I spend a surprising amount of my working week helping couples plan their honeymoons through my safari business, and over the past few years I’ve noticed a real shift in what people are looking for.

When I got married back in 2017, it felt like there were two types of honeymoon. You either checked into an all-inclusive resort and barely left your sun lounger for two weeks, or you did what my ex-husband and I did and tried to cram as much as humanly possible into one extended trip. We chose Brazil and it was incredible, but looking back, it was definitely a case of “how much can we fit in?” rather than “how much can we experience?”

Now, the conversations I have with couples are very different. More and more are asking about spending longer in one place, slowing down and really getting to know a destination rather than ticking off as many as possible.

It’s part of a wider travel trend known as slow travel, and I genuinely think it’s one of the best things to happen to honeymoons. Rather than returning home exhausted, couples are choosing to give themselves the time and space to actually enjoy the start of married life together.

After all, your honeymoon isn’t just another holiday. It’s one of the few trips in your life where doing less can actually help you get more from the experience.

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Slow Travel Honeymoon: Why Couples Are Travelling Differently

What Is Slow Travel?

Despite the name, slow travel isn’t about moving at a snail’s pace or spending your days doing absolutely nothing.

Instead, it’s about giving yourself enough time to connect with a destination. That might mean returning to the same little café every morning, shopping at a local market instead of eating every meal in a resort, or spending an afternoon with no plans whatsoever because you’ve finally stopped looking at your watch.

Rather than changing hotels every few days, many couples are choosing one beautiful base and exploring from there. It removes the stress of constant packing and travelling, leaving far more time to simply enjoy each other’s company.

Why It’s Becoming So Popular

Weddings are often months of planning, budgets, seating charts and endless decisions. By the time the honeymoon arrives, many couples don’t want another tightly scheduled itinerary.

Slow travel offers something completely different.

There’s less rushing between airports, fewer early alarms for organised tours and more opportunities to enjoy spontaneous moments. You might stumble across a family-run restaurant, discover a quiet beach with nobody else around or spend an entire afternoon reading by the pool without feeling guilty that you’re “wasting” your holiday.

Ironically, slowing down often helps you experience a destination more deeply.

Destinations That Lend Themselves to Slow Travel

Some destinations naturally encourage a slower pace than others.

Bali

Bali remains one of the world’s most popular honeymoon destinations, but many couples are moving away from the busiest tourist hotspots in favour of quieter areas where they can settle in for a week or two.

Places like Ubud offer peaceful rice terraces, yoga studios and incredible restaurants, while the Bukit Peninsula provides dramatic clifftop scenery, beautiful beaches and a more relaxed atmosphere than some of the island’s busier resorts.

For couples planning a longer stay, choosing the right accommodation can make all the difference. Many opt for honeymoon villas in Bali because having your own private space, pool and outdoor living area makes it much easier to embrace a slower pace of travel.

Madeira

Madeira is often overlooked in favour of mainland Portugal, but it’s one of Europe’s best destinations for couples who love nature.

Days can be spent hiking the famous levadas, enjoying long lunches overlooking the Atlantic or exploring picturesque villages without feeling the need to rush between attractions. Better still, it’s only a few hours’ flight from much of Europe.

Georgia

Georgia continues to grow in popularity with travellers looking for somewhere a little different.

Combining time in Tbilisi with a few days exploring the wine region of Kakheti or the spectacular mountains around Svaneti offers a wonderful balance of culture, food and scenery. It’s also excellent value compared with many traditional honeymoon destinations.

Japan’s Setouchi Region

While Tokyo and Kyoto remain iconic, couples looking for a quieter experience are increasingly drawn to Japan’s Setouchi region.

The art islands, peaceful coastal towns and traditional ryokans create a completely different atmosphere from Japan’s larger cities, making it an ideal destination for anyone who wants to slow down and immerse themselves in local culture.

A Few Practical Things to Consider

One advantage of staying in one destination for longer is that you have more flexibility if your plans change. However, it’s still worth checking entry requirements before you book.

Many destinations have introduced new tourism taxes or updated visa rules in recent years, and these can change without much notice. Rather than relying on older travel blogs, it’s always worth checking the relevant government website before travelling.

If you’re planning a longer honeymoon, make sure your visa allows enough time for the type of trip you have in mind.

Choosing the Right Accommodation

When you’re only staying somewhere for two or three nights, almost any hotel will do.

When you’re planning to spend ten days or more in one place, accommodation becomes much more important.

You’ll probably appreciate having somewhere comfortable to relax during the hottest part of the day, outdoor space to enjoy breakfast together and enough privacy that you don’t feel surrounded by other holidaymakers throughout your stay.

Whether you choose a boutique hotel, guesthouse or private villa comes down to personal preference, but thinking about how you actually want to spend your days is far more important than simply looking for the biggest pool or the most luxurious bathroom.

Location also matters.

Staying somewhere within walking distance of local cafés, restaurants or small shops often makes it much easier to experience everyday life than relying on taxis every time you leave your accommodation.

Is Longer Always Better?

One thing many couples say afterwards is that they wish they’d booked a few extra days.

It often takes the first couple of days simply to unwind from the wedding itself. By the time you’ve adjusted to your surroundings and switched into holiday mode, nearly half of a one-week honeymoon has already disappeared.

If your budget allows, ten to fourteen days usually strikes a lovely balance. It gives you enough time to relax while still leaving room to explore without feeling rushed.

Why I Think Slow Travel Is Here to Stay

Travel trends come and go, but this one feels different.

Perhaps it’s because more people have realised that collecting passport stamps isn’t the same as experiencing a place. Or perhaps we’ve simply become better at recognising that some of our favourite travel memories happen when nothing particularly exciting is planned.

A lazy breakfast that turns into lunch. An evening wandering streets with no destination in mind. Returning to the same local restaurant because the owner remembers your names.

Those are often the moments that stay with us long after we’ve unpacked our suitcases.

For a honeymoon especially, that feels like a pretty wonderful way to begin married life.