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honeymoon ideas

Honeymoon Inspiration

Faraway’s Top 5 adventure honeymoon destinations

by Ismay Ozga
written by Ismay Ozga

Did you know SE4 is a hotbed for honeymoon fanatics? Fellow Brockley residents Al and Helen are the founders of Faraway, a travel company that specialises in giving busy people – especially newlyweds – bespoke and unforgettable honeymoons and escapes.

As a recently married couple in their thirties who love to travel, they get how important your honeymoon is. They also know that most of us don’t have the time to do all the research and legwork required to make it the extraordinary adventure we dream of (especially on top of organising a wedding!) – which is where Faraway comes in.

Helen and Al dropped in to the Patchwork studio for a cuppa earlier this week. Whilst they were here, they shared their top 5 honeymoon destinations for a unique honeymoon that is equal parts romance and adventure:

Colombia

If you’re dreaming of the sunshine and swaying palms of the Caribbean but with something a little “extra” (because, hey – it’s your honeymoon!), we suggest taking a look at Colombia.

Splash your way along the northern coastline, before going hiking or horse-riding into the coffee region, and getting off-grid in a remote jungle lodge deep in the Amazon rainforest. If you’re into cities, make time for Bogota, with its excellent museums and restaurant scene. Then the comeback city of Medellin, where you can hop in a cable car for less than a fiver and enjoy the best views of the city from high up in the hills. Finally, don’t miss the old town of Cartagena – where you’ll find beautiful hotels, cobbled streets and the perfect spot for sundowners up on the city walls.

With so much to see and do, Colombia definitely works on its own. But, our couples often head off on honeymoons of three weeks or so. Many choose to combine it with Ecuador’s volcanoes and cloudforests, or a tropical island or two off the coast of Panama.

Rwanda

For wildlife enthusiasts with the budget to splurge, there are few better options for a once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon than Rwanda. Begin with a day or two exploring Kigali (Africa’s cleanest – and perhaps calmest – city). Spend an afternoon at the genocide museum, which pays tribute to the victims and shares uplifting stories of how the country has overcome an intensely painful period.

Then head to Volcanoes National Park, where local guides will take you trekking deep into the jungle for an up-close, wild encounter with mountain gorillas and golden monkeys. Rwanda is a leader in combining conservation and community tourism, so you’ll receive a big warm welcome in the local villages too.

If you can’t imagine a honeymoon without a bit of beach time, we’re with you! Rwanda is relatively small – so, you should have plenty of time to hop across to Tanzania for a barefoot Indian Ocean escape. Choose between Zanzibar, Mafia, Pemba or even Fanjove – depending on how remote you want to go.

Argentina

The ultimate destination for active couples who adore wine, steak and un-be-lieve-able landscapes. Go horse-riding and wine-tasting in the foothills of the Andes, ice-trek across the glaciers of Patagonia, and go whale-watching at the coast. Then, head over to Buenos Aires and tango the night away in San Telmo before catching a football game at La Bombonera (it’s all about compromise, right?).

Argentina is vast and packed with different experiences, so you can easily spend a few weeks there. Otherwise, you might like to combine it with one of its neighbours – choose between Chile’s deserts and lakes, Uruguay’s windswept beaches, or hop over into Brazil to see the majestic Iguazu Falls from both sides.

Sri Lanka

If you haven’t been to Sri Lanka, your honeymoon could be the perfect opportunity to visit this popular and stunning island, just southeast of India. The list of options to explore is almost endless: lush waterfalls, abundant wildlife, endless beaches, temples and tea. Add to this friendly locals, fantastic food and beautiful places to stay – from luxurious retreats to cute b&bs – and it’s a pretty irresistible choice.

Sri Lanka’s tourism industry suffered a big blow with the terrorism attacks earlier this year. Now it’s beginning to bounce back, not only will you be showing your support to a destination that needs it, you may well find this gem without the crowds who had been flocking there in recent years (no promises, though!).

The Maldives are a relatively short hop away too – making them a popular add-on, if you’re dreaming about that quintessential honeymoon-villa-on-stilts experience.

Malawi

We’re particularly fond of helping couples discover places that encourage you to unplug and feel ‘far away’ from life at home together – and Malawi definitely ticks those boxes.

It might be an unusual choice for a honeymoon, but we think this landlocked African gem is pretty perfect for cool couples who are into sustainable luxury, friendly locals and an authentic, relaxed vibe. As a bonus, phone signal is almost non-existent so you can truly escape just the two of you. And what could be more romantic than that?

Combine a castaway island on shimmering Lake Malawi (as it’s your honeymoon – may we suggest Mumbo or Likoma) with a safari in an unspoilt wilderness reserve and some time exploring in the highlands. Time it right, and you can incorporate the award-winning Lake of Stars festival too.

Think you’d like some help with your honeymoon? At Faraway we create bespoke escapes you’ll never forget; so, you can enjoy your wedding celebrations knowing you have a life-changing honeymoon ahead of you.
We offer all couples a free call, so you can get to know us first.
Team Faraway x

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Honeymoon Inspiration

Their Route 66 Honeymoon: Jason Williams Photography

by Ismay Ozga
written by Ismay Ozga

If you asked people what their travel dream was, we bet Route 66 would be quite high on that list. Well, we’re in the business of making dreams become reality, so we chatted to Portsmouth-based alternative wedding photographer Jason Williams on his Route 66 honeymoon with his lovely wife, Jen.

