Escape: thailand, cambodia, indonesia

We have so many words for something blue—royal, cobalt, sapphire, turquoise—but none quite describe the shades of Southeast Asia’s seas. This far-flung region’s sensual scenes must be viewed with the heart, its once-in-a-lifetime experiences shared to seem convincingly real. For honeymooners, it is a land of both off-the-map adventures and barefoot luxury, where tropical weather is constant year-round, and ancient traditions and modern splendor coexist harmoniously.

Buddhism teaches that love means wanting others to be happy, and this spirit imbues the enchanting service at sumptuous, yet eco-sensitive waterside hideaways. No one “loves” more deeply than the region’s chefs, whose cuisine you’ll crave many moons and miles after your journey.

Elephant bathing, sea cave canoeing, Thai massage, cinema for two on the 7-mile beach: Once you book one of 56 spacious guest residences at The Sarojin in Thailand, the resort’s imagineering team custom-tailors unforgettable moments. Indulge, play or embrace the authenticity of shadowing a local fisherman, preparing lunch for disadvantaged children or trekking to a temple at sunrise to seek a monk’s spiritual blessing. A forever memory awaits when you’re chauffeured into the jungle to a table for two beside a waterfall dancing in the flicker-light of hundreds of candles.

Its clifftop location makes Alila Villas Uluwatu seem suspended at the edge of the world. Gazing out from this dreamy property on the island of Bali, there’s nothing but swirling Indian Ocean until... Australia. The architecturally lauded resort was designed to blend with its lush environment. Dine whenever you’d like in your breezy villa with a private pool and cabana. Couples glow after the 150-minute Beauty and Balance spa experience, which invigorates and restores with cocoa, coffee and coconut. It concludes in a steam room for two, where you’ll apply a caressing facial mask for your beloved. Although intimacy permeates the resort, it also plays a vital community role, routinely supplying food to a local orphanage.

Cambodia’s Song Saa Private Island is actually two side-by-side isles nicknamed “The Sweethearts.” This lovingly developed sanctuary is home to just 27 jungle and overwater villas built with sustainable materials. The Song Saa family adores creating bespoke experiences for newlyweds: dinner on the beach or in your private plunge pool, where every ingredient celebrates the islands’ bounty, followed by an underwater stargazing meditation, perhaps. Guests’ wellness is paramount, but owners Rory and Melita Hunter are also devoted to the wellbeing of their paradise found. Their Song Saa Foundation invests in everything from education to reforestation.

A traditional phinisi spice cargo motorsailer utterly reimagined as a single-cabin boat for two—with a seven-member crew—offers free-spirited couples the ultimate in privacy, exclusivity and at-your-whim service. Alexa plies Indonesian waters on expeditions to turtle beaches, tribal villages, volcanic islands inhabited by komodo dragons and diving grounds where the pristine corals you view with your on-board instructor may never be seen by other human eyes. Alexa Private Cruises is part of the OAZIA upscale lifestyle brand created by designer and entrepreneur Veronika Blomgren. The founder of “Holistic Design,” a practice characterized by environmental responsibility and appreciation for indigenous craftsmanship, ingeniously overcame every obstacle to outfitting the vessel with silk rugs, primitive sculptures and antiques. 

Your chef will prepare fish you catch, your masseuse will meet you on deck or on a secluded beach: You design each day. As the sun sinks, and sky and sea turn scarlet, amethyst and fiery gold, you’ll be lost for words. But the exotic beauty you witness will bond you throughout your lifetime love affair.

> Written By: Kim Knox Beckius