Thailand honeymoon ideas

Come spring, bunches of golden flowers rain from Thailand’s beloved ratchaphruek tree, gilding parks, roadsides and temples. If you don’t catch them in the wild, you’ll likely see them in Pak Khlong Talat Flower Market in Bangkok – the city where many of our honeymoons begin – along with a rainbow of roses, orchids, lilies, jasmine and billowing bunches of forget-me-nots. Symbolising harmony and unity, catching a glimpse of these lantern-like blooms is an auspicious start to our honeymoons to Thailand.

The perfume is cut through with the hustle and bustle of city life – the near-constant stream of people stopping by to pick up temple offerings, candles, wedding sweets, tea and incense. We can even sign you up to a class in lotus folding – the art of moulding lotus petals into garlands.

It’s a taster of what our honeymoons do really well – a classic trip with a twist.

“That was the first trip I ever invented!” says Dave Tucker, from our Thailand specialists Beyond Tourism Co., about their popular elephant, jungles and beach vacation that is a hit with honeymooners. “It’s basically travelled alongside us all this time… The key to success is that I shaped it around the things people most want to do in Thailand generally, but we do it with a twist.”

That might mean heading to the sought-after karsts of Khao Sok but staying at a floating lodge accessed by longtail boat, where sundowners come with the faraway trumpeting of rare wild elephants. It might mean going to the coast and islands – but swapping the notorious full moon parties for moongazing from your private villa pool. It might mean spending more than a token day in the cities, so you have time to sightsee and relax with a mango martini at a swish rooftop bar.

This being us, there’s always a responsible twist throughout too. Elephant riding is out and ethical sanctuaries are in. Instead of big resorts, we match-make you with smaller locally owned hotels that focus on doing what they do really, really well.

One thing is for sure: our honeymoons to Thailand aren’t your standard cookie-cutter tours. Our experts will tailor that twist to you two – and even throw in a few surprises along the way. It’ll start with a call to get an idea of your wish list.

Many honeymooners use Bangkok as a stopover before making their way to the beach resorts of the south. Instead, our trips can put you up for a few days of relaxation and exploration at a hotel with a pool overlooking the Chao Phraya River.

Spend longer, and you’ll have time for a few more of those twists. See the polished-to-a-shine Grand Palace and Wat Pho – and then head downriver to check out the latest in modern art and drop by the neoclassical ‘Library of Love’. You’ll experience the classic tuk tuk tour – but you’ll also delve into Chinatown for lesser-visited Taoist temples or take a private cruise through the canals that gave Bangkok the nickname the ‘Venice of the East’ aboard a restored rice barge. A fine finish to the day: Michelin-starred dining and a lychee cocktail at a rooftop bar as the sun sinks below the skyline.

Some of our honeymoons swap the flower markets of Bangkok for the Rose of the North, Chiang Mai, basing you in a boutique hotel with a pool, spa and restaurant. Chiang Rai is a great option for a luxury city stay in reach of the mountains – as is the even more peaceful city of Surat Thani, where you can catch a boat for the next stage of your adventure.

Rest assured: adventure doesn’t have to mean hours of trekking through tangled jungle at dawn. Our honeymoons take you to the wild edge of Thailand’s rainforests – and then give you the time to relax and sprinkle in as many, or as few, adventure activities as your hearts desire. The karst-crowned waterways of Khao Sok National Park are a top honeymoon spot – ringed with the last licks of Thailand’s oldest rainforest.

A combo of lakes, rivers, caves, karsts and rainforest means it’s a case of choose your own adventure, from bamboo rafting and canoeing to night safaris and a class in jungle cooking – all steered by local guides. It’s also one of the most biodiverse spots in the world, so you’ll spy snakes and monkeys in the trees, as well as lizards, birds and insects – and, if you’re lucky, some very people-shy elephants. Sightings are rare, but your best chance is keeping an eye on the lake’s shoreline, where they occasionally emerge for a quick forage.

But really: “You go to the jungle to chill out,” says Dave.

One of the places where you can chill out is a floating raft hotel on Cheow Lan Lake. From its waterside balconies, you can hear the faraway trumpeting of those elephants or go stargazing at your very own, very private full moon party.

“You’ll hear the noise of the jungle in the night,” says Dave. “That’s as exciting or more so than seeing the elephants – more evocative.”