Adventure Honeymooning North America

We traveled around the world for our adventure honeymoon but we have barely scratched the surface of our own country. We’ve stayed everywhere from five-star resorts in Asia to tree houses in South America and found we gravitate toward properties that embrace the great outdoors (especially when there is a Jacuzzi involved.) We dream of continuing our endless honeymoon throughout North America, and when we do these five Glamping properties are at the top of our list!

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Moab Under Canvas, Utah

Southern Utah has some of the most extreme landscapes in America, but Moab Under Canvas has smoothed its rough exterior for unfettered bliss. Adjacent to the geological wonders of Arches and Canyonlands National Park, this luxury camp has a front-row view of the red plateaus and craggy canyons. Its deluxe and suite tents are perfect for honeymooners with more sheltered locations, spectacular views, en suite bathroom, and fireplace. The Under Canvas team can arrange nearly any desert adventure or cultural outing you crave from walking in the footsteps of dinosaurs to river rafting the Colorado.

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The Resort at Paws Up, Montana

A ranch that doesn’t involve roughing it, Paws Up treats honeymooners to the pampering they need in the wild west. Built with newlyweds in mind, their Honeymoon Tents and Homes have ultimate privacy and romantic amenities. Book one of the homes and it comes with welcome champagne, a couples massage, a private wagon ride, and a candlelight picnic for two. Take advantage of the rivers, mountains, and their endless list of summer and winter activities like hot air ballooning, horseback riding, skiing, dog sledding, and more.

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Primland Resort, Virginia 


If Virginia is for lovers, Primland is their romantic escape. Set on 12,000 acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the landscape is made for relaxation and invigoration. Soak at the spa, horseback ride, enjoy a round of golf, stargaze from the observatory, or lounge in your chic cottage. Named one of Condé Nast Traveler’s Top 100 Resorts in the World, they are sure to give honeymooners the five-star treatment.

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Dunton Hot Springs, Colorado

A truly unique destination, the resort is a restored Rocky Mountain ghost town, from the days of miners and covered wagons. Using existing historic buildings and period-inspired architecture, Dunton Hot Springs and River Camp marry its rugged past with modern enhancements, like a holistic spa, screening room, vineyard, and fine dining restaurant. Their Mountain Romance Package pulls out all the stops with a luxurious cabin adorned with flowers, chocolate-covered strawberries, and champagne, a 75-minute massage, unlimited use of the hot springs and sporting equipment from mountain bikes to cross-country skis. If your heart is racing at Dunton, it’s not just the altitude.

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Nimmo Bay Wilderness Resort, Canada


If North America seems too close to home for a honeymoon, try Nimmo Bay. Only accessible by air or water, this swath of British Columbia is where rainforest and glacier meet for untouched beauty and sophisticated adventure. Wake up with an outdoor rain shower and breakfast in bed…helicopter to a secluded island for a champagne picnic…kayak alongside humpback whales and sea lions…hike atop a 6000′ glacier to enjoy oysters on ice…your wildest wish is their command.

Anne and Mike Howard are creators of the around-the-world honeymoon blog HoneyTrek.com and Trip Coaches for anyone looking to travel the world safely, affordably and off the beaten path. You can follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @HoneyTrek.

Insider Safaris: Offbeat Meru

Most first time safari-goers head for the famous Maasai Mara or Serengeti, but for those in the know, Kenya’s Meru National Park is where the wild things are. One hundred and sixty miles north of Nairobi, the landscape is unlike any other with bright red cotton soil, the multi-branch doum palms, and 13 winding rivers that draw thousands of animals to its shores. Being an insider spot not only lends itself to fewer crowds, but more intimate accommodations, like the six-tent Offbeat Meru. We have so many favorite African safari camps from our HoneyTrek but when it comes down to good vibes and epic wildlife sightings, our love goes to Offbeat Meru.

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From the staff to the design, there is no pretension at Offbeat. The charming manager team welcomed us into camp, as did the all the waving and smiling guests that were enjoying themselves in the pool. We continued on to the open air lobby for check-in, settled into the chic linen sofas, sipped a cold ginger beer, and had the feeling wash over us…this is going to be a great stay.

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Built in the the true safari-tent style, each canvas and screen escape embraces the outdoors with just enough luxuries to make us feel like we weren’t vulnerable to the elements (or wildlife). Our king-size canopy bed and outdoor living room was like a hotel suite but the hot bucket shower and monkeys at our door reminded us this is what a safari camp is all about.

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One thing we particularly loved about Offbeat was their choose-your-own-adventure approach to itineraries. In the mornings and evenings, game drives were always available but activities like walking safaris or fishing at the watering hole were also fantastic options. We took a walking safari our first night and when we saw the crew catching huge catfish, sipping Tusker lagers and having a grand old time on the river, we joined the fishing action the following night.

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The next morning we got up before sunrise to watch the animals awake from their slumber and caught this fireball over the horizon of doum palms. The golden glow illuminating the gangling branches and red earth below was spectacular.

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All the safari vehicles come equipped with traditional Maasai blankets to combat the morning chill. Our guide Bernard gave me the inside scoop on how to wear one like a local.

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Bernard’s tracking skills always brought us to the front row of the action. We were driving along and suddenly he suddenly pulled into the bushes, and low and behold there was a male lion relaxing in the shade! I’m still not sure how he knew this, but his sixth sense never ceased to amaze.

