Travel

From Maldives to Malindi, honeymoon planning tips

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Amazing panorama beach landscape. FILE PHOTO | SHUTTERSTOCK

After saying I do to the love of your life, it’s time for a honeymoon. A honeymoon is a tradition and a privilege that most couples take advantage of.

It’s a time to bond, reflect on your relationship, spend the first night together, and plan for the future.

Yet planning for it can be a very tedious affair. It takes a lot of thought to plan for where you want to spend your time, the budget, and all the nitty gritty that comes with honeymoon preparations.

For Wambui Nyutu, Maldives was her first choice destination for her honeymoon.

“It’s a romantic island with pristine beaches and vibrant culture. We loved it because it’s a luxurious and exclusive destination with great accommodation options, incredible customer service, water activities, restaurants with mouth-watering cuisines, and great weather,” she explains.

The couple used a travel agency to book their inclusive package.

The best thing about booking with a travel agent, says Wambui, is that you can get the best deals on accommodation, flights, and the excursions you wish to take on your trip.

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Wambui Nyutu and her husband George Guara during their honeymoon at Maldives. FILE PHOTO | POOL

For their Maldives trip, the couple chose a $30,000, approximately Sh4 million package that catered for the flight, a room over the water with a see-through glass on the floor, a private balcony pool, a spacious room with king size bed, a bath tab, an indoor and outdoor shower, and walk-in closet, and excursions around the Maldives.

They also had an all-inclusive meal service, unlimited drinks, and the option of having a private lunch or dinner with a honeymoon theme by the ocean or at restaurants.

The hotel, too, served romantic floating breakfast in the room’s private pool.

Wambui says there are so many activities that newlyweds do around the Maldives.

“Maldives has a dynamic nightlife with great dancing music and various shows and performances. There is also surfing, snorkelling, sunset cruise, fishing, jet skiing, flyboarding, tubing, parasailing, kayaking, windsurfing, scuba diving, dolphins, watching, volleyball, and other sports. Additionally, there are other amenities like couple massage and other relaxation treatments,” she explains.

For Francesca Nzula, Malindi was her destination of choice.

“We’d always wanted to visit Malindi, so it was a perfect opportunity. What was special about the place was the ambience, the food, and the drinks,” recalls Francesca.

They used a travel planner who organised everything from accommodation to plane tickets and transport from the airport to the hotel, all for Sh170,000.

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Malindi Pier. FILE PHOTO | POOL

Francesca advises couples to always do their research and confirm travelling dates, even when using travel planners, especially when choosing rooms and the destination.

“Have enough money and check in and out in good time,” she says.

Mercy Nyambura and Moses Muroki’s honeymoon was in Naivasha two years ago. They discovered that after paying their wedding bill, they had spare change.

Mercy was sick, hence they opted for somewhere convenient in terms of distance and weather.

“We didn’t have a lot of activities. Our honeymoon was a time to rest after a long, tough journey toward our wedding. Our destination at the banks of Lake Elementaita had a perfect view, especially in the morning and at night we enjoyed bonfires,” she says.

Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, the couple enjoyed heavily discounted deals.

They paid approximately Sh37,500 for a four-day and three-night full board package.

Moses advises couples to always be keen on checking up on their accommodation options and to always tell their planners about their preferences before booking.

“Ask questions and say what you would want to have. I always love extra clean bedrooms...I’m always afraid of crawling creatures, so one of the first thing I always enquire about is how the rooms look and their location, if possible if I can get an upstairs one. On meals, you can enquire on the menu and what is offered at all times to avoid paying for what you don’t like,” he adds.

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Amazing bird eyes view in Maldives. FILE PHOTO | SHUTTERSTOCK

He also advises couples to plan their honeymoon based on their pockets and to ensure that they have cleared the bill with their wedding service providers before having a costly one.

“Don’t spend all your savings on honeymoon since you’ll have a fresh life once you are out that will have doubled demands than you had before,” he says.

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