As you might be well aware, I am the happiest when I get a honeymoon request from my clients. Hence my favorite part of my job is to travel to unique destinations to get explore the new trends, top hotels and local cuisine.
When I got engaged last year my immediate goal was to plan the ultimate honeymoon. Therefore, after carefully selecting my favorite destinations I started the search for the most romantic hotels in those locations. It took me almost a year to narrow my list down to three, so without further a due here are the three most romantic, luxurious and unique properties on planet Earth.
We were 36 hours in and our honeymoon seemed more like a marathon than an actual honeymoon. As we got off our Thai Airways flight in Chiang Rai our heads were still spinning from the fact that:
1. We were now married.
2. We had had the most spectacular wedding.
3. We had seen 600 loved ones in one night.
4. We were now half way around the world about to experience the most extraordinary two-week honeymoon ever planned.
As we got off the plane we were greeted perhaps by the happiest person in Thailand, Tai Yo. Everything we said was met with a hearty laugh. It was the kind of laugh that you envy when you hear it, making our one-hour car ride to the Ruak river fly by. Afterwards my husband and I boarded a traditional long boat for the final stretch to reach the long awaited Four Seasons Tented Camp.
As the ranger steered the boat, the crisp and fresh air caressing my face was the instant shot of adrenaline I needed. The lush tropical beauty, the raw wildlife, and location were surreal. We were in the heart of the Golden Triangle where we could see three counties at the same time: Laos, Thailand and Myanmar. In addition, the idea of being in the epicenter of the Opium War was unreal.
Half way into the boat ride, I thought to myself the trip couldn’t get any better than this, that is, until we arrived to the camp. “Ok”, I thought, now I have seen it all. The mix of Swiss family Robinson style with an African flair left me speechless, to the point that when the manager came to introduce himself, I just smiled and said nothing. Thankfully I have a husband that loves conversation, therefore acting as my assistant was a no-brainer as he began telling him all about Posh Voyage.
The bar, lobby, restaurant, library and wine cellar were all outdoors perched on a hill overlooking the Golden Triangle. Consequently, I sat down to take everything in. I got pampered with a fresh cold towel, warm tea and traditional Thai snacks. Everything was great until it became perfect thanks to two giant, hairy, adorable 14-year-old elephants standing behind us. Of course, every time I thought this could not get any better, it did.
It was time to go to our room! We began the 10 minute uphill trek, crossed a suspension bridge, passed by the elephant reserve and there it was, our tent.
At the Tented Camp, hotel rooms are a thing of the past. Here, luxury tents rule. With just 15 tents decorated with handcrafted furniture, outdoor showers, a Jacuzzi, mosquito nets and a hand-hammered copper bathtub, we saw ‘camping’ in a whole new light.
During our stay at the Four Seasons Tented Camp, we never ran out of activities. Whether we were on an elephant trek in the bamboo forests, floating down the Mekong River, spending a day at the open-air spa or exploring the village market, the days flew by. And at night, we indulged in regional specialties at the Nong Yao restaurant, where hurricane lights created the perfect ambiance. Simple dishes like curry’s, papaya salad and friend rice were perfection.
Finally, our “thing” was to head over to the Burma Bar after dinner, order a Bloody Mary and a Lemongrass Martini, and sit next to the fireplace while playing cards. Our game only lasted five minutes max, since I was always losing. I hate losing, so naturally I would throw the cards on the floor and pretend nothing happened. The best part about the bar is that they refuse to play music, believing the sounds of nature make for a more beautiful melody.