So, whereabouts did you go on your honeymoon?

We went to the US for our honeymoon to drive Route 66 from start to finish. It wasn’t our initial honeymoon plan at all – we’d booked to go on safari to Kenya, but unfortunately there was a major shooting in a shopping centre in the capital Nairobi. As a result, our tour operator (and pretty every other one) cancelled all trips to Kenya. This was 4 weeks before we were due to fly and my wife Jen could not change her holiday dates, so we were committed to going somewhere for just over a fortnight, but we had no clue where.

Santa Monica Route 66 road sign
Santa Monica Yacht Harbor road sign

What was it that you wanted from your honeymoon? Were you looking for adventure, or relaxation?

We knew from the outset, way before we’d even talked marriage, that we were more suited to adventure rather than swimming pools and beaches. And so it was that as soon as our plans went sideways, we had to work out a new adventure plan. Initially we (or rather I, as Jen was completely devastated at the cancellation and simply couldn’t bring herself to think about it too much) tried to find another safari destination, but all of them worked out waaaaay over budget.

We’d chatted briefly in the past of a driving trip in the States, so I did a bit of research, and with around 2 weeks to go before our honeymoon date, I booked a flight to Chicago, a flight home from LA, and a car with the intention of driving Route 66 from start to finish. Then I had to find places to sleep, things to see, what to do, that kinda thing. How hard could that be?

How did you go about planning your epic Route 66 trip?

Jen thought I was nuts, but planning the rest of the trip was actually fairly easy. There was an abundance of websites and forums dedicated to Route 66, and the fact that it is basically a long road (chopped up a bit, but still), finding where to stay was easy. I worked out rough mileage we could cover each day, worked out our “must see” places, and then fit it all together. I booked around 50% of our accommodation in advance, these were the motels that we simply had to see; the real iconic ones – like The Blue Swallow, Wagon Wheel Ranch, Boots Court etc. The rest we would book on route, or simply stumble across as we went.

Sinclair gas station along Route 66
View looking down into the Grand Canyon in America

What were your honeymoon highlights?

Route 66 is a little different from most destinations. I mean, the “highlights” are the little things. It’s not like going to, say, Paris where the highlight will be the Louvre, or the Eiffel Tower.

On the Route, it’s those little gems that we remember most, rather than the big, obvious ones. The people. The oddities. Too many to mention. But just pulling into a gas station and an elderly gentleman who runs it makes time for you, you sit on his porch, he lets you help yourself to his soda fridge, and he spends an hour telling you his life story; those are the highlights.

The little towns in the middle of nowhere. The neon signs. The food at Missouri Hick BBQ (actual restaurant name) served on the actual plastic trays they use in prison. The getting hopelessly lost and ending up by a river under a bridge on a dirt road somewhere in Oklahoma and stumbling on a house right out of Deliverance and being certain we’ll be murdered, only for the politest man ever to pop out of his house and give us full directions and even draw us a map.

There isn’t one highlight, it’s simply all a highlight. I think you plan the Route, but what actually happens, and what you see and notice will be different for every person who drives it. We spoke to people on the Route who’d driven it 20 times and found something new every time. I believe them.

Top 5 places to visit on Route66

If you pinned me down for my top 5 places to visit they’d be (in order of driving from East to West as we did).

Pizza and Pancakes in Chicago. You can’t go to Chicago and not have a deep dish pizza (or pizza pie as they call it). Lou Malnati’s pizzeria on N Wells St is the bomb! A short walk from there, opposite the Millennium Park is Wildberry Pancakes and cafe. A real introduction to American portions. Basically our first highlight was food. Ha!

Gary’s Gay Parita about 25 miles west of Springfield Missouri (you find out along the way there’s an AWFUL lot of Springfields in the US). This is simply a small gas station run by Gary Turner, where you can sit and chat to an absolute legend of the Route. An hour very well spent.

Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico. Simply an icon of the Route. Anyone who drives the route and doesn’t stay here, are you even for real?? (Side note, the owners even drove us to Mexican food joint and then picked us up after. Nice.)

The Turquoise Trail, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Not technically on the Route, but I could have simply put “New Mexico” as it’s just the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. But, this little gem encapsulates it. Part of Route 66’s charm is that it’s been chopped up and moved all over that there isn’t one long continuous road, so you’re forced to detour and hop around to find the route itself (often you simply come to a dead end, or no road at all).

Anyway, part of this chopping up is the “Santa Fe loop” which detours north from the “new” route just past Albuquerque and follows the “old” route up to Santa Fe. To get back to the route you can either go on the old route itself, or take what’s called “The Turquoise Trail”. A small, non-descript road back to the new route, but what it takes you through is insane – a tiny little hamlet called Madrid. Madrid is in effect an artist colony, where hippies, artists, sculptors, and all manner of creative souls have simply set up a small village where you can wader freely and peruse their wares to your hearts content. All the buildings are colourful and vibrant and just creativity drips from the place.

Well worth the 4 hour detour north. The Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Again, not “technically” on the Route, but I’m a massive space geek, so to go the actual place where Pluto was discovered (and it IS a planet and I will die on this hill for it) and get to play with the telescopes and see Jupiter and Saturn with your own eyes was just sooooo geekily cool.

