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Far from civilization, the Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa is the kind of place dreamers imagine when they try to conjure the perfect island getaway.

Located 300 miles southwest of the southern tip of India, the Maldives Republic consists of more than a thousand coral islands. A reef enclosing a shallow lagoon surrounds each island, making them an idea spot for swimming, snorkeling, and setting a thatched roof cottage for two on stilts.

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Isolated in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Australia, the 300 islands that comprise Fiji remain among the last pristine paradises. A true exotic getaway, Fiji recently was ranked number two as the most secluded honeymoon destination in the world by travel agents surveyed by the Condé Nast Bridal Group. (Fiji also won the Red Hot Romance and Breathtaking Beaches categories.)

If you’ve seen the film Blue Lagoon starring Brooke Shields as a girl shipwrecked on a deserted island in the South Pacific amid breathtaking scenery, you’ve caught a glimpse of the heaven that is Fiji.

Welcome to Vatulele Island Resort in Fiji

While Fiji boasts a number of extraordinary resorts, one that continually wins raves is eco-sensitive Vatulele (pronounced va-too-lay-lay) Island Resort, a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Vatulele Island Resort has collected the following accolades:
- Named among “Ten Best Barefoot Resorts,” Fortune magazine, June 2002
- Featured as one of the “Top Secret Sex Spots,” Men’s Health, May 2002
- Top Value in South Pacific, Australia, New Zealand Award, Travel + Leisure Magazine, March 2001

Located 28 minutes by low-flying seaplane from Fiji’s Nadi International Airport, Vatulele Island Resort is the only hotel on eight-mile long Vatulele Island. On the approach, arrivals view white coral reefs surrounded by endless blue-green waters. Once they taxi to the beach, they’re greeted with a cool towel and Champagne before being escorted to their private villa.

The resort consists of just 18 colorful and roomy bures (pronounced boo-rays). These villas are spaced far enough apart to ensure privacy, and each one overlooks its own stretch of white, sandy beach.

The Gentle Arts of Romance and Relaxation

To foster relaxation, Vatulele Island Resort eschews telephones and TVs. Couples will find that activities and excursions couldn’t be more romantic: A Champagne picnic to the deserted island of Nooki Nooki, for instance, provides ample time for intimacy on the beach.

Spectacular reefs and crystal-clear waters with deep visibility make Vatulele ideal for snorkeling and scuba diving. In fact, Vatulele is the only five-star island resort in Fiji with a PADI dive facility. Resident instructors offer lessons and certification.

There are also limestone caves to explore, kayaking through a coral grotto surrounded by colorful birds, and visits to the local village where women sell handmade items, including the tapa cloth the island is known for.

Elegant Dining at Vatulele Island Resort

Cuisine at this Fiji hideaway takes its inspiration from Californian, Thai, Japanese, Australasian, and Indian menus. All meals, wine, Veuve Cliquot Champagne, and most activities (except scuba diving) are included in the rate.

Balmy weather enables couples to enjoy candlelight dinners in romantic settings as sunset gives way to star-lit skies. These include a private waterfront gazebo and a deserted cove. There’s also a communal dining experience at Vatulele Island Resort, and couples who participate are likely to meet new friends from all corners of the globe.

A Unique and Unforgettable Fijian Wedding Ceremony

Couples who wed at Vatulele Island Resort can experience a traditional Fijian ceremony. Vatulele’s nuptial service is usually held on the beach at sunset.

The ceremony begins with great fanfare, as traditionally dressed Fijian warriors accompany the bride across the lagoon on a flower-bedecked barge. Local village children toss flower petals. And the village choir sings as a Fijian minister presides over the couple’s exchange of vows.

Following the wedding, all guests are invited to participate in Champagne toasts and partake in a traditional Kava ceremony where blessings are bestowed on the couple by tribal elders. Next comes a special native feast. Later, ceremonial dances are performed for the newly married couple — until they at last retire to their secluded Fiji lovenest.

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This romantic island — 15 miles off the coast of Venezuela and a four-hour flight from New York City — ranks as a top honeymoon spot. And that’s not all making Aruba such a hot (and dry) destination; the country registers an average temperature of 82 degrees year-round — and things get even hotter when the sun goes down and the 11 casinos and disco nightlife gear up.

Where to stay? Aruba has a range of hotels to suit different budgets. Several participate in the One Cool Honeymoon program, which presents a package of goodies to newlyweds featuring a free bottle of wine, discounted car rental, a free roll of film, and more.

Accommodations worth considering include:

Hyatt Regency Aruba Beach Resort & Casino – megacomplex with casino and waterslide, right on the beach.
Bucuti Beach Resort — an eco-friendly luxury low-rise resort located on one of the Caribbean’s most expansive beaches.
Divi Aruba Beach and Tamarijn Aruba Beach Resorts — all-inclusives with gorgeous beach locations, right next to the Alhambra casino.

Sculpted by trade winds, the outstretched arms of Aruba’s divi-divi trees bid welcome to honeymooners.

The delightful thing about visiting an island is that you can explore Aruba by land or by water. Stroll along the island’s seven miles of white beaches — some of the most beautiful anywhere — and explore the secluded coves dotting its coastline.

On foot, horseback, or by mountain bike, wander winding, hidden roads leading through the hills to Yamanota, the island’s highest point. Other scenic spots include Palm Beach, the rock formations of Ayo and Casibari, the coves of Andicuri, and the Spanish Lagoon.

A tour in a glass-bottom boat that has visibility down to 50 feet begins to reveal mysteries below the shimmering turquoise waters. Snorkelers and scuba divers at the island’s California and Antilla shipwrecks get an even closer view.

Aruba’s historical museum, gold mill ruins of Bushiribana and Balashi, and Indian petroglyphs will intrigue those with an interest in the past. Golfers may want to try their skills at Tierra del Sol, the island’s 18-hole golf course.

Shoppers can find local crafts, well-made goods from neighboring South American countries, and international treasures in Oranjestad and at the Alhambra Shopping Bazaar, Midtown Mall, and Seaport Marketplace.

Aruba boasts more than 100 restaurants, and cuisines range from French to Japanese to Mediterranean to local island dishes. Sweethearts with sweet tooths can end a meal with kesio (Aruban flan) or take away a few pieces of cocada, a candy made from coconuts.

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Aruba perpetually places in the top ten honeymoon spots, and Aruba Tourism has recently made it even easier for couples to celebrate their honeymoon on this windswept Caribbean island by introducing the first-ever online destination bridal registry.

The Aruba honeymoon bridal registry offers friends and family of the couple a chance to purchase a part of their honeymoon as a wedding gift.

From hotel stays to sunset sails and candle-lit dinners, the Aruba bridal registry offers wedding guests multiple options to pay for vacation expenses at a variety of price points.

Register for an Aruba Honeymoon

Couples who want to set up an online Aruba honeymoon registry can do it at Aruba Online Bridal Registry. There they will find instructions to customize a once-in-a-lifetime vacation package, selecting honeymoon accommodations and extras in just a few minutes.

To get friends and family to participate, you’ll need to inform them that you’re registered at the site and send them the URL. After they type in the bride and groom-to-be’s names, they’ll find your choices of hotel, water sports, car rentals, spa, golf, shows, candlelight beach dinners, champagne, flowers, chocolate, and more.  A confirmation will be sent to the betrothed alerting them to which item they have just been given.