Category Romance

Balmy evenings in sea-salted air and colorful cocktails at sunset are cornerstones of a romantic getaway or honeymoon, but who’s to say a holiday must be all about relaxing?

When lounging loses its luster and your paperback starts to wilt, try hiking, diving or climbing to create your own romantic adventures in these classic couples’ destinations.

Cocktails and kayaks in the Maldives

When your personal butler ships in a mango after you casually remark that you crave one, you can be certain you’re living in luxury. The high-end resorts of Maldives are not merely indulgent, they’re downright Epicurean. With private lap pools, in-room massages and even pillow menus, they cater for desires you never knew you had.

It’s little wonder then that this archipelago in the Indian Ocean is so popular with couples. A week of laze and languor is perfectly acceptable, but there’s plenty here for those seeking more. Explore the atolls by kayak on a mini-adventure. Setting out alone in a small watercraft has a romance of its own and offers the perfect antidote to a sun-baked stupor. Pack snorkels and fins to explore the islands’ world-class coral.

How to do it

Most Maldives hotels offer kayaking and water sports. Baros is particularly excellent for couples.

How to choose the best Maldives island for your travel style

Drive from sand to snow in tropical Hawaiʻi

Hawaiʻi’s Mauna Kea has its lower reaches beneath sea level, so while it’s not higher than Everest, it is taller. At 4207m (13,802ft) above sea level, this long-dormant volcano on Big Island is often capped with snow – yes, snow in Hawaiʻi. Visitors will also find a number of observatories dotting the slopes of this sacred mountain. The summit of Mauna Kea is so high, dry, dark and clean that it allows scientists to investigate the furthest reaches of the observable universe – a sure inspiration to venture from the beach.

How to do it

Drive to the visitor center to check conditions at the summit and pause for a while to adjust to the altitude. If you wish to drive further, a 4WD is recommended. Alternatively, book a tour with one of the officially permitted companies.

How to choose the best Hawaiian island for your trip

One step beyond on a South African safari

A safari in South Africa is a great choice for those in search of adventure. The thrilling promise of the big five – lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and buffalo – draws more than a million annual visitors to Kruger National Park. With vast swathes of open savannah, a rich array of luxury accommodation and a supporting cast of giraffe, hippo, zebra and cheetah, Kruger is popular with honeymooning couples.

Those seeking an extra dash of adventure can opt for a rhino walking safari in Kruger. Combining game drives and bush walks, this allows guests to experience the natural rhythm of the national park, guided by an experienced ranger.

How to do it

Learn more about South Africa’s walking safaris and book a Rhino Walking Safari.

South Africa safaris for first-timers: 8 things to know before you book

From skyscrapers to stargazing in the deserts of Dubai

It’s clear that Dubai is a place to see and be seen. Its promise of sun, sea and shopping is rarely unfulfilled, but there is more to this gleaming metropolis. Couples searching for romantic adventures can choose to camp in the desert after a day of dune bashing.

Bedouin camps with Arabian tents offer comfortable overnight lodgings while entertainment comes in a range of guises: a feast of Emirati cuisine, lively local music, cookery demonstrations and even a spot of falconry. Above it all lies a glorious expanse of stars gleaming in their desert splendor.

How to do it

Choose from a selection of tours in Dubai.

Top 10 things to know before visiting Dubai

Mauritian beach to mountain peaks

A beach paradise, Mauritius is popular with couples seeking luxury along with romantic adventures. Formed by volcanic activity eight million years ago, Mauritius is encircled by a broken ring of mountains. Ranging from 300 to 800m (1000-2600ft) above sea level, they’re not quite Alpine, but the views are nonetheless dramatic.

Hike Le Pouce for superb views of the Moka Range. At 812m (2664ft), Le Pouce is the third-highest mountain on the island and can be hiked in a three-hour round trip: gentle at first with some scrambling at the top. Le Morne on the southwest tip of the island is also worth a hike.

How to do it

Drive to Petit Verger near the village of Saint Pierre in the Moka region. Follow the small paved road that leads off the corner of the B47 road to the small car park by the trailhead. From there, follow the Le Pouce hiking route.

Escape into nature and isolate yourself in a luxurious pod

Venetian feast to mountain retreat

Few cities compete with Venice in terms of romance and splendor. Its motifs are unmistakable – the elegant curve of a gondola, the stone reliefs of Rialto Bridge, ornate basilicas – while canalside bistros serve cicheti (Venetian tapas) and prosecco.

Pair Venice with a trip to the Dolomites a few hours north. This region is home to some of the world’s most dramatic mountains: rugged crags, soaring pillars, breathtaking pinnacles and colossal rock walls. Visit from December to March for world-class skiing and May to September for sublime hiking.

How to do it

Join a trekking in the Dolomites tour or book a Dolomites hotel and go it alone.

Lagoon life and shark dives in Fiji

From the overwater bures (bungalows) of Malolo Island to the lush greenery of Taveuni, Fiji may well be the most beautiful place you have ever seen. Its landscapes are literally out of a movie scene: Brooke Shields’ infamous Blue Lagoon was filmed in part on Turtle Island while Tom Hanks’ Castaway was shot on Monuriki. Throw in rich, flavorsome food from its Indo-Fijian community and you have all the ingredients for an amazing trip.

