5 Feel-Good Honeymoons That Give Back

Want to pack a little extra into your getaway? Give back and still have the trip of a lifetime with these socially conscious resorts and activities.

St. Regis Bora Bora

Guests at one of the 89 beach or overwater villas set on a limpid blue lagoon at this heavenly resort in French Polynesia get closer access to the crystal-clear waters by taking part in the resort’s Coral Management Program (from $67 per person). After a guided tour from the resident marine biologist, honeymooners can become godparents to a baby coral and plant a coral cutting. Juvenile fish shelter in the protected marine area at the St. Regis Bora Bora. Room rates start at $875 a night.

st regis bora bora
Photo courtesy of the St. Regis Bora Bora Resort

Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea

All of the Four Seasons' 380 rooms have gorgeous views of the Wailea Beach’s golden sands, not to mention those amazing Maui sunsets. This Hawaiian paradise offers guests multiple voluntourism opportunities, from home building for Habitat for Humanity to weeding at the Maui Nui Botanical Gardens. At the ancient Ko’ie’ie Fishpond, guests participate in ongoing restoration work, replacing boulders in the 1,100-foot rock wall that dates back to the 15th century, an important cultural locale for Hawaiian Islanders. Room rates start at $899 a night.

turtle
Photo courtesy of The Four Seasons Maui at Wailea

Baros Maldives

Stay in one of the 75 villas perched in a turquoise lagoon in the Indian Ocean and you may never want to come to shore, let alone come home. Guests help the local sea life by taking part in the Baros Maldives' Reef Rehabilitation Program ($185 per guest). With an escorted swim to the house reef, guests collect coral fragments and attach them to a coral frame. The marine nursery is home to damselfish, blennies, octopus, and the awesomely named Oriental sweetlips. Room rates start at $720 a night.

coral reef
Photo courtesy of Baros Maldives

Wilderness Safaris Desert Rhino Camp

This camp of just eight luxe tents is in Damaraland in Namibia, a dramatic landscape between the Skeleton Coast and Etosha National Park that is home to Africa’s biggest free-roaming population of black rhinos. The animals are in increasing danger from poachers, and Wilderness Safari guests work with the Save the Rhino Trust to help trackers record the location of the rhino, following the animals in game drive vehicles or on foot. Inclusive rates start at $335 per person, per night. 

rhino
Photo Credit: Olwen Evans

wilderness safaris desert rhino camp
Photo Credit: Mike Myers

Sandals Emerald Bay

It’s total bliss at this 249-room resort on a mile-long stretch of pristine beach on Great Exuma, Bahamas, where the living is very easy. Guests who want to volunteer in the local community can take part in Sandals’ Reading Road Trip, a partnership with Island Routes Caribbean Adventures. Every Thursday when school is in session, volunteers read books to students and help them practice their reading comprehension ($20 per guest). Room rates start at $261 per person, per night.

sandals reading road trip

sandals emerald bay
Photo courtesy of Sandals Resorts International