Best Destination Wedding

BAGHVAN and the PENCH NATIONAL PARK:

From Mumbai, the flight to Nagpur was 85-minute long, and then the drive to the park was 90-minute long. It’s a lot of fun though! Scenes are so typical it is tough to stop taking pictures along the way.

The Pench National Park is where Kipling found the inspiration to write the Jungle Book. Just imagine all the different animals you get to observe!

Baghvan lodge, handled by Taj and &Beyond, was my first Safari experience. I had never stayed in a lodge completely immersed in the wild! The adjustment took a little while to settle with me. My body was so used to our civilized stress (work, traffic, electronic noises) and all of a sudden, I had to make myself aware of the Nature with all that comes with it: noises I had never heard before, silence I had never heard before, the darkness, the heat, the wildlife. How spoiled are we in our big cities to think that no other animals can be stronger than we are. In Baghvan, I had to watch out for wild cats, leopards, gaurs, wild boars, snakes, spiders, and TIGERS. As the lodge in set in the open, any animals can feel like entering the premises at any time, although usually they are more scared of us than anything else.

The lodge is located not even a 5-minute drive from the entrance of the park. It is made of 12 standalone suites that I would really call homes as they are huge, made of a separate indoor and an outdoor bedrooms (you can sleep outside in your own private king size bed!!), outdoor living room area, and a separate bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers. It is important to understand that the indoor and outdoor space is constantly mixed, enhancing the immersion into the wild. . For those looking forward to feel 150% part of the nature, it is an ideal scenario.

What made Baghvan so special and a place I’d go back anytime was the quality of service. The staff was made of a team of men only (no women on property) constantly looking after your every second needs. They are wonderful, make you feel safe, welcome, special and relax. The chef is fantastic. The open kitchen is set as an interactive dynamic area. On property there’s also a pool (where goats, bats and birds come to drink), a massage room, a library and a great safari shop.

A day at Baghvan starts with an early morning wake-up knock at the door around 430AM when your private butler arrives with coffee, tea, and home-made cookies. Your private Jeep and driver/guide from the lodge take you to the entrance of the park, where all jeeps (I saw a maximum of 10 vehicles on a Sunday) wait in line until a Park guide gets assigned to the jeeps (one per jeep). Baghvan guides know them all and get to pick the best ones. Off you go on your Morning Safari ride. Every day in the Pench National Park is carefully organized to respect the privacy of the tigers. Guides do not use radios to call each other so no tourist commotion around tigers ever happen. However, they use elephants to find tigers. Lucky safari goers can find him/her self on the back of an elephant getting really close to tigers!

Everyone’s back at the lodge at about 930AM for breakfast. Lunch is served around 1PM. Late morning and early afternoon are perfect moments to relax, take a nap, enjoy the pool and the surroundings of the lodge, write postcards (not easy to find in India! This country still has so much to do in terms of developing tourism) have a massage or shop in the boutique.

The evening safari takes place around 430PM. The Baghvan vehicles are allowed in the park until dust.

Each evening at Baghvan is a special event. Dinner under the stars, special cooking class, and the team is so creative.

An ideal stay in Baghvan would include minimum 2 nights, depending on the arrival and departure flight times. Once there it is always so hard to leave as there’s so much to see. I did not get to see a tiger on this trip, but didn’t really care as I got to see where these fantastic animals live. However, we had 2 jeeps in my group, and the other one did see a mother tiger with 2 cubs!!! What a reward.

We also visited a small village in the surroundings of the park. This visit was organized by Banyan Tours at the last minute, as the group expressed the desire to visit the locals. A member of the lodge’s crew has his family leaving nearby so our Banyan escort took care of all the arrangements for us.

Author: Florence Brethome, Honeymoon & Destination Wedding Specialist
Email:   Florence.B@travelstoreusa.com

We were looking for a quiet romantic place in the Poipu area to celebrate our Anniversary.
Our Travel Agent, Kathy recommended the Koa Kea resort on Poipu beach.

This wonderful boutique hotel is all about service! We enjoyed buffet breakfast in the open air restaurant, (which was included courtesy of our agent). 

In the evenings, we enjoyed wonderful food and music. The sunsets were the best I have seen in Kauai. The spa is lovely, the staff friendly and eager to assist with anything you need. The guest rooms are beautiful and spacious. The property is horseshoe shaped, with only 121 rooms. We had a garden view room on the ground floor, just steps away from the black bottom salt water pool. The beach/ocean just steps away.
Snorkeling is on our top things to do list, and the onsite water sport team was ready to assist with all rental equipment and water sport. 