I could honestly go on and on. Notable mentions to the Grand Canyon (obvs), the Catoosa Whale, Pops in Arcadia, the drive through cinema in Springfield Illinois (told you). Man, I have to go back.

Ipad showing Route 66 honeymoon fund Patchwork

If you’re looking to have your own honeymoon on Route 66 use a Patchwork template.

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Patchwork Couples

Patchwork Couple: Colourful Wedding & Honeymoon to Mexico

by Ismay Ozga
written by Ismay Ozga

We spoke to the lovely Helen and Amy, heard about their very romantic proposal, their fun and relaxed ‘Afternoon Tea’ wedding in West Yorkshire and honeymoon to Mexico with treats funded by family and friends.

How did you two meet?

Our wedding day was actually the 13th anniversary of the weekend we met (we are a very laid back couple!). We met briefly in a bar where we live in Wakefield and exchanged numbers. We hit it off from our first phone call and we’ve been together ever since.

And how did you get engaged?

We got engaged two years after we first met. I took Helen for a weekend away in York. I was really nervous to ask her to marry me, so I gave her a copy of a little poem called That Still and Settled Place by Edward Monkton. Underneath it I had written “Marry Me?” We had it as one of the readings at the wedding which was really emotional.

Such lovely words. When it came to planning the wedding did you have an idea of the kind of celebration you wanted?

We really wanted to have a relaxed day which allowed us to spend as much time with our friends and family as possible. It’s such a rare thing to be able to get all your loved ones in one place and we really wanted to cherish that. Because of this we had our wedding party photos taken in the morning before the guests arrived. Our ceremony and party were both at the wonderful Northorpe Hall Barn in Mirfield. We chose to have an afternoon tea, which was so pretty and delicious, but it also allowed our guests and us to move around and catch up.

We are also creative people and wanted to express this during the day. We were lucky enough to have Amy’s mum make our wedding rings, help us arrange our flowers and teach us how to use a sewing machine so we could make the backdrop for the ceremony.

That sounds perfect! Did you have a first dance?

We chose Love at First Sight by Kylie Minogue. Silly as it sounds we didn’t really want a song where everyone stopped and stared at us. The lyrics to this song mean so much to us but we were also able to get people on the dance floor with us pretty quickly. Our best men were waiting in the wings with tambourines to help us get people dancing. They didn’t need much encouragement though.

We know it’s hard but if you had to pick just one, what was your favourite part of the day?

THE QUIZ. We had a pub quiz in the afternoon. It was awesome that our friends and family were so into it, and we had a real laugh with everyone. There was one problem though…. We didn’t win!!

What made you choose Patchwork for your honeymoon fund?

Patchwork was perfect for us, as we had been together for so long we really didn’t need a gift registry. Asking for money can be really impersonal and not a gift people can feel comfortable giving. Patchwork allowed our friends and family to choose how we spent the money they gave us.

So you created a honeymoon patchwork! What did you ask friends and family to contribute towards?

We love to travel and wanted go somewhere we hadn’t been before. Our honeymoon was a two part Mexican trip starting on the Island on Holbox and ending in Riviera Maya. We wanted our guests to be able to give us special elements of this holiday, such as boat trips and cycle hire, tacos and beers.

What did you enjoy most about using Patchwork?

It was really wonderful, it meant that every time we did something that was gifted via Patchwork it felt like we were opening a new present.

Aside from looking great and being really easy to use, we found the fact we could access a list of all the presents we had received and the gift givers really useful. While we were away we took pictures of us using our gifts, we then sent these pics out as thank you postcards to those lovely people.

Our friends and family loved it. Knowing exactly what they were buying us made them feel like they were giving us a real honeymoon treat.

Your honeymoon looks and sounds amazing, would you recommend your trip to other couples?

Absolutely, Holbox in Mexico is an amazing place for a honeymoon if you are looking for rest and relaxation after the wedding. From boat trips & bird watching to cycling around the island we had the greatest time together.

Hooray! Thank you so much Helen and Amy for sharing your patchwork story with us all!

If this has inspired you to make your own patchwork, find out how here – you can customise one of our readymade patchworks or create one from scratch.

Photographer: Phil Marsden Photography

P.s Listen to Helen and Amy’s first dance song in our Spotify playlist, made up of lots of our Patchwork Couple’s first dances.

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cholmondeley arms dog friendly hotel uk
Honeymoon Inspiration

Dog Friendly Honeymoons: Where To Go

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

We’ve noticed that more and more couples want to share their honeymoon with their other best friends – the four legged variety! Newly married couples might only have eyes for each other, but there’s always space in their hearts, and holidays, for their beloved hounds. Finding a dog-friendly honeymoon can be tricky so we’ve sniffed out five of the best hotels that welcome both you and your mutt.

Cholmondeley Arms, Cheshire

A proper country pub and B&B in a Victorian schoolhouse that serves classic, locally sourced English food, real ale, over 40 types of gin and even a beer for your dog made from meat stock. Yum. Jars of dog biscuits sit on the garden bar ensuring smiles and wagging all round.

wild rabbit hotel dog friendly uk

The Wild Rabbit, Oxfordshire

If you love food as much as you love your pup, get your chops around this. Named ‘Pub of the Year’ by the Michelin Guide, you can celebrate newly married life with plateful after plateful of seasonal, local food coupled with organic veggies freshly picked from the pub’s garden each morning, whilst your dog gets stuck into the biscuits at the bar.