Those in search of romantic adventures should pause at Pacific Harbour on Viti Levu. Here audacious divers can observe reef sharks, lemon sharks, bull sharks and even the occasional tiger shark.

How to do it

Book a dive with a reputable outfitter such as Aqua-Trek Beqa.

Don’t leave Fiji without visiting these national parks and marine sanctuaries

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An expert’s guide to planning a destination wedding

Congratulations! You’ve found ‘the one’. Now you’re keen to seal the deal with a romantic proposal abroad. But where should you pop the question to your soon-to-be travel buddy for life?

Here are some of the world’s best places to get engaged – all you need to do now is get them to say ‘yes’.

Cappadocia, Turkey

Engaged couples often describe feeling like they’re on Cloud Nine – and you can get even closer to it by proposing on a hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia, Turkey. Afraid of heights? Take your pick of fairytale locations: the views from Göreme’s rooftops are dreamy at dawn, with hundreds of balloons silhouetted against pink skies; while the jagged rocks at Red Valley viewpoint come alive at sunset. Check into one of the region’s luxury cave hotels for an unforgettable end to your first day as fiancés.

Ushuaia, Argentina

You’d go to the ends of the earth for your partner – so why don’t you? Whisk them away on a trip to Argentina’s southernmost town Ushuaia, where you can hike through Tierra del Fuego National Park, visit the Martillo Island penguin colony or kayak in the Beagle Channel before getting down on one knee. There are a surprising number of restaurants here and Patagonia has a thriving craft beer scene – ideal for toasting a new engagement. Of course, if you have the budget you could save the proposal for an Antarctic Peninsula cruise, a true once-in-a-lifetime experience.

New York City, USA

From Love Story to West Side Story, New York City is home to some of the world’s most famous romantic locations – so where better to make your engagement dream a reality? For something quintessentially NYC, pop the question in Central Park after a morning stroll (weather permitting), offer a rock on a ring at the Top of the Rock, or conspire with the staff at Tiffany & Co to surprise your other half as you ‘browse’ the diamond rings. Alternatively, a romantic walk along Brooklyn Heights Promenade as the sun sets behind Manhattan’s skyscrapers could provide the perfect moment.

Classic romantic trips with an adventurous twist

Anglesey, Wales

When it comes to proposals, timing is everything. On pretty Llanddwyn Island, a tiny tidal island off the coast of Anglesey in Wales’ wild north, this is especially true – as you’re also depending on the tides to allow for safe passing. This remote spot was the home of St Dwynwen, the patron saint of lovers and the Welsh equivalent of St Valentine. If February 14 seems too cliche, you could surprise your partner with a proposal on St Dwynwen’s day (January 25) – but a late summer proposal is likely to bring better weather.

The Maldives

Why wait until the honeymoon for an idyllic island getaway? The Maldives is the quintessential romantic destination, making proposal planning a breeze. You could ask your other half for their hand in marriage from the deck of your water bungalow; by candlelight over a private dinner on the beach; or on a luxury catamaran cruise at sunset as you watch spinner dolphins leap from the Indian Ocean around you.

Where to play, stay and dine on romantic city getaways

Garden Route, South Africa

Ready for a road trip to remember? Drive along South Africa’s Garden Route, which stretches from Mossel Bay to Storms River, taking in some of the world’s most beautiful coastline. Propose during a barefoot walk along Noetzie Beach, or pluck up the courage after a wine or two at the vineyards outside Plettenberg Bay. Alternatively, you could ask your loved one to take the leap – literally and figuratively – in the town of Wilderness, where you can paraglide over sweeping beaches or cliff jump on a canyon tour; marriage is an adventure, so why not start as you mean to go on?

Agra, India

Sure, it’s India’s equivalent of an Eiffel Tower proposal, but sometimes a tried and tested favourite is all you need. And unlike Paris’ icon, the Taj Mahal has a truly romantic backstory. Commissioned by Emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century as a memorial for his late wife, he was laid to rest there with her 35 years later. The beautiful white marble monument is one of the new seven wonders of the world and – unsurprisingly – welcomes millions of visitors each year. Come at sunrise for the best light and cooler temperatures, but prepare for the inevitable onlookers.

Byron Bay, Australia

The build-up to a proposal can be stressful, but laid-back Byron Bay will help you forget your jitters and ease into that unforgettable moment. Nature does the heavy lifting when it comes to charming your other half – all you need to do is pack a picnic, perhaps some champagne and lead them to the beach. Between May and November you might even spot whales breaching from the shore – amble to Cape Byron Lighthouse for a bird’s eye view.