We will return again and again.
Tom and Charlene, Grass Valley, Ca.

Agent: Kathleen Schultz, Honeymoon & Destination Wedding Specialist

Email: Kathleen.s@travelstoreusa.com

After the wedding they spent a few days at the property and then traveled to the Galapagos for their honeymoon. What great memories they have. They sent me pictures from their wedding and in spite of the rain they had a wonderful ceremony as seen on the picture.

The wedding planning was simple and the hotel took care of all of their needs. Being that the bride’s family lives in Ireland they were unable to come to the wedding. Her sister emailed me a letter to be read at the ceremony and this was taken care of without any hesitation.

The bride and groom thoroughly enjoyed the Galapagos. After they spent the night in Quito, Ecuador they flew to Baltra Island to embark on a 4 day Galapagos cruise. At the end of the cruise they spent the remaining 3 days at the Red Mangrove on Santa Cruz Island in Ecuador.

My goal in planning their wedding and honeymoon was to make sure that all their dreams for the beginning of their life as husband and wife were met. Eric is an avid diver and did not want to go to the Galapagos without enjoying at least one dive. Being that Niamh was not going to dive she wanted to be pampered. I was thrilled to make sure they were both able to enjoy their time together and also do some of the activities they enjoy as individuals. A dive was arranged by the Red Mangrove for Eric and a day at the spa was arranged for Niamh. They came back happy and I had the pleasure of being a part of making their dreams become a reality.

The following is a note I received from Niamh:
“The trip was great. Thank you for organizing it. The hotels were great, Metropolitan and Panorama tour group staff were fab and the Galapagos was the best trip either of us has ever been on! Anyway I am sending you on links to the pics! Thought you might like to see the fruits of your hard work!!"

I would love to make your honeymoon dreams become a reality!

Agent: Gloriane Letterman, Honeymoon & Destination Wedding Specialist
Email: Gloriane.L@travelstoreusa.com

I was able to stay at The George V, a Four Seasons landmark 1928 building. This hotel has undergone extensive renovation and been lovingly restored. You enter into a fabulous lobby with some of the most creative flower arrangements, very formal but also open and welcoming. The staff takes a more than usual interest in your well being and you are always greeted by name.  The rooms are sheer perfection. One nice touch I noticed is that there are books of Parisian interest left in your room so that you may take a moment and actually learn a bit of history. The rooms are decorated in soft pastel tones and the furnishings are very luxurious. Luxury travel all the way. I can't imagine a more glorious place to celebrate honeymoons.

Dining options: "La Galerie" a very open, airy relaxed dining room with a pianist playing every day at 3:00 pm. I found this to be the best spot for people-watching and gazing into the garden. You can cozy up with your sweetie and enjoy a coffee and a beautiful pastry as only the French can bake.

Then of course there is "Le Cinq" This is a very elegant dining room, dressed in grey and gold with beautiful views of the Hotel's courtyard and garden. Dining here is like being in the middle of a beautiful symphony. All of the staff works together seamlessly to create a dining experience which is not just a meal, but beautiful music. Things are presented and whisked away without you even being aware of the process. The food quality, as you can imagine, is exceptional, two Michelin award stars for excellence in food quality, creativity, service and atmosphere. As a nice touch you are presented with your own personal printed menu of your dinner that evening. What a perfect place for a honeymoon dinner! What a wonderful way to remember your romantic Parisian holiday!

Now, how about walking off those calories?

Let’s go to one of my favorite places “La Mouff” as the locals call it. Located on the left bank, a street called "Rue Mouffetard".  What is unique about the street is that it is a pedestrian mall, so you don't have to deal with cars. It is a winding narrow street with so many wonderful shops that it makes you head spin. It's a feast for the eyes as well. The dress shop is next to the fish monger which is next to the chocolate maker which buddies up to the small Mom and Pop Bistro. Get you camera ready! Keep your eye out for original shop signs dating back as far as the 16th century. These are the shops that other shop owners visit and buy from each other so put yourself in the mix and what a delight! We had the best simple homemade meal from one of the many small restaurants. This one claims that Hemmingway and his wife lived upstairs for several years, when this neighborhood was truly Bohemian. Remember “A Moveable Feast”?