Helsbury Park, Cornwall

The gold winner of Cornwall’s Dog Friendly Accommodation Award, these beautiful cottages are set in 100 acres of dog-friendly grounds and are within half an hour of plenty of year-round dog-friendly beaches. Your pooch will be greeted with a handmade treat and a toy and you’ll receive your own delicious welcome gifts too.

The Gallivant, East Sussex

With stunning rooms 300m from the beach, free afternoon tea and bottomless Bloody Mary’s at breakfast, this dog-friendly hotel is not only the perfect place for an eight-legged honeymoon, you can also get married here. Plus there’s a ready-made playmate in the form of a Norfolk Terrier called Brock.

Overwater Hall, Lake District

If a bit of luxury is what you and your pup are after then book into this fabulous hotel surrounded by 18 acres of gardens and woodland that is just perfect for romantic walks and excited sniffing. They’ve also got a pretty keen green streak for those with an eco conscience. And for when you need a little time alone, they have a dog sitting service available.

For more dog-friendly honeymoon ideas check out the Woof Guide. And when you and your pooch have picked the perfect place, come back and create your honeymoon patchwork.

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manchester warehouse wedding
Patchwork Couples

Patchwork Couple: A Manchester Wedding and Californian Road Trip

by Ismay Ozga
written by Ismay Ozga

Harriet and Chris met six years ago in a chip shop at the end of a night out in Sheffield, where Chris was studying. They overheard each other’s Brummy accents, started chatting and hit it off instantly. They’ve since moved to Manchester together and married this summer in a humanist ceremony. We asked Harriet all about their wedding day and the road trip honeymoon that followed.

How did you get engaged?

We got engaged in New York, it was always very important for me to get married, but for Chris it was never really a big thing. When Chris bought me a holiday in New York for Christmas I honestly thought it was his way of buying himself more time! We’d been away for 4 days before he popped the question in the most beautiful candlelit bar in the East Village, with a ring made by one of my best friends, Naomi Jago – we decided not to tell anyone until we got home which meant we were in the most perfect love bubble – it was really lovely.

What kind of wedding did you plan?

We planned a city centre party, with our friends and family as the main focus – we really just wanted everyone to have the nicest of days, lots of booze, great food and dancing. We had a very personal humanist wedding ceremony in the People’s History Museum in Manchester, followed by a party in an old cotton mill in Ancoats – it was important for us to get married in the city we live in and both the venues were so laid back, so we really could do anything we wanted.

What was your first dance?

We had the Villagers cover of Elvis The Wonder of You – the words said everything that we felt about each other.

What advice would you give to other couples on their wedding day?

The one thing I’d say is to do whatever you want – weddings are great when they reflect you as a couple. We love having people round to our house for dinner so really wanted it to feel like a big dinner party. That’s how I ended up serving our guests my home made desserts and since the wedding so many of our guests have commented how nice that was – so just do whatever reflects you as a couple!

Why was Patchwork the best honeymoon fund?

Of all our wedding decisions Patchwork is up there as one of the best ones – for us it was a no brainer. We have lived together for 5 years and have recently renovated our first home, so we have everything we need. All we wanted were lots of memories that we would treasure forever, and with Patchwork our guests could help us have the BEST summer.
Everything about using Patchwork was incredibly easy – from making the Patchwork to the gift giving itself. It also made it very exciting as we planned our honeymoon so far in advance, so people could buy us very specific things.
We were originally worried about how the older members of our family would feel about us asking for money as well as the technology side of Patchwork – but they all loved it – they loved knowing what they were buying for us and loved how simple it was. Our friends loved it – a few of them are now planning on using it for their weddings next year.

What did you ask your wedding guests to contribute towards?

Our Patchwork funded our Californian road trip from San Francisco to LA. We picked this as although we have had many brilliant holidays before, we really wanted our honeymoon to be the dream holiday – and we would never have been able to fund a holiday like that on our own. We started in San Francisco for 5 days, then travelled down the Pacific Coast Highway stopping at Monterey, Santa Barbara and then we arrived in LA, stayed in Santa Monica and then finished off in West Hollywood.
Knowing that all of our friends and family had paid for us to do certain things made me so much more emotional about everything. We took pictures of ourselves cycling down Venice Beach and eating posh dinners and sent them to the friends that had bought us that gift. It was so lovely to thank everyone in that way.

Harriet and Chris’s top 5 tips for a Californian road trip: 

  1. Spend a day at a winery
  2. Walk the Golden Gate Bridge
  3. Head to Jon and Vinny’s in West Hollywood for pizza
  4. Go shopping in Santa Barbara
  5. Hire bikes and go for a picnic on Santa Monica Pier

Would you recommend your Californian road trip to other honeymooners?

Our trip was the perfect mix of busy city life and dreamy hotel relaxation – one day we were celebrating with a posh dinner and champagne after a day of sightseeing – the next we were having room service in a lovely comfy hotel after lying by the pool. Also – if you love wine it’s the most perfect trip for beautiful vineyards!

Thank you Harriet & Chris for sharing your patchwork story with us. And a big congratulations from Team Patchwork!
If this has inspired you to make your own patchwork, just customise one of our readymade patchworks or create one from scratch.

