With wedding season approaching, thoughts often turn to banquet halls and church bells or ocean-backed beachside ceremonies with close family and friends. If you’re planning to tie the knot abroad or wanting to escape for a post-wedding getaway, our travel experts at KAYAK.sg have scouted the region for six of the best places to exchange vows or just get away from it all. We’ve also shared our top travel hacks for getting the most out of this once-in-a-lifetime trip.
| Six destinations to tie the knot | ||
|
Destination |
Hotel |
Starting flight prices (SGD) |
| Pangkor, Malaysia | Pangkor Laut Resort | 66 |
| Phuket, Thailand | Aleenta Resort and Spa | 164 |
| Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia | Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali Resort | 184 |
| Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam | Worldhotel Amiana Nha Trang | 297 |
| Male, Maldives | Anantara Kihavah Villas | 305 |
| Koh Samui, Thailand | Conrad Koh Samui | 410 |
Southeast Asia is home to some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, stunning scenery and amazing hotels, all of which can provide the perfect backdrop for a destination wedding or honeymoon. At any of these recommended destinations, you lovebirds out there will be able to create lasting memories while also expanding your travel horizons. As brides and grooms-to-be, you already have a lot on your minds, so to make flight booking easier, you can sign up for Price Alerts to receive a notification when the flight price drops for your favourite destination so you’ll never miss out on a deal.
Bali, Indonesia
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Tanah Lot, the iconic Balinese temple on the sea, is one of the beautiful backdrops on offer for couples who exchange wedding vows at the Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali. What could be more romantic than getting married within view of this ancient and enchanting Hindu place of worship during a glorious sunset? The resort’s expansive golf course can also accommodate up to 400 wedding guests for larger ceremonies. If you who want to make a longer holiday out of your trip, there are plenty of nearby activities to keep you and your guests busy, including temple tours, and visits to local museums and pottery factories.
Phuket, Thailand
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The Aleenta Phuket Resort is perfect for intimate weddings. With the sun setting over the horizon and waves gently lapping the shoreline, your guests will be charmed by the beachfront location. The resort has various wedding venues to choose from, each with the promise of beautiful views, privacy and exclusivity. To release any tension before or after the big day, visit Quan Spa to relax and unwind knotted muscles. Your guests will also love learning about Thai cuisine in Kin Dee Thai Cooking class.
Koh Samui, Thailand
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Located on the southern tip of the island, Conrad Koh Samui is one of Koh Samui’s most popular wedding locations and it’s not hard to understand why. With a unique over-the-water ceremony, walk down a transparent aisle right out to the middle of the resort’s main infinity pool. Your guests can spend their time on an elephant jungle-trek, visiting a fishing village or paying respects to the “Mummy Monk”, Luang Pho Daeng, at Wat Khunaram temple.
Baa Atoll, Maldives
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A quick seaplane flight from Male, the Baa Atoll is a haven of clear blue water, pristine beaches and drool-worthy accommodation. From the deck of an over-water villa at the Anantara Kihavah Maldives, your guests can watch playful bottlenose dolphins swim by, along with schools of tropical fish and soaring seabirds. Ocean-lovers can get even closer to the islands’ colourful marine life by putting on a snorkel mask and diving in. While staying at the Anantara, you can take a sunset cruise on a private yacht, dine in an underwater restaurant or even take the plunge — literally — by getting married in an underwater SCUBA ceremony.
Nha Trang, Vietnam
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Away from the hustle and bustle of Nha Trang, the Amiana Resort Nha Trang offers sparkling views off Vietnam’s east coast. You can opt to tie the knot in the resort’s ballroom or on the beach. The latter provides a more intimate setting nestled between the rocky coast and the sea. The resort is also known for its impeccable service and exquisite cuisine. Adventurous guests can take snorkelling and diving trips with Vietnam Active while culture vultures can visit the Po Nagar Cham Towers, a Buddhist place of worship built between the 7th and 12th centuries and possibly first used as early as 2AD.
Pangkor, Malaysia
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About three miles off the west coast of Malaysia, Pangkor Laut Resort resides on a sparkling emerald bay renowned as one of the most picturesque beaches in the world. You can choose between a private yacht and an extravagant beachside ceremony at this wedding-album-perfect resort. The island offers a plethora of water sports activities like jetskiing, a world-class spa and delectable cuisine. If you’re willing to drag yourselves away from the resort for an afternoon, you can visit the Fu Lin Kong temple or the 17th century Dutch Fort.
To help you make the most out of your wedding trip, we’ve put together some tips and travel hacks to ensure a once-in-a-lifetime experience:
Avoid the crowds
Check the Singapore school holiday calendar before setting a date for the big day or planning a special trip. The same destination is often more expensive and more crowded when school is out of session. To avoid kids completely, look for an adults-only hotel or resorts with an adults-only pool area for a more romantic tone.
Get upgraded on your flight
Airlines sometimes offer free upgrades to couples travelling for their wedding or their honeymoon if space allows. You can maximise your chances of bagging one by checking in early, politely mentioning the reason for travel and enquiring about the possibility of an upgrade. Dressing up can also help — if you prefer to fly in comfy loungewear, you can pop it in your hand luggage and change in the lounge or on your flight.
Give yourself a day off
It pays to build in a rest day between your wedding and your honeymoon and another one after you return home. Travelling when exhausted from all the excitement of the big day is never a fun experience.
Get a room upgrade
Couples arranging a destination wedding will often receive special perks from the resort but you shouldn’t forget to make very clear why you are there when booking or checking into your room. Many hotels make an effort to congratulate couples on their honeymoon and may provide anything from a bottle of champagne to a free spa treatment or even a room upgrade.
Lighten your load
If you plan to leave for a honeymoon straight after your destination wedding, lighten your post-ceremony luggage load by asking friends and family to take a few items back to Singapore for you. There is no sense in dragging a just-worn wedding dress to yet another destination if this can be avoided.
Go where the dollar is the strongest
Think about the strength of the Singapore Dollar relative to other currencies in the region when trying to plan the most cost-effective destination wedding or honeymoon.
Flight prices are based on flight searches on KAYAK.sg for travel from 12 to 19 June 2016. Prices are quoted in Singapore dollars and are based on a return economy flight for one person. Flight prices quoted may be subject to change or conversion rate fluctuation and may no longer be available.
Main image: @haveseen/Shutterstock.com