In it for the long-haul: why couples who travel together stay together

Jökulsárlón, Southeast Iceland

With glistening waterfalls, bubbling geysers, dramatic coastlines and ice caves, Iceland’s otherworldly landscapes spoil proposal planners with beauty spot after beauty spot. Safe in the knowledge that there’s no shortage of epic scenery, you could choose your moment whenever the timing feels right – but if you need a clearer vision, consider Jökulsárlón. This glacial lagoon’s icebergs look particularly magical beneath the northern lights if you’re lucky enough to spot them. Nearby Diamond Beach, so-called due to the iridescent chunks of ice that wash up on its black sands, could be another worthy spot to offer a sparkling ring.

Vancouver, Canada

If you both feel as comfortable in a fancy restaurant as you do in hiking boots, Vancouver could be your dream trip. The cosmopolitan city’s food scene is second to none, and you’ll deserve a celebratory meal after a day spent exploring Capilano Suspension Bridge Park or cycling the Stanley Park Seawall Bike Trail. Book a table at Hawksworth for high-end Canadian cuisine or Forage for farm-to-table dining. Want something wilder? Head to Vancouver Island, where you can pop the question post-kayak trip, or at the summit of Mount Douglas.

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This isn’t an easy time for anyone. But for couples with different passports, things are a little bit trickier. The newly coined term “isolationship” should give you a hint about what couples from different countries are up against.

My partner and I have been together for almost six years, the first chapter of which was long-distance, New York to Melbourne. Now, we’re full-time digital nomads and have been traveling around Asia for about two years. We’ve spent the past three months exploring and are now quarantining in Vietnam.

When the COVID-19 pandemic started closing the borders of every country in our vicinity, we knew that separating was not the best option for us. We contemplated going back to my parents in the United States, but with no health insurance and rapidly rising infection numbers, we figured that wouldn’t be the right choice.

Then, we looked up flights from Vietnam to Australia, but no sooner than that, the borders for every non-citizen shut. So, we made the decision to stay together and hole up in Vietnam. But for other couples in similar situations, the decision wasn’t so simple.

Peter Maynard lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and his partner of one year lives in Chiang Mai, Thailand. “I was just in Thailand to visit her for a month but had to return to the US because of the travel restrictions. She also has a small child (four years old), so it’s difficult for her to travel to the US,” says Maynard. “It’s tough because you can’t really help, other than emotionally and financially, but strangely, it’s not the same as when you’re not there.”

Sarah Perera moved from Cardiff, Wales to Auckland, New Zealand, at the beginning of March. Her boyfriend Fraser was meant to be moving with her a few weeks later. But the company he works for stopped approving overseas visas due to the virus, and now the borders are shut to non-citizens for an extended and unknown period of time. “We worry about each other and can’t physically help the other out in this difficult time. There was a lot of stress for me at the beginning of my move to Auckland, things about starting a new job, choosing an apartment, furnishing it, etc. all while worrying about COVID-19,” says Perera.

One of the many struggles of long-distance relationships is the time difference. As you’re waking up, they’re going to sleep and vice versa. “All the standard things that help in long-distance (regular contact, virtual dates, etc.) are difficult because we’re at such different times of the day,” says Perera.

Couples who were already in long-distance relationships before the virus spread are forced to cancel much-needed reunions that make long-distance bearable. Mellie, a student from Adelaide, Australia, and her boyfriend from Durban, South Africa, made plans to see each other again in July after six months of separation.

“When South Africa announced travel restrictions – no-one in, no-one out – I was devastated,” says Mellie. “I cried. I ruminated. I wondered what it would mean for our relationship. I asked a lot of questions. What defines a relationship? Are we kidding ourselves? How can you say you’re ‘seeing someone’ without physically seeing them? One of my main love languages is physical touch, and I wondered how long I could go without it from my partner.”

Soon after South Africa announced their restrictions, so did Australia. “If there’s nothing we can do about it, we just have to accept it. That’s it. Other people are going through the same thing. We have to laugh. We have to use humor to get through it. It’ll be a good story one day for the kids,” says Mellie.

So how are couples coping and working to stay together? “We use fantasy as a coping strategy; we get excited about the future. We’ve started planning our next adventure, we talk about all the things we’ll do when we are together,” says Mellie.

But when things get particularly hard, Mellie finds herself shutting down. “Another coping strategy I’ve noticed myself using, and I have found similarities with friends also doing LDR (long-distance relationship), is emotional distancing. It’s so heartbreaking loving someone so much all the time and having nowhere to really put that love – cycling through being wildly excited, and sorely disappointed over and over again. There’s only so much of that the human spirit will handle,” she divulges.

Some couples find the world’s unpredictability easier to handle. “It hasn’t affected our relationship in any way; it just makes me miss him. Like the old days. We met in Vietnam and were seeing each other long-distance off and on for a year and a half until we moved to New Zealand to be together and travel,” says Stephanie Kloppenburg.

She is spending isolation in British Columbia, Canada, with her parents, while her boyfriend Dave is with family in England. “Thankfully, with technology, we can talk and even see each other online, so no worries,” she says.

For Suhail in Singapore, he says this of his long-distance partner living in Lebanon, “Her wishes, her strength and her magic help me stay positive and optimistic. I keep myself busy at work and pray that all of this ends soon, and we meet again as soon as possible.”

