Thailand Weddings and Honeymoons - Honeymoon Heaven

Going to the Chapel
Ceremonial Splendour
Unique Unions
Gowns, Veils, Top Hat and Tails
Honeymoon Heaven
Anniversaries Abound

Honeymoon Heaven

Thailand is often described as one of the world’s dream honeymoon destinations, and it’s easy to see why. Even if you prefer to marry elsewhere, as newly-weds what could be more romantic than jetting off to the allure of our bewitching tropical land.

Although it is particularly easy to wile away those days and evenings as an intimate couple within the blissful confmes of your ambient honeymoon suite, it is impossible to resist the lure of fantastic locales and activities that make our country an exquisite escape. As honeymooners, you will fmd extreme pleasure at discovering one another’s passions and the endless possibilities of finding new bonding interests and experiences to embrace together.

Start your honeymoon by dining out on world-renowned Thai cuisine. Exceptional chefs stir up sensational delicacies that light up the taste buds, and where every meal is a delicious and enjoyable celebration. Eat as locals do, sharing mouth watering dishes together. Feast on the freshest seafood barbeque flamed beside your beachfront table, or cruise along the mighty Chao Phraya River with Bangkok’s famous attractions twinkling in the evening sky.

Loy Nava
Si Phraya Express Boat Pier
Tel: 0 2437 7329, 0 2437 4932
Website: www.1oynava.com

Manohra Cruises
Tel: 0 2477 0770
Website: www.manohracruises.com

What better way to start a marriage than together learning the culinary art of Thai cooking at one of the many day-long cooking schools offered in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Ko Samui, and Phuket. As newlyweds, you can both take turns in the kitchen, practicing the delicate art of fruit and vegetable carving as well as discovering the impressive variety of regional dishes that will certainly add spice and flavour to your kitchen and your union. Return home and as a couple invite your family and friends over to sample your newly gained expertise on the mouthwatering delights of Thai gastronomy.

Culinary Schools

Bangkok
Oriental Hotel
48 Oriental Avenue
Tel: 0 2659 9000
Website: Oriental Hotel

Chiang Mai
Baan Thai Cooking School
Ratchadamneon Road
Tel: 0 5335 7339

Phuket
Phuket Thai Cookery School
39/4 Thep Prathan Road
Tel: 0 7625 2354-5

Ko Samui
SITCA
Chaweng Beach
Tel: 0 77413172

The ancient Thai Kingdom reaches back millennia, yet even today living evidence of vanished civilisations still makes for spectacular viewing and is a romantic journey into the past. Newly-wed couples can relive ancient glories as they wander hand-in-hand around the impressively restored national treasures that dot the country, instilling an incredible wealth of historical knowledge. Aged Temple spires pierce the horizon with dusty redbrick ramparts, fringed by manicured lawns and under the sacred protection of monumental Buddha statues with chiselled serene features that make time stand still.

The present capital of Bangkok took seat in 1782 and is currently enriched with over 400 temples and several functioning palaces. Resting near the banks of the Chao Phraya River, the centrepiece Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha are ornately crusted in gold, porcelain and glass - captivating tributes to continuing religious devotion.

Immaculately maintained and bolstered by fascinating on-site museums, the former Thai capitals and UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Ayutthaya and Sukhothai are a must see on any visitors list. Centred round Buddhist architecture, the atmospheric and deserted ruins exude a peace and spirituality rarely captured in modem life.

Evidence of foreign intervention can be found in the numerous crumbling Khmer ruins that strew the countryside, particularly in the North East or I-san region. For romantic seclusion away from the crowds, the much less frequented sites of Prasart Mueang Singh, Phimai, and Phanom Rung Khmer Sanctuaries, is like venturing to a lost world.

HISTORIC SITES

The Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaeo, Bangkok
Website: www.palaces.thai.net

Vimanmek Mansion, Bangkok
Website: www.vimanmek.com

Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun), Bangkok
Website: www.watarun.org

Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho), Bangkok
Website: www.watpho.com

Ayutthaya Historical Park, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya
TAT Central Region Office: Region 6
Tel: 0 3524 6076-7

Bang Pa-in Palace,
Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya
Tel: 03526 1673-82

Prasat Mueang Singh Historical Park, Kanchanaburi
Tel: 0 3451 1200

Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai
TAT Northern Office: Region 1
Tel: 0 5324 8604

Wat Phrathat Lampang Luang, Lampang
TAT Northern Office: Region 1
Tel: 0 5324 8604

Sukhothai Historical Park, Sukhothai
TAT Northern Office: Region 3
Tel: 05525 2742-3

Si Satchanalai Historical Park, Sukhothai
TAT Northern Office: Region 3
Tel: 05525 2742-3

Ban Chiang Archaeological Site
TAT Northeastern Office: Region 5
Tel: 042325406-7

