The world's most romantic places

The world\'s most romantic places

Where is the love? Answer: in clifftop hideaways, mountain retreats, desert island getaways, cities of chocolate, Berber tents, cowboy ranches and other seductively frolicksome spots around the globe.

By Fiona Cullinan, who blogs about travel and tourism at Tourist Vs Traveller

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Au naturel, Pakleni Islands, Croatia

For your own romantic desert island getaway in Europe, head for this group of around 20 uninhabited islets covered in pinewoods and rimmed by small beaches. A taxi boat from the nearby island of Hvar will drop you off on one of the deserted beaches with your lunch hamper of wine, exotic fruits, rustic bread and robust cheeses. Stay for sunset before heading home. Also, on many of the island coves, clothing is optional! A daytrip from Hvar costs about £10 per person, including tip but excluding lunch.

Hidden Croatia (www.hiddencroatia.com, 0844 477 9999) offers seven-night breaks on Hvar from around £550 per person for seven nights B&B in a four-star hotel, including flights and transfers

Millionaire\'s retreat, Atlas Mountains, Morocco

Care to stay in the luxurious retreat of an entrepreneur millionaire? You can fuel your more exotic romantic fantasies in Sir Richard Branson\'s Atlas Mountains hideaway at Kasbah Tamadot, an hour or so from Marrakech. The Kasbah itself has 24 bedrooms decorated in traditional Moroccan style with eclectic furnishings and antiques from the former owner, Luciano Tempo, a renowned collector.  But a particularly private option is to book one of the five Berber tented suites, perched on a hillside, each with a plunge pool, private dining terrace, a freestanding bathtub and views to die for.

Visit Kasbah Tamadot www.kasbahtamadot.virgin.com for more details. Prices are from £1,875 per person based on two people sharing. This includes four nights in a Berber tented suite, bed and breakfast, flights, taxes and transfers.

Chocoholic\'s heaven, Bruges, Belgium

If romance for you involves chocolate and for your other half beer, then Bruges is your beloved. Of course, there is more to this pretty city than its plentiful artisan chocolate shops and fine Belgian beers. The setting - featuring medieval architecture, graceful canals, horse-drawn carriages, cobblestone streets and outdoor cafés - makes a perfect backdrop for couples in love. Much of Bruges is too narrow for cars, so you can easily escape from the modern world and discover the city by boat, bike, horse-drawn carriage or simply walking hand in hand. And don\'t forget to visit the most romantic spot of all: the Lake of Love, with its swan pairs who mate for life.

Visit www.visitflanders.co.uk for more information. In Jan/Feb there are many offers available, eg, three nights for the price of two in Bruges staying at the four-star Hotel Casselbergh for £258. This offer includes an executive room and a reserved table for a champagne breakfast, plus return travel on Eurostar with www.short-breaks.com

Photo: Jan Barthet, Toerisme Brugge

Moonlight at the Taj Mahal, India

The world\'s most famous monument to eternal love is the Taj Mahal, the 17th-century white marble mausoleum of the Empress Mumtaz Mahal built by her adoring husband. The reflecting pools, corner minarets, calligraphic carvings, central dome of the tomb have made it the world\'s most beautiful building. It\'s also a perfectionist\'s dream and an exercise in symmetry and harmony - unlike most relationships - taking 22 years, 20,000 labourers and more than 1,000 elephants to construct. If romance equals cash spent then we have a winner. Go at full moon for a romantic moonlit tour.

Kuoni (www.kuoni.co.uk) offers seven nights B&B at the Trident Agra, including flights and transfers, from £1,043pp based on two sharing, with Taj Mahal & Agra Fort visit from £41pp. Tucan Travel (www.tucantravel.com) also run an 11-day Taj Mahal and Tigers escorted group tour (£300, plus local payment of $200 per person) for an 11-day itinerary. Flights not included.

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Cliff-edge hideaway, Big Sur, California

Halfway between LA and San Francisco is where California gets truly wild with the Santa Lucia Mountain Range butting right up to big Pacific ocean rollers and thousand-foot drops from road to sea. The cliff-hugging Highway 1 is not only one of the most scenic road trips in the world but it\'s also home to Big Sur - an isolated escape for novelists, poets and artists. Book into the ultimate romantic hideaway at the Post Ranch Inn

(www.postranchinn.com), nestled into a sloping Big Sur hillside. Triangular Tree Houses have private forest and mountain views while the Cliff House is the honeymoon choice with a deck suspended over the cliffs and a glass-walled bedroom with ocean views. And there\'s no TV so it\'s star-gazing (with an astronomer), whale-watching, and secluded beach and forest walks for two all the way.