With countries closed until further notice, these couples can only guess when they’ll be able to hug each other again. In fact, there’s only one thing they know to be true; distance really does make the heart grow fonder.

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Barbie-pink houses, plush beachside condos and glossy corporate buildings – stroll through capital George Town and you might see a hint of the Cayman Islands’ rep as a financial hub. But look beyond the glass and you’ll see the archipelago is just as rich in natural charms, with extraordinary wildlife, dramatic cave formations and world-class dive sites scattered among curaçao-colored waters and snow-white sands.

You could easily spend a week lazing on the beach at any one of its three very distinct isles – Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman – but linger on the sand too long at your peril. From kayaking in bioluminescent waters to spotting cerulean iguanas, you’ll find a string of unique experiences spread across these rather one-of-a-kind siblings. We’ve rounded up some of the best for anyone wanting an alternative Caribbean escape.

1. Kayak in bioluminescence

Picture paddling through a sea of iridescent, blue-green stars glittering in the pitch-black water, and you have a glimpse into the rather magical phenomena that awaits at Grand Cayman’s Bioluminescent Bay.

Come nightfall, millions of light-emitting organisms illuminate the waters like fireflies, and the spectacle is impressively bright thanks to barely any light pollution. Cayman Kayaks take you out on nighttime paddling trips from Rum Point to experience the best of it – think clouds of whitish green darting around like spirits beneath your boat, and total silence except your paddles swishing gently through the ripples.

2. Explore the Crystal Caves

Peeping out from the lush, tropical rainforest is this cluster of 105 limestone caves, filled with glittering stalactites and stalagmites that prod out like icicles from marble-swirled ceilings and damp, dewy floors. Guided tours take you round three of its most impressive chambers, including the aptly named bat cave (not for the faint-hearted) and the lake cave, where a still, jade-colored patch of water shimmers like a perfect mirror.

3. Glimpse a blue iguana

So named for their striking color (which gets even brighter during mating season) blue iguanas are Grand Cayman’s largest endemic species. They’re also seriously endangered; for the best chances of spotting them head to the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, where they’ve been bred since 2001 as part of a recovery program. You can take tours to see them at the habitat area or, if you’re lucky, glimpse them roaming freely among the soaring palms, wild banana orchids and other exotic plant species that populate this tropical oasis.

4. Ride a horse along the beach

Gliding through the sea on the back of a horse, water splashing up as you plod peacefully along, is the stuff of childhood dreams. Spirit of the West make it a reality, with guides taking you wading through the crystalline, turquoise waves beneath a pink-orange sunset. They also offer beach tours for those who’d rather admire the water from afar, with private or group options available (and pickups direct from your hotel).

5. Go on a submarine

Cayman has earned itself quite the rep in the diving world thanks to its ancient shipwrecks, dramatic drop-offs and vibrant coral formations, but if you want to experience its treasures without getting wet, try Atlantis Submarines’ underwater excursion from Seven Mile Beach or George Town. You’ll descend 100 feet in a glass-enclosed, 48-passenger boat, glimpsing the likes of barracudas, turtles, jelly fish and plenty more.

6. Dive one of the Caribbean’s most renowned drop-offs

If the submarine excursion doesn’t satisfy your undersea cravings, there’s only one thing for it – Bloody Bay Wall, a sheer, vertical drop-off on Little Cayman. One of the most sought-after dive spots in the Caribbean, it’s a mesmerizing display – all mustard-yellow tube sponges, deep red corals and mini, purple-veined trees swaying in the water – which falls off to reveal one huge, deep void that’s drastic enough to give you vertigo.

Southern Cross Club, made up of a few bungalows scattered across the beach, makes an excellent base for exploring the reef, with daily dive trips taking you out to the best spots. They include Mixing Bowl, where groupers, turtles, lobsters and a myriad of rainbow-colored fish glide around an undersea forest that looks like something from another planet.

Dive here and you’ll understand why Philippe Cousteau reputedly named it one of the three best dive sites in the world – it’s not one you’ll forget, a little like Cayman as a whole.

Laura French traveled to the Cayman Islands with support from the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism (www.caymanislands.ky). Lonely Planet contributors do not accept freebies in return for positive coverage.

When writer Rosemary McCabe took a vacation to visit family in the USA, she had no idea how much her life was about to change.

There was a lot I didn’t know when I stepped on that plane in May 2019 to visit my sister and her family in Indiana.

I couldn’t have known that I would meet a man from Fort Wayne on a dating app. That we would embark on what was initially a long-distance relationship. That I would go through the process of getting a visa to live and work in the USA. That we would get engaged, then married. That just three years later, I would have a house with that man, and a family in the form of two stepsons and a baby born in October 2021.

Not only could I not have known what was coming. I would never have believed it.

A Dublin homebody considers a big change

For starters, I had never – not once, not ever in my entire life – given any serious thought to the idea of emigrating. I have always been a homebody – and I also felt as though my career tethered me to Dublin just as much as my love for the city itself.

I’ve never wanted to live anywhere else, I’d tell people when they asked – and they did. I graduated in the midst of a recession, with many of my friends moving abroad after college. I love vacationing, I would say. But I always love coming home.

