No doubt there are hundreds of couples up and down the country frantically phoning their travel agent to rearrange their honeymoon. The outbreak of violence in Sri Lanka has hit the headlines in the middle of peak honeymoon season (now stretching till October) and, to make matters worse, just as the Indian Ocean was tempting bookers away from the traditional Caribbean.
The problem with rebooking your honeymoon or holiday to somewhere else in the romantic Indian Ocean such as the Maldives, Seychelles or Mauritius is that it will probably cost you four times the price. At this time of year, you can get a two-week package to Sri Lanka for about £800 a person, but other islands are more expensive because most of the hotels are at the top end of the market. There's also little availability on flights now.
But don't despair. My advice is go to Majorca. Are you mad, you may mutter? No, really. It's romantic, beautiful and stuffed full of stunning little converted somethings: old farmhouses serving home-cooked food, and cottages and fincas up mountainsides and small coves with turquoise calm swimming water. And if your honeymoon is in September or October, Majorca won't be full of screaming children.
There are lots of deals to Majorca over the next few months - and plenty of air seats - as many people have been deterred by the now-finished Balearic bus drivers' strike. Add to that the fact you don't need any jabs and have to fly only two hours instead of a DVT-inducing 12 and things look even better.
A few years ago I got married in Majorca. We could have gone to Sri Lanka, St Lucia or California, but quite frankly Majorca is more romantic. The Germans may call it the 'cleaners' island' (because the cleaning frauen used to go there), but it's now more Michael Douglas and Claudia Schiffer (they have houses there) than Vera Duckworth (she doesn't).
Richard Branson's La Residencia is the hotel honeymooners head to, but there are plenty of others lurking up dirt paths and grazing behind orange groves. Sa Pedrissa is a stone's throw from La Residencia and less flashy, while Hotel Costa d'Or, a short drive away in Lluc Alcari, has spectacular views and is near a tiny beach (and is half the price). It's a bit on the crumbling side, but secluded. Cala Sant Vicenç in the village of that name, is a converted package holiday hotel taken upmarket with a gourmet restaurant serving Majorca country food and a handful of sumptuous suites.
For more information
Castaways - The Real Mallorca (01737 812 255)
The Real Spain (Citalia) 020 8686 3638)
Magic of Spain (08700 270 400)
Mundi Color (020 7828 6021)
Spanish Affair (020 7385 8127)
Simply Spain ( 020 8541 2208)