If shopping makes you hungry, there are fruit and vegetable vendors here too, along with a store that sells dozens of different kinds of pâtés and cheeses. To quench your thirst, peruse the bottles offered at Le Repaire de Bacchus, a wine store displaying their wine in baskets right out on the sidewalk - ahh, vive la différence!

If you watched the 100th episode of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, you may have noticed that he escorted several of his Parisian Chef friends (Eric Ripert and Joel Robuchon) to La Mouff.  It was then and there I knew I was in good company for restaurant choices and true first class food at a simple price.

So grab your honey and go to this charming enclave. The nearest Metro Stops are Place Monge, and Censier-Daubenton.

Posted by: Katy Kennedy, Honeymoon & Destination Wedding Specialist
Email: Katy.k@travelstoreusa.com

My new favorite hotel is the Hotel Vitale – another hit by Joie de Vivre Hotels. The Hotel Vitale is directly across the street from the Ferry Building on the Embarcadero and yes, it's worth it to splurge and get the gorgeous Bay View rooms! A wonderful feature of the hotel is that they have 3 different roof top spaces which is really fantastic. You can go over to the Ferry Building, pick up some cheese from Cowgirl Creamer along with some wine and bread and hang out on the roof top and watch all the activity below! Vitale has a nice little Spa on the top floor as well.  Their Signature Treatment is massage followed by a nice bath in the deep soaking tubs in the rooftop bamboo garden – a unique treat in the City!

The restaurant at Vitale is called Americano’s and it's definitely a hot spot! The bar is on the corner of the hotel and has great views of the water and the Bay Bridge and there is a great outdoor patio, so weather permitting it is a great space to dine and drink! The food is very good and creative. They use the freshest ingredients from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market - California cuisine meets Italian rustic!

The location is great as the San Francisco historic Streetcars stop right in front of the hotel. In one direction, they will take you to Fisherman's Wharf and in the other direction they will take you to AT&T Park to see the Giants play! You are also pretty much at the foot of Market Street, a terrific stroll through the Financial District and on up to Union Square.

One of my favorite walks in San Francisco is the Filbert Steps. Fair warning, this is not for the faint at heart, you definitely need to be in decent of shape to undertake this walk, but the sights along the way are spectacular. The steps rise in 3 sections from Sansome Street (near the Levi Plaza) up to Coit Tower. Not only do you have the views of San Francisco and the Bay, but there are some really pretty gardens to enjoy along the way as well. And of course the best part of the walk is that you end up at Coit Tower in North Beach, my favorite neighborhood.

There are so many wonderful spots to eat in North Beach:  Mario’s for a Foccacia sandwich, Vicoletto’s which has the best Moz/Arugula/Tomato salad ever, Café Macaroni – yum, and the countless cafes with all the Italian pastries. 

Not far from the Vitale, just South of Market is the Museum of Modern Art which is right across the street from the Yerba Buena Gardens, a great spot to spend some time strolling through.  On the other side of Yerba Buena Gardens is the Jewish Museum and St. Patrick’s Church, in which all the marble is from Ireland.

Of course a must when in the City of San Francisco is to get out on the water.  Seeing the City, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge and all the sights from an aquatic viewpoint is SO beautiful. This is actually easy to do as just across the street from the Vitale you can catch the Ferry over to Tiburon which is a great little town with restaurants and shopping and beautiful views of the Bay and San Francisco.

Another stop on the Ferry ride could be Sausalito, a charming hillside community which also boasts spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the City.

Perfect for a romantic getaway.....!!

Author: Maggie Condon; Honeymoon & Destination Wedding Specialist
Email: Maggie.c@travelstoreusa.com

Again, thank you so much for the most beautiful trip of our lives. Truly spectacular!!

Our flight to London was comfortable and without incident (no one took the seat in between us so we had the row to ourselves). We both really liked British Airways! Upon arrival in London, we were picked up by our driver who was waiting exactly where you said he would be. He gave us such a wonderful first impression of Italy! He answered a bunch of questions we had, and offered up advice on driving in Rome (watch out for scooters, etc.). The highlight of the ride in was when he said he had a "small surprise" for us and took us to a small gate where we were able to peek through a peephole and see these beautiful gardens and the top of St. Peter's Basilica! We were very grateful for his extra steps in making our arrival special. His personality was a fantastic welcome to such a beautiful country. 