The 2019 trip that started all of this was meant to be a vacation. I would fly to Fort Wayne, stay with my sister and her family for three weeks, then return home to my Dublin life.

I had only been in town a week when my sister suggested to me that I might look into moving over. “Why not?” she asked. “You can work from anywhere as a writer; why not work from here for a year or two?” It was a suggestion she’d made before – first when she was in New York, then in Dallas – but not one to which I had previously given much serious thought. Until now.

You’d think that I might have started researching visas, for starters, or arranged a consultation call with an immigration lawyer, and looked into options for freelance journalists looking to live and work in the US.

Instead, I joined Tinder – and immediately began looking for men to date in Fort Wayne.

Chicken wings and great teeth

Brandin was the second man I met. In his profile, he wore a kilt and described himself as a 6″6′ nerd. In my profile, I said I liked chicken wings and was looking for a man with all of his own teeth. “I fit the bill!” he told me, then asked me to lunch – to eat (you guessed it) chicken wings.

It was the first, um, taste of just how literal Midwesterners are, something that would eventually stop surprising me. (“You like chicken wings? I’ll take you for chicken wings!” It makes sense.)

The venue was Buffalo Wings & Ribs, which Brandin had told me had the city’s best wings. He was incredibly tall – and handsome – but also struck me as being very…American. His big smile showed straight, white teeth, and he had a booming voice that was friendly but also just a little bit…too loud.

We dug into the wings – which, I remembered too late, are terrible first-date food (the mess!) – and I drank my first ever Mountain Dew. He was friendly and funny and asked me questions, and seemed genuinely interested in the answers. And I loved his chocolate-brown eyes, expressive brows and dark hair that fell over his ears.

On our second date, he walked me around downtown and told about Fort Wayne’s history. On our third, I went to his house and we watched a movie and kissed on his couch like teenagers.

Yet too soon, I was headed home to Ireland, with a lot of research to do and plans to get the ball rolling on the small matter of a visa application.

A multifaceted love affair develops

I would come back to the US twice that year – in October, for six weeks, and again over Christmas – to get a better feel for Fort Wayne, to spend time with my sister and her kids and (of course) to see Brandin. Over that summer, we had made our relationship official.

I was in love – not just with Brandin, but with the idea of this move: with the idea of being in the same place as my sister for the first time in over a decade, with the possibility of getting to really know my nephews and witness them growing up, and with Indiana itself.

When it came to the question of moving abroad, one of my greatest fears was the difference, even among two countries without a language barrier. I had found New York chaotic and unfriendly; even the pace of life in London, a mere hour’s flight from Dublin, was much faster than what I knew.

In Fort Wayne, I found a certain familiarity that I hadn’t been expecting. Lush, green fields reminded me a lot of the Irish landscape, and the warmth and friendliness of Midwesterners felt like a hug. Fort Wayne is about the same physical size as Dublin, but with far fewer people – which means little to no traffic (except on those unfortunate occasions when you get stuck waiting for a freight train to cross in front of you).

Of course, the traffic isn’t the only differentiator – and some differences aren’t so welcome. The Midwestern winter, with heavy snowfall that doesn’t melt for weeks, has taken me a while to get used to. Rarely does an Irish snowman last the night; in Indiana, I could create an ice sculpture in my backyard in November that would watch over me until spring.

Nobody walks anywhere in Fort Wayne. I miss how you can stroll for hours around Dublin, from a residential area into the shops, passing by a theater and a gaggle of restaurants and myriad indie coffee shops along the way. Since there’s nowhere to walk in Fort Wayne that doesn’t meet a road too busy to cross or a path that disappears, we drive everywhere. Sometimes, it feels like I haven’t seen another human in days – at least not outside of a car, or a supermarket.

And those supermarkets! I didn’t know so many cereal varieties existed; I still don’t understand why they’re all necessary. Store sizes are just one symbol of all the space America has. In Ireland, I have learned, there are 186 people per square mile; in the US, it’s 90.

When my visa was finally granted, in February 2020, I felt fully committed to the move. I packed my things up in boxes, ready to be shipped. I said goodbye to friends and family – or rather “see you soon,” since I was planning a short return for a wedding that spring.

But 2020 had other ideas.

A pandemic-era life change

In a way, the pandemic made the move simpler for me. Without the choice of that quick visit back to Dublin – had I returned to Ireland, I would not have been allowed readmission to the US, thanks to Covid travel restrictions – I was forced to accept Fort Wayne as home.

And the longer I spent with my sister, the boys and Brandin, the more it began to feel like it.

In July 2020, I moved in with Brandin. Six months later, while I did a puzzle at our dining-room table, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It took me a few moments to register what was happening, because I thought he had found a missing puzzle piece that had been causing me great frustration. I said yes – but not without his having to push me for an answer.

Two weeks later, I found out that I was pregnant.

Weirdly, it wasn’t until we bought a house together – a $250,000, 2000-sq-ft, four-bedroom one 15 minutes from downtown, with a two-car garage and a back garden overlooking a big pond – that I realized I likely would never go back to Ireland. The marriage and the baby should have been enough of a hint, yet it took becoming a homeowner for it to truly sink in.

