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Honeymoon & Travel | More Destinations
Find information on other honeymoon destinations around the world.

• Global Parties
  After the wedding’s over, the celebrating can really begin. Here’s your guide to festivals in Brazil, Paris and more. by Sharon BooneIsn’t it exciting to think that at any given time festivals, celebrations and cultural events are happening in popular honeymoon destinations all over the world? If you manage to hit the right place at the right time, you are not only guaranteed a swinging good time, but you’ll also enjoy an all-access VIP look at how people in other countries live and have fun. So, whether you want to ring in the New Year in Rio or enjoy an outdoor opera in Italy, we’ve got a festival that’s right for you. Here’s the calendar of events. JanuaryThe world's largest fireworks display rings in the New Year in Rio de Janeiro.Sure, you can find a party just about anywhere on New Year’s Eve, but the best bash on earth takes place at Brazil’s famous Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. (While the city’s raucous Carnival in February may get the most international attention, the New Year’s Eve celebration is a lot more manageable—and visitor friendly.) Just as darkness falls, about two million revelers, dressed in traditional white, gather along the eight-mile stretch of candlelit beach. The candles are offerings to Yemanja, the African goddess of the waters; people also bring gifts of white flowers, perfumes, rice and sweet treats. After a blessing from the local priestess, the offerings are placed in the ocean, and merrymakers wade into the water or jump over seven waves, asking for blessings in the coming year. At the stroke of midnight, a 20-minute fireworks show, which has been called the most spectacular and largest in the world, begins a rocking party that continues until dawn (riodejaneiro-turismo.com). If Rio is too far to travel, the island of Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands offers a closer-to-home chance to put a tropical twist on your New Year’s celebration. Known locally as Old Year’s Night, the festivities begin in the afternoon when hundreds of colorful fishing boats anchor in the Great Harbor. Throughout the day, the quaint port area becomes ever more festive, as celebrants arrive via ferries from the nearby islands of Tortola and St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. People gather at Foxy’s Tamarind Bar & Restaurant, the unofficial—and unlikely looking—party central. (The open-air beach bar was originally a temporary lemonade stand.) Here, Foxy Callwood, the barefoot, guitar-strumming proprietor, serves up potent house cocktails, like the Dread Fox and the Friggin’ in de Riggin’ (both fashioned from his homemade rum), as live calypso music keeps you entertained all night long (b-v-i.com/jostvandyke; foxysbar.com). FebruaryIf watching Dancing With the Stars has inspired you to bust your own move on the ballroom floor, then swing by the Buenos Aires Tango Festival, held every year in late February. The summertime event (the seasons are reversed this far south of the equator) hosts the biggest names in the world of tango in free performances all across the Argentinean capital. No-fee instruction is available, ranging from beginner sessions to master classes. You can also partake in lectures and cultural programs held at local tango studios and dance clubs (festivaldetango.gov.ar).MarchGrooving to the beat at Carnival in Trinidad & Tobago.Pre-Lent feast days are popular in many spots. Chief among them is New Orleans’ Mardi Gras and the masked Carnivale balls in Venice, but none is as eclectic as Carnival in the southeastern Caribbean islands of Trinidad & Tobago. Much like the islands’ population, the celebration here is a meld of West African and French influences, but it also borrows from Middle Eastern, Indian and Chinese customs. (Fun fact: There are nearly as many Hindus as Catholics living in these isles.) Festivities include outdoor food fairs and extravagant parades featuring hundreds of people costumed in elaborate sequined and feathered attire, as well as street performances of calypso and steel drums. It’s also common to see people dancing in the streets to the soulful beat of soca, a calypso-like rhythm invented here (gotrinidadandtobago.com). AprilTravel to Thailand in early April and you’re going to get wet! Songkran is Thailand’s New Year’s festival (the Thai calendar is based on calculations that differ from ours), and Thais celebrate the coming year and good luck with a bit of April showers—natural and artificial. Along Bangkok’s Khao San Road, the throngs gather, armed with super soaker-type