We were greeted warmly at the Mecenate Palace Hotel and our room had an amazing view overlooking the Santa Maria Maggiore. The front desk agent was extremely helpful and knowledgeable in every way. They gave us each a complimentary drink at the rooftop bar. Over the course of our stay, they helped us find a bank, explained to us how to take the subway to the Vatican and called us a cab when we checked out. We especially liked that they had coffee in the room (which none of our other hotels had). We loved the breakfast on the rooftop! We think we would happily stay here again. Rome has so many great places, but this hotel was fantastic. 

Regarding the private Vatican tour, we loved the tour and were very pleased with our guide's knowledge of the museum, Basilica, etc. Another couple we had met was able to go down into the catacombs to see the tombs, without a reservation, and as part of their tour. We weren't sure if that was something that could be added or looked into for the future. 

The next day we took a cab to Hertz and were very excited when they upgraded us from a Ford to a Mercedes! They were very helpful with directions out of Rome and even let us leave the car parked at the gas pump while we ran into the bank across the street. Everything with Hertz worked like clockwork. Fantastic to work with. 

We took our time driving to Cortona and stopped in Orvieto (spectacular!) for lunch. It wasn't difficult navigating the highway and we would suggest driving through the Tuscan countryside to anyone debating between car and train. Driving up from Rome to Cortona was a highlight of our trip!

The drive up to the Villa di Piazzano was tree-lined and beautiful and the receptionist gave us mint lemonade while we checked in. There was champagne on ice for us in our room and a sweet congratulatory note from the Wimpole family. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and probably slept better here, than anywhere else (the peace and quiet was a nice shift from the hustle and bustle of Rome). When we weren't in the car, we enjoyed walking around the property and using the free wi-fi (only hotel we stayed at to offer it). The breakfast at the villa was top notch (amazing cakes and eggs!) and we had dinner there our last night. We would most definitely stay here again, as we felt very at home and relaxed. Our only regret was that it wasn't warm enough to enjoy the pool :) Oh, one other thing--they let us take the bikes out free of charge and it ended up being one of our favorite "Italian" experiences.

The cooking class was FANTASTIC. The owner of the property, actually instructed us, and it was a blast. There were six of us in the class, and we were served wine and cheese throughout the lesson. Adrianna was such a sweetheart. We are so glad we decided to take the cooking class here versus somewhere else (like Florence), since there wasn't as much to do and see in Cortona. It was the perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon :)

Our last full day at the villa we drove up to Greve in Chianti and had the most amazing wine tour and tasting at Castello di Verrazzano. The tour guides we met, were fantastic, especially in showing us around and explaining how they make the different types of wines. After the winery, we drove south to Siena and spent a few hours there before heading back to the villa.

After checking out the next morning, we decided not to drive up to the Maranello to see the Ferrari Museum (which worked out fine because there was the Mille Miglia in Florence!) and did laundry at a nearby laundromat instead. For anyone staying in Cortona, this is a great recommendation if someone needs to do laundry. The Star Wash was fast and effective. Our drive into Florence was much more challenging than exiting Rome, much to our surprise, and it took us awhile to find the Hertz location. We were especially glad in our decision not to drive north that morning, as we probably would not have had the car back on time!

Nevertheless, we found Hertz and turned the car back in with no trouble. A taxi took us to the Hotel Albani, and since we weren't pleased with the room they initially put us in, they switched us to a much nicer wing of the hotel in our opinion (the first room was neon green with a view of an alley, while the second was brightly lit and overlooked a lovely courtyard/garden). The bellman, was especially helpful in making sure that our room met our liking and was the sweetest person. He made sure that everything went well for us and took care of our bags upon our arrival. Please make sure to thank him for us. The breakfast here was also very good and we thought the location of the hotel was convenient. It was especially helpful that it was just a block away from the train station, which we navigated easily.

Thank you again for pre-booking our tickets to the Uffizi and Accademia Galleries. I think if we could change one thing about our trip, we would have also booked a private tour for the Uffizi. The Duomo in Florence was AMAZING. It was one of our highlights and favorite memories in Florence. We would recommend that anyone traveling there take the time to walk to the top of the Duomo. Beautiful!! The train ride to Venice was quick and easy. The train system is Europe is far and away better and efficient than anything here in the States.

Regarding the hotel in Venice, there were things we liked, and things we didn't. Overall, our stay was comfortable, next time we probably would like to stay somewhere on the Grand Canal.

