With tropical beaches, lush mountains and some of the world’s most luxurious resorts, Southeast Asia wedding destinations are about as romantic as they come. Whether you want to get married and honeymoon in a single place, or embark on a multi-destination Southeast Asian honeymoon, you’ll find the region replete in idyllic and spectacular locales.
Southeast Asia wedding destinations in Thailand
Thailand is one of the most romantic destinations in Asia, with tropical islands, white-sand beaches and fairy-tale mountain settings. The country’s abundance of five-star resorts means you can opt for a lavish wedding and leave all the organizing to the experts.
Phuket
When you think of a Southeast Asia wedding destinations, Phuket is likely the first place that comes to mind – and with good reason. Phuket’s mature tourist infrastructure, breadth of Andaman beaches and accessibility (thanks to the international airport) make it a prime candidate for a tropical wedding and honeymoon.
Virtually every hotel in Phuket will offer wedding packages, with a planner to take care of everything, including transport and accommodation for guests. You can also enjoy an active honeymoon in Phuket, alternating between lazy resort days, island-hopping cruises through Phang Nga Bay, cultural day-trips and nature tours.
Samui
Another Thai island with an international airport, Samui is another top wedding destination in Southeast Asia. Smaller and quieter than Phuket, it generally offers a more intimate and exclusive wedding experience. It offers options for basic beachside nuptials as well as all-out luxury extravaganzas. Samui has an abundance of private luxury villas for rent, with catering services that let you plan your own wedding if you wish.
The beaches are quieter and calmer than those of Phuket, and the weather on average less rainy. If you avoid November to January. Honeymoons in Samui serve up the idyll: a private pool villa with butler service and views over the Gulf of Thailand.
Hua Hin
Even though it’s not internationally well-known, Hua Hin is gaining notoriety as a wedding destination in Southeast Asia. Bangkok residents have been hosting beach weddings here (and in nearby Pranburi) for time immemorial. Also you’ll find most five-star hotel names are represented along its long coastline. Each hotel with their own dedicated wedding facilities and services.
While the beaches here aren’t the best for swimming, the waters of the Thai Gulf still sparkle and the palm trees that dot the coastline sway cinematically in the breeze. Best of all, it’s only a few hours’ drive from Bangkok. It`s connected by private van services that make it easy to shuttle guests around.
Chiang Mai
If you’ve always dreamed of a wedding amid pristine tropical greenery, the mountains of Chiang Mai give you plenty of dreamy settings to choose from. Traditional teak Lanna houses and fairy-lit garden banquets are the city’s speciality, though you can also opt for a riverside wedding in a five-star resort or a small guest-house wedding hidden in the mountains.
With a Chiang Mai wedding, your honeymoon destination could be anywhere across Northern Thailand and Laos. What about a honeymoon with hill tribe trekking? A Mekong River cruising and even vintage motorcycle touring around the Mae Hong Son loop are good options.
Keep Reading: The best Beach Resorts in Asia for Honeymoon
Southeast Asia wedding destinations in Malaysia
Much like Thailand, Malaysia’s got a diverse range of romantic wedding destinations. Head to the highlands for a wintry feel or go wild with a wedding on Borneo. With tropical islands aplenty, there’s always the option for romantic beachfront nuptials.
Langkawi
Much like the islands of southern Thailand, Langkawi offers the ideal blend of pristine nature and indulgent luxury. Also with big hotel names that can take care of all aspects of a destination wedding and honeymoon. Exchange vows on a white-sand beach and host a banquet under the stars. Afterwards stay put at your resort for a laidback beach honeymoon. You have the whole spectrum of resorts to choose from in this popular Southeast Asian honeymoon destination, and abundant national parkland to explore if you’re the nature-loving type.
Cameron Highlands
The rolling green landscapes of the Cameron Highlands create a lush backdrop to a destination wedding in Southeast Asia. If a rustic countryside ceremony is your idyll, you’ll find plenty of bucolic venues amid tea plantations and manicured gardens. One of the major pros of a hill station wedding is the lack of humidity. Much kinder to guests (and the bridal party) who might not be used to tropical heat.
Stay in a boutique hotel on the night of the wedding. Then linger in town for a few days for high teas and hikes, with the option of extending your honeymoon across Malaysia and the region.
Borneo
For an unforgettable wedding and time-of-your-life honeymoon in Southeast Asia, Malaysian Borneo delivers a vast array of exotic options. An destination that offer options with beaches, mountains, jungles and culture-packed cities. Its UNESCO-protected national parks set the perfect scene for the nature-loving couple’s honeymoon, while diving and swimming are available on the islands offshore. Pair a five-star resort wedding in Kota Kinabalu with a nature-based tour through the island’s spectacular wilderness, go caving, river safari-ing or even engage in some conservation work.
Southeast Asia wedding destinations in Vietnam
Much like Thailand, Malaysia’s got a diverse range of romantic wedding destinations. Head to the highlands for a wintry feel or go wild with a wedding on Borneo. With tropical islands aplenty, there’s always the option for romantic beachfront nuptials.