We know that none of it – life, love, friendship – is ever really predictable. And yet we trick ourselves into thinking we know what we’re getting ourselves into. We make plans as if we have some control over what the future will bring. We make definite statements; mine was, I’ll never move away from Ireland.

But every time we walk out our front doors – or drive out our garage doors – we offer the universe a chance to meddle, to throw a spanner in the works, to offer up a suggestion for an alternative future we hadn’t ever considered.

When I got on that plane in May 2019, I thought I knew where I was going. But I had no idea where I’d end up.

A Menmoir: This Is Not About You, by Rosemary McCabe is out now.

It’s easy to assume that a holiday to Mauritius comes with a hefty price tag. And while that’s true at its legion of upscale resorts, it’s possible to enjoy this island paradise on a budget. Here are our top tips.

When to go

It pays to be flexible. You’ll get the best prices during the low season (May to September, when temperatures are lower but still tropical), with the exception being European school holidays. In general, high season runs from around December to February, with prices soaring over Christmas and New Year. A compromise could be shoulder season (March, April, October and November). Accommodation prices are slightly lower than high season, and there are fewer visitors but temperatures are still high.

Where to stay

Mauritius is synonymous with top-end, opulent hotels and resorts. But skip these and go for a mid-range yet still lovely option like Veranda Resorts, whose properties such as those in Grand Baie and Tamarin offer contemporary rooms, friendly staff and beautiful grounds in gorgeous beachfront settings. Cheaper still is renting a holiday apartment or villa, especially if there are several people in your group. As well as the likes of AirBnb, a few of the larger agencies include CG Villas, Ropsen and Grand Bay Travel & Tours. Another characterful option is Mauritius’ guesthouses, managed by locals with genuine hospitality; there are several in Pointe d’Esny.

What to eat

You needn’t spend a fortune on dining in Mauritius, as street food and cheap eats are in plentiful supply. As well as delicious local fare, you can also pick up Indian, French and Chinese treats. Roadside stalls serve biryani and faratas (unleavened flaky flour pancakes), while inexpensive snacks such as gâteaux piments (chilli cakes), rotis, samosas, bhajas (fried balls of besan dough with herbs or onion), dhal puris (lentil pancakes) and boulettes (tiny steamed Chinese dumplings) are dished up at markets, public beaches and in the capital, Port Louis. If you’re in Port Louis, consider a street food tour with Taste Buddies, where an in-the-know guide will show you round the city’s most salivating spots.

Activities

There’s a plethora of land and water-based activities available in Mauritius, with options ranging from catamaran cruises, diving and surfing to golf and mountain-biking. Happily, two of Mauritius’ finest activities are completely free. There are stunning beaches throughout the island, particularly along the east coast with long, absurdly photogenic, often deserted stretches. Wonderful hiking spots also abound: Black River Gorges National Park has the island’s most beautiful scenery and well-maintained, clearly signposted trails through forests, waterfalls and gorges, while climbing dramatic outcrop Le Morne brings extraordinary views. Bear in mind though that you’re probably best off hiring a guide for any major hikes.

Festivals are a wonderful way to jazz up a visit to Mauritius and soak up some island culture. The biggest, in February or March, is the 500,000-strong Hindu pilgrimage to the sacred lake of Grand Bassin. March coincides with Holi celebrations, October is time for Divali, and Teemeedee in December or January sees Hindus fire-walking.

While diving is one of Mauritius’ big draws, it’s also expensive. Consider snorkelling instead: it’s a great way to explore underwater with minimal equipment and without the big price tag. Even the shallowest reefs off Mauritius are home to fascinating marine life. Rental gear is easily available from dive centres, boat operators and hotels, or catamaran cruises will often include snorkelling in the deal.

Getting there and around

Numerous carriers fly direct to Mauritius. Air Mauritius is the excellent national carrier; they have a decent international network and are currently upgrading their economy cabins.

Save money by travelling by bus, which is cheap, fun and usually an easy and reliable way to get around. There is no countrywide service; instead there are several bus companies and individual operators. Be sure to speak to locals, who are the best and most accurate source of information, as bus services don’t publish timetables.

You might also like these:

Beyond the beaches: exploring Mauritius
A taste of Mauritius: the food lover’s guide
Which of East Africa’s Indian Ocean islands is for you?

Tom travelled to Mauritius with assistance from Veranda Resorts and Air Mauritius. Lonely Planet contributors do not accept freebies in exchange for positive coverage.

With such an incredible variety of landscapes, California is the perfect place to reconnect with nature. But what if you just don’t like to tough out chilly nights in a sleeping bag on the ground? We’ve rounded up five of the best glamping sites for the perfect combination of the great outdoors and a good night’s sleep.

Caravan Outpost, Ojai

The hip little oasis of Ojai, just two hours’ drive from Los Angeles and nestled amongst lush, green hills has a fittingly cool, chilled out glampsite. The 11 vintage airstreams at Caravan Outpost sit in a lovely garden space and are fully decked out – they even include their own record players. A community fire-pit beckons friendly gatherings where you can exchange stories of your favorite cycle-track or surf spot and enjoy the famous pink-hour where the sunset adds a magical pink hue to the atmosphere.

