Honeymooners opt for a shot of adrenaline

Growing number of couples are opting for thrills and adventure over the more traditional, romance-centred honeymoon. The fascination with snow-clad mountains in Europe is fading. Soubhik Mitra reports.

Shrikant Karwa's family wanted him to cancel his honeymoon after they read the itinerary, said the Prabhadevi resident. He and his wife, Marisha, planned to jump off cliffs, dive into the ocean and swim amid whales and sharks in South Africa, to celebrate their wedding last November.

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"Despite the family's protests, we went ahead with the trip," said the 34-year-old. "They changed their minds when they saw our honeymoon photographs."

Karwa, who works with a government-appointed company implementing the Aadhaar UID card scheme, is among a small but growing number of couples opting for thrills and adventure over the more traditional, romance-centred honeymoon.

"The fascination with snow-clad mountains in Europe is fading and an increasing number of honeymooners are opting for adventure sports in scenic destinations such as New Zealand and South Africa," says Subhash Motwani, director of Colaba-based travel company Compact Travels.

"About 40% of the tours chosen by newlyweds now include two or more adventure experiences, up from less than 10% last year."

Adds Hanneli Slabber, country head of South Africa Tourism (India): "An African proverb describes love as misty rain that falls softly but turns into a flooded river. We have seen the same change in Indian honeymooners in South Africa. Their trips begin with romantic experiences such as watching wha-les play and proceed to high-adrenaline activities such as skydiving and shark-cage diving."