The Most Unexpected Romantic Destinations in the World !!! Part 1

From Sri Lanka to Iceland, these unexpected honeymoon destinations offer unique honeymoon ideas without skimping on romance.

Picking the perfect honeymoon is no easy feat—countless romantic destinations, endless hotel options, limited vacation time and the struggle-is-real challenge of finding the perfect place to please both you and your new spouse. Where to begin? Well, right here. BRIDES teamed up with the A-list agents at Virtuoso—a global network of more than 15,000 luxury-travel specialists—to find the most romantic, luxe hot spots in the world. Whether you're looking for bucket-list hotels and resorts, far-flung beaches, the top cruise lines for couples, inexpensive honeymoon ideas or unexpected honeymoon-worthy locales, you’ve come to the right spot. Presenting our 2017 Honeymoon Awards—dive in to see the world's most romantic, yet unexpected honeymoon destinations!

Nicaragua

Always dreamed of zip-lining through a dense canopy in a tropical rainforest? Chilling on a deserted beach? Finally learning to surf like the pros? Consider Nicaragua, a less traveled Central American nation with the largest area of primary-growth rainforest north of the Amazon. Then there are the six active volcanoes, stunning ancient ruins, and 550 miles of pristine coastline dotted with golden beaches and sleepy surf towns. Unlike its neighbor to the south, Costa Rica, much of Nicaragua is still undeveloped and undiscovered. Spend your days perusing the cute colonial towns of Granada and Leon, with pastel-painted churches and vibrant local festivals, and post up at a lush beachfront resort like Mukul Beach, Golf & Spa, a 37-room hideaway that's a favorite among stylish adventure-seekers.

Myanmar

If you're looking to go where no one you know has ever been, consider this Asian nation, which only started allowing foreign travelers in 2012 and remains blissfully free of crowds and tourist traps. To really see it all, book a river cruise on a luxury ship like the Scenic Aura, Belmond Orcaella, Sanctuary Ananda, or Azamara Quest. Before you board, don't miss a sunrise hot-air-balloon ride over nearly 2,000 gilded pagodas in the ancient city of Bagan. (Trust us, it's worth the 5 a.m. wakeup.) As you make your way north from Yangon up the 1,300-mile Irrawaddy River at a leisurely pace, you'll pass centuries-old golden Buddhist temples, bustling markets, and monks draped in long red robes.

Cambodia

If you ever dreamed of honeymooning like Lara Croft and Indiana Jones, make moves toward this Southeast Asian nation, home to the legendary New World Wonder of Angkor Wat, a massive stone temple complex built during the Khmer Empire. Also to be discovered: the Mekong River, the 12th-longest in the world, resorts that let you interact with habituated Asian elephants, like the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle, and chic beach towns teeming with local flair.

Canada

America's neighbor-to-the-north has more honeymoon-worthy destinations than you may think—from the European-feeling city of Québec to the Olympic-worthy ski mountain of Whistler, the lush outdoors of Vancouver and the emerging wine region of the Okanagan Valley.