For the more jaded, a wedding is just another party, a wedding cake is a happy (albeit fattening) meeting of sugar, ground almonds, flour and eggs, and a honeymoon is the usual holiday, but more expensive.

Except that they’re not. A wedding is the champagne-cork pop that launches your life as a married couple and a wedding cake is a please-sir-I-want-some-more opportunity. As for the honeymoon, it’s a destination seen through the eyes of love. And, of course, the chance to get a free upgrade to the honeymoon suite.

With honeymoons, wherever you drop the pin, that’s your temporary love home. There are the roads most travelled: Paris is a wonderland, Rome a timeless selfie moment, and Venice a fairy tale ride on a gondola. Other destinations are more far flung: from chugging along to Cape Town on the Blue Train or boarding the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express with a precious Venice to Istanbul ticket in hand, to island hopping in the Maldives on a seaplane, getting there is part of the experience.

So where to go? Well, it all depends on what temperatures you want to spend your honeymoon in. If you want to laze around in your swimwear on some tropical island or want to feel the heat of the savannah, then head to the Indian Ocean and Africa. But if you want an excuse to snuggle, then take the cold road north.

Some like it hot

Picture it. You’re pleasantly stranded on a tropical island. Coconut trees are swaying in the slight breeze, like a group of hula girls. The sun shines like a child’s drawing, the sand is as fine as talcum powder, and the sky and sea are a blue mirror of each other. And there’s the love of your life, bringing you yet another cocktail.

If you want to spend your honeymoon indulging in such pleasantries, then the Seychelles and Maldives are your obvious choice. Take your pick from hundreds of islands, where resorts all offer a similarly beautiful menu: seafood buffets, drinks at sunset and laid back luxury.

There are alternatives to these Indian Ocean portions of paradise. Mozambique is a stunningly beautiful country, especially up north. Bazaruto Island is a sandy patch in the Indian Ocean. The resorts here will turn your honeymoon into a luxury experience featuring spas, sunken baths and outdoor showers. There are also plenty of activities on offer, from diving and snorkelling to horse rides and a trip to the lakes to watch the crocodiles.

Another alternative is Belize in Central America, which will put you in touch with the Caribbean: introduce yourself by swimming, diving and snorkelling to your heart’s content. Further down is the Kuna Yala archipelago in Panama. A semi-autonomous region, this archipelago is a cluster of beautiful islands straight out of a fairy tale: cue palm trees, white sand and thatched bungalows. If you get tired of the Robinson Crusoe life (you probably won’t), and you want a bit of urban toing and froing, Panama City is just a two-hour drive away.

Thailand may no longer enjoy the status of an undiscovered paradise. Even in the deepest jungle or the most remote beach, you look around and there’s another backpacker. But not in Koh Tarutao, a sun-kissed island in the Andaman Sea. Tarutao used to be an island prison for political dissenters – nowadays, it is a national park with a sprawl of bungalows on the beach.

Another island paradise is Boracay in the Philippines. Spend your days on board a wooden sailboat exploring the island’s reefs or climb up Mount Luho for a stunning view of the island. Cocktail in hand, of course.

If beaches are not your thing but you still want to honeymoon in hot temperatures, then an African safari is your best option. Your choice of location depends on what animals you would like to see. To get up close but not too personal with gorillas, head to Uganda, Rwanda or Congo. Prepare your trekking shoes because gorillas move around the forests at will.

To see the big five in all their glory, organise your honeymoon itinerary around the Kruger Park in South Africa. One of Africa’s largest reserves, the Kruger Park is home not only to lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalos – other mammals and bird species add to the high density of wild animals.

The wilderness of Namibia and Botswana are perfect for camping. Namibia also has the world’s largest sand dunes while Botswana boasts beautiful waterways and flood plains. For a spot of canoeing, the floodplains of the middle Zembezi and the Mupata gorge in Zambia make for an unforgettable experience.

It’s not only Africa that offers wildlife adventures. Costa Rica’s Tortuguero National Park and its network of lagoons and canals are alive with iguana, monkeys and river otters. India could also be the dramatic backdrop to your first meeting with tigers. These big cats are a critically endangered species in the wild – your best bet to see tigers is Bandavgarh in Madhya Pradesh. You can journey through the wild either on a jeep or on an elephant’s swaying back.

Cold feet

If you want to honeymoon in a climate that is colder than that in the savannahs, deserts and tropical islands, consider a visit to Iceland. This natural beauty has plenty to offer for couples in love: from hot natural springs and geothermal pools to watching the Northern Lights, any opportunity is good to get all romantic.

Cold ice, hot springs in Iceland.

For most of the year, Lapland is covered with a thick blanket of fluffy ice. Then a herd of reindeer moves across the horizon and it feels like Christmas. For a full ice adventure, you can even opt to stay in a glass-roofed igloo: lie back and watch the stars. Another icy accommodation is the Ice Hotel in Sweden. This hotel may be built from ice, but you will not catch a cold because your bed is a thermal sleeping bag. And there’s always the ice bar where you can enjoy a warming drink or two.

Your honeymoon could also be the perfect opportunity to learn skiing. Gstaad in Switzerland is one of the best skiing resorts with 10 chalet villages. You can also visit the neighbouring towns or enjoy a hot air balloon ride. Val Thorens in France is also a great skiing destination and has the highest elevation of all ski resorts in Europe.

For skiing outside Europe, the Andes Mountains spoil you for choice. Close to 7,000km long, this longest mountain range in the world transverses seven South American countries. One of the largest ski resorts is Portillo in Chile. Situated close to the city of Los Andes, Portillo also enjoys views of the Laguna del Inca. And since Chile is renowned for its wine, you can also fill your glass and toast to a happy married life.