Phimai Historical Park, Nakhon Ratchasima
TAT Northeastern Office: Region 1
Tel: 0 4421 3666

Prasat Hin Phanom Rung, Buri Ram
TAT Northeastern Office: Region 1
Tel: 0 4421 3666

Phra Nakhon Khiri, Phetchaburi
Tel: 0 3242 5600

In a country fortunate enough to have miles upon miles of pristine coastal water, aquatic pursuits are an enjoyable and romantic way to absorb the scenery at a mellow cruising fl ow. As newly-weds come together as a team to captain your own luxury chartered yacht, with nature’s breeze gliding you along as you plot your voyage, dropping anchor to explore mystical virgin islands or docking at one of the country’s plush new marinas.

For luxury on an even grander scale, hop aboard a magnificent cruise liner and spend your honeymoon island hopping around Thailand’s Andaman Sea on the West, or the Gulf of Thailand to the East. Your days will be spent lounging on the ship’s deck perusing the undulating marine panorama, before heading ashore to swim with curious marine life and laze upon the picturesque beaches of Phuket, Krabi, Ko Samui, to name just a few. For travelling in a manner more evocative of Asia, try an intimate live-a-board cruise upon a lovely renovated Chinese junk as she meanders through the towering rocky pinnacles that pretty Phang-nga Bay.

Unlike other countries, in Thailand there are few restrictions as to where you navigate your yacht or catamaran, making the Andaman coast and the Gulf of Thailand an explorer’s dream. With an agreeable year-round climate, there is no concern over strong currents, or sudden weather changes. The freedoms of Thailand’s seas are just a sail hoist away.

Cruise Operators

Charter Yacfit Sailing
Asian oasis
Website: www.asian-oasis.com

Faraway
Website: www.far-away.net

Gulf Charters
Website: www.gu1fchartersthailand.com

Siam Sailing
Website: www.sailing-charter-thailand.com

Star Cruise
Website: www.starcruises.com

Royal Phuket Marina
Website: www.royalphuketrnarina.com

Thai Marine Leisure
Website: www.thaimarine.com

A lingering visit to a Thai spa is truly a sublime pampering experience, delivering a heavenly comfort that is unrivalled. You will probably both be exhausted from all the excitement of your wedding preparations and a special honeymooner package is guaranteed to restore your health, tune your body, and leave you both in a state of utter bliss.

Many of the Kingdom’s spas imbue the unique sense of Thai culture as well as hamessing ancient expertise. Set in the country’s most idyllic locales, the splendid surrounds are matched only by the impressive range of hands-on rejuvenating treatments on offer. Such a delicate, winning combination of serene ambience and spoiling services, form an indulgent experience that only the finesse of a Thai spa can create. Expertly administered, treatments on offer embody the best of traditional Thai medicinal knowledge and the caring touch of local therapists. As a couple you will be spoiled in, and spoilt by, the superb array of spa hideaways.

Not everyone’s idea of a honeymoon is lazing around on sandy beaches, or at the spa enjoying relaxation and the serenity of the Thai landscape. Some couples prefer to be more physically in touch with Thailand’s diverse natural scenery, and in a land that’s blessed with mountains, sweeping jungles, and river valleys, what better environment to spend a thrilling honeymoon of adventure and excitement.

Being in close proximity to nature gives you a better opportunity for close encounters with the myriad of magical creatures that inhabit our colourful land. Choose your mode of exploration - kayak., raft, mountain-bike or trekking on foot - as together you uncover hidden caves, streaming waterfalls, and become friends with remote hill-tribe folk. Those who prefer their adventure a little more extreme, rockclimbing together in Southern Thailand, particularly the cliff stacks around Krabi, is one of the country’s fastest growing and most exciting activities. Scaling a mountain is definitely one way to prove your love for one another. Meanwhile, spend peaceful evening together, stargazing beside the campfire or cuddle up in a cosy forest lodge.

Adventure Tours

Wildlife Safari
Khao Yai National Park,
Nakhon Ratchasima
Website: www.dnp.go.th

Active Thailand
Website: www.activethailand.com

Jumbo River Kwai, Kanchanaburi
Website: www.jumboriverkwai.com

Sea Canoe Thailand
Website: www.seacanoe.net

Spice Roads
Website: www.spiceroads.com

One of the most awesome experiences you will ever have as newlyweds is the exhilaration of discovering a new underwater world in Thailand’s seas. With the waters around the uninhabited SimHan and Soon Islands considered among the world’s top dive sites, whether you snorkel in the calm blue waters or scuba dive to the ocean below, you will float among an abundance of weird and wonderful rainbow coloured fish and thriving coral reefs. Swim with turtles, play with inquisitive dolphins or get up close to a giant whale shark feeding away.