PLANNING IT RIGHT

PLANNING IT RIGHT

For the ‘he’ and ‘she’ who’ve just morphed into ‘we’, the first journey post the wedding usually is the honeymoon. Like everything else in life, it requires proper planning. So, it all comes down to you having to define your ‘ideal honeymoon’ and how to go about it - the sensible way. Kamlesh Pandya has a few suggestions

    The honeymoon is probably the first trip you make as ‘Mr & Mrs.’, so it makes sense to plan ahead, and ensure you have some excellent memories from your honeymoon. To begin with, most couples end up getting stressed out during the period just prior to the wedding, with so many aspects that need to be ‘just right’; so you need to figure out whether you are up to some more stressful activity when it comes to your honeymoon – or just want to unwind and relax. This brings you to the first ‘destination’ on your ‘itinerary’ - the budget.
    So, we begin with the basics: for a honeymoon, what’s important is the budget – in two aspects, time, and money. Most couples would like to go to exotic destinations, somewhere that an international travel show on satellite tv channel might have featured. Maybe someone among your friends went to Mauritius or Seychelles, or your cousin went on an European honeymoon. That was their honeymoon, when it comes to your honeymoon, discuss: how much money will you have to spend on your honeymoon, post all the wedding expenses. And, how much time do you really have – five days, a week, ten days?
    Once you have this out of the way, check out what sort of destination/s would suit both of you. It isn’t funny: most couples have their first major fight post-wedding on the honeymoon destination. One may prefer sun, sand and surf, the other might want serene, silent and smart hill ranges. One might want a destination that might be too far away, and the travel can entail more than just a couple of international flight changes – or, there’s the Mumbai couple that ended up honeymooning in Mahabaleshwar or Khandala (these days, it might be Lavasa or Amby Valley). Thailand might have been fun on a bachelor holiday, but the beaches of Pattaya can have distractions galore for a honeymooning couple - so, plan, plan and plan: where, how long, and on what budget.
    Next, do you do it yourself or go to a travel agent? Lubaina Sheerazi, who heads Oman Tourism’s India office, says this is very simply a matter of whether the couple is used to travelling and making own arrangements. “You do have on-line resources that make a ‘Do It Yourself’ honeymoon possible – in theory atleast. So, If the couple can do it on their own, here’s no reason why they should not. But, if they have any doubts, opt for a travel agent.” Oman, she suggests, makes for the ideal honeymoon destination – serene and beautiful.
    Let us move on to the next issue: does prior booking ensure you get a better deal? Manoharan Periasamy, director, Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board says advance fares can be a double-edged sword. “Generally, the earlier you book, the lesser money you spend, but be careful - you may have to pay more as penalties in the event that you change the dates, sequence – or, your mind,” he smiles. Low cost airlines vs full service carriers is another aspect where Manoharan Periasamy says it depends upon the couple – and the travel time. “Assuming the couple is going to fly, a low cost airline is okay if the flight is short in terms of duration. Also, is the couple opting for a day time flight or a night one? Ideally, be rational – you don’t need to fly first class on a flight whose duration is a couple of hours. Then, some honeymooning couples don’t do anything ‘low cost’ on their honeymoon, so think from a practical perspective before you decide on your airline.”
    Packing right is one of the key ingredients of a honeymoon, and whether you go in for the crème-de-la-crème in baggage or opt for ‘normal’ bags, keep in mind that this is not your usual holiday trip – honeymoon packing is part romance, part practical. So, don’t skimp on the essentials (and these would differ from couple to couple) and ensure you take all essentials with you. From a copy of your marriage certificate (in case the wife’s passport is still in her maiden name), most hotels may need proof of your being married before checking you in. On-line resources make a big difference, so get information on the hotels you are booked to stay in. Ask when you book – and pester your travel agent with as many queries that might occur. Once on the honeymoon, don’t let minor irritants ruin your honeymoon.
    Now, what if the couple has a ‘honeymoon tiff’? In any successful marriage, communication and compromise are ‘must have’ from the start (and preferably, also the duration) of the marriage. So, the goal should be to make your honeymoon romantic, memorable and stress-free. Hopefully, you would have sorted out whether you were looking to experience new cultures in distant lands or just wanted to get away from it all. Whether you were more interested in going around the corner or around the world, and most important: did you want to spend more on the wedding - or the honeymoon?
    When it comes to honeymoon planning, says Nehal Jani, a London-based travel expert, “Most couples try to select the destination first. Ideally, a more productive way to begin is, unless your dream destination has already been ‘set in stone’, first decide what type of honeymoon you want - and then narrow down your list of destinations accordingly,” says Nehal.
    “If the world over, people treat honeymoons as the single most important event after marriage, it was only time before India followed suit,” says Heena J A, COO - TravelPort India. “And that time is now. The amount of time and care taken in planning a honeymoon illustrates this. The fact that one can travel almost anywhere in the world and in some cases, it’s cheaper to travel outside India, young couples are actually planning honeymoons as an obvious extension of the wedding,” she says. From among its special honeymoon packages, the experience TravelPort India has so far is that Indian honeymooning couples have their homework done – what, where, when and how.
    “When you are very much in love, it is these moments that you
    spend together initially which set up the base for your future married life,” adds Heena J A. “To enjoy the quality time that you get as much as possible, you must plan your honeymoon well. It is a wellplanned honeymoon which ends up being the most important part of your wedding,” she concludes.