My mother of the room hanger. Picture by Angela Lansbury.
Singapore's Sheraton Towers Hotel. Photo by Angela Lansbury.
Every continent has something special for romance. For honeymoons, if money and travel restrictions were not an issue I would pick, in Asia, the Americas, and Europe:
Asia
Halong Bay, Vietnam, picture from Wikipedia.
1 Halong Bay, a beautiful reflection in Vietnam.
Halong Bay is like America's Monument Valley on sea, with ships and little boats ready for romance. As we boarded our ship the staff stood at the stop of the spiralling staircase throwing down rose petals. This joy was for the benefit of a honeymoon couple. But all of us couples benefitted and loved it. Big boats bring you to your overnight stop. Take optional trips to caves on little boats.
You can sit on your small cruise ship and watch the scenery pass. Our room on board had a balcony.
Angkor Wat, Cambodia.
2 Cambodia's temples, starting at Ankor Wat.
Giant faces with eyes watch you from the wats, or temples. The faces watch you calmly and tree roots are entwined up the old walls. Carvings galore. Temples galore.
Your base is a rickshaw ride from the city of Siem Reap. You buy a three day ticket and see not one but half a dozen temples over three days. Stunning.
Plus gold buddhas under four-poster canopies.
Ankor Wat is not just a temple but a complete walled city with a temple in the centre.
A motorbike rickshaw, decorated with colourful paintings over the outside and inside, collected us from the airport and bounced and blew along between the trees. Tie on your hat.
We stayed at a tiny hotel with a swimming pool. We had breakfast beside the pool. Perfection.
3 Singapore's Views Of And From Marina Bay Sands
My son and his fiancee (now his wife) went to the Marina bay Sands hotel for a drink with a view from the top. They loved the view so much they checked in for a night and enjoyed hours in and beside the Infinity pool overlooking Singapore. You can admire Marina Bay Sands, like a giant set of three cricket stumps, from the downtown area of the city.
Or buy a ticket to the top where your voucher buys you most of a cocktail or a pizza per person. We did that one New Year's Day.
The airport itself has a giant waterfall in the centre of a mall linked to the terminal buildings by a walkway. When Covid-19 restrictions end, the shops and restaurants and mall and waterfall will be back, re-opened for you to enjoy.
For gardens which are seasonally decorated and a giant waterfall with zigzagging walkways, go to Gardens By The Bay.
For free you can take the waterside walk passing plants with plaques.
Another free place is the Botanical Gardens.
Now the opportunity is to go jogging along trails around the countryside, the beaches, the jungles. Bicycle trails are opening. My husband hired a hybrid bike for on road and off road, and hired a camera.
Americas
1 Bryce Canyon in the USA
Fabulous for pink sunsets.
2 Monument Valley in the USA
Make your own movie of yourself in Monument Valley.
3 Niagara Falls in Canada
Just sit and watch it.
In February 2021 it was iced over. Another view. Another kind of photo.
EUROPE
UK
England
The Lake District. Where the hills and fir trees are reflected in the water of the lakes. Wordsworth said it all.
'I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills
When all at once I saw a crowd
Of dancing daffodils.'
Welsh love spoons tea towel. Photo by Angela Lansbury.
I love Wales. I usually go there once a year, either spring or summer. 2021 was the first year I have not visited the Writers' Holiday in Fishguard because it was cancelled because of Covid-19.
I have had this tea-towel for ages. To my surprise, the label says Made in Pakistan. Never mind. It shows Welsh love spoons and tells you about them.
Wales
Welsh love spoons as souvenirs.
Waterfalls and castles.
Welsh cakes.
Welsh love spoons.
Similar linked spoons from Norway. (Wikipedia.)
Czech Republic
Love lockets bridge in the capital, Prague. But the the locks are cut off.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seMUW6pakbo
New Zealand
New Zealand has its own lake district. I used to go every year to New Zealand for skiing in the British summer. Their seasons are upside down. Now they have added the movie tours.
Useful Websites
https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Angkor_Archaeological_Park
Angela Lansbury teacher of English (advanced and English as a Second Language or English as a Foreign Language, French and other languages, aspiring polyglot.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Member of many toastmasters speaker training clubs and speaking contest judge.
Angela Lansbury, the author of 20 books including Wedding Speeches & Toasts, and Quick Quotations, has lived in the USA, Spain and Singapore.
She has several blogs and writes daily on at least two of the following:
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