Vacation Days

These ten sexy honeymoon trips are worth the splurge -- even if it means scrimping on the hors d'oeuvre.

Honeymoon ideas for couples who want to. . .

Sting and Oprah have stayed at Cape Town's Ellerman House.

. . . explore a new city.
CAPE CRUSADERS
Nestled between the ocean on one side and the dramatic rise of the Table and Lion’s Head mountains on the other, Cape Town is a small but bustling city where Dutch and British colonial buildings mingle with turn-of-the-century merchant houses and modern Deco structures. There’s no shortage of luxury accommodations here, but the exquisite eleven-room Ellerman House (www.ellerman.co.za; from $449) is a favorite for honeymooners. Culture vultures can take advantage of regular performances by the Cape Town City Opera and the Cape Town Philharmonic, or take in a play at Theatre on the Bay. Shopaholics should hit the V&A Waterfront Mall for locally made threads (both traditional and trendy) and browse street-vendor offerings for African crafts (zebra-skin rugs are everywhere). Tourists flock to the Africa Café for spicy chicken drumsticks and ostrich curry; but for great sushi and gorgeous people, the local hot spot is Tank. Just outside the city, there’s parasailing, hiking, rock climbing, snorkeling, and scuba diving, plus spectacular coastal drives along the Cape of Good Hope to the south and the wine region to the east.

WAXING BRAZILIAN
For a sultry South American experience, skip touristy Rio and head to Bahia’s Salvador on the northeast coast of Brazil. Spend your days wandering through the historic quarter (Pelourinho, or Pélo for short), with its colorful colonial-style homes and cobblestone streets, stopping to listen to local bands and sampling street food sold by the Yoruban priestesses you’ll see on almost every corner at about 5 p.m. (look for the women in white-lace dresses wearing tons of jewelry). The 455-year-old city is built on a peninsula, so perhaps you’d rather lounge at the beach all day sipping caipirinhas, then take a nap and head out for a late dinner (locals never eat before 9 p.m.). Try Soho restaurant for sushi, or Paraiso Tropical in the Cabula district for more traditional fare. Afterward, dance till dawn at the Josefina Bar & Lounge at the Bahia Marina. Stay at the cushy Hotel Pestana Bahia (pestana.com; from $82), a large, modern hotel with a Delano-esque scene at the pool and views of the sea from every room.

. . . try something new.
A COOK’S TOUR
Couples who prefer a well-designed tasting menu to, say, frozen drinks with little umbrellas might want to consider a culinarily inspired honeymoon in Spain, which jet-setting foodies are calling the new France. Cellar Tours (cellartours.com; from $512 a day, all-inclusive) offers visits to prestigious wineries, private cooking lessons with trend-setting Spanish chefs, and accommodations at small, ultra-luxurious properties (castles, country mansions, bed-and-breakfasts at vineyards). You might begin your vacation in Barcelona, where you’ll stay at the Gran Hotel La Florida, built in the twenties and frequented by Hemingway, moving on (via chauffeured Mercedes) to the wineries in the ancient region of Penedes and the medieval village of Perelada. Finish off in Catalan, with a night at the hotel Mas de Torrent, reminiscent of a Tuscan villa and surrounded by lush gardens.

GRAPE EXPECTATIONS
Driving through Napa is a perfectly nice idea, but this is your honeymoon, after all. Why not bike through Burgundy instead? Butterfield & Robinson (800-678-1147 or butterfield.com; from $4,695 per week) will tailor a private trip to your tastes and interests. The biking isn’t too grueling (about 20 to 30 miles a day), and well-planned itineraries take you through gorgeous country roads lined with vineyards. Your reward? Vineyard tours and wine tastings, accompanied by incredible food. For example, you might start in Dijon, bike past the Saone River, stop for a streamside picnic, then continue on toward the Côte d’Or, arriving at the eighteenth-century Château André Ziltener, where you’ll have an informal introduction to Burgundy wines with a local tasting pro and an Escoffier-worthy dinner designed around whatever is fresh and in season. And that’s just the first day.