By Emma Morley

Published at 21:26, Wednesday, 04 June 2008

From glamorous cities to idyllic islands, Cumbrians are travelling further and spending more on their honeymoons than ever before.

Bliss: The honeymoon idyll

Rhona Baty, world travel specialist at Thomas Cook in Carlisle, says the Caribbean is popular. She said: “Destinations such as the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Mexico are more affordable now.

“Honeymoons to destinations that offer sunshine and a beach continue to be the main choice.”

Rhona has also received requests for different types of holidays, such as cruises.

As your first holiday as newlyweds, the first decision to make is deciding whether you want to sit on a beach, want to go somewhere to explore, or a combination of them both and whether you want a package or tailor-made itinerary.

Stephen Dent, manager at Dawson and Sanderson in Carlisle, also identifies the Caribbean as a hot favourite and has seen a rise in the number of couples choosing multi-centre holidays.

“Couples may want to stop en route to their final destination.”

And while many couples have some idea of where they want to go or the type of honeymoon they want, they give it plenty of thought and consideration.

He said: “They will hopefully only be going on a honeymoon once so they want to make sure it is the holiday of a lifetime.”

A recent poll by Maps International discovered that 69 per cent of couples getting married rated their honeymoon as top priority on the list of things to organise for their wedding.

With Emirates now operating flights to Dubai from Newcastle Airport, Liz Beaty, director at the Travel Team in Brampton and Carlisle, says the city has become a popular destination for Cumbrian honeymooners.

She said: “People want to be able to fly from Newcastle, but they also want to go to far-away places. Couples like to combine Dubai with Mauritius or the Maldives because they get a busy, trendy city as well as secluded tropical beaches.

“It’s usually the bride who wants to sit on a beach while the groom wants there to be something to do.

“We get couples who want to go on an African safari, and cruises are becoming more popular now because it is a great way to visit different destinations without having to pack and repack.”

Yet not every couple decide to head for the sun or even to travel abroad. The Maps International poll found 5 per cent opted to stay in this country.

Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk