Honeymoon
Asia honeymoon guide to Thailand, Japan, Bali, Sri Lanka and Vietnam
Asia gives a honeymoon more variety than any other region: temples and night markets, rainforest and hot springs, and beaches where the sea stays warm all year. The hard part is choosing, so this guide compares the five places we recommend for couples.
5 November 20264 min
Picolo Editorial
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Thailand, Japan, Bali, Sri Lanka and Vietnam all suit a honeymoon, but in very different ways. One is about beaches and street food, another about ryokan nights and temples, and the seasons differ from country to country. Below you will find what each place does best, when to go, how long the flight is from London, and one hotel we recommend in each. Each country also has its own honeymoon guide with a full route.
In short: a honeymoon in Asia
Beach and culture with direct flights: Thailand, around 12 hours from London to Bangkok.
Culture, food and hot springs: Japan, best in spring for the cherry blossom or in autumn.
Jungle and beach on one island: Bali, best from April to October.
Tea country, wildlife and beach: Sri Lanka, best from December to April for the south coast.
Old towns and long beaches: central Vietnam, around Hoi An, best from February to August.
Our hotel pick: Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai on Ha My beach near Hoi An, rated 9.8 out of 10 on Hotels.com.
Our first choice for an Asia honeymoon: a few nights in the old town of Hoi An, then a week on the beach at The Nam Hai. Check availability and prices at Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai
This guide is part of our best honeymoon destinations series and our honeymoon ideas. Looking for overwater villas instead? See the Maldives, Mauritius or the Seychelles.
How to choose where to go in Asia
Start with the month, since the seasons decide more than anything else. The monsoons move across the region at different times, so somewhere is always dry. Then choose the mix you want: more beach, more culture, or an even split.
December to March: Thailand's Andaman coast, Sri Lanka's south coast and southern Vietnam.
Late March and April: Japan for the cherry blossom, and Bali as the rains end.
May to September: Bali at its best, the Gulf islands of Thailand such as Koh Samui, and central Vietnam.
October and November: Japan for the autumn colours, and the start of the dry season in southern Thailand.
The five best places in Asia for a honeymoon
Thailand: beaches, food and direct flights
Thailand gives you the most for the money: Bangkok, the temples of Chiang Mai in the north and then a week on the beach. Direct flights from London to Bangkok take around 12 hours. The Andaman coast, with Krabi and Phuket, is best from December to March, and Koh Samui in the Gulf from February to August.
Our pick is Rayavadee on the Railay peninsula in Krabi, set between limestone cliffs and three beaches. Guests rate it 9.6 out of 10 from 717 reviews. Read our Thailand honeymoon guide.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Rayavadee
Dinner in the limestone cave on Phra Nang beach, right by Rayavadee
Japan: ryokan, temples and cherry blossom
Japan is the choice for couples who want culture and food more than a sunbed. A two-week route takes in Tokyo, a night or two at a ryokan, the traditional Japanese inn with its own hot spring, then Kyoto and the beaches of Okinawa. Direct flights from London to Tokyo take around 14 hours.
Our pick is Gora Kadan in Hakone, a ryokan on the grounds of a former summer villa of the Imperial family, rated 9.6 out of 10. Read our Japan honeymoon guide.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Gora Kadan
Bali: jungle and beach on one island
Bali works well split in two: a few nights in the green river valleys around Ubud, then the beaches of the south. The dry season runs from April to October. The flight takes around 16 hours 30 minutes from London, with one change, usually in Doha.
Our pick is Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, in the Ayung river valley outside Ubud, rated 9.4 out of 10 from 239 reviews. Read our Bali honeymoon guide.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan
Sri Lanka: tea country, wildlife and the south coast
Sri Lanka packs a lot into a small island: the ancient cities of the Cultural Triangle, the tea hills, safaris for elephants and leopards, and a south coast of palms and surf. The island has two monsoons, so it is always dry somewhere, and December to April suits the classic route. Direct flights from London take around 11 hours.
