So you’ve had a bad flight, the airline food has settled on your stomach like a lump of worry, and you’re bracing yourself for an elbow fight for the last luggage trolley. What you don’t need right now is a customs officer asking you whether you’re travelling for business or pleasure.

Why do they ask anyway? A visual check would leave them with nary a doubt. Man in a suit and a non-iron shirt? Clearly business. Stressed couple with three children breaking the sound barrier with their screaming? Pleasure, sort of.

But those aren’t the only categories of travel. We travel for adventure, to find ourselves or a loved one, or because we need a weekend break in a neighbouring capital.

Then there’s the ultimate category – honeymoons. And yet, what makes a honeymoon different from a normal holiday? Everything. First of all, your budget is more generous, which means that you can go long-haul. Moreover, you’ve probably chosen a destination which you’ve dreamt about all your life, somewhere exotic with stunning sunsets and a soundtrack of coloured songbirds.

And more importantly, it’s somewhere hot. True, you’ve enjoyed your winter wedding, but what better way to recuperate than to start life as a couple in a warm climate?

The Saxon, Johannesburg

Before heading off to some island paradise in the Indian Ocean, you can stop over in Johannesburg. True, the city does have its crime problems, and most of the entertainment available is within malls. But it’s perfect for a two-day romantic pause.

The former private home of an insurance magnate, The Saxon is repeatedly voted as one of the top boutique hotels in the world. And it’s pretty clear why – the rooms are exceptionally comfortable, the six acres of gardens are a stretch of manicured perfection, and the service is top-notch. There’s also a historical note, as this is where Nelson Mandela wrote his book Long Walk to Freedom. Also historic are the oysters for breakfast.

Sugar Beach Resort, Mauritius

Once home to the dodo, Mauritius has it all, from bustling sugar cane fields and rolling green hills echoing with the sound of charging wild boar to beaches that look like they were drawn by a five-year-old child – a simple yet beautiful composition of bright sun, blue sea and a giant sky stretching beyond the horizon.

Sugar Beach Resort hugs the coastline in a warm embrace. Villas are pleasantly caught between sea and giant pools, while the sand is – as the name of the resort implies – as white as refined sugar. Dinners are candle-lit and there’s the fragrance of Mauritian cuisine, and romance, in the air.

Soneva Fushi and Niyama, Maldives

There’s absolutely nothing to do in the Maldives. And that’s just perfect. After months of wedding preparations, last-minute panic sessions and trying to survive the mini-storm of two eager families coming together, doing nothing is just what the doctor ordered.

Outside every villa at Soneva Fushi is a magnificent view of the calm Indian Ocean. Inside, it’s the ultimate in laidback luxury – cue organic sheets, open-air garden bathrooms and, if you can afford an upgrade, a private seawater swimming pool. Villas come with their own butler.

Niyama, a new resort on an island 40 minutes by seaplane from Malé, offers beach bliss in spadefuls. It’s top to bottom luxury. At the top is Fahrenheit, a sunset rooftop bar serving feel-good frilly drinks. At the bottom is Subsix, the world’s first underwater club. Dance beneath the waves.

Kahanda Kanda, Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is probably the country with most names and nicknames in the world. Known as Ceylon until 1972, Sri Lanka is also referred to as “the pearl of the Indian Ocean” and “the teardrop of India”. It’s also the ancient land of Serendip, which inspired writer Horace Walpole to coin the term “serendipity”, meaning “pleasant surprise”.

And a pleasant surprise Sri Lanka certainly is. The island is rich in natural beauty, spices, gems, wildlife and smiling people.

A 20-minute winding drive from the city of Galle, Kahanda Kanda is a boutique hotel with just eight suites. Each suite is different, furnished with antiques and overlooking a magical garden and tea estate.

Quilalea, Mozambique

If you’re looking for a long-haul adventure, then the northern part of Mozambique is your destination of choice. You will need at least a couple of days to get there, and you will have to travel by seaplane, canoe and motorboat. But once you arrive in the Quirimbas archipelago, you will never want to leave. One huge marine sanctuary, the archipelago looks like the world did thousands of years ago – perfect beaches, virgin sand and the kind of creatures that you’ve never seen in any documentary.

Quilalea is a retreat set on a private island paradise. Wake up in the morning to the sound of exotic birds, breakfast on the beach, catch a nap in a hammock beneath the giant baobab trees, and dine under the stars.