Honeymoons on High! Adventure Travel is Changing the Face of Honeymoons

BARTON-UNDER-NEEDWOOD, England, August 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Not content with the idea of spending two weeks being pampered, lying on a beach in the Caribbean, more and more couples are choosing to spend the first nights of their married life huddled together in a tiny tent with two thick sleeping bags making the best celibacy device known to man.  And it is not just experienced mountaineers who are making this choice, but keen mountain walkers and others that have done nothing more challenging than walking in England.

According to a survey published by Hitched.co.uk, a massive 88% of newlyweds jet off on honeymoon, but only 36% of them are now choosing a romantic beach break.  The majority, over 64%, are looking to do something active and go on safari, climb a mountain, explore a city, or even ski. Private Expeditions who specialise in tailor-made treks to Kilimanjaro, Everest and Machu Picchu has seen honeymoon numbers on its adventures double every year since 2010, a staggering increase albeit from a small base.

Jane Deakin, Managing Director of Private Expeditions attributes the growth in adventure honeymoons to the increased awareness of how accessible these challenges are to everyone. She commented, "The Red Nose climb of Kilimanjaro really showed people that these challenges are realistic for people who are not expert mountaineers. Honeymooners are like the rest of us - they are looking for something that is truly memorable not just another week on the beach. And nothing is more memorable than standing on the top of Kilimanjaro together."

Typical of the trend are keep fit fanatics, Jo Linwood, Head of Bid Management for a global real estate company, and Chris Barnes, a firefighter. They decided that after tying the knot they would trek to Everest Base Camp to mark the start of married life together.

Jo comments, "Chris actually proposed to me at the finish line at Chicago Marathon in October 2012.  So, it's just natural for us to want to do something adventurous for our honeymoon. Everest Base Camp is heaven made for us, a great mix of activity, adventure, local culture and of course - an iconic mountain to climb. To lie on a beach for 2 weeks would be hell for both us, neither of us tan well either. We want a honeymoon we will never forget - and Everest Base Camp is the ultimate for us. Most friends think we're mad but are not surprised at our choice - we are convinced many are secretly jealous.

"We both love the outdoors, Chris is originally from North Wales and myself from Hereford so we grew up surrounded by mountains.  So when we began chatting about a honeymoon destination, we always came back to Base Camp as the place we both really wanted to go to."

Jane Deakin from Private Expeditions comments, "It is fantastic arranging honeymoons for couples like Jo and Chris. The feedback we get from honeymooners is really incredible: it is a massive bonding experience to take on a challenge like this and all of them say it was the perfect way to start married life."

Private Expeditions, are a private UK based company that are experts in high altitude trekking and specialise in helping non-professional mountaineers trek safely to the world's most iconic destination: Kilimanjaro, Everest base camp and Machu Picchu.

For more information contact: Alison Rohrer, admin@privexn.com or +44(0)121-288-0388.