Resorts offer romantic getaways for travelers

Visitors to Bora Bora Lagoon Resort in French Polynesia can swim and snorkle right off the porches of their bungalows

In this story: Bora Bora Lagoon Resort, French Polynesia Grand Hotel Villa D'Este, Lake Como, Italy Little Palm Island, Florida Keys Royal Pavilion Hotel, Barbados RELATED STORIES, SITES

By Anne Cooke
Los Angeles Times Syndicate

(Los Angeles Times Syndicate) -- With spring around the corner, romance is in the air. And there's no better place for new beginnings than that mystical zone where water meets land, the place where the first primordial creatures reached for the dawn. Below are four such places, the worlds' best honeymoon spots.

Bora Bora Lagoon Resort, French Polynesia

At the Bora Bora Lagoon Resort, on Bora Bora in French Polynesia, the honeymooners lay in the shade of a coconut palm, holding hands. The sun glimmered off the lagoon's turquoise water. Puffy clouds gathered over the velvety green tops of this "high" island's volcanic peaks. From a distance came the faint roar of surf, endlessly pounding the distant reef.

IF YOU GO.. Click for more information on the following: Bora Bora Lagoon Resort Villa D'Este Little Palm Island Royal Pavilion Hotel     MESSAGE BOARD Where in the world do you want to travel?

"The sound of water is the most romantic thing you could imagine," said Laura Moreland, 27, sitting up to talk to visitors searching for seashells. "Especially at night, when we hear it lapping against the pilings under the floor.

"We're in the end one," she said, pointing at the farthest "fare" (FAH-ray), one of a row of thatched bungalows built on stilts over the lagoon. "We're going native after a week in one of those," added Richard, 29.

The couple, from Denver, Colorado, chose the Bora Bora Lagoon Resort, on Toopua motu, an islet in the lagoon, for its beach location and variety of water sports. But after a frantic first day trying to do everything, they relaxed and let the secluded setting shift them onto island time.

Despite the remote location, there's plenty for active visitors to do. The resort complex includes a swimming pool, tennis courts, volleyball court and a game room. And the lagoon's warm waters, protected from the open ocean by Bora Bora's encircling reef, are ideal for snorkeling, scuba diving, windsurfing, fishing, pedal-boating and swimming.

The isolation is strictly voluntary, since the resort's motor launch makes regular trips across the lagoon to the main island. The shopping and dining, mostly in other hotels, are limited in choice but high in quality.

And there are other activities that offer a wider look at Bora Bora. One morning the Morelands rented mountain bikes and pedaled around the perimeter, a 19-mile trip on a half-dirt, half-asphalt road. They also paired up with another couple for a four-wheel jeep safari into the mountains and scuba dove on the outer reef with a local dive shop.

The Bora Bora Lagoon Resort isn't cheap -- nearly everything here is imported from France except fish, fruit and coconuts -- but the Morelands didn't regret their decision.

"We'll be pitching a tent on our next 10 vacations," said Laura, sighing. "But when it's your honeymoon, it's worth it."

Grand Hotel Villa D'Este, Lake Como, Italy

Swimmers enjoy warm South Pacific waters in Bora Bora

At the Villa D'Este, near Cernobbio, on Lake Como in northern Italy, romantic getaways come with all of Italy's signature specialties: flowers, frescoes, Romanesque churches, Renaissance villas, tortellini and Parmesan cheese.

One of Italy's oldest and best-known hotels, the Villa D'Este was originally a private palace built in 1568 on a picturesque spot on the shore of Lake Como, a long body of water in a V-shaped valley between steep mountain slopes, at the foot of the Dolomite Alps.

In 1873 it was converted to a hotel and the interior was remodeled in the Victorian style, with elaborate moldings, 12-foot ceilings, big double doors, casement windows, marble fireplaces and crystal chandeliers.

Over the years, various remodeling projects made imperfect changes in the name of progress. But the most recent restoration has brought back the splendor of the original interiors and revamped the formal gardens. Additional -- and desirable -- improvements include tennis and squash courts, two swimming pools, a workout room and a spa.

One of the hotel's best features is the restaurant, now ranked among Northern Italy's best. Many of the patrons are Italians who drive up from Milan for a day in the country, a sightseeing boat trip up the length of the lake and dinner at the hotel.

