Following a proposal on the chilly slopes of Champoluc, Jimmy and Thea were soon to be married in the idyllic Ramazzano Castle of the Italian town, Perugia. With the desire to explore new destinations and experiences together, Jimmy and Thea’s honeymoon was a true reflection of a shared taste of adventure which is engrained into their relationship. It comes as no surprise Jimmy gets “fidgety” lazing on a beach all day. Here we share more from Jimmy on designing the honeymoon of dreams, truly off the beaten track, and where adventure is plentiful.

Choosing your honeymoon destination is a big decision, what were your key considerations?

Traditionally, a honeymoon immediately follows the wedding, and something we strive not to do at Pelorus is further exhaust our clients. A safari for example, invariably involves embarking on the usual daily 5am starts before first light. We believe it is better to do the rest and relaxation first, followed by activities second.

We however, married on July 7^th and honeymooned several months later in February, therefore we were keen to throw ourselves straight into adventure. With that in consideration, we looked into adventure-rich destinations we hadn’t yet explored. We certainly had to have a combination of Africa and being on the water; water-sports but with other adventures like climbing in the jungle for example, so that we were not purely on a yacht.

Why did you chose to stay onboard Dunia Baru?

A chance to spend time on the beautiful sailing yacht, Dunia Baru, was an opportunity too good to be missed. This was the biggest draw to Raja Ampat alongside everything that comes with a yacht expedition. The idea of waking up each morning in an altogether new destination, onboard a time-honoured vessel, authentic to these Indonesian waters appealed greatly. A culturally fascinating area, surrounded by the Spice Islands and home to 75% of the world’s coral and fish species, Raja Ampat is one of those special corners of the world, unknown to many. Interestingly, the history of this yacht is inextricably linked to the surroundings. Carpenters who built the boat were then employed and sent to the islands to build tribal chief houses and other elements.

Our mornings started with a hike before breakfast exploring the island of which we were anchored off, followed by a swim over the equator line. We made the most of this tropical diving hotspot, discovering the region’s vast array of aquatic life and diving with blacktip sharks, mantra rays and turtles. A more relaxing excursion involved paddle-boarding through caves brimming with fruit bats, before floating into a peaceful lagoon. Our days entailed plenty of pampering from our onboard masseuse and a personal chef that would indulge every craving with deliciously whipped-up local delicacies. We would find ourselves enjoying drinks whilst the sun dipped below the horizon, before delighting in a beautifully prepared dinner, set up on a secluded beach.

What was it about South Africa which attracted you and Thea?

Ours was not your usual honeymoon. Quite a mission, this involved 10 flights in 2 weeks! Following a brief pit-stop in Singapore to see my Goddaughter, it was then onto South Africa, both to indulge Thea’s love for Africa and also to attend our friend’s wedding. So naturally, we intended to make the very most of it.

We are big fans of good food and wine, so South Africa certainly ticked that box. Of course, we had some fabulous food onboard Dunia Baru, however South Africa holds a high reputation and it did not disappoint. South Africa was an experience which saw us paraglide over Table Mountain and the amazing sights which came with this, take sunset strolls along the beach and snorkel alongside Sea Lions, all the whilst parading 7mm wet suits… a freak contrast to diving in the equatorial waters of Raja Ampat!

What do you believe makes for the perfect honeymoon?

I planned moments both with and without Thea, so there were elements of surprise. Something which we, at Pelorus, believe to make a honeymoon truly memorable and personal.

More and more couples are finding they both have elements they would like to involve into their honeymoon. We push for our clients to also have separate discussions with us, it is part of the whole process so that there will always be surprises built in. From learning enough about them, we can curate special moments and add an element of surprise to both parties. What sets Pelorus apart, is the attention to detail; listening to the clients and most importantly, personalisation.

A previous client, who I had the pleasure of meeting at a Pelorus event and went on to organising his honeymoon, briefly mentioned his love for Oysters; we were able to perfectly tie this into a special evening in a beautiful location during their honeymoon. It is these special details that we pick up on, and it is these magical moments which we believe make for a lasting memory.