All wedding photography by the brilliant Babb Photo – www.babbphoto.com

P.s Listen to Harriet & Chris’s first dance song in our new Spotify playlist, made up of lots of Patchwork Couple’s first dances.

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Gap Year TravelHoneymoon Inspiration

Sofia’s Photo Diary: True Adventures in Peru

by Ismay Ozga
written by Ismay Ozga
Peru photo diary
Peru photo diary
Peru photo diary
Peru photo diary
Peru photo diary
Peru photo diary
Peru photo diary
Peru photo diary
Peru photo diary
Peru photo diary

Sofia is travelling the world and has taken us along with her on her incredible trip. So far she’s showed us Rajasthan, South India, Nepal, Myanmar, the Philippines, Japan and Cuba. Now it’s over to Sofia to share her photos and tips from her latest destination – Peru.
From the tribes who live within the Amazon to the ancient Inca civilisations, Peru is steeped in history. It’s a traditional land and the people in it praise the pachamama (Mother Earth). You can definitely relax and admire the beauty of Mother Earth in this country, but you can also be challenged by it and revel in the new experiences you’re bound to have.

Throughout Peru there are tons of beautiful spots to hike and explore, like Colca Canyon – the second deepest canyon in South America, just off from Arequipa or Hauraz. Or of course, the most famous of all Peru’s incredible sights – Machu Picchu. I decided to opt for the jungle trek when I booked my trip, which was four days of pure adventure. We mountain biked through the towering mountains, sailing above the clouds. We whitewater-rafted through the valleys and zip-lined through the jungle. We walked the path of the Incas and learned how they built a city that would still be standing 500 years later.

From Cusco you can also discover the layered wonder of the colourful Rainbow Mountain. Or if you’re super brave, you can try your hand at cycling ‘Death Road’. Call me crazy but I wasn’t feeling quite that brave. Cusco itself has a clear Spanish influence, the cobbled streets of San Blas and the churches in San Francisco Square are distinctly colonial. It’s here you’ll find amazing flea markets with retro sports apparel for your inner 90s kid, and street food aplenty!

In fact ceviche may just be a reason to travel to Peru alone. Peru, and more specifically Lima, is a culinary feast. Earning itself multiple Michelin stars, the city has endless high quality restaurants for you to sample. However, head to the streets for lunch and you’ll be equally impressed.
For a change of scenery, try Huacachina – a natural oasis in the desert. Get out on the dune buggies and explore, or try sandboarding and go sliding head first down the steep slopes, it’s a quick adrenaline rush! By night you can climb the towering dunes and look down across the land. Marvel at the curving structures as the shadows fall across the dunes at sunset.

For even more jaw-dropping nature, make your way into the Amazon jungle from Iquitos, in the North of Peru. The town itself can’t be reached by cars, so you’ll find plenty of tricycles buzzing around. Around Belem market you can see witch potions, BBQ’d maggots on sticks, furs and animal teeth. You definitely have a feeling that you’re entering somewhere different, of different values and customs. Most restaurants will even offer an ayahuasca menu as this is one of the most popular places to try the traditional healing ceremonies.

I spent 4 days at a retreat, La Luna del Amazonas, learning the ways of the shaman and having a total out of body experience. You can jump in a boat for several hours, float down the river and stay in one of jungle cabins, listen to the orchestra of creatures as they sing the songs of the jungle. There are birds calling, frogs ribbiting and insects buzzing. The fireflies flicker as little fish leap in and out of the water. You’ll see sloths, monkeys and dolphins. If you want you can even hold a tarantula or catch some piranhas for lunch!

I spent 4 weeks in Peru, but only just scratched the surface. I’d love to see the surf and beaches in the north, do plenty more treks and explore many more small cultural treasures.

Sofia’s Top 5 Peru Tips:

  • Learn how to make ceviche. I did a lesson with in Lima, which I would very much recommend, Lima Gourmet. Whilst I didn’t find Colca Canyon the most rewarding trek, the town of Cabanaconde where you finish is really interesting to see. We were there over a festival weekend and watched women swirling in local dresses, whilst the men marched in the band with drums and trombones. Taking the time to see a village, slightly off the beaten track is well worthwhile to see how the Peruvians live outside of the modern cities.
  • Challenge yourself to the 2,500 steps to get to Machu Picchu. Be there to see the sunrise over the impressive ruins.
  • Try sandboarding in Huacachina, find yourself screaming as you fly through the dunes on the buggies!
  • If you are open to new experiences, head to an ayahuasca retreat in either the Amazon or Sacred Valley
Peru photo diary

Thank you Sofia! Don’t forget to catch up with the rest of Sofia’s journey here. 

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Cuba photo diary
Gap Year TravelHoneymoon Inspiration

Sofia’s Photo Diary: Captivated by Cuba

by Ismay Ozga
written by Ismay Ozga
Cuba photo diary
Cuba photo diary
Cuba photo diary
Cuba photo diary
Cuba photo diary
Cuba photo diary
Cuba photo diary
Cuba photo diary
Cuba photo diary
Cuba photo diary
Cuba photo diary
Cuba photo diary
Cuba photo diary
Cuba photo diary
Cuba photo diary
Cuba photo diary
Cuba photo diary

Our lovely Sofia continues to share her gap year adventures with us. Check out her stunning photo diary of Cuba and read her five top tips for anyone travelling to the island.

