Rickshaw Travel recommends alternative honeymoon ideas with a meaningful twist

Rickshaw Travel specialise in creating authentic travel itineraries and getting behind the scenes of a destination, packing trips with meaningful experiences that couples can share and remember long after their tans have faded. They also offer a honeymoon gift service, so wedding guests can contribute towards the cost of the honeymoon. This formula is ideal for honeymooners looking to do something a bit different…whatever their budget.

With a passion for supporting local economies and a focus on meaningful travel, this tour operator takes travellers off the beaten path in a different way. Through homestay options and tailored experiences, each trip encourages travellers to not only meet the locals, but get to know them personally and understand each destination through its cultures and traditions. Experiential bite-size trips where couples can learn to cook, fish and roll a cigar like the locals can be combined with more remote and personal options creating a balance of beauty, seclusion and culture. With destinations ranging from Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cuba and more, newlyweds can build a truly individual adventure from a series of bite-size trips that work with their budget and timescale.

Here are some examples of destinations and several short trips that could be put together to create a longer honeymoon adventure with Rickshaw Travel:

Honeymoon in Vietnam

Try an atmospheric Vietnam honeymoon packed with authentic romance. Filled with vibrant energy, heart-warming people and remote island paradises, Vietnam is not the average honeymoon destination. On a Rickshaw Travel trip to Vietnam, honeymooners can zip through the backstreets of Ho Chi Minh City on classic scooters, sleep under starry skies aboard a traditional Chinese junk boat and soak up the tropical sunshine on tiny, secluded islands.

Three examples of Rickshaw Travel bite-size trips that can be combined to build an individual itinerary in Vietnam include:

Scooting through Saigon

Zip through the back streets of Ho Chi Minh on a vintage Vespa, searching for secret street food hangouts and soaking up the live music and atmosphere. This vibrant city comes alive after dark and this night tour and foodie adventure samples the local hotspots.

The 3-day trip costs from £188 per person (based on two sharing) and includes airport transfers, accommodation with breakfast and evening Vespa tour with guide, meals, drinks and transfer.

At Home with the Hill Tribes in Mai Hich

Tucked between the misty mountains of rural Vietnam, Mai Hich is home to the White Tai people, known for their dancing, singing and punchy Can wine. On this bite size trip couples can stay with a tribal family and get a real taste of local life in the hills. Guests will experience genuine hill tribe hospitality in the bright green countryside and get a feel for authentic mountain ways. They will meet the locals, eat with their hosts and sleep in a traditional stilted house. The following day couples will float lazily and romantically along the Xia River on a makeshift raft, soaking up the scenery as they drift amongst tumbling rice terraces.

The 2-day trip costs from £185 per person (based on two sharing) and includes all transport, 1 night’s accommodation with breakfast, lunch and dinner and excursions as described.

Hammock on Palm Island

Tucked away off the coast of Nha Trang, this little-visited but oft-loved Island is all about the beauty of the bare necessities. In this pocket of paradise the food is delicious, the diving wonderful and the secluded relaxation is complete.

The 3-day trip costs from £158 per person (based on two sharing) and includes two night’s accommodation, all meals and return transport by minibus and boat.

For more inspiration visit www.rickshawtravel.co.uk/asia/south-east/vietnam/trips

Honeymoon in Indonesia

Indonesia makes for a honeymoon packed with mystical romance and filled with tropical twists. Camp under the stars on the edge of a volcanic crater, hike to hidden waterfalls in the forest, amble between emerald rice paddies and escape to tiny exotic islands.

The River and the Volcano – Gunung Agung Volcano

Rickshaw Travel suggest honeymooners start their Bali adventure in Sidemen, a typical Balinese village tucked away in a green valley in the heart of the island. It’s the quintessential rural image – people washing in the river, farmers working in the fields and carts slowly rolling along the paths. Those who wish to see the sunrise over Bali can take a 2am trek to the summit of the Mount Agung volcano view the wine-red sky from the top as dawn breaks. During this Bali tour guests stay in a charming cottage in a rustic green valley within walking distance of the river.

The 3-day ‘River and the Volcano’ bite-size trip is available from £158 per person (based on 2 sharing) and includes 2 nights accommodation with breakfast, guided hikes and transport.