For more information on Big Sur, go to www.visitcalifornia.co.uk . Post Ranch Inn has ocean view rooms from $1,060 per night. Flights with BA, Virgin Atlantic, United Airlines (all direct to San Francisco) cost from around £370 return for economy.

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In the steps of a goddess, Paphos, Cyprus

Paphos may be a major package holiday destination in the Med but it\'s also the birthplace of Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty. An ideal option for budgeting couples, even here you can get off the beaten path if you head for the scenic walking trails. There are also themed cultural trails taking in the UNESCO world heritage site of the Tomb of the Kings, which dates back to 300BC, and the Baths of Aphrodite, where Adonis is said to have become bewitched by the goddess\'s beauty and she by his pretty boy looks...

For some beauty of your own, Olympic Holidays offers seven nights B&B at Thalassa Boutique Hotel & Spa from £569 per person, based on two sharing a double sea view room. Includes flights. Call 0844 815 6508 or visit www.olympicholidays.com

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The love boat, international waters

Romance and the sea go hand in hand, as does the Caribbean and weddings. So why not combine the two and get hitched at sea? The vast Caribbean Princess cruise ship has its very own wedding chapel on board, complete with flowers, candles and wedding photographer. The ship\'s captain conducts a private ceremony and you can hold your reception on board. And the great thing is, the honeymoon is part of the package. A seven-night cruise from Fort Lauderdale to the Eastern and Western Caribbean, starts at $649 per person, plus the airfare. ‘Tie the Knot\' packages begin at $1,800 for the ceremony, plus $450 for registration and licence fees.

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City of lovers, Paris, France

Paris is the city most associated with lovers and romance. The mix of gourmet food, good wine, monuments, markets, museums, cosy cafés, louche jazzbars and sexy French accents all entwine into one big romantic realm of the senses. Join in by courting under the Pont Neuf bridge or kissing on the top of it. Head for the \'lovers\' bridge\', Pont Marie, and make a wish underneath. Take a Bateau Mouche along the Seine at sunset. See Rodin\'s sculpture of "The Kiss"as Musée Rodin. Embrace on the steps of Montmartre. Climb the Eiffel Tower - the world\'s top proposal spot - and say those four little words that so many have said before: "Look at that view!"

A three-star room-only hotel in Paris in February costs from £180 per person for four nights, including Eurostar, with www.expedia.co.uk

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Barefoot idyll, Medjumbe Island, Mozambique

The Seychelles, the Maldives and Mauritius are popular tropical honeymoon spots for UK newlyweds. But for something more untouched, try Medjumbe, a private island in the Quirimba archipelago in the Indian Ocean. You\'ll spot Medjumbe easily on your air transfer - it\'s 1km long, 500m wide and looks like a giant sperm in the sea. Don\'t let that put you off though. This is a true island idyll with just 13 thatched chalets, dazzlingly white sand beaches and an aquamarine sea. The pristine marine environment offshore makes for fine diving and snorkelling - otherwise there\'s little to do but lie back in your hammock and think of rainy England.

Low-season rates are $515 per person per night sharing with Rani Resorts (www.raniresorts.com). Flights are not included, but transfers are via Nairobi and Johannesburg to Pembe in Mozambique, then a 45-minute light aircraft transfer to the island. For more information on Medjumbe, visit www.medjumberesort.com

On location, The Wild West, USA

Cowboys are the original alpha males and who wouldn\'t fall for one that looked like Robert Redford and could talk to the animals? Author Nicholas Evans researched his romantic-cowboy novel, ‘The Horse Whisperer\' here at Lonesome Spur Ranch in Montana. It\'s a working ranch, set at the base of the Pryor and Beartooth Mountains, with the Yellowstone River running through the property. There are sweeping plains, real-life cowboys, buffalo herds, cookouts and room for just 10 guests to get back to nature. And after a hard day\'s ride, couples can take a dip in the hot tub or round off the day\'s ranch chores with a soothing aromatherapy massage in a real Native American tepee. The only thing you have to bring is your own Robert Redford or Kristin Scott Thomas.

A seven-night stay from Ranch Rider (www.ranchrider.com) costs £1,225 per person (book before 31 January and save £330pp). The price includes full-board accommodation, transfers, taxes, gratuities and all ranch-based riding and activities (not including flights - approx £549 return).