Best for: City break

Cost: $179/night

Costanoa, Pescadero

The family-friendly Costanoa resort in Pescadero has everything from luxury suites to camp sites for your own tent. However, glamping in the tent bungalows provide the perfect combination of outdoorsy and comfort. The fire pits are the perfect place to roast marshmallows after a day of hiking, sea kayaking, biking or horseback riding and the lush beds are exactly what your body needs to rest up for the next day’s adventures.

Best For: Families

Cost: From $92/night

Ventana, Big Sur

The epitome of luxury camping is a kitted out safari tent nestled on the forest floor beneath towering redwoods – this is glamping at its finest. The babbling stream and gently rustling leaves lull you to relaxation as you dose under your heated blanket. The tents have hot and cold running water, which is amazing while camping, but there is also a tap that spits out perfect tea-ready water, perfect to brew a cup to wrap your hands around while you sit back in your Adirondack around a fire. The rest of the Ventana resort has a luxury spa, swimming pools and a fabulous restaurant to enjoy up on the cliff overlooking Big Sur’s stunning coast line.

Best for: Romantic get-away

Cost: From $225/night

Dome in the Desert, Joshua Tree

While this isn’t a tent, we think a tiny wood dome in the desert counts as glamping and if stargazing in Joshua Tree isn’t on your bucket-list yet, it should be. Staying in this bohemian geo-dome just a short drive from town takes contemplating the cosmos to a whole new level. The dome is equipped with personal telescopes to get up close and personal with the solar system from the comfort of your two-room abode – there’s even a glass panel in the roof. Go in the spring when the wildflowers carpet the area in brilliant violet and yellow. Pro-tip: do the 20-minute drive to Joshua Tree National Park at sunset for the best views and to avoid the crowds.

Best for: Stargazing

Cost: $406/two nights

Half Dome Village, Yosemite National Park

It’s unlikely you will find a view to wake up to that is more spectacular than being greeted with Yosemite’s impossibly huge sheets of rock face. It’s nothing short of life changing. While these tents are a bit more rustic than the others, there is just a simple camp bed inside, but the jaw dropping location more than makes up for the lack of creature comforts. These well-appointed tents in Half-Dome Village, right at the heart of Yosemite National Park, are the perfect landing spot for exploring the many wonders of the park.

Best For: Adventure

Cost: $133/night

Weddings are supposed to be the happiest day of a couple’s life. After months of dedicated planning, a lifetime of saving, and the bulk-booking of flights, hotels and restaurants, finally saying “I do” at a location that means everything to the couple, destination weddings seem even more special. So what happened when COVID-19 hit?

Here, three couples discuss what happened when their destination weddings were upended by the coronavirus pandemic.

Gulmira and Stephen: love in a time of quarantine

Four hours. That’s how late Gulmira Myrzakmat was for her first date with Stephen Lioy.

The pair, who met in Kyrgyzstan, had found themselves passing through Istanbul for work at the same time, so Stephen, who had previously led tours around the city, planned a romantic stroll for their first date.

“I arranged this whole, beautiful walking tour,” he remembers laughing, “but I had to compress it into a rushed two to three hours.” Still, it had a storybook ending: dinner at a restaurant on Istiklal Ave that had just one candlelit table on a tiny balcony. “It was really, really romantic,” says Stephen. “I couldn’t have planned it any better.”

Fast forward to 2020 and the couple were planning to return to Istanbul for their wedding, getting married on a boat as it cruised along the Bosphorus.

It had taken some effort to pull together. Stephen knows Istanbul well, but friends had helped organise the celebration too: they’d planned to fly some Kyrgyz students in to play traditional music, and a friend of Gulmira had organised several Kyrgyz wedding games to play.

Their immediate families would be staying in the city for the week, and their friends for the weekend. Stephen, who is from the USA originally, had prearranged some sightseeing and bar-hopping. Many of his family members got their first-ever passports issued.

Then around 10 days before the ceremony was due to take place, their officiant, a friend called Bill, got in touch to say he didn’t think he’d be able to attend. He had underlying respiratory issues and was worried about travelling over from California. One of Gulmira’s friends emailed too. She didn’t think in good conscience that she could attend either.

With Stephen already in Turkey and Gulmira in Bishkek, the couple deliberated over their options on WhatsApp. Overnight, the WHO declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic, and the couple cancelled their wedding.

“I was really sad because I was really looking forward to this big day,” says Gulmira. “But when I found out that the WHO declared it as a pandemic I thought it best for the wellbeing of everyone to cancel the gathering.” Stephen, sat by himself in a hotel room in an Istanbul suburb, said he just felt dazed.

At the very moment their ceremony was due to take place – Stephen waiting nervously under an arch of flowers as Gulmira walked down the aisle to the Wedding March – the couple weren’t actually together at all.