Combine with ‘Homestay in the Hills’ and ‘Seafood and Sunshine’ for a very special honeymoon adventure.

Homestay in the hills – Tirtagangga

Take a glimpse into the real Bali with a homestay tucked away in the hills. Couples will meet the villagers, taste home-cooked meals, trek through the rich green valleys and learn about local life. It’s a wonderful, warm-hearted way to get a feel for daily life in rural Bali, where the views are beautiful and the people even more so. Honeymooners will spend two nights in an isolated homestay amidst stunning jungles, rice terraces and coffee plantations.

The 3-day bite-size trip is available from £48 per person (Based on two sharing) and includes homestay accommodation, breakfast and treks with a guide.

Seafood and Sunshine – Jimbaran

Newlyweds can pull up a seat at a rickety seafood warung for a blazing Balinese sunset on Jimbaran, a crescent white bay with gentle surf, local markets and real character. South of the hedonistic beaches of Kuta, Jimbaran has a relaxed vibe, sizzling seafood grills and some of the best sunsets in the world.

The 4-day bite-size trip is available from £175 per person (based on two sharing) and includes accommodation with breakfast and a seafood dinner on Jimbaran beach. Standard accommodation is a modern resort and In Style is a resort and spa.

For more inspiration visit: www.rickshawtravel.co.uk/asia/south-east/indonesia/trips

Honeymoon in Malaysia

Wander barefoot along empty beaches, have a go at Batik, escape to a hidden rainforest retreat and sip cocktails in rooftop city bars. Malaysia is a heady mix of intriguing culture, world-class cuisine, thick tropical jungles and tiny paradise islands.

Honeymooners can combine a minimum of three bite-sized trips and build their dream trip.

Campfire in the Jungles of Endau Rompin

Honeymooners get back to nature on this remote rainforest adventure where they’ll spend three nights camping in the jungles of Endau Rompin National Park, sleeping under clear, starry skies lulled by the sounds of the rainforest. During the day, they will explore the overgrown wilderness by boat, spotting spider monkeys and rare birds and then trek through the jungle in search of the sacred Buaya Sangut Waterfall. The local Orang Asli tribe believe that its cascading water has special powers and can prevent blindness so it’s definitely worth a dip.

Prices for the bite-size tour start at £298 per person, based on 2 people sharing, this includes 2 night’s accommodation, meals, transfers, English-speaking guide and camping equipment.

Creative Kampung Life

Couples can get creative on this bite-size trip and try their hand at Batik, the local art of creating a patterned cloth with the use of wax and dye. On this bite-sized cultural trip, guests can really experience Malaysia’s culture without having to go completely back to basics. They spend two nights in a welcoming and creative Kampung tucked away on a riverbank outside Kota Bharu where Malay culture and tradition is at the heart of daily life. Friendly hosts will teach guests the traditional method of Batik and all about local Kampung life, offering an authentic view of Malaysia and helping create a souvenir for life.

The 3-day bite-size trip costs from £85 per person, based on 2 people sharing, this includes 2 nights accommodation with breakfast and Batik workshop and painting.

Barefoot Bliss

There are a wealth of paradise islands to explore in Malaysia and Rickshaw Travel has compiled a range of options for honeymooners that are all about the beaches or want to include a slice of tropical heaven. From Langawaki Luxury to a Perhentian Island Escape or Island hopping for up to a week or more around Malaysia’s East-coast Islands Rickshaw Travel can tailor an itinerary to suit.

Prices start from £178 for a 4-day Perhentian Island escape. The price includes accommodation with breakfast and return boat transfers.

Rickshaw Travel also recommends Borneo, Sri Lanka and Cuba for a very different honeymoon experience with trip combination options like no other tour operator. Rickshaw Travel’s concept of building a unique holiday using bite-size trips is individual in the UK market and their new website allows them to communicate the process more clearly to customers. The website helps travellers fulfil the desire of booking independently but with the security of a bonded tour operator.

For more inspiration visit www.rickshawtravel.co.uk/asia/south-east/malaysia/trips

For more information and honeymoon recommendations visit: www.rickshawtravel.co.uk, email hello@rickshawtravel.co.uk, or call +44 (0) 1273 322 399