Any dissatisfaction we felt in Venice, was quickly erased when we reached Lake Como, however! The Grand Hotel Tremezzo was AMAZING!!! It was the most expensive of our accommodations, and worth every penny. We had a beautiful room with a recently renovated bathroom overlooking the lake. We were greeted with champagne on ice and fruit in our room along with a note of congrats from the hotel (and from you!). The front desk staff was so polite and friendly in every way. We were checked in very easily and then the next day made sure that John's dress shirt and slacks were able to be pressed on time for dinner that evening. We took the ferry to Bellagio one afternoon, but spent the rest of the time in the hotel. It was the perfect end to our stay, honestly.

As we discussed before, it was quite rainy, so we just enjoyed our gorgeous room and view, as well as other hotel amenities such as the indoor pool (WOW) and billiards room. We are still speechless about the indoor pool at the hotel and the staff at the spa. So relaxing! We had dinner both nights at the hotel and loved both meals, probably the one in the wine bar the most (complimentary with our stay). It felt so good just to stay put and reflect on our trip while enjoying a little luxury. We will definitely return to Lake Como and the Grand Hotel Tremezzo! Oh, and I forgot to mention the breakfast...the spread was HUGE and had lots of indulgent choices (and champagne!). There really is no reason to ever leave this hotel.

But leave we did, and in style. Our private transfer to the airport was very necessary (as you said) and we were so grateful for the stress-free departure. The car was big and comfortable and the driver had water for each of us. We ran into some pretty nasty traffic at one point, but he pulled off the highway and took us down some smaller roads to get us to the airport on time. This was probably one of the best decisions we made! Please recommend this car service and the driver to your future clients. Worth every penny. 

You pieced together the trip of a lifetime for us, and for that we are forever grateful! Please know that we will definitely consult you for any of our future travel plans. You made our honeymoon absolutely.....PERFECT. 

Ciao for now!
Annie and John A., Denver, CO

Agent: Kyra Heede, Honeymoon & Destination Wedding Specialist
Email:Kyra.h@travelstoreusa.com

Croatia has over 1100 islands and only 66 of them are inhabited!  The country boasts some of the cleanest beaches in the Mediterranean, has 8 national parks, numerous UNESCO sites, and an amazing history & gastronomy.
I recently returned from a visit to Dubrovnik and the surrounding areas and just fell in love with the destination.

With more than 1000 years of history (and boy, what an eventful history!), Dubrovnik is primarily a cultural destination, but surrounded by the most amazing beaches and water which also make it a fantastic vacation spot!

What is there to do you may ask? Walk the walls, visit the museums, cathedrals, churches, and numerous art galleries of the city, try the local gastronomy (very healthy with lots of seafood and great chocolates) while enjoying the local folklore.  Taking an excursion to the nearby towns of Cavtat, Mlini and Konavle is a great way to spend a day, or you could visit the nearby islands of Lokrum (where legend has it that Richard the Lionheart found shelter on the way back from the crusades in Palestine) or Korcula (the birth place of Marco Polo) for some snorkeling, fishing or diving.

While on my trip, I visited about 15 to 20 different properties, some of them just wonderful, worth a stay of several nights.  I really like to make sure a get a good feel for the various accommodation options so that I am sure to direct my clients to the perfect property for them.

In my opinion, the 2 best hotels in Dubrovnik are the Hilton Imperial and Villa Argentina, with the latter being my personal favorite. Both properties are located within walking distance from Old Town. There are, however, several other great hotels in the city. Some other I favor would be the Pucic Palace, the Lapad hotel and the Kazbek villa.

If you've ever considered a honeymoon or any vacation to Croatia, don’t hesitate to contact me for more exciting details about visiting this great European country!

Author: Florence Brethome, Honeymoon & Destination Wedding Specialist
Email: Florence.b@travelstoreusa.com

Prior to embarkation we spent 3 nights in Prague. What a JEWEL Prague is! You could easily be in Prague for 7 nights and still have left some corners of the city undiscovered. It is a beautiful city with some amazing historical architecture –from Art Nouveau to Baroque to Gothic. Prague has a lively nightlife – thanks to a terrific selection of beers in some very historical pubs and restaurants! It is a wonderful city to walk, walk and walk – but is also very easy to get about on the rail system. The areas of Prague to explore are Old Town, Old Town Square, New Town, Wenceslas Square, Charles Bridge, Lesser Town and much more. I would recommend spending a whole day up at Prague Castle as well.

