By PAUL RUBIO
Photo: The gorgeous Presidential Suite at the Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa is basically an island unto itself stretching out into the crystal clear waters of Bora Bora.
With the recent gay marriage victory in New York, there’s no shortage of far and away locales to celebrate our new rights as first-class citizens. Below are a few of my top choices for an exotic, first-class honeymoon.
The Salient Seychelles
Sandwiched between East Africa and the Maldives, the 115 islands that form Africa’s smallest nation, the Seychelles, are a contrasting mix of low-lying coralline islets and the world’s only high-rising mid-oceanic granite islands. Separated from the former supercont inent of Gondwana over 75 million years ago, the granitic Seychelles is a Darw
in dreamland, blessed with fascinating, endemic flora and fauna that have evolved in isolation across the lush archipelago.
Dotting the emerald coastlines of Mahé island, a handful of luxurious resorts perfectly capture the country’s quintessential juxtaposition of mountainous backdrops, mind-boggling boulders and crystalline waters. Chic amenities undoubtedly enhance the inspirational panoramas, like the private infinity pool behind each tree house villa at the Four Seasons Resort Seychelles (www.fourseasons.com/seychelles, +248 393 000) or the hillside Spa pavilions at the Banyan Tree Seychelles (www.banyantree.com/en/seychelles, +248 383 500).
Travelers who have experienced “The Baths” of Virgin Gorda and found themselves enchanted by the petite cavernous overlay of smooth rock, palm trees and white sands will achieve nirvana in the Seychelles’ ubiquitous equivalent. The natural mazes often lead to deserted banks of turquoise brilliance, sinfully romantic and splendidly private. Complemented by sensational marine life and eclectic cuisine, Africa’s oceanic tropical utopia lives up to its legendary reputation.
Bountiful Beauty in Bora Bora
Since the dawn of the 19th century, Tahiti’s magnetism has been the subject of nearly 15,000 books and articles. While the timeless rapture of its verdant panoramas remains, Tahiti has fallen victim to destructive, anthropogenic realities, forcing travelers to venture deeper into the Society Islands to discover the South Seas’ renowned magic.
Following the gospel of Pulitzer Prize winner James Michener, opulence arrived in nearby Bora Bora by the 1970s, endowing the idyllic island with five star resorts that matched the astounding beauty of Michener’s words. Bora Bora was the birthplace of the overwater bungalow, later popularized in Tahiti and perfected in the Maldives. This concept of luxurious accommodation straddling the ocean floor, immersed in natural azure and emerald hues, in the shadow of jagged mountains, revolutionized the travel market and fostered a paradigm where the formerly unknown Polynesian gem became synonymous with ambiguous terms like “paradise” and “heaven.”
Forty years later, Bora Bora is still a bastion of exclusive and definitive romance with more options than ever for indulging in French Polynesia’s bountiful endowments. Perennial favorites like the Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort and Spa (www.Hilton.com/Bora-Bora-Nui, +689-60-3300) and welcome newcomers like the St. Regis Resort Bora Bora (www.stregisborabora.com, +689-60-7888) dutifully triumph our expectations of “paradise”.
Turtle Island
In the north westernmost reaches of the Fijian archipelago, the remote Yasawa Islands exemplify the effortless magnificence of the South Pacific, bejeweled with Mother Nature’s finest Harry Winstons. None more so than Nanuya Levu, better known as Turtle Island (www.turtlefiji.com) – a 500-acre landmass, candy-coated with palm trees and turquoise inlets, immortalized in the 1980 version of the classic film, The Blue Lagoon.
Though Hollywood hoopla catalyzed a mass exodus to the South Pacific in search of the movie’s captivating milieu, Turtle Island itself remained a selective retreat, exclusive to the few couples patronizing the “bures” (cottages) on this island oasis. Staying true to sustainability commitments and judicious romanticism, Turtle Island never became a commercialized enterprise. In fact, to this today a maximum of 14 couples roam the island at any given time. This translates to long hours exploring the island’s perimeter and interiors in romantic solitude by foot, by horseback, or by bike; or basking in the tranquility of the holy waters by kayak or sailboat, creating the private moments you will mentally reference throughout your lifetime.