Phu Quoc
Vietnam’s islands are another great contender for Southeast Asian destination weddings. Phu Quoc is particularly convenient since it doesn’t require a visa for entry. Unlike most Southeast Asian countries, the rest of Vietnam included.
Phi Quoc is home to a vast array of beachside resorts, with eco-friendly options available. Also sets the scene for the quintessential tropical island honeymoon, with swimming, diving, hiking. Fishing villages, pepper farms and a historic prison to explore are part of the scene. Counting that the beaches are utterly divine.
Halong Bay
This UNESCO-listed site provides some of the most spectacular natural backdrops in Southeast Asia with its towering karsts rising up out of turquoise waters. Host a wedding cruise and say your vows sailing through otherworldly seascapes, then enjoy a honeymoon through Vietnam or neighboring Cambodia, Laos or China. Just three hours’ drive from Hanoi, Halong Bay is relatively easy to access. With plenty to do in the capital and in Halong Bay itself.
Sapa
Rolling, mist-wreathed mountains, rice terraces, lush green fields. Sapa offers a truly off-the-beaten-path wedding destination in Southeast Asia. It’s not the easiest place to access, but an overnight train from Hanoi makes it a worthwhile adventure for guests.
Hotels such as the MGallery Hotel de la Coupole provide an opulent setting for banquets and overnight stays. Trekking couples can embark on a honeymoon summiting Fansipan or visiting the minority villages peppered throughout Sapa’s picturesque hills.
Keep Reading: Honeymoon in Asia: Where to Have the Romantic Trip of Your Dreams
Southeast Asia wedding destinations in Cambodia
Paradise awaits in Cambodia, where an island wedding spells pristine waters and deserted bays. Hole up in a luxury resort on a private island for your honeymoon, or set off across the continent for an epic Asia adventure.
Southern Islands
Less developed and more secluded than Thailand’s islands, the southern islands of Cambodia serve up dreamlike settings for a wedding by the sea. The Koh Rong archipelago is perfect for rustic beach weddings. While five-star resorts here and on Koh Russey and Koh Krabey give you the option for a truly exclusive Southeast Asia wedding. Your honeymoon can take you north to Thailand or south to Vietnam. After that, go island-hopping, dive and snorkel, or just enjoy a beach holiday on a deserted stretch of sand.
Southeast Asia wedding destinations in Myanmar
For a truly original setting, UNESCO-listed Bagan, in Myanmar, provides a spectacular wedding backdrop. More than 2,000 ancient stupas rise up out of the plains – hot air balloon over them, or ride a horse-drawn carriage between them for an unforgettably romantic couple’s experience.
Bagan
Bagan is one of the more unusual places for a destination wedding in Southeast Asia, but its potential for romance is unrivaled. You can stage a ceremony in resort grounds overlooking ancient temple spires, drift in a hot-air balloon for a pre-wedding experience, and for photos! Then set off across the country afterwards on a Myanmar honeymoon. You’re also guaranteed your wedding photos stand out from the crowd.
Southeast Asia wedding destinations in Laos
The ancient capital of Laos is tough to beat when it comes to charmingly romantic wedding destinations in Asia. Enjoy the history of the old town, cruise the Mekong and stay in luxury, whether in a heritage hotel or a brand-new five-star property.
Luang Prabang
A luxury cruiser on the Mekong River, a five-star tented retreat in the hills or a charming guesthouse in this UNESCO World Heritage Site – take your pick of romantic settings in laidback Luang Prabang. Perfect for smaller, more intimate ceremonies, Luang Prabang is one of the more quaint and unique Southeast Asia wedding destinations. It’s an easy and inviting destination for overseas travelers to explore. It opens the door to couple’s trips across Laos, Thailand and Cambodia.
Southeast Asia wedding destinations in Indonesia
Bali’s accessibility and well-developed infrastructure make it a great place for a wedding. Choose from a beach ceremony, a celebration on a clifftop or nuptials in the verdant forested heart of the island.
Uluwatu, Bali
Bali has long been one of the most popular Southeast Asia wedding destinations. Uluwatu, on the southern peninsula of the island. Here it is where you’ll find a cluster of five-star resorts sitting on the edge of dramatic sea cliffs, with access to quiet, secluded coves where wedding parties can enjoy privacy.
Resorts such as Bulgari and Anantara have a choice of several different wedding venues with show-stopping ocean and blue-sky views. Above all Bali is also a top honeymoon destination in Southeast Asia, and Uluwatu is a perfect choice for couples looking for surf, sea and sun.
Ubud, Bali
Inland, in Bali’s cultural heartland, Ubud’s verdant forests and serene riverside resorts make for magically romantic weddings. The leafy town has a healthy weddings industry and you’ll find a wide range of resorts offering the gamut of wedding and honeymoon packages, as well as agents who can help you decide. Exchange vows amid emerald rice paddies, by Hindu temple ruins. In addition overlooking misty valleys then take off on a Bali honeymoon packed full of romance, excitement and pampered relaxation.
If you have any tips or tricks to destination weddings in Southeast Asia, let us know in the comments. For more information about weddings and honeymoon trips in Asia, contact one of our Travel Specialists today.