We stayed at the Hotel Adria while in Prague, which is a LUXE Hotel located on Wenceslas Square. Terrific location on the Square – very easy to walk from there to Old Town, Charles Bridge, etc. The hotel staff was just okay – I found that as a group leader they were not as helpful as I would have hoped, and even snappy when I would ask for information for my group. Housekeeping, however, did a terrific job – the hotel was very clean at all times. Breakfast was included in the rates and it was very good. One day the breakfast room was closed so we had breakfast in the ‘Cave’ Dinner restaurant – which was a fun experience. There is a small lounge off the lobby which provided a fun, convivial meeting place. The hotel is made up of several buildings, so it was a bit confusing as to which elevator serviced your part of the hotel - but we soon caught on.

While in Prague, I did a site-inspection of the Four Seasons and it was absolutely stunning. First of all the location was fabulous – just down from the Charles Bridge, with a fantastic view of the River and the Prague Castle. Having a river view room is a MUST, especially for a honeymoon couple, however all of the rooms were very well appointed, spacious and quiet (even on the city side). They are doing some renovations this year to some of the rooms and the Bar on the Lobby level. They did a beautiful job of combining centuries old architecture with new buildings and making it one of the nicest Four Seasons I've seen!

Sadly, the time came for us to depart Prague and travel the 4 hours down to Nuremburg. It was a beautiful country drive and we were in good hands with our Signature Destination Specialist.

The River Countess is very lovely and we all enjoyed the facilities very much. The Reception Desk and the Cruise Directors desk are in the center as you enter the ship. The staterooms are small, but very well appointed and the bedding was luscious! Most of the group was confirmed in a Category 2, which had picture windows. One room was confirmed in a Category 4, which was on the Moselle Deck (lower deck) and had a ‘Tip-Toe’ Window. While the room was fine, they had the experience of a bad odor in the room. We talked with the Reception and they kindly moved the guests. Once they had moved, they said that next time they would definately book a higher category because it made a BIG difference in their experience having a window. Definitely something to think about when planning your honeymoon. The bathroom was also finely appointed and the best part is that Uniworld offers L'Occitaine products in the bathrooms - what a treat!

The Main Restaurant was aft on the Rhine Deck, which was wonderful with all floor to ceiling windows so you really had some great panoramas nearly all of the time (except when in the depth of the locks). The tables were very well spaced and the center buffet area had plenty of room for everyone to move through. Even with the ship full it never felt crowded. The food was VERY good. There was always a terrific selection and the wines served for dinner were lovely. The staff was excellent and the Restaurant Manager went above and beyond. We had 2 members of our group that had food allergies and diet restrictions and he made sure to go over the menu with them daily to advise as to what they could or could not consume.

The Main Lounge was a beautiful room, forward on the Rhine Deck. Again, very spacious, and there was always nightly entertainment provided by a couple that also gave massages during the day! There was also local entertainment on 3 of the cruise nights which was very lively and fun and it was wonderful to hear local musicians and really get a feeling for where we were.

Other public areas were the Captains Library, which was just off the Main Lounge, where there were 2 computers that you could use during the cruise. There was a nice selection of games in the library as well. There was a small Fitness room on the Moselle Deck which, if you were so inclined, had a small selection of machines to work on . The Boutique was on the Main Deck and had a nice selection of local handicrafts. Next to the Boutique was a 24hr Coffee/Tea Station with a few nice tables and Bistro chairs to sit in.

The Sun Deck was wonderful, complete with chess and shuffleboard. The Sky Lounge was also on the Sun Deck and is the location for the ‘Al Fresco’ Dining option. On our cruise they offered the ‘Al Fresco’ option on 2 evenings . The option is open to only 20 guests and we were fortunate enough to confirm the night of outdoor dining when we sailed through the Passau Valley. What an AWESOME night and experience! Another memorable experience was making use of the bicycles that were available on board. We grabbed the bikes the day that we were in Regensburg and took a 4 hour trip along the Danube through the countryside and a couple of villages.

All in all, we had an absolutely fabulous time. If you'd love to travel through Europe, especially on a honeymoon, but a tour just isn't your thing, be sure to consider a river cruise. I can recommend some fabulous and romantic itineraries for honeymooners!