What better way to celebrate the start of a marriage than with an unforgettable honeymoon in a dream location? But with so many exquisite island destinations to choose from, it can be difficult for honeymooners to decide which is the best for a romantic getaway.  On average, couples spend around $5,000 on their honeymoon, so they’ll want to make sure they get the most value for money.

Travel insurance comparison site InsureMyTrip ranked 71 island destinations to reveal the best honeymoon spots for a luxurious getaway. To accomplish this, we standardized the latest available data for each island in categories like the average cost of a hotel room, beach ratings, the number of romantic attractions, and the rating of spas.

The data was then standardized using min-max normalization. The min-max normalization value is multiplied by 10 to create a score (between 0-10). In this case, a score of 10 is the best result, while a score of 0 is the worst.
With more than 5 million visitors each year, Bali is one of the most popular Indonesian island destinations. It comes out on top with an overall score of 9.3. The island is renowned for its scenic beaches, lively culture, and beautiful temples.

The average cost of a hotel room on the island is around $272, which is much more affordable than the study average ($398). There is also a wide range of high-quality activities including romantic attractions (10/10) and spas (9.6/10).

For those looking to enjoy delicious meals on their trip – Bali is ideal. The average restaurant rating is 4.4/5 and the average cost of a mid-range meal is just $22 per couple.

Its natural beauty and lovely weather also help it secure a high ranking. With average temperatures of 81°F, sea temperatures of 80.4°F, and beaches rated an average of 4.5/5, it’s the perfect destination to enjoy the outdoors.

In second position is Sri Lanka, with an overall score of 8.7.  The tropical island has high rankings across the board, but fares particularly well for its affordability. The average cost of a hotel is $191 while the average mid-level meal costs $22 per couple.

With more than 1,000 romantic tourist attractions, highly rated spas (8.8/10), and beautiful beaches (4/5), there is no shortage of enjoyable activities.

The Thai island of Phuket ranks third, with an overall score of 8.6.  Hotels on the island cost an average of $121 a night, which is among the cheapest in the whole study.

In 2023, the nation announced ambitious plans to stimulate tourism in the country, which includes becoming a global culinary hub. While the cost of a meal is slightly higher than the top two islands at $33 per couple, Phuket boasts the highest-rated restaurants in the top five, with an average rating of 4.6/5.

Rounding up the top five are Lombok, Indonesia and Koh Lanta, Thailand, rated 8.43 and 8.36 respectively.

Interestingly, all the top five locations are in Southeast Asia, highlighting that this part of the world is ideal for a romantic vacation. However, island destinations in Europe, Central America, and Africa also received strong scores.

In Central America, the Dominican Republic ranks the highest, with an overall score of 8.27/10.  The island destination, which ranks eighth overall, highly scored thanks to its high restaurant ratings (4.5/5) and superb beaches (9.44/10).

Sicily, off the coast of Italy, is the highest-ranked island destination in Europe, with an overall score of 8.17. The average cost of a hotel at this picturesque destination is $434.60, making it more expensive than average, but it makes up for this with its wonderful beaches (9.12/10) and spas (9.64/10).

In Africa, the highest-rated destination is Mauritius, with an overall score of 7.88. The island boasts wonderful restaurants (4.45/5), great spas (9.55/10), and affordable tourist attractions (8.41/10).

Sarah Webber, Director of Marketing at InsureMyTrip commented on the findings:

“The options are endless when it comes to honeymoon destinations. So, for this study we set out to make choosing the right romantic spot a little easier, so newlyweds can focus on celebrating their marriage – not finding a place to honeymoon.”