Daniele and I have been doing things at our own pace.
We were legally married in 2013, had our wedding in a castle in Italy in 2014, and will have our honeymoon in 2015. Why this timeline? Well, a lot of it had to do with the antiquated marriage related immigration policies that have not caught up with the increased popularity of international relationships. I get that the policies were created to avoid visa fraud and they won't be changing anytime soon, so we had to play with traditional timelines a bit. No big deal, we don't usually follow tradition anyway.
With the legalities done and the wedding done, the next step is planning for the honeymoon. We first tried to find a location that both of us haven't traveled to, which wasn't as easy as we thought. It would have been too obvious to choose somewhere in South America, and though we are sure we'd enjoy the continent, for one reason or another neither of us felt any strong compulsion to head that direction.
We did end up narrowing it down to three options and here they are in ascending order of interest:
3. Indonesia and Myanmar
Myanmar has been on every traveler's wishlist ever since the new government took over and eased relations with the rest of the world, but that's part of the problem. Most reports I've heard have related how quickly the Burmese have adjusted to tourism, often creating inauthentic situations. South East Asia has already become a backpacker's paradise, which is probably one of the reasons why I haven't been in a hurry to visit again. The pitfalls of drunken backpackers aside, the beauty, food, and culture of both Myanmar and Indonesia still beckon.
Pluses:
- Delicious food
- Awe inspiring locales such as Bagan, Inle Lake, Kyaiktiyo, Mandalay, Borobudur, Bunaken (for diving), Bali, etc...
-Gorgeous beaches
Minuses:
- Overcrowded with tourists
-Inauthentic resort feel for some of the more heavily tourist trafficked locations
-Too many gap year backpackers
- Humid heat
2. India
Once we stopped looking for places we both haven't visited before, we started tackling the list of places Daniele would like to go to even though I've been. We ended up immediately looking at two of my favorite countries, India being one, and the other is listed next. Traveling India alone was a great experience after the disappointment of Nepal(what it's become through too much foreign interference through the years) earlier on the same trip. Even though I've been before, I only experienced a small percentage of what there is to experience. If we choose India the only place we'd duplicate from my first time there would be a visit to the Taj Mahal, which I would be happy to visit again. Depending on timing, we'd also try to make it to Sri Lanka as well.
Pluses:
-Delicious food
-Afternoon tea
-Varied locations such as Varanasi, Jaipur, Ladakh, Amritsar, etc...
- It's one of my favorite countries
Minuses:
-It wouldn't be a completely new experience for me
-It would be a less relaxing trip, but I'm not so sure if that's a minus
1. Egypt and Iran
Egypt is probably my favorite country that I've been to so far. Though in terms of sights, a lot would be repeat for me (Pyramids at Giza, Karnak, Valley of the Kings), it would only be about 3 days of repeat for me. Egypt was high on our list from the start, but we weren't sure if we wanted to spend the majority of our time diving on the Sinai or traveling to another country nearby since the sights in Egypt can be seen in just a few days. The moment I chanced upon an article about Iran easing travel restrictions I knew that was our answer. I grew up knowing a lot of Iranians and talking to them always gave me the idea that a visit to Iran would be a lot of fun. Although many Americans would tell me Iran is still a threat, I disagree and think visiting in the near future is the perfect time to go. Mostly for the same reasons why I'm not as interested in Myanmar anymore. Everyone is heading to Myanmar and now, which in a few short years has already changed the experience. Plus, with a bit of instability things may swing the other direction and tourism may be closed off in the future. With that in mind I don't want this to be like my missed opportunity to go to Syria back in 2010. It's also like Afghanistan, so much of the gorgeous country has been destroyed due to war, a fate I would never wish upon any country.
Pluses:
-Iranian food
-I love Egypt
-Being in Muslim countries again
-The chance to visit two amazing centers of history, both powerhouses during their own time
-Lack of other tourists due to misconception of lack of safety
-Amazing luxury at equally amazingly low prices in Egypt
-Taking a cruise to Abu Simbel from Luxor on the same boat that inspired Agatha Christie to write "Death On The Nile"
-Diving in the Red Sea again
- Persepolis, Yazd, Shiraz, Esfahan, etc...
Minuses:
-None for us, though others may disagree
Though it sounds like we have our minds made up for Egypt and Iran, a lot of recent uncertainty can affect that preference. I know both countries are not exactly most people's idea of a honeymoon, but we're both more interested in adventure than the idea of sipping fruity drinks by the beach all day long. Going somewhere tourists are avoiding and having a chance to talk to those in the tourist industry and locals when they are at their most relaxed are definitely upsides to getting to visit endlessly fascinating places.
