Spiritual Honeymoons

Turtle Island, Fiji

If you endured a "traditional" wedding for the sake of family but long for a more intimate, spiritual experience, Turtle Island is the ideal destination. Here you can experience an authentic Fijian marriage ceremony in an open air chapel on the beach. Brides, adorned in flowers and Fijian attire, arrive by billi billi wedding raft. The wedding is tailored to either Methodist or Catholic faiths, but with local touches like a Kava drink-sipping ritual. Honeymooners stay in a bure (a deluxe palm hut), with private beaches reserved for each couple (the resort accepts a maximum of 14 couples at any given time). Meals are held in a communal outdoor setting under a Banyan tree, complete with French champagne.

Rates: $2,000 fully inclusive wedding package; seaplane transfers $690
Telephone: 800-255-4347
Website: http://www.turtlefiji.com

Hotel Monasterio, Machu Picchu, Peru

Perched high in the Andes, the ancient city of Machu Picchu is the New Age Mecca--one of the most beautiful and spiritual places in the world. Originally built as a monastery in 1592 on the site of Inca Amaru Qhala Palace, Hotel Monasterio in the town of Cusco (three hours by train to Machu Picchu) is an ideal spot for honeymooning. A stunning chapel is also available for weddings. But be warned: It's not a trip for the faint-hearted. The traditional trek by foot to the ruins is a four-day walk through altitudes that will test the healthiest lungs. But by all accounts, it's worth it.

Rates: Doubles $270-320; helicopter lifts $85
Telephone: 800-237-1236
Website: http://www.monasterio.orient-express.com

International House Hotel, New Orleans

You don't have to leave the country for a unique spiritual experience. The International House, a breathtaking hotel in the heart of the French Quarter, serves up a ceremony that ranks among the best of them. Featuring an authentic staff voodoo priestess, the hotel offers love blessing rituals for newlyweds. First an altar is built in your room, then clippings of the couple's hair and fingernails are taken and combined with herbs and sealed in a silk gris-gris bag as the priestess draws icons called veves on the floor to summon the loa, or spirit (no animals are killed). The hotel also features flower baths and a "voodoo love kit" with massage oils and other sensuous, mystical treats. The hotel is back up to full occupancy after the city was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. You can help support the renewal of New Orleans and reinvigorate yourself in the process.

Rates: Suites $359-439; Blessing Ceremony $125
Telephone: 800-633-5770
Website: http://www.ihhotel.com

Hacienda del Cerezo, Santa Fe

Rising up from a hilltop on the outskirts of Santa Fe, Hacienda del Cerezo's adobe walls are nearly indistin- guishable from the surrounding pink earth and golden sunsets. Many consider Santa Fe to be America's spiritual center, and if so, Hacienda del Cerezo is its royal palace. Hand-carved beams and kiva fireplaces warm each room, with gorgeous panorama views of the valley from the hotel's Saltillo-tile balconies. Honeymooners can delight in treatments at nearby Zen's Inn Bodywork Sanctuary, where massages are given side by side. Native American ceremonies at the nearby Tesuque Pueblo Indian Reservation are open to visitors.

Rates: $600-$750, includes 3 gourmet meals a day. Two night stay minimum.
Telephone: 888-982-8001 or 505-982-8000
Website: http://www.haciendadelcerezo.com

Illukitaya, Galle, Sri Lanka

The influences of Hinduism and Buddhism (it is the home of the world's largest reclining Buddha statue), mixed with the architecture of the Dutch and Portuguese make the area around Galle, Sri Lanka, a certifiable dream world. Illukitaya (the "plantation house"), a private villa that welcomes couples, is a stunning homage to Zen aesthetics, surrounded by cool running streams and quiet stone fountains. Monks in saffron robes walk the roads leading to endless temples, as you drift off to sleep beneath a soft white mosquito net to the hypnotic sounds of the jungle. Although Sri Lanka got somewhat less media attention than Thailand following the 2004 tsunami, the country is still in the process of rebuilding, though this resort has been entirely restored.

Rates: $350 per night for the entire villa, including staff, or $100 for a double room
Telephone: 011-44-870-833-3838
Website: http://www.boutiquesrilanka.com/hotel-overview.php?HotelId=58

Villa La Borghetta,Tuscany, Italy

Many movies have tried to capture the beauty of Tuscany, but nothing compares to experiencing the landscape in person. Villa La Borghetta has airy rooms that overlook the verdant countryside, plus a dining room that offers the finest in Italian cuisine. Start your day with hot stone or aromatherapy massage, or enjoy the traditional Turkish bath that will refresh your body and rejuvenate your skin. There are vineyard tours, cooking classes, and hiking trails within walking distance, or you can plan a daytrip to the historic churches and fine art of nearby Florence or Siena.

Rates: Rooms 92-140 euros (approx. $125-$190), Suites 180 euros (approx. $244)
Telephone: 011-39-055-952868
Website: http://www.villalaborghetta.com/

Caneel Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Caneel Bay is located inside a national park on breathtaking St. John Island. Rooms are furnished with local wood, stone, and textiles, and guests willing to splurge can stay in what used to be Laurence Rockefeller's private estate, aka "Cottage 7." The spiritual components of the resort are many. Caneel's website boasts that they are "dedicated to helping guests nurture their desires for mental, physical and spiritual well-being through an array of mind/body approaches for stress relief, relaxation, rejuvenation and a renewed sense of self." What won't you find at Caneel? Televisions, telephones, and other reminders of modern life.

Rates: Rooms from $395-$750 (varies by season), Cottage 7 $1100
Telephone: 888-343-6413
Website: http://www.caneelbay.com