With each footstep I take through Havana, the further I become suspended in time. Tall, crumbling buildings, once full of grandeur and wealth, now crumbling but still full of character. Music spills into the streets, people tapping, clapping, singing; they rise to dance. They seem almost physically unable to resist the urge of the music around them. There’s colour and vibrancy everywhere – bright pink and yellow paint that flakes away from the deep orange brick. Blue soft top 1950s cars that roar past. There are no adverts, very few shops. Just roads filled with history and music. Women with cigars, men carrying the weight of a cello on their back, old cars fill the streets (spot a new one and you’ll be sure to find a ‘gringo’ inside – it’s a rental!)

Part of the reason visiting Cuba feels like entering a time warp is the revolution, the resulting US embargo and the isolation that the island has felt ever since. Throughout Cuba there are museums, monuments and evidence of the revolution everywhere. Particularly in the noisy, bustling city of Santiago de Cuba, where street art depicting the political situation covers the walls. However, it’s apparent that despite the official communications celebrating the communist way of life the reality is very difficult for many. I spoke to a couple of taxi drivers who discussed smuggling American branded clothes and illegal satellites for WIFI, as life in Cuba is a simple one. Food is basic but tasty – meat, rice, beans and plantain. People dress simply in lycra and denim. They’re laid back and there’s a slower tempo to life.

If you head to Vinales or Cinfeugos, you can expect to get around on horse and carriage. Just be glad you’ve got a seat – unlike the cowboys you’ll see galavanting through the fields on horseback without even a saddle! You’ll see the farmers wearing their cowboy hats with a cigar in their mouths as they walk through the fields. They’re heading off to one of the many sugar, coffee or tobacco plantations set in the countryside. If you stroll into town you’ll see the locals sitting in their rocking chairs watching the world go by. Pull up a chair and join them.

Whilst these sleepy towns may seem quiet, at night salsa music fills the air. Every town has a Casa de Musica, a square where live music is played in the evening and the locals dance all night. Be prepared to be asked to join them! You’ll be escorted to the dance floor to be swirled to the beat of salsa, then returned to your table at the end of the song. Forget cinemas and tv shows, the evenings here are for socialising, dancing, and almost certainly a rum or two!

The other joy of Cuba is its natural beauty. Outside of the charismatic cities, you’ll find beautiful waterfalls such as El Nicho, pristine white beaches with crystal clear waters, the most famous being Varadero (if you don’t mind crowds, it’s only two hours out of Havana), and brilliant spots for snorkelling and diving, such as the Bay of Pigs. There are big open fields, surrounded by caves and mountains – great for hiking and horseriding. If you are considering a two week holiday, the classic Havana, Vinales, Trinidad, Varadero loop will show you the diversity of the country. You’ll have a laid back adventure, where you’ll find yourself simply getting lost in the streets and soaking up all the rich culture the country has to offer.

Sofia’s Cuba Top 5:

  • Visit the Fabrica de Arts in Havana – wander around this old peanut factory, sipping on mojitos whilst admiring the modern art. Make sure to get there before 8.30pm if you want to get in, but stick around as the live gigs, DJ sets and contemporary dance acts start to kick off around 10/11pm.
  • Indulge in happy hour at Oasis de Creperie in Havana, the most amazing daiquiris for just £1.50!
  • Spend an evening dancing with locals at the Casa de Musica in Vinales
  • Go horse riding through the beautiful national park of Parque el Cubano in Trinidad
  • Stay in a casa de particular. In Cuba, families will rent out a few rooms to guests. You can eat with them and if you speak Spanish have a chat and learn about the local way of life. An authentic experience, which can be so charming. You’ll definitely feel looked after!

Thank you Sofia! Don’t forget to catch up with the rest of Sofia’s journey here. 

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Patchwork Couples

Patchwork Couple: Winter Honeymoon Adventure

by Ismay Ozga
written by Ismay Ozga

Ange and Steph met in 2011 at work in Birmingham, and Ange says it was ‘friendship at first sight’. They both needed flatmates so they moved in together with another work pal. They soon found out they had loads in common and shared a bond only Celts living away from home amongst the English can share! A year later, Ange got a promotion and moved to London, and it was then they realised their true feelings. After 9 months of living apart and getting trains up and down, Steph decided to move to London so they could be together. Fast forward five and a half years and the couple are joined at the hip, still working and living together, and they wouldn’t have it any other way. We asked Ange all about their beautiful wedding day and found out how Patchwork helped give them the honeymoon of their dreams.

How did you two get engaged?

Steph organised a wonderful day of treats to celebrate our anniversary, including a spa day, lunch in our fave cafe, a stroll via ‘Love Lane’ (in London) before heading to a rooftop overlooking St Paul’s Cathedral, where Steph popped the question under the stars. It was a very surreal moment and one we will never forget. We took the next hour to ourselves sipping on champagne before we called the family to tell them the good news.

What kind of wedding did you plan?

We were very much inspired by our family and friends.  

We are both really close to our family and have a tight knit group of pals. We wanted it to be as much about them as it was us. That’s what inspired a lot of the personal touches and the location itself allowed for that, since the barn we chose pretty much comes as an empty shell with all the potential!

