Honeymoons fit for William and Kate

Choosing a honeymoon destination can be daunting. Here are three that will have even royals drooling.
By Michael Martin ,

The spot for a royal wedding is easy: Westminster Abbey. And after Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton wed April 29, they will have little difficulty finding a honeymoon location. The onslaught of international media and headlines such a visit would bring, let alone in the midst of a travel recession, would be a welcome dose of publicity for virtually any resort.

For many young newlyweds, even the well traveled, though, choosing one of the seemingly endless possible honeymoon destinations can be a daunting task. Being the potential king and queen, the couple must add security needs and ideally a luxury upgrade -- how do you one up everyday life in a palace? -- to the romantic expectations of any honeymoon.

Here are some spots worth considering by any couple:

The Great Barrier Reef's Lizard Island combines the right amount of luxury and sexy outdoor activities, luring even celebrities such as Prince Charles, Demi Moore and Tom Cruise.

Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Literally on the other side of the world,

Lizard Island

is an exclusive Barrier Reef island already christened by royalty such as Prince Charles and celebrities including Demi Moore and Tom Cruise. Accessed via Cairns in Australia's Queensland, the island combines enough luxury and sexy outdoor activities to satiate even young honeymooners. The dense tropical landscape of Cairns fades from view in a dual-engine plane for a 60-minute ride that can be idyllic or gut-wrenching, depending on the weather.

An abbreviated descent and abrupt landing puts you on the private island, where staff waits to welcome guests with a tour. The lobby, restaurant and other common buildings are clustered, with outdoor walkways leading to rooms secluded along private coves. Many have access to their own private beaches. While most people book into a series of entry-level rooms with private terraces, Kate and Will would likely get the keys to a pavilion perched high on the island to maximize views from its private plunge pool and beach. Guests in the pavilion can literally swim out to one of the best coral reefs in the world without another soul, or camera lens, in sight.

Shompole, Great Rift Valley, Kenya

Kenya likely holds a special place in Kate and Will's heart; it was here in East Africa that the couple was engaged while visiting the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. If they're craving a bit more luxury and glamour this time,

Shompole

is one of Kenya's most decadent safari experiences. It's on the edge of the Nguruman Escarpment, known for its endless plains and big five gaming.

The Masai hosts get travelers out of the traditional Range Rover in favor of canoe adventures, taking to the bush on mountain bikes or staying on foot to stake out indigenous fauna. After breaking a good sweat, guests are treated to elaborate lunches arranged along riverbeds, a flamingo breeding ground or under a yellow fig tree along the Ewaso Nyiro River.

Rooms are dreamy all-white oases of open architecture. For William and Kate that means security will have to be extra tight to maintain privacy. What walls there are consist of white quartz stone and shiny fig wood under thatched roofs. The gleaming all-white surfaces surround freeform pools that spill out onto a bush horizon.

Jade Mountain, St. Lucia

St. Lucia, with its Piton Mountains, is perhaps the most romantic of all the Caribbean islands. And in St. Lucia there is little disputing that just one hotel would be fit for Will and Kate:

Jade Mountain

by Nick Tourbetzkoy. As one of the owners of Anse Chastanet, on which the hotel is perched, the Russian-Canadian architect set out to create a "cornucopia of organic architecture" for a destination hotel unrivaled in the area.

Days are spent snorkeling out to coral reefs from the sand beaches or taking excursions into the rain forest. By night the in-house chef, a James Beard award winner, prepares dinner for the club or rooftop celestial terrace -- unless special requests are made for in-room dining.

The 24 suites, called sanctuaries, are connected via suspension bridges that lead to entryways of exotic hardwood. Galaxy Sanctuaries are the hotel's premiere rooms, with 15-foot ceilings, blush-colored plaster walls and furnishings that mix sophisticated designer pieces with indigenous work. Private infinity pools with recycled glass tile are integrated, granting incredible views and cocooning the senses in what is undoubtedly one of the world's most spectacular honeymoon experiences.

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Michael Martin is the managing editor of JetSetReport.com, a luxury travel and lifestyle guide based in Los Angeles and London. His work has appeared in InStyle, Blackbook, Elle, U.K.'s Red magazine and on ITV and the BBC.

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