I have been allowed 5 weeks off work for my honeymoon in Feb next year. Initially I thought about going to australia as we really want an adventure but to also have warm weather. The internet informs me that in Feb it is the rainy season in Cairns which makes me reluctant to go. We are looking for an amazing once in a life time holiday, which is a mixture of adventure and beautiful beaches (possibly the last week of the holiday). Please could someone give me an idea about where would fulfill our desires, or even give us an idea about where to visit, any suggestions appreciated.
Thank you
James

Africa-
Though Feb has more rain than some other months, the heavier rains are usually into March. The temps are nice and warm as this is their summer. I have weather links at the bottom.

Chimp tracking in Mahale in Tanzania (not far from where Jane Goodall spent her years in the wild) is good in Feb and a little rain clear the atmosphere to make visibility better and keep the chimps from roaming too far.

The height of the wildebeest and zebra migration is in the Southern Serengeti (Tanzania) in Feb. Where the hoofed species roam, the cats will follow. The Ngorongoro Crater, a World Heritage site with some of the most concentrated wildlife on earth, is right next to the Serengeti.

The Maasai Mara in Kenya is always great, anytime of year.


Gorilla tracking in Rwanda and Uganda is good during Feb, before the big rains.

The Okavango delta in Botswana is brilliant green and blue in February with lion, cheetah, leopard, wild dog, red lechwe, and abundant bird life.

Victoria Falls, seen from either Zambia or Zimbabwe, is near its peak in Feb.

The private Sabi Sands Reserves of South Africa are great year round. Cape Town, South Africa is one of the world's most beautiful cities in the world with highs of 79 in Feb and very little rain.

I have less knowledge of beaches but am aware of some in Zanzibar, Tanzania; the Seychelles which are islands off of Kenya; Mombasa in Kenya, Mozambique has beaches; South Africa has some beaches.

Africa is indeed amazing, but it might not turn out to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Many of us have been captivated by the continent and continue to return.

Your accommodations can range from simple to barefoot luxury to some of the finest establlishments in the world. Food is delicious, fine European and international cuisine.

You can be active, relaxed, whatever you want, all in the same day. Walking, boating, or remaining in a vehicle all work. You can enjoy culture, nature, and history.

You can easily have a private trip for two in East Africa at reasonable costs and drive with your private guide to see the country. Or you can fly from camp to camp. There are many romantic honeymoon activities from a catered full dinner in the bush to candlelight dining in your tent to a cozy tree hotel for two to sipping champagne overlooking Victoria Falls.

If some of the above suggestions are of interest, hop over to the Africa forum for more info from people who have been to all of these.

There are even companies that specialize in African honeymoons. But I'd suggest just getting an Africa specialist who can add some romantic touches.

Best time in each area, plus temps.
http://www.africa-adventure.com/dsp_besttime.html

Other weather links
http://www.classicescapes.com/ke-weather.html
http://www.classicescapes.com/ta-weather.html
http://www.classicescapes.com/bw-weather.html
http://www.uyaphi.com/afriweather.htm
http://www.classicescapes.com/sa-weather.html
http://www.uyaphi.com/botswana/weather.htm

Congrats on your wedding! Hope to help you plan a terrific honeymoon in Africa.

Now watch, Mr. PlanYourSafari will post his website here.

How about somewhere in southeast asia? Like Thailand?

Cairns is one corner of a very large country. Don't let a little rain in Cairns put you off going to Australia if that's where you want to go - you might simply need to adjust the timing of where you go when to accommodate the weather a little.

May I offer one piece of advice regarding the timing of an adventurous honeymoon. If you can manage it, postpone the start of your honeymoon (at least a couple of days, preferably a week), so that you can recover from the wedding before leaping into your holiday. We did this when we got married in 2005 - we had nine days between the wedding and start of our trip (because of something work-related I couldn't avoid) - and it turned out to be great because we didn't have to stress out about getting organized for our long, adventurous trip (which included scuba diving, hiking in Morocco and a few other activities) until after the wedding was over. We also recuperated from the wedding at work - while being paid a salary.

Back to your honeymoon plan. Have you considered booking a Circle Pacific-type ticket so that you could visit, for example, New Zealand (also great for adventure), Australia, possibly a Polynesian island, and then Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, with possibly a pit stop in Hawaii on the way home? Check out the Oneworld forum on flyertalk.com (or the Star Alliance forum) for advice and suggestions about itineraries using Circle Pacific-type tickets.