We wanted there to be music at all times and every song was chosen by us, from the pre-ceremony playlist right through to the party tunes. Music evokes memories and says a lot about a person. There were Irish jigs interwoven with Scottish tunes throughout the drinks reception and songs from the early days of us, giving our guests a little insight into our life through music.

Did you have a first dance? What was it?

The idea of a first dance had never really appealed to us. Our wedding weekend was very much about bringing our families together so we decided to share our first dance with the whole wedding party and cheekily selected to dance to ‘The Gay Gordons’ to kick off the ceilidh. I’m not sure anyone got the irony in the song choice, but we did so that’s all that mattered.

What was your favourite part of your wedding day?

It’s really hard to choose just one so we are going to be a bit greedy. We often recall when reminiscing about the day the moment we entered the barn together. We decided to walk each other down the aisle, to symbolise the fact that this marriage was equal and we were in it together. This was met with a thunderous round of applause from our guests which actually made us stop in our tracks. We were overwhelmed by this ‘wall’ of love greeting us and it really set the tone for the rest of the day and night.

We can’t not mention that our Our ‘Pals of Honour’ rewrote the lyrics to Beauty and The Beast ‘Something there that wasn’t there before’ as part of their speech and toast, which was incredibly personal, memorable, hilarious and special.

Why did you choose Patchwork for your wedding registry?

We knew we didn’t want a traditional gift list so went in search of something we could personalise. We had our dream honeymoon in mind, full of experiences and culinary adventures instead of material gifts. Patchwork made that so easy for us to do.  

We wanted a winter honeymoon full of romance, fairy lights, mulled wine and christmas markets, as well as history and culture to fulfil our inner geeks. Since trains featured quite highly in the early days of our relationship and they’re just so old school and romantic, we decided to ‘winter-rail’ across Western Europe. We left on the 5th December from Edinburgh Airport and travelled across Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France and Belgium on first class trains before returning home to London just in time for the Fireworks of New Year.  

We spent Christmas in Paris and visited fairytale castles in Bavaria, tasted numerous gluhwein the length and breadth of Western Europe, explored ancient Rome and got lost in the cobbled streets of Brugge.

How did you feel when you set off on your travels knowing all of your loved ones had chipped in?

So grateful! We wouldn’t have been able to do everything on our wish list if it hadn’t have been for our friends and family funding our trip. Things we could only dream of doing like travelling 1st class across Europe, our 7 course christmas dinner in the legendary Le Train Bleu in Paris, sipping coffee from the same cups as poets Keats and Shelley at Caffe Greco in Rome, champagne and macarons at Ladurée on the Champs-Élysées, geeking it up on the original Sound of Music tour in Salzburg and a night at the Moulin Rouge. And that’s just scratching the surface.

Would you recommend your winter adventure to other honeymooners?

Yes we would recommend our honeymoon, especially around Christmas time, just so magical. It was definitely just as much about the journey as it was the destinations and countries we went to. Some of our most treasured memories are whilst getting from one country to another, like the time we almost missed the train because of a very heavy overnight snowfall which meant we had to tobogan our way to the station on our cases. It was a true adventure and a way to discover hidden treasures in big cities and off the beaten track towns and villages.

What was the best bit about using Patchwork for your honeymoon fund?

Well firstly, it was just so much fun to create! It actually helped us to plan our honeymoon and was really great for us to refer to when planning what to fit in and when. Secondly, it looks really cool and is so user friendly, both to set up and to use even after the Patchwork goes live. There was a couple of times when some of our items sold out and we had to go back in and up the quantity. This was super easy to do.

Our patchwork became such a talking point at our hen dos and the wedding and some of our guests have since got in touch asking for the website, so they could use it too. They seemed just as excited about our honeymoon as we were!

Thank you Ange & Steph for sharing your patchwork story with us. And a huge congratulations from Team Patchwork!

If this has inspired you to make your own patchwork, just customise one of our readymade patchworks or create one from scratch.

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Patchwork recommends Soon the Sun
Honeymoon InspirationPatchwork Loves

Patchwork Loves: SOON THE SUN + Giveaway!

by Ismay Ozga
written by Ismay Ozga

Soon the Sun is a stylish new label designed for women who like to travel far and pack light. Their essential holiday collection is made up of versatile pieces that can be pulled straight out of your hand-luggage, ready-to-wear on the beach during the day, or out for dinner at sunset. We interviewed STS Founder Pusia Chatfield to find out more.

First up, for all the super stylish women using Patchwork as a honeymoon fund, why is Soon the Sun the perfect honeymoon collection?

So much organisation and thought goes into the big day that by the time the honeymoon comes around there isn’t much space left to plan for that “What am I going to wear?!” moment. So I think “Soon the Sun” is the perfect match for the busy bride because she cares how she looks and feels but hasn’t got much time or headspace left to worry about what she’s going to take on her honeymoon, or even start to think about packing it. It’s a capsule collection made up of eight garments that answer all your holiday needs.

Ok let’s back up, why did you start Soon the Sun?

The idea came to me when I was away on holiday. I’d packed for twin boys, aged eight months, myself and half-packed for my husband too. I realised after the holiday how little I had worn, I literally had only worn a few things – my staple favourite pieces that I had always taken on holiday, that were now threadbare but still very much loved. The rest had stayed in the suitcase. This was the starting point for Soon the Sun.

What’s your design process – how do you decide what makes it in the collection?