“We were messaging each other saying, ‘we’d actually be on the Bosporus at this moment,’” says Gulmira, speaking about the wedding cruise. But as it was, Stephen had been quarantined in an abandoned US military base near Bishkek’s airport whilst making his way home and Gulmira was in their apartment for Nooruz, a national holiday in Kyrgyzstan.

Fortunately, they had already taken their honeymoon.

“We had our honeymoon before our wedding,” says Gulmira, laughing. In Kyrgyzstan, the first week in January is a national holiday, so the couple went away for three weeks to Zanzibar, Seychelles and Qatar. “The Seychelles became our favourite place – we didn’t have enough time to explore, so we’d like to go back,” she adds.

At the time of our interview, Stephen had made it back to their flat but was self-isolating. They still haven’t decided whether or not to replan the wedding. Though, as the pair know from their first date, late is better than never.

Alba and Daniel: the unexpected Instagram wedding

For Alba Díaz and Daniel Camino, a couple from A Coruña in northwest Spain, their destiny was written in the dates.

“Our first date was 14 March 2009,” says Alba, “Dani asked me to marry in May 2019, so we were clear that the [wedding] date would be 14 March 2020 because it is our anniversary and it was Saturday.”

So even as the Spanish government imposed a nationwide lockdown, the couple were still determined to proclaim their love to the world – even if it meant getting married from the window of their apartment.

Naturally their spontaneous celebration was captured on Instagram: Alba clutching a bouquet of red flowers, the pair leaning out the window. She’s wearing a white double-breasted gown she’d bought to have her wedding make-up done in; Daniel is in a charcoal-coloured suit. Their neighbour officiated the ceremony from the next window along.

It was a stark change to their original plans. They were due to get married in front of 190 guests in Daniel’s home village, two hours from A Coruña. They had friends flying in from all across Europe, including England and Iceland.

“Our wedding was [due to take place] in an alternative space,” says Alba. “The ceremony [itself] in the town’s food market and the rest of the celebration in a ship that had been closed for 10 years.”

The couple had already put in a lot of hard work. “We had to prepare the walls, the floor, the bathrooms, the electrical installation, etc,” says Alba. “We had everything ready already: the decoration was already done, the flowers placed and the kitchen and food already inside the ship.”

Then, on Friday 13 March, a day before the wedding, they realised it would have to be cancelled.

“On Saturday we woke up with a feeling of terrible sadness,” Alba adds. It was Daniel who suggested they get married through the window. Alba was only convinced when their friends started sending photos of themselves in the clothes they were planning to wear to the wedding with well wishes written on cards.

The couple have rescheduled their wedding for 14 November – they couldn’t hold it any sooner as Alba runs Frida Kiwi, a wedding planning company, and she has another 30 upcoming events to sort and reschedule before that.

They were due to honeymoon in Italy, but now find themselves in self-isolation. How’s married life? “We are well,” says Alba “[Daniel and I are] at home with our dog, eager for all this to happen soon.”

Frankie and Mark: the chocolate rabbit wedding

The pews are full: 112 chocolate rabbits, all dressed in identical golden foil outfits, watch on as a veiled bunny bride and blue-collared bunny groom go through their wedding vows with a long-eared celebrant.

It wasn’t exactly the celebration that Frankie Lewis and Mark Burton had in mind when they flew to Wales from Thailand to tie the knot, but it was the best use of the Lindt chocolate wedding favours they could think of.

They had bought 115 chocolate bunnies for their marriage at De Courceys Manor in Pentyrch on 4 April, a homecoming destination wedding. However, they are now self-isolating at Frankie’s mum’s house with the UK on lockdown due to COVID-19.

The couple, who met in London but now live in Bangkok, started to think their wedding plans might change at the end of January. “We thought we might be in trouble because we knew coronavirus was spreading and everyone in Bangkok was wearing masks,” says Frankie.

“There was a lot of awareness of its impact as we were so close to China,” adds Mark.

So they moved the dates of their UK flights, still hoping that the wedding would go ahead, as they were expecting guests from Canada, Germany, Spain, Switzerland and Italy. Frankie’s mum had also made the wedding cake and the wine delivery was expected soon. However, the coronavirus situation had changed when they got to Wales with restrictions being put into place.

“We spent three or four days worrying: are we going to have to go ahead with just five people there?” says Mark. “It was a relief when the venue postponed [the ceremony].” Their wedding has now been pushed back until March 2021.

But the chocolate rabbits won’t last until then, so the couple decided to have some fun.

“We happened to say [to our friends] that we’ve got all these Easter bunnies and that their life [expectancy] had been dramatically increased,” said Frankie, so they started giving the bunnies something to live for, including a rabbit wedding.

They set up the wedding scene, using their own marriage bands as rings, and the photos went viral. “It just exploded,” says Mark. The chocolate bunnies have also been on boats and taken part in a bunny Olympics. Eating them is the next logical step.

“It’s easy in these situations to be all doom and gloom,” says Frankie speaking about their wedding, “but we’re still incredibly lucky, so why not have some fun with some chocolate bunnies?”

The coronavirus (COVID-19) is now a global pandemic. Find out what this means for travelers.