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For breakfast we picnicked at this lush watering hole filled to the brim with hippos. Instead of just hopping back in the car on a full stomach, we got to extend our stop at the river with a bit of fishing upstream. We caught four fish in a matter of minutes which added such fun to the morning and a whole new way to appreciate time in the savanna.

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A family of the endemic Reticulated Giraffes whizzed past us. The way their spots are outlined makes them particularly beautiful, but like all giraffes they still have a funny gallop with those long necks and skinny legs.

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After nearly three months traveling Africa we’d seen hundreds of elephants, but we’d never seen one with tusks as massive as these. These long swaths of ivory seemed to stretch for miles and slash through the air like swords. We certainly knew this was not the kind of pachyderm you’d want to mess with, but he gave us a mock charge and a few snorts just to make it extra clear.

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Just when we thought we’d had the most eventful game drive, the most unbelievable sighting was yet to come! According to our East African wildlife field guide, the Beautiful Sand Snake has never been seen alive in Kenya…until it crawled right past our dining tent! The fearless assistant guide Mark saw it slither by and snatched it up before the moment was gone forever. This delicate, precious reptile seemed more legend than reality so in the name of science, the team held on to the snake until the specialists could come in to examine it. History was made and we are proud to say, we saw it first at Offbeat Meru!

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Between game drives, we always found ourselves dipping into their cool, calming pool.

On our final morning we arrived at the park’s premier event….the Meru Rhino Sanctuary! Poaching is a serious problem in Africa so the the Kenya Wildlife Service has created large protected areas for these 67 rhinos to roam safely. To even see an endangered rhino chewing grass is exciting but we were lucky enough to catch the most incredible father-son moment. Watch this elder rhino school his young on how to use the horn to defend himself and his territory.

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From unexpected picnics to fishing holes to pool-time, we love that Offbeat Safaris is about so much more than game drives. The wildlife is among the best in the country but it’s the remote and intimate nature of camp that makes this safari lodge one of Kenya’s best kept secrets.

Anne and Mike Howard are creators of the around-the-world honeymoon blog HoneyTrek.com and Trip Coaches for anyone looking to travel the world safely, affordably and off the beaten path. You can follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @HoneyTrek.

Immerse Yourself in Kamu Lodge

The best travel experiences are when you can truly immerse yourself in a new culture…and they are often the hardest to come by. So how can you gain access into fascinating far-flung communities without relying on chance encounters or an Abercrombie & Kent price tag? Well in Laos, the answer is Kamu Lodge. Thirty kilometers up stream from Luang Prabang, this 20-hut lodge was built in conjunction with the neighboring Kamu tribe as a way to preserve and honor their traditional way of life—farming the land, fishing the rivers, and crafting everything by hand—by inviting guest to be apart of it. By teaching their trades and sharing traditions with guests, villagers not only gain income by working at the lodge but a large portion of the proceeds goes directly back into the community in the form of schools, health care, and a micro-financing development fund. Of all the accommodations we stayed at during our honeymoon around the worldKamu Lodge was easily one of the most enriching.

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Our boat went full steam up the Mekong river along the limestone cliffs and docked on the sandy beaches of Kamu Lodge. The location felt a world away from the city where we started.

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The local villagers escorted us to our villas made of thatch roofs, canvas walls, and traditional furniture.  Our beds were thoughtfully decorated with bougainvillea petals and the bathroom was beautifully done and fully equipped. Far from roughing it, we took a hot shower (heated with solar) and then met the masseuse for an incredible couples massage.

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The entire camp is centered around a working rice paddy with the restaurant and bar weaved into the terraces. Sitting on the patio, watching the emerald blades blow in the wind, and smelling the fertile earth beneath us, as we savored our homegrown rice with buffalo curry, was a one-of-a-kind dining experience.

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After lunch, we took our first visit to the adjacent village to learn about local life. A baby had just been born so the community was celebrating the birth of their newest member with music and dancing. The houses here are small thatch dwellings with a single room for cooking and sleeping. Not much more is needed since most people spend their days in nature or the center of the village with family and friends.

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Rice is the most important staple of life in Southeast Asia and we were about to learn how to grow it. A farmer motioned me to take off my shoes and come into the paddy. I step into the water, the mud squishing between my toes, and he hands me a seedling to plant into the earth. The technique is to corkscrew it into the ground about eight inches apart from the previous plan and in just a few months it will fill into a field of mature rice, ready to harvest.

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After we learned how to grow our food, we learned how to catch it. This stared with a lesson archery followed by net fishing. While most Kamu aren’t hunting with a crossbow anymore, fishing is still a daily practice. The technique is to hold the net at the edges, wind up your torso and throw it as far and flat as you can. This is a workout—especially when it can take dozens of tries to catch a fish!

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We went to dinner and were surprised with a private table in the paddy! It was magical to dine in the field with the glow of the moon and candlelight. We finished our meal and were invited to a special performance by the village. Sitting around the fire we took in traditional song and dance for a nightcap to a very special day.

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The next morning we took a relaxing morning stroll along the shore and village, before heading back to Luang Prabang. Kamu Lodge has 2-day or 3-day packaged that include meals, activities, hikes and ample time to soak up the local culture and environs. No matter how long you stay, you’ll return with a an experience you won’t soon forget.

Anne and Mike Howard are creators of the around-the-world honeymoon blog HoneyTrek.com and Trip Coaches or those looking to extensively travel the world safely, affordably and off the beaten path. You can follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @HoneyTrek.