Vows with wows: The private islands offering couples the ultimate romantic retreat
From Zante to Zanzibar- Nammie Matthews outlines the pick of the bunch for honeymoons, weddings and vow renewals.
Maafushivaru, Maldives
A tiny Maldivian island just 350 metres long, Maafushivaru has all the makings of an idyllic spot for a romantic honeymoon or renewal of vows, with just 30 villas. Its sister island, Lonubo, goes one step further though, with space for just one couple. Samantha Berry, Kuoni wedding specialist, says: “Maafushivaru, with its beautiful uninhabited sister island Lonubo, is the perfect option for anyone looking for an exclusive renewal-of-vows ceremony. While guests stay on the main island of Maafushivaru, the ceremony itself can be held privately on Lonubo, which caters for an overnight stay if the couple decide they want to enjoy a secluded night away from the rest of the party.”
Book it: Kuoni offers a seven-night stay on Maafushivaru from £3,432pp, including flights, full board, seaplane transfers in resort and the Lonubo renewal-of-vows package.
St John, British Virgin Islands
Situated on the “island of love”, otherwise known as St John, Caneel Bay Resort hosts seven white-sand beaches on a 170-acre peninsula.
Surrounded by national park, azure seas and an abundance of wildlife, it provides a beautiful backdrop for your clients’ wedding or honeymoon. And bridal parties can arrive safe in the knowledge that their wedding arrangements are already taken care of, explains Allison Sells, the resort’s wedding planner. “At Caneel, we specialise in wedding events [catering to parties from] as intimate as two, all the way to 250. We take care of everything on the wedding day so the guest doesn’t have to. We even have a beauty lounge on property, so brides and their guests never need to leave the resort.”
Book it: Leading Hotels of the World offers B&B stays at Caneel Bay Resort from $429 per person per night. Wedding packages start from $3,500.
Palawan, Philippines
The unspoilt setting of the Pangulasian Island Resort, El Nido, makes it ideal for weddings and honeymoons. The property offers 42 individual villas, all set among palm groves and with a marine sanctuary right on their doorstep. The Pangulasian also offers the option to hire the entire island, so your clients can wallow in total seclusion among their nearest and dearest.
Hayes and Jarvis’s destination manager for the Philippines, Emma Mitchell, says: “Couples in search of bragging rights will find a unique holiday in the Philippines. This is especially true of El Nido Resorts’ Pangulasian Island. It’s absolutely stunning and honeymooners will definitely get that magical ‘wow’ feeling, but the fact that this is the only hotel on the island means it’s really exclusive.”
Book it: Hayes and Jarvis offers a seven-night stay at the five-star El Nido Pangulasian Resort in Palawan on a B&B basis from £2,799pp, including airport transfers and return international flights from Heathrow with Thai Airways and Philippine Airlines.
Corsica, France
A great option for Francophiles looking for a wedding or honeymoon hideaway in the Mediterranean, the Hotel & Spa des Pecheurs is situated on a small island off the southern coast of Corsica. Elsa Bacry, director of sales EMEA at Small Luxury Hotels (SLH), says: “Hotel & Spa des Pecheurs offers a unique backdrop of turquoise waters, white sand and granite rock in an off-the-beaten-track destination. With no other hotels on the island, wedding parties feel like they have the whole place to themselves, while staff are at their disposal to create a truly tailor-made wedding.”
Book it: SLH offers half-board stays at the Hotel & Spa des Pecheurs from €450 per person per night. Guests can rent out the entire hotel from €25,000pn.
Petit St Vincent, St Vincent & the Grenadines
Guests can enjoy the pristine beaches and forests of the Caribbean in peace at the Petit St Vincent Resort, where the absence of telephones, televisions and internet ensures an immersive experience for all guests. The option to hire the entire hotel ensures further calm and total exclusivity.
Helen Tabois, senior product and marketing manager for the Caribbean and cruise at ITC Luxury Travel Group, says: “The beauty of Petit St Vincent is that with just 22 cottages, it’s small enough for a wedding party to take over but large enough for everyone to enjoy their privacy as they wish – not least with the fabulous flag system, which is how you signal from your cottage that you’d like service.”
Book it: ITC offers a seven-night, all-inclusive stay at Petit St Vincent from £4,125pp, based on two people sharing a one-bedroom cottage and including return flights from Gatwick with British Airways, inter-island flights and boat transfers. Hiring the entire resort leads in from £168,476 per week for 44 guests (£3,829pp), including all flights and transfers and all-inclusive board.
Whitsundays, Australia
Adjacent to a long, sugared beach in the Whitsunday Passage, One&Only Hayman Island is one of Australia’s prime island resorts and is an excellent choice for wedding or honeymooning clients. The resort underwent a major facelift, reopening in June 2014. One of the biggest changes was the scale of downsizing – the number of rooms was reduced from 209 to 160, making guest rooms and suites even more spacious.
John Mullen, product manager at Carrier, says: “The new-look island‘s private accommodation is perfect for honeymooners. With the incredible Great Barrier Reef surrounding the whole area, this is an unmatched option for more adventurous clients. There’s also a choice of 12 intimate locations around the island to host weddings – including a beautiful chapel on a hilltop with views of the white shore and Coral Sea.”
Book it: Carrier offers seven nights at One&Only Hayman Island from £4,600pp, based on two people sharing, including breakfast, return flights from Heathrow with Emirates and shared luxury yacht transfers.
Zante, Greece
Only a quaint wooden bridge across the Ionian Sea joins Zante to Cameo Island, offering a more rustic option for your soon-to-wed clients. Its beach is available to hire exclusively for weddings – the only place in Greece where this is possible. Melissa Lowe, marketing manager at Perfect Weddings Abroad, says: “Cameo Island is the perfect setting for your client’s wedding. A small private island off the coast of Laganas in Zante, the island can be accessed only via a wooden bridge, with its beautiful beaches providing the all-important scenic backdrop for wedding photographs. For the reception, the bridal party can enjoy some delicious Greek meze at Vezalis, a local beachfront taverna.”
Book it: Perfect Weddings Abroad offers a seven-night stay in a studio room at the nearby all-inclusive Caretta Beach Holiday Village from £650pp, including return flights from Stansted and transfers. Wedding packages start from £999.
Zanzibar, Tanzania
An award-winning tropical paradise just off the north-east coast of Zanzibar, &Beyond Mnemba Island Lodge offers the utmost in privacy for your honeymooning clients. With space for just 20 guests, each banda (thatched cottage) overlooks its own stretch of beachfront and the Mnemba atoll, where dolphins and other marine life roam. Jennifer Morris, product coordinator at Abercrombie & Kent, says: “Set on a remote, private island, Mnemba is the ultimate oasis for honeymooners. The incredible setting and luxurious facilities will guarantee to make your first moments of marriage truly memorable, whether taking advantage of the superb surrounding diving and snorkelling opportunities or strolling barefoot across the vast white sandy beaches.”
Book it: Abercrombie & Kent offers seven nights all-inclusive from £5,535pp, including international flights from the UK and internal flights.
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