I guess I just looked at the things in my wardrobe that I had worn over and over. They were the same pieces that came on holiday with me every year and I think this is probably what everybody else does. We tend to buy new things to take on holiday but we don’t really need or want them. These pieces that I love so much were my perfect garments, they answered all of my needs whilst on a sandy beach or in a busy market. They are lightweight, not precious fabrics, just cheesecloth – so no need to iron, easy to dry, timeless, throw on pieces, to wear from beach to bar.

What’s the difference between style and fashion?

Style stands the test of time, it’s fashion but timeless. It’s about knowing what suits you and what makes you feel comfortable – if you’re comfortable in what you’re wearing, you’ll look stylish, confident and sexy. Stylish garments are usually a combination of the right fabric, shape, fit and colour. These elements can transcend fashion trends and decades.

Your garments are all organic, using 100% natural fabrics and dyes. Why is this important to you?

I just feel there is a small but growing amount of women who are starting to think about where the things they wear (like make-up and face creams) are being produced. We worry about what we eat – we are concerned about where it’s from and how it’s produced. There’s a growing conscience. I think every new business should be concerned with the environment and aim to reduce their impact in whichever way we can.
I thought it was time we started thinking about garments, the clothes we wear on our skin. If you’re in a beautiful place then you want to feel close to nature – you’ll feel good that your garments have done as little damage to the planet as possible. Our garments are made in India with a fantastic small factory, which is a start, but we still have to ship them back here – so I’m not totally there yet.

Why should we all consider buying less and buying better?

We are taught that fashion is fast moving, and that you need to keep up with the trends. When in fact a good garment can stand the test of time and transcend eras. My favourite era was the 70s and lots of my garments have been inspired by that time. You know when you own a good piece and it comes out every year and you still love it and wish you could buy it again, that’s what Soon the Sun is about – relaxing in the knowledge that you can come back time and time again and your favourite style will be there so once you’ve loved it ’til it’s threadbare, you can come back to buy the same piece again. Not much will change except maybe a new colour. Buy what suits you and buy what you love. We encourage women to #wearlessmore. It’s much cooler.

Along with the entire STS collection what are your holiday essentials?

+ A good skin cream with 50+ factor – LA ROCHE-POSAY is excellent!
+ Sunglasses – two pairs, big ones and less over the top ones
+ No underwear, waste of packing space. Always in my swimwear anyway
+ A good read or two. Anything set in a warm climate. I love ‘My Family and Other Animals’ by Gerald Durrell
+ Maybe a “sexy book” (as my nan would say)
+ Lots of Coco de Mer
+ Good shawl for cold nights.

What songs are on your holiday playlist?

Oh man this is hard… Any Prince obvs…
Relax Your Mind – New Look (whole album) – For dreaming in the car on the way to the airport or on the beach
Everywhere – Fleetwood Mac – Driving in the car with the roof open, sunnies on, morning sun on your face, first day on the beach
Pennies from Heaven – Inner City – For dancing on the beach, reminiscent of raving days, hands in the air moment
And any jazz for when you’re home cooling off and having a chill with a glass of wine in your hand and salty snacks, looking out at the view (if you have one) or just looking at next door’s towels.

Thanks, Pusia! Is anyone else now desperate for a holiday? Well if you’re lucky enough to be off on your travels soon, you’re going to want to enter our Soon the Sun giveaway. Head to our Instagram page to be in with the chance of winning your favourite piece from the new collection. All you have to do is follow @patchwork_it and @soonthesun and comment on the post telling us which item from Soon the Sun you can’t live without before midnight on the 23rd June – good luck.
For full terms and conditions click here.

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Honeymoon planning tool
Honeymoon Inspiration

Is This the Most Useful Honeymoon Planning Tool Out There?

by Ismay Ozga
written by Ismay Ozga

If you were to write a list of requirements for your perfect honeymoon, chances are it would vary wildly from your friends’ – you might want to spend your days lazing on golden beaches while they’d rather white water raft or head to a hectic city. But there will always be one thing on that list that will crop up again and again – good weather. We all want to find that ideal honeymoon weather – hot, but not too hot. No rainy days. A light breeze wouldn’t go amiss.
Until now people have had to rely on that ever-popular Google search ‘What is the best time to visit [insert-destination]?’, which, with general temperature ranges and a few anecdotes, can give you a vague idea of the weather in the area. But it leaves a lot to be desired in terms of specifics. When you’re trying to plan the trip of a lifetime, you’re going to want to know exactly what you can expect.

Decision Data

Now, thanks to this handy tool created by digital data expert Ryan Whitaker, you can find out the temperature in any place in the world on any given week. So whether you’ve got time booked off and need to find out where in the world will give you those blue skies, or if you have a dream destination in mind and want to figure out the best time to go, this tool will help. Hooray.

Just enter your ideal mean temperature, low temperature, and high temperature, as well as a preferred amount of rain (none, surely?). Then little pink dots will pop up showing you where in the world those conditions exist.

To build the map, Ryan downloaded 10 years worth of weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, from more than 10,000 weather stations around the world.

So go on – have a go – find your perfect honeymoon weather. And if you’re still looking for honeymoon inspiration, check out the Lonely Planet Honeymoon Handbook, co-written by Patchwork founder Olivia.
Discovered via Lonely Planet.

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