Our pick is Cape Weligama, with villas on a headland above the sea on the south coast, rated 9.8 out of 10. Read our Sri Lanka honeymoon guide.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Cape Weligama
Vietnam: Hoi An and the central coast
Central Vietnam combines one of Asia's prettiest old towns with long, quiet beaches. Hoi An was a trading port for centuries, and its Ancient Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lit by silk lanterns in the evening. In the north, an overnight boat through the limestone islands of Ha Long Bay, also on UNESCO's list, makes a memorable start. Vietnam Airlines flies direct from London to Hanoi in around 12 hours, and the central coast is a short domestic flight away, landing at Da Nang. February to August is the dry season around Hoi An.
Our pick, The Nam Hai, is described in full below. Read more in our Vietnam travel guide and our guide to Hoi An.
Combining two countries
Many couples combine culture in one country with a beach in another, or two places in one country. Popular pairs are Bangkok or Chiang Mai with the Maldives, Sri Lanka with the Maldives, and Japan with a few days in Bali. Keep it to two places on a two-week honeymoon, so you spend your time together rather than in airports.
Plan the rest of your honeymoon
Choose the month in our honeymoon calendar, set the budget with how much a honeymoon costs, and use plan your honeymoon for the checklist. For the very best hotels, see luxury honeymoon destinations.
Our pick for an Asia honeymoon
The Nam Hai: villas on a quiet beach near Hoi An
Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai lies on Ha My beach, a short drive from the lantern-lit old town of Hoi An. Villas and pool villas are spread among palms down to a private beach, with three outdoor pools, a spa and three restaurants. It is the slow beach week that follows the old town, and guests give it 9.8 out of 10 from 386 reviews on Hotels.com.
Our verdict
What Picolo recommends: choose by month first. Thailand and Sri Lanka in the British winter, Japan in spring or autumn, Bali and central Vietnam in summer.
Why: the right season makes a bigger difference in Asia than the choice of hotel, and every month has at least one place at its best.
The trade-off: most Asia honeymoons involve a long flight and some internal travel. If you want one hotel and no transfers, an island resort in the Indian Ocean suits you better.
To pair a country in Asia with a beach elsewhere, see our multi-centre honeymoon guide.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the best place in Asia for a honeymoon?
The best place in Asia for a honeymoon depends on what you want. Thailand is best for beaches, food and direct flights, Japan for culture and ryokan nights, Bali for jungle and beach on one island, and Sri Lanka for tea country, wildlife and the south coast. Central Vietnam around Hoi An combines an old town with long, quiet beaches.
Where in Asia is good for a honeymoon in December?
Thailand's Andaman coast, with Krabi and Phuket, and the south coast of Sri Lanka are the best places in Asia for a honeymoon in December. Both are in their dry season, with warm sea and sunshine. Southern Vietnam is also dry. Book early for the Christmas weeks, when prices and demand peak.
What is the cheapest honeymoon destination in Asia?
Thailand and Bali give the most honeymoon for the money in Asia, with very good hotels at lower prices than the Maldives or Japan. Sri Lanka and Vietnam are also good value. In our price check, ten nights at The Kayon Resort on Bali cost far less per night than a villa in the Maldives.
How long is the flight to Asia from the UK?
Direct flights from London take around 11 hours to Sri Lanka, 12 hours to Bangkok and Hanoi, and 14 hours to Tokyo. Bali has no direct flight from the UK, so the journey takes around 16 hours 30 minutes with one change, usually in Doha.
Sources
Flight times and seasons come from Picolo's honeymoon guides to each country. The flight time to Hanoi comes from Vietnam Airlines. The facts about Hoi An and Ha Long Bay come from UNESCO's World Heritage List: Hoi An Ancient Town and Ha Long Bay. The guest scores come from each hotel's page on Hotels.com. Last checked: 5 November 2026.
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