I remember when Bermuda was the destination of choice for newly weds. In fact, I recall flying to Bermuda some years ago on a Sunday morning and I could not help but observe at the airport that the obviously newly married young men were sporting shiny gold wedding bands. Some years later, Hawaii became the Mecca for honeymooners.
And now it seems that Dominica has come into the world of romantic destinations. It is an independent nation known as Òthe Nature Island, located between the French Islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe in the Eastern Caribbean, and is the largest and most mountainous of the Windward Islands. It encompasses an area of nearly 290-square miles. I learned that its origins are volcanic, with mountains reaching heights of nearly 5,000 feet. And what could be more romantic than rain forests that are considered among the last true oceanic rain forests in the world with more than 365 rivers, waterfalls and the second largest Boiling Lake in the world, along with magnificent coral reefs. Dominica is also of particular interest since it is the home of the last remaining settlement of Indigenous Peoples in the Caribbean the Carib Indians.
It is truly a place where you will find that man and nature live in harmony. In fact, what can be more romantic for adventurers and nature lovers who will revel in the island's eco-tourism options that include scuba diving, snorkeling, mountain biking, kayaking, horseback riding, hiking/trekking, whale, dolphin and bird watching. There is little time for boredom as if this is an option in Dominica.
And the beautiful Hawaiian Islands, the haven for our 44th president is truly a heaven on earth and a marvelous place to start a marriage. Future columns will be devoted to this heaven on earth.
According to Brides Magazine, Tahiti and romance go hand-in-hand so to help Brides celebrate its 75th anniversary, Air Tahiti Nui partnered with the magazine to fly America's most inspiring newly-wed couple to the earthly paradise of Tahiti and Her Islands for the dream honeymoon. The winning couple embarked on a luxurious French Polynesian vacation featuring business class air on Tahiti Nui and six nights in a Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora overwater bungalow valued at $20,500.
Other lovebirds can also enjoy the Brides Magazine package mirroring the Brides prize, but it does not come cheap. From $14,290, couples can travel in style round trip from Los Angeles to Papeete, Tahiti, in Air Tahiti Nui's acclaimed Poeerava business class. After being welcomed aboard by the fragrance the Tiare Tahiti Gardenia and music of the islands, guests will be served a blend of Polynesian and French culinary world-class cuisine and vintage wines selected by the airline's Parisian sommelier. Couples next spend five luxurious nights at the Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora in a huge Beach View Overwater Bungalow with all the accouterments you and I could die for. Imagine being perched above a crystal-clear lagoon in a one-bedroom thatched roof abode with a spacious living room that opens onto a deck. There are also glass panels including one in the floor that overlooks the lagoon below. During the daylight hours, the sun shines throughout the suite and in the evening the moonlight sparkles and reflects the waves of the surrounding ocean.
Additionally, I am told that the deep lagoon that surrounds Bora Bora may very well be the most photographed body of water in the world. Its constantly changing colors, from the deepest azure to a delicate turquoise, are really a delight to all who experience it. But that is not all there is a romantic half-day motu picnic on a secluded isle, as well as a half-day shark and ray snorkel safari where couples don flippers and masks, slip into the water and watch the Tahitian divers hand-feed black-tip reef sharks and stingrays.
However, romance is certainly in the air for the newly married, be it in Bermuda, Hawaii, Dominica or Bora Bora.
Copyright by Marcia Abramson