We were legally married in 2013, had our wedding in a castle in Italy in 2014, and will have our honeymoon in 2015. Why this timeline? Well, a lot of it had to do with the antiquated marriage related immigration policies that have not caught up with the increased popularity of international relationships. I get that the policies were created to avoid visa fraud and they won't be changing anytime soon, so we had to play with traditional timelines a bit. No big deal, we don't usually follow tradition anyway.
With the legalities done and the wedding done, the next step is planning for the honeymoon. We first tried to find a location that both of us haven't traveled to, which wasn't as easy as we thought. It would have been too obvious to choose somewhere in South America, and though we are sure we'd enjoy the continent, for one reason or another neither of us felt any strong compulsion to head that direction.
We did end up narrowing it down to three options and here they are in ascending order of interest:
 |
| Borobudur |
 |
| Bagan |
Pluses:
- Delicious food
- Awe inspiring locales such as Bagan, Inle Lake, Kyaiktiyo, Mandalay, Borobudur, Bunaken (for diving), Bali, etc...
-Gorgeous beaches
 |
| Bunaken |
Minuses:
- Overcrowded with tourists
-Inauthentic resort feel for some of the more heavily tourist trafficked locations
-Too many gap year backpackers
- Humid heat
2. India
 |
| Varanasi |
Once we stopped looking for places we both haven't visited before, we started tackling the list of places Daniele would like to go to even though I've been. We ended up immediately looking at two of my favorite countries, India being one, and the other is listed next. Traveling India alone was a great experience after the disappointment of Nepal(what it's become through too much foreign interference through the years) earlier on the same trip. Even though I've been before, I only experienced a small percentage of what there is to experience. If we choose India the only place we'd duplicate from my first time there would be a visit to the Taj Mahal, which I would be happy to visit again. Depending on timing, we'd also try to make it to Sri Lanka as well.
 |
| Amritsar |
Pluses:
-Delicious food
-Afternoon tea
-Varied locations such as Varanasi, Jaipur, Ladakh, Amritsar, etc...
- It's one of my favorite countries
Minuses:
-It wouldn't be a completely new experience for me
-It would be a less relaxing trip, but I'm not so sure if that's a minus
1. Egypt and Iran
 |
| The Famous Sudan Nile Steamer |
Egypt is probably my favorite country that I've been to so far. Though in terms of sights, a lot would be repeat for me (Pyramids at Giza, Karnak, Valley of the Kings), it would only be about 3 days of repeat for me. Egypt was high on our list from the start, but we weren't sure if we wanted to spend the majority of our time diving on the Sinai or traveling to another country nearby since the sights in Egypt can be seen in just a few days. The moment I chanced upon an article about Iran easing travel restrictions I knew that was our answer. I grew up knowing a lot of Iranians and talking to them always gave me the idea that a visit to Iran would be a lot of fun. Although many Americans would tell me Iran is still a threat, I disagree and think visiting in the near future is the perfect time to go. Mostly for the same reasons why I'm not as interested in Myanmar anymore. Everyone is heading to Myanmar and now, which in a few short years has already changed the experience. Plus, with a bit of instability things may swing the other direction and tourism may be closed off in the future. With that in mind I don't want this to be like my missed opportunity to go to Syria back in 2010. It's also like Afghanistan, so much of the gorgeous country has been destroyed due to war, a fate I would never wish upon any country.
 |
| Persepolis |
Pluses:
-Iranian food
-I love Egypt
-Being in Muslim countries again
-The chance to visit two amazing centers of history, both powerhouses during their own time
-Lack of other tourists due to misconception of lack of safety
-Amazing luxury at equally amazingly low prices in Egypt
-Taking a cruise to Abu Simbel from Luxor on the same boat that inspired Agatha Christie to write "Death On The Nile"
-Diving in the Red Sea again
- Persepolis, Yazd, Shiraz, Esfahan, etc...
 |
| Sinai |
Minuses:
-None for us, though others may disagree
Though it sounds like we have our minds made up for Egypt and Iran, a lot of recent uncertainty can affect that preference. I know both countries are not exactly most people's idea of a honeymoon, but we're both more interested in adventure than the idea of sipping fruity drinks by the beach all day long. Going somewhere tourists are avoiding and having a chance to talk to those in the tourist industry and locals when they are at their most relaxed are definitely upsides to getting to visit endlessly fascinating places.
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