It's a testament to the Italian love of beauty that an area first settled in pre-Roman times still looks so natural. Though the lake shore and hillsides are dotted with villages and red-tiled villas, gardens, trees and parks are everywhere.

Ferryboats, designed for transportation as well as sightseeing, ply the length of the lake, making regular stops at lakeside towns. So make sure your ferry ticket allows you to get on and off, to sightsee, eat lunch, tour local churches and museums and shop.

Little Palm Island, Florida Keys

The Villa D'Este, originally a private palace built in 1568 on the shores of Lake Como, is one of Italy's oldest and best-known hotels

The sparkling greeny-blue ocean around Little Palm Island, in the Florida Keys, may remind you of Tahiti. But for Americans and Europeans alike, this 5-acre limestone isle, three miles off the main archipelago, is closer to home and easier to reach.

Most guests drive down from Miami to Little Torch Key (28 miles north of Key West), where they catch Little Palm's shuttle boat to the island. But a few sail their own luxury yachts (and, yes, many guests are in this category) directly to the island, where docking facilities are provided.

Either way, rustic luxury and complete privacy reign once you're ashore. Here are 30 one-bedroom suites in thatched bungalows on stilts, each furnished with rattan chairs and sofas, mosquito netting (for ambience only), tropical fabrics, hand-made Mexican tiles and hand-crafted tables. To ensure solitude, there are no telephones. A path encircles the island -- lovely for early-morning walks -- leading to a small marina, a convenience store, a secluded swimming pool and pool-side bar, the dock and the swimming beach. The island's award-winning French restaurant and the main entrance are located in the island's only original building, an old fishing lodge.

Despite its isolation, Little Palm Island has a venerable pedigree. In the 1950s, the lodge was President Harry Truman's favorite vacation hideaway, the place where Truman and friends escaped from Washington to fish, swap fish stories and play poker. In these early days, with no piped water and no plumbing, the only facility was an outhouse. This historic building, saved for future generations, is now the island's telephone booth.

In 1962, Little Palm Island's curving white sand beach was the location for the film "PT 109," the story based on President John Kennedy's military service in the Pacific. Piped water was brought from the mainland for the movie shoot, Little Palm's first step toward modernization. Then in 1986, private investors bought the island and built the resort.

Seclusion is the island's No. 1 attraction, but there's also sailing, "back country" catamaran tours, deep sea fishing, snorkeling and scuba diving at Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary. Most sports cost extra and are priced individually.

Royal Pavilion Hotel, Barbados

Plan a winter honeymoon at the Royal Pavilion Hotel on the island of Barbados, and you'll pay dearly. Visit in spring and summer, when it's hot (but breezy), and rates are cut more than half. Which makes this 72-room hotel, part of the Fairmont Hotel Group, one of the best honeymoon bargains in the Caribbean.

The four-star hotel, near Holeton on Barbados' posh west coast, is a three-story Mediterranean mansion built on the former estate of Sir Edward Cunard, whose "great house" is also on the property. Both perch above a half-mile of perfect pink sand beach, flanked by 30 landscaped acres, Sir Edward's pride and joy.

Though Barbados has been independent since 1966, the island -- and the hotel -- prove the adage that opposites attract.

Colorful Caribbean vitality and staid British traditions, a remnant of colonial times, mix to produce such tropical conundrums as afternoon tea served with cucumber sandwiches and sliced star apples. The resort staff, likewise, combines the warmth of West Indian hospitality with the manners of the British upper class.

Beach sports are popular, with snorkeling, windsurfing, water skiing and sailing offered free, and scuba diving and deep sea fishing available from island charter companies. Though cars drive on the left side of the road (another legacy of the British), we rented one and spent at least half our time exploring the island's many villages, markets and historic buildings, and sampling local cookery.

Tip: Hotel prices vary widely from day to day, sometimes even from hour to hour, depending on the number of vacant rooms available. For best rates, always check several sources and compare before booking.

(c) 2001, Anne Z. Cooke. Distributed by Los Angeles Times Syndicate International, a division of Tribune Media Services.

Travel guides find romance in unlikely places
February 13, 2001
Romantic escape guides
February 12, 1999

Bora Bora Hotels: Tahiti Vacation: Bora Bora Lagoon Resort, French Polynesia
Little Palm Island Luxury Resort Florida Keys
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.