spray guns, hoses, water balloons and buckets for a huge water fight. Go with a sense of mischief: Songkran falls during the hottest time of the year, so there isn’t a more fun way to cool off (tourismthailand.org). Get lucky-and cool off-in a water-tossing ritual in Thailand.MayOf all the internationally recognized jazz happenings held across the Caribbean islands, perhaps the best loved is the eight-day St. Lucia Jazz Fest. Held annually, the festival welcomes A-list performers like blues singer George Benson, Caribbean-born Rihanna, soulful crooner Isaac Hayes and multiple award-winner John Legend. Concerts are held in various venues, including an open-air main stage surrounded by the sea; more intimate settings reflect the laid-back island vibe. Anything can happen here: an impromptu show in a town square or a trio performance on a white sand beach (stluciajazz.org). JuneIf your idea of fun in the sun also includes fine food and drink, this month’s Food & Wine Festival at the Westin Aruba is absolute paradise. The three-day event, on this western Caribbean island, features extravagant dinners prepared by celebrated chefs, decadent pastry showcases and a champagne-tasting session, along with other extraordinary culinary events. Celebrity cookbook authors host book signings, live demonstrations (with tastings!) and panel discussions (aruba.com).For a more down-home atmosphere, check out Anguilla’s Festival del Mar. Every March local fishermen celebrate the sea’s fresh bounty in this foodie paradise in the Caribbean. While Anguilla is known as a chic destination among jetsetters, this festival emphasizes local flair by featuring chefs and restaurants from the island. And more than 20 roadside food stalls in Island Harbour, Anguilla’s main fishing village, serve up the catch of the day along with popular island fare (anguilla-vacation.com).The spotlight shines on Italy's Verona Opera Festival in June.Held for three days every June in an ancient Roman amphitheater that seats 14,000 people, Italy’s Verona Opera Festival is a spectacle on a grand scale. The show begins at dusk, and audience members, sitting in carved stone seats, light votive candles that twinkle throughout the evening. Taking advantage of the massive setting, the opera performances feature huge sets and casts of hundreds, the highlight being the renowned production of Verdi’s Aida, complete with a huge pyramid and even a faux Nile (arena.it). JulyCelebrating the birth of the French Republic on quatorze juillet (July 14) in ParisCelebrate liberté, égalité and fraternité in Paris at the annual Bastille Day celebration on July 14. The festivities kick off with a military parade down the Champs-Élysées and conclude with an awesome fireworks display at the Trocadéro, with the Eiffel Tower lit up like a giant roman candle (parisinfo.com).There are few sights more romantic than the canals of Venice illuminated by fuochi artificiali (fireworks). Whereas February’s Carnival can feel overwhelming, Festa del Redentore, held mid-July, is more manageable. Traditionally, family and friends gather for picnics, then stake out a spot with views of St. Mark’s Square to watch the sun set behind the iconic church....
• Passage to India
  An eight-day train trip through one of the world’s most unique and exotic countries will reveal ancient palaces, towering temples and an amazing landscape. All aboard! by Jenna MahoneyIt’s a country of elephant-head gods and holy cows, ancient temples and sacred caves, a place where women dress in swirls of colorful silk and strings of flowers hang from balconies, churches and even automobiles. In India, makeshift temples sit in the shadow of modern hotels; small cities and towns rise up around ancient shrines; and the air is infused with incense. The food is a delectable symphony of curries. But for all of its beauty and intrigue, India can be a difficult place to explore on your own—its vastness can be overwhelming. That’s why you may want to consider a honeymoon by rail: a trip across the east coast Maharastra region aboard the luxury Deccan Odyssey train. This way, you can enjoy the culture, the landscape and the cuisine, under the expert aegis of local guides and a five-star staff. Day 1: All AboardThe looming Gateway to India in Bombay was built during the British Raj for a visit by King George V and Queen Mary.The Deccan Odyssey leaves from Queen Victoria Station Mumbai (formerly called Bombay). The hulking Gothic structure is a World Heritage Site through which more than 40 million passengers pass each day. Have your taxi driver call a porter (negotiate the price ahead of time); he’ll guide you and your things to a special air-conditioned salon. At the entrance to the waiting ro