Rainforest Retreats

Add a little adventure to your honeymoon in one of these lush destinations.

Hey, not everyone's idea of heaven is spending a week lying motionless in the sand. Some of us would prefer to use our postnuptial getaway to explore the breathtakingly diverse wildlife in a rain forest. We've got the scoop on three amazing-yet-accessible destinations for fans of these lush natural wonders. And who knows? Snuggling with your man in the sultry air under a ripe canopy of branches and birds may be just what it takes to bring out the beast in you both.

Costa Rica
Few places offer as vivid exposure to the treasures of tropical nature as Costa Rica. Tucked away in the Central American isthmus, Costa Rica's storybook rain forest is packed with more flora and fauna than scientists have yet to name. However, it's estimated that 850 species of birds (more than exist in the United States and Canada combined), 205 species of mammals, 376 types of reptiles and amphibians, and more than 9,000 species of flowering plants exist in this voluptuous paradise.

Costa Rica's Corcovado National Park, located on the tip of the Osa Peninsula in the southwest part of the country, is a must for nature lovers. This 168-square-mile park is covered with virgin rain forest, where massive trees tower over the trails and thick vines hang from the branches. It's also the place toucans, spider monkeys, scarlet macaws, poison-dart frogs, and iridescent blue morpho butterflies call home. Most animals in the rain forest spend their time and energy trying not to be seen, however. "An untrained eye can miss the details. Having a knowledgeable guide goes without saying," says 29-year-old Jennifer Walker of Atlanta, a newlywed who explored Central America on her honeymoon in March.

For a different view of the canopy, you also can visit the Rain Forest Aerial Tram or spend some time in a tree platform at Hacienda Bar in Dominical, or the Corcovado Lodge Tent Camp. Or, try testing your courage on a high-flying adventure in Drake Bay. For about $40 per person, you can swing in a chair via a pulley-and-cable arrangement and feel as if you're flying among the monkeys and macaws.

St. Lucia
Still, the lure of an island getaway is one many couples simply can't resist. If you're seeking an island destination combing the wild with the refined, consider small and lush St. Lucia, located between Martinique and St. Vincent in the Eastern Caribbean.

The island's most famous landmark, the volcanic spires called the Pitons, soar 2,000 feet up from the sea, sheltering 19,000 acres of magnificently dense rain forest. Nestled within this treasure trove are wild orchids, giant ferns, and birds of paradise. Also, keep your eyes peeled for indigenous tropical birds, including the white breasted thrasher, the St. Lucia peewee, the St. Lucia oriole, and the endangered St. Lucia parrot. This eye-popping terrain is interrupted only by verdant fields and orchards of banana, coconut, mango, and papaya trees.

Guided tours on St. Lucia flourish. There are nature treks to the towering altitude of 1,446 feet along the Barre de L'isle Rain Forest Trail, as well as more moderate hikes for the less ambitious. Consider the Union Nature Trail, the Hardy Point Cactus Valley Walking Trek, or the Mankote Mangrove. Most outdoor excursions must be arranged through the island's Forest and Lands Department, and for a small fee a naturalist or forest officer will accompany you.

Australia
Want to get farther away still? Go Down Under! "Most people think of Australia as mostly red and brown," says Betty Moore, a travel consultant in Miami. "But a visit to North Queensland proves that theory wrong, with its landscape of brilliant blues, greens and aquas." Along the northeast coast of Queensland extends the Wet Tropics World Heritage Site, which includes the Daintree Rainforest National Park.

The Australian rain forest has an enticingly rich orchid flora with some 90 species present, and the mammal population includes 37 varieties of marsupials, 16 types of rodents and 34 kinds of bats. There also are approximately 47 species of frogs, 160 species of reptiles, 300 species of spiders, and over 5,000 species of insects present. You want wildlife? You've got it. Led by naturalist guides, options for exploring the Australian rain forest include 4-wheel drive excursions, wilderness hikes and river trains.

Another attraction is the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. This gondola travels 4.7 miles (the longest gondola cableway in the world) and stops twice, allowing visitors to take walks along nearby trails.

Other rain-forest region attractions
If the idea of trekking through a rain forest sounds incredible, but not the way you want to spend your entire postmarital voyage, most rain forest destinations offer plenty of alternatives. There's coffee and banana plantation tours, rafting, and 760 miles of coastline in Costa Rica; sea kayaking, horseback riding and the Great Barrier Reef in the Outback; and lots of fun-in-the-sun activities, such as snorkeling, scuba diving, golf, and sailing, in St. Lucia.

Where to Learn More (sidebar)

These Web sites provide information on specific destinations

Costa Rica:
• tourism-costarica.com
• costarica.com

St. Lucia:
• st-lucia.com
• stlucia.org

Australia:
• internetnorth.com.au/gazette
• greatbarrierreef.aus.net

Published on ModernBride.com, July 2005
Stephanie Powell
Copyright © 2005