Bogota is a place you're either going to love or hate. Like any capital city, you’re going to find that the place is overcrowded and noisy but it is also where you're going to find the cheapest food and accommodation. I recommend spending 2 days in Bogota and staying in the Chapinero or Zona Rosa areas. My top recommendations for visiting Bogota are:

• Take a food tour in La Candelaria district. Here you’ll try an array of local dishes including ceviche, ajiaco and tamales. 

• Visit the ‘Museo de Oro’ where you’ll find over 34,000 gold artifacts. The museum is also free to enter on Sundays. 

• Take the cable car to Monserrate for the best views from above of Bogota, as you’ll travel over 3000m above sea level. 

• Try traditional food in La Puerta Falsa, which has been in Bogota for over 200 years. 

• Walk through La Plaza de Bolivar, where you’ll also find a cathedral and the parliament building. 

After spending a busy two days in Bogota, you’ll want to fly to Pereira. From here you’ll need to take a 1 hour taxi to Salento (I recommend booking a transfer online) which should cost you £50 per car. The Disney movie Encanto was actually based off this Colombian town, and you’ll instantly notice the similarities when you see all the colourful houses and shops as you walk through. Salento is a small place, but I recommend two days here so you’ll be able to relax and fit in the following: 

• Start your day with a guided tour through the Cocora Valley, home to the largest palm trees in the world which can grow up to 60m tall. 

• In the afternoon, visit the Ocasa coffee farm to learn about the production of coffee in Colombia and sample some too. You’ll need to take a jeep from the main square to get to the valley. 

• Try a typical ‘Bandeja Paisa’ made up of rice, beans, plantain, avocado, sausage and chicken. We ate at Donde Laurita and it was delicious! 

• Walk through the Calle Real, you’ll find lots of jewellery shops and cafes through here. 

• Sit in the Plaza De Bolivar Salento for a drink and enjoy the live music and dances that are usually going on in the evening. 

If you’re looking to party in Colombia, then Medellin is where you’ll want to go out. There are two main nightlite areas in Medellin, Parque LLeras and Provenza, the latter is the ‘classier’ area where you’ll find locals and tourists and notable clubs like Perro Negro. Parque Lleras is a tourist trap where you’ll pay £18 for a G&T and the clubs tend to be seedier. 3 days in Medellin is perfect, and I recommend staying in Laureles or El Poblado. In Medellin:

• Take a guided tour to Comuna 13. What was once one of the most dangerous places in Medellin, is now a cultural hub where tourists come to see the graffiti, music and dancing that fills the area. 

• An hour away you’ll find Guatape and El Peñol, which is essentially a massive rock that you can climb via 740 steps to get great views of the lakes that surround it. 

• Walk through Plaza Botero, where you’ll find over 20 sculptures designed by Colombian artist Fernando Botero. 

• If you want to try something unique, try an Amazonian tasting menu at La Chagra. You’ll need to have an open mind for this as some of the dishes contain ants! 

My favourite thing about Cartagena was the contrast between the skyscrapers in Bocagrande, and the colonial architecture in the Old Town and Getsmani district. This is a city where you’ll mainly be walking around and relaxing on beaches or the nearby islands, and you’ll want to because it gets very hot and humid here. 3 days is plenty of time here and I recommend staying in the Bocagrande area or within the City Walls. In Cartagena:

• Walk around the Getsmani district and get a photo with the Palenqueras (you’ll be expected to tip them)

• Take a sunset cruise with an open bar or alternatively to the rooftop bar of the Movich Hotel for the best sunset view. 

• Visit one of the beach clubs in Isla Grande, you can get here from the port and the ferry takes 1 hour. Bora Bora Beach Club is where most people go as it’s more of a party vibe, but if you want something relaxing and with anopen bar I recommend Luxury Island.

• In terms of nightlife, XO rooftop is great and you’ll find typical reggaeton music here. If you’re into your cocktails, Alquimico was actually rated in the ‘World’s 50 Best Bars’ and the vibes are great too. 

