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ELLE's top 10 Honeymoon travel destinations
Money can't buy you love, but it sure can set the mood. ELLE chooses 10 exclusive destinations far from the madding crowd.
By Rita Silvan, Noreen Flanagan and Nicolette Linton
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INDONESIA
Bali high
With its lush landscaping, waterfalls and outdoor spa, Begawan Giri estate is the ultimate tropical getaway. Hidden in the green hills near Ubud, Bali's cultural capital, Begawan Giri treats each guest to superlative service. (There are eight employees to every guest, and each suite has its own butler.) Four spa huts cling to the hillside overlooking the Ayung River, offering Javanese Lulur and Balinese Spice body treatments, loofah wraps, yogourt rub-downs and flower baths.
Just 15 minutes down the road, Ubud's boutiques sell batiks, woven textiles, masks and jewellery. Take a hike into the rainforest and around sculpted paddy fields or join a workshop on the monastic rituals of The Five Tibetans with Begawan Giri's yoga master.
Romantic side trip Climb volcanic Mount Batur by moonlight and catch the first rays of the day at the summit.
Holiday read Drums of Tonki by Helen and Frank Schreider -- an exhilarating travelogue of island-hopping, from Java to Timor.
Best time to go April to mid-November.
Most romantic room The master suites have their own plunge pools.
For more info www.begawan.com.
AUSTRALIA
Sail away
Hop aboard a luxury yacht in the Whitsunday Islands and experience the best that the Great Barrier Reef has to offer: lush green islands; deserted, sandy beaches; turquoise lagoons; and mind-blowing scuba diving and snorkelling. Located off the east coast of Australia, the world's most extensive coral-reef system is teeming with tropical fish and marine life -- you will even see migrating humpback whales in September. Spend the day splashing around in the water or lounging in your cruise-wear, then cuddle up to your honey and enjoy the fiery sunset. After a gourmet meal prepared by your executive chef, enjoy a lively round of Which Constellation Is It Anyway?
Romantic side trip Charter a seaplane to pick you up from your yacht and fly you over to Outer Barrier Reef.
Holiday read Oscar & Lucinda by award-winning Australian writer Peter Carey.
Best time to go July to October.
Most romantic room Ask for a double cabin with a private ensuite bathroom.
For more info www.luxuryholiday.com.au/seaquest/seaquest.html.
FRANCE
Secret rendezvous
Set in a valley in the lush heart of Provence, Hostellerie de Crillon le Brave is refined and tranquil without being the least bit stuffy. Many of the hotel staff were born in the region, so their knowledge of day tripping, as well as Provençal food and wine, is exceptional. (Ask for Valérie Mansis; her suggestions are wonderful!) The perfect day: enjoy breakfast in the courtyard of the hotel's Le Bistrot, visit some of France's best vineyards (Côtes du Rhône, Châteauneuf du Pape), browse the antique markets, then you can wind your way back to the hotel for a little nap before a simply scrumptious dinner at Le Restaurant in the über-romantic 16th-century mansion. Co-owned by Canadians Craig Miller and Peter Chittick, the hotel is a member of the luxe Relais & Châteaux hotel group and was recently listed in Patricia Schultz's book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die -- because staying there is heaven.
Romantic side trip In October and November, the hotel's chef, Philippe Monti, gives cooking lessons and leads excursions to markets and cheese makers and to hunt for black truffles.
Holiday read Peter Mayle's amusing autobiographical bestseller A Year in Provence.
Best time to go Mid-May to late June is prime time for enjoying the lavender and poppy fields.
Most romantic room Room 33 (La Tour) has side-by-side soaking tubs separated by a champagne bucket, a private terrace and a stunning view of Mont Ventoux.
For more info www.crillonlebrave.com.
Still have the travel bug? Check out another exotic ELLE travel story here!
Photography of Ubud, Indonesia courtesy of Nicolette Linton
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