around the world is being regarded as a monumental shift towards life returning to a new normal.

Australia had some of the world’s strictest border controls throughout the coronavirus pandemic. In March 2020 the Australian government closed the borders, barred most foreigners from entering and put caps on arrival numbers to help beat Covid.

Now that Australia is back on the radar as a safe honeymoon destination during Covid, newly-married couples, or those with anniversaries to celebrate, have a smorgasbord of new tourism products to check out (and into) in 2022, from Palm Springs-style retreats to city-center hotels.

LORD HOWE ISLAND

There are boutique and luxury honeymoon hotels on Lord Howe Island, a crescent-shaped South Pacific sanctuary, 700km north east of Sydney.

With just 350 locals and visitor numbers restricted to 400 at any one time, you’re almost guaranteed to have one of its secluded beaches all to yourself.

Arajilla Retreat encapsulates the very essence of Lord Howe Island, offering a haven of tranquillity and peace in luxury accommodation.

Nestled under a canopy of Kentia Palms and Banyan Trees, behind Old Settlement Beach, meandering pathways lead through native gardens to the beach, the Day Spa and Arajilla’s luxurious accommodation – ideal of honeymooners looking to escape.

-SAFE SAFARI HONEYMOONS

After almost two years of going nowhere, a relaxation of travel rules means honeymoon plans this year are going to be big. Top of the list of where to honeymoon during Covid is African safaris, where remote lodges, private dining and wide expanses of African bush all makes for a Covid-safe honeymoon experience.

Kenya offers adventurous couples everything they could wish for on their honeymoon. There’s culture, wildlife and romance galore with Champagne sundowners.

All passengers entering Kenya must be in possession of a valid Covid-19 negative PCR test certificate taken 72 hours before their travel to Kenya. Visitors must also have a certificate of vaccination against Covid.

Set amongst the forest at the foot of the scenic Oloololo escarpment (the rim of the Great Rift Valley) in Kenya’s iconic Masai Mara National Reserve is the classic and elegant Bateleur Camp.

Here, among the reserve’s year-round concentration of animals, including the seasonal great wildebeest migration, guests can enjoy an unsurpassed wildlife experience, including a game drive or on foot and access to pristine outdoor dining locations.

THE CARIBBEAN

A long-time favorite for honeymoon couples, the Caribbean’s all-inclusive resorts tick all the boxes when it comes to finding where to honeymoon during Covid.

Nothing says Caribbean honeymoons more than the Sandals resorts across Antigua, St Lucia and Jamaica. These all-inclusive and adult-only resorts all make for amazing honeymoon destinations that won’t disappoint.

Sandals’ Covid-19 precautions include a robust 18 touch point Platinum Protocol of Cleanliness guarantees standards that focuses on integrated hygiene standards, travel protection plans and free Covid-19 tests at its resorts.

The all-new Sandals South Coast combine’s European elegance with an all-inclusive beachfront resort. Set on a two-mile stretch of Jamaica’s white-sand south coast and nestled within a 500-acre nature preserve, this seaside oasis features three distinctive European villages with new overwater bungalows and even an overwater chapel.

HAWAII HONEYMOONS

Hawaii has long been a honeymoon big hitter with dramatic scenery, sensational marine life and plenty of night life for newlyweds who like to party
Venture off the beaten track and head to Big Island, arguably the state’s least commercialized—and most authentic—island. Honeymoon couples will love the island’s adventurous side with helicopter tours, night-time snorkeling to see manta rays and the geological marvels of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.
Stay at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, a mid-century, open floor plan masterpiece from Laurance S. Rockefeller that features cantilevered stairways, a museum-worthy collection of Asian Pacific art, and a pretty slice of beach with sand as smooth as silk
The resort has a Clean Program and Commitment to Cleanliness to ensure it operates at an enhanced level for hospitality safety. Hawaii welcomes all vaccinated international travelers and is aligned with the CDC federal international requirements. Non-US citizens traveling to Hawaii must present both a vaccination record and a negative Covid-19 test results within one day of boarding a flight to the US.

EXPLORE TURTLE ISLAND FIJI

Among one of the safest islands to travel to during Covid, Turtle Island Resort offers honeymoon couples an idyllic escape that you only have to share with 13 other couples and the friendly Turtle Island team. When it comes to honeymoon destinations during Covid, you’ll be in safe hands at Turtle Island Fiji.