To end your trip, I recommend unwinding in the all-inclusive private resort Isla De Encanto. Only a 1 hour boat ride from Cartagena, this resort in Baru has its own private beach, a swim up bar in the pool and breakfast, lunch and dinner provided. The staff was so friendly and it was a great way to relax and end our trip. 

You can go snorkling, hire kayaks and hop to other islands from here too.

Where to stay in Isla Baru: Isla De Encanto

If you want a bit more adventure from your trip, you can hire a car and travel around the country to places like Dhermi, Permet, Berat and of course the capital Tirana. Across the country you can find activities like white-water rafting, beautiful hikes and UNESCO sites. Their national dish is  ‘Tave kosi’ which is made up of lamb with rice and yoghurt. 

Honeymoon hotel recommendation: Xheko Imperial Hotel & SPA

Best time to visit: April - October 

Photo Credit

Cruise holidays are great if you don't want to do a lot of the planning yourself and want to see a few places in a short space of time. For your honeymoon, I recommend going with Virgin Voyages as they offer ‘adults only’ cruises and have more activities and parties catered for older age groups. More so, you can choose to buy the all-inclusive drinks package to make the most of your trip. Just make sure you purchase this online in advance as it will be cheaper than buying it when you get onboard. 

If you have children and want to bring them along on your honeymoon, then a Royal Caribbean Cruise is probably your best bet as there’s activities for everyone, and a creche you can leave your kids at for a few hours should you wish to have some alone time! Your main expense for this holiday will be flying to the US, but the cruise itself is generally cheaper than the voyages from Europe. 

Cruise recommendation: Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady

Best time to visit the Caribbean: February - May 

Photo Credit

Seychelles is a group of islands off the coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean, and is one of the more unique honeymoon destinations as it offers something exotic and its close proximity to Kenya and Tanzania means you can combine a trip to Seychelles with an African safari in the Serengeti to give you the best of both on your honeymoon. 

The archipelago consists of 115 islands, 25% of which consists of private resort islands which means most resorts have their own private beaches. If you’re looking for those famous overwater beach huts, you can rest assured that you’ll definitely find them here. This type of holiday will mainly revolve around sunbathing, snorkeling, exploring the national parks and enjoying some local food such as ‘kat-kat banane’ and lots of coconut curries. 

Honeymoon hotel recommendation: Hotel Coral Strand

Best time to visit: April - May, October - November  

Photo Credit

Costa Rica is known for having the world's greatest biodiversity and micro-climates, meaning there is a lot to do and discover. It’s a place that you definitely don’t want to stay in just one place and rather explore the whole country, but even just a week is enough time to explore the best that the country has to offer. I recommend visiting La Fortuna (where you’ll find the Arenal Volcano), San Jose, Tortuguero National Park and Puerto Viejo. 

On your trip here, you can try horseback riding, ATV, zip-lining, kayaking, scuba diving and so much more. Not to mention seeing some of the incredible wildlife like sloths, squirrel monkeys and toucans. When it comes to food, you’ll want to try dishes like ‘chifrijo’ (fried pork with red beans) and ‘rondon’ (seafood and coconut stew). 

Honeymoon hotel recommendation: Nayara Springs Hotel

Best time to visit: December - April   

Photo Credit

I couldn’t finish this list without including somewhere for those who prefer the cold weather. If you want somewhere to experience the Aurora Borealis whilst sleeping in a glass-roofed igloo, then you’ll want to stay in Finnish Lapland. Here you can also experience sleigh rides, husky safaris and of course, skiing. You can also complete your honeymoon with a therapeutic hot tub session, with a beautiful backdrop of the snowy mountains. 

Honeymoon hotel recommendation: Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort 

Best time to visit: December  

Photo Credit

I hope this article has provided you with some inspiration for your future honeymoon, or atleast you’ve added one of these places to your bucket list!