Image via Cap Estel Hotel

September Honeymoon Travel Ideas

September is an excellent time to travel: The weather is still warm in the Northern hemisphere, which means that beach destinations are a great option. Furthermore, tourists on summer vacation are waning, giving you a quieter and more intimate experience wherever you decide to go.

1. Montreal, Canada
Experience the onset of fall in Montreal. The Canadian city has a plethora of back alleyways full of gardens, flowers and secluded spots. Best of all, temperatures in September are cool-to-crisp, meaning cute dresses and shorts during the day, light jackets and pants at night.

Where to Stay
Stay at Auberge du Vieux-Port and soak in the old world charm of this mid-1800s warehouse building loaded with period details such as exposed beams, wrought iron beds and original casement windows that you can fling open to survey the cobblestoned streets below. Request a river-facing room that is high-ceilinged and flooded with light.

Image via Auberge du Vieux-Port

What to Do
If you visit Montreal between 8 September to 31 October, do not miss the Lantern Festival at the Montreal Botanic Gardens. Watch the garden come alive at night as thousands of lights brighten up the darkness. Enjoy the crisp autumn air at the Lachine Canal, a navigable waterway located in southwest section of Montreal. Walk along its banks, a green urban park lined with vestiges of the industry from when the canal once boomed.

Image by Dominik Gehl via Unsplash

2. Nice, France
The French Riviera is undoubtedly a solid choice for a romantic honeymoon. But Nice is perfect for the fashionable couple who love the beach but prefer pebbles to sand. It is the perfect embodiment of rustic glamour, equally endowed with the glitz of Monaco and a craggy, pine-clad coastline. If you love history, the Roman ruins and Baroque churches will be a sure delight.

Where to Stay
The gated mansion of Cap Estel Hotel, located on a secluded peninsula is just a snapshot of the French Riviera’s glamour amid the azure. Surrounded by palms and terraced gardens, this exclusive retreat is at the top of its class. The Le Cap suite is a palatial dwelling with cream and oatmeal decor, high ceilings, a vast terrace with two bedrooms and bathrooms. Lounge in one of the two fabulous saltwater infinity pool that overlook the sea or enjoy the sea view on Cap Estel’s secluded stony beach, kitted out with sunloungers.

Image via Hotel Cap Estel

What to Do
Get lost among the winding alleyways of Nice’s old town. The layout has barely changed since the 1700s and it’s now packed with delis, restaurants, boutiques and bars. Architecture aficionados will adore architecture gems such as the Cathedrale Ste-Reparte, built in honour of the city’s patron saint. The 17th century Palais Lascaris is a frescoed riot of Flemish tapestries, faience (tin-glazed earthenware), gloomy religious paintings and an 18th-century pharmacy.

3. Sardinia, Italy
Sardinia has phenomenal beaches that everyone knows about, but come September when the summer holidays have ended in the Northern hemisphere, the beaches are wide open for those who choose to holiday. The climate is still warm with little rainfall and lots of sunshine making it the perfect time for a romantic getaway.

Where to Stay
In a hillside hamlet proudly stands Petra Segreta Resort and Spa with its white granite boulders and Holm oaks. The resort’s traditional farmhouse buildings offer charm and calm on the idyllic Sardinian coast. It’s a romantic retreat close to beautiful beaches and the best of Sardinian cuisine is housed within the hotel. Request Deluxe Room 201 which has a shaded seating area outside and a muslin-draped four-poster bed taking centre stage inside amidst sturdy farmhouse-style furniture.

Image via Petra Segreta Resort and Spa

What to Do
Besides spending your days in the sun and sea, Olbia offers some archaeological gems and pisan-style basilica. The Museo Archelogico is a must-see in town for history buffs and a good way to spend an idyllic afternoon exploring the early Greek foundation of Olbia. For animal lovers, there’s a turtle sanctuary and aquarium that you can visit.

4. Madagascar
Madagascar isn’t a destination typical of a honeymoon, which works well for those wishing for a unique experience unlike any other. A visit in September means you can catch the tail end of the humpback whale season and catch the land-based wildlife out and about after hibernating. Temperatures are a bit mild though so do pack a jacket!

Where to Stay
Situated on the pristine southern beaches of Madagascar is the Manafiafy Beach and Rainforest Lodge, close to rich areas of mangrove. The property only has five cottages and one family cottage. All bedrooms are ensuite and have large windows that open up to a spacious terrace complete with sunloungers, outdoor showers and a hammock. Enjoy a night walk in the forest searching out nocturnal lemurs or take a swim in the secluded bay before drying off on the massive granite rocks surrounding the bay.

Image via Manafiafy Beach and Rainforest Lodge

What to Do
Every year more than 7000 humpback whales migrate from the Antartica to Madagasar, providing the perfect opportunity for whale-watching. Take a boat tour for a chance to see these magnificent creatures as they move and jump out of the sea for a spectacular day out. To get a feel of how it might be like walking along dinosaurs, visit the Avenue of Baobab, the place where a prominent group of baobab trees line the dirt road between Morondova and Belon’i Tsiribihina. Sunrise and sunset are the best times to capture that epic Madagascan shot.

Image by Thomas Kelley via Unsplash 

5. North Devon, England
North Devon in Southwest England is another spot that might get overlooked as a potential honeymoon spot. However, the picturesque region has many sandy beaches, craggy coves, charming villages and most importantly, little to no tourists.

Where to Stay
Stepping into Hotel Endsleigh is like walking into a fairy-tale picture book. The house, a grade 1-listed shooting and fishing lodge is simply magical. Set in a remote and beautiful valley between Devon’s Dartmoor and Cornwall’s Bodmin Moor, the house exudes old-world English charm and rooms that offer different views.

Image via Hotel Endsleigh

What to Do
Enjoying an afternoon tea of fresh scones and cream is a must-do in Devon where it all started. Nobody bakes a fresher scone, clots a richer cream (at least 55 per cent butter fat) and stirs a sweeter jam than Devon. There is scarcely a cafe in the county where it isn’t offered. Visit the Arlington Court, a Regency mansion to discover delightful oddities owned by the National Trust. The Arlington Mansion is a gem in grey granite just as the eccentric traveller, Rosalie Chichester, left it in 1948; richly furnished and scattered with delightful mementoes like an amber elephant from China, umpteen model boats and ship paintings. Wander the grounds that have a restored walled garden and find a splendid collection of old carriages.

Image via The National Trust

Ms Zigzag says: A girl can dream! All of these honeymoons destinations sound spot on for September! If I could take my pick, it’d be Madagascar for me – I’m fascinated by whales, so I’d be booking the whale watching tour that Samantha recommends.