Words Camilla Marsh & Josey Miller/BBC Travel

If you and your partner share a combined love of food and travel, then these foodie destinations around the world are sure to get you salivating.

Fez, Morocco

Savour the heady scents of the spice markets and let your senses guide you through the vibrant streets of Fez, stopping at stalls to pick up exotic textiles to furnish your home with memories of your honeymoon. Buildings heave with the weight of history – from the Kairaouine Mosque, one of the world’s oldest universities, to the exquisitely detailed 14th-century Attarin Medersa, a photographer’s dream. Sign up for cooking classes together and learn how to recreate the flavours of Morocco. Come nightfall, as the heat of the day dissipates and the sweet smoke of hukka pipes hangs in the air, treat yourselves to a table for two at one of the city’s culinary gems, Restaurant Numéro 7, where Moroccan fusion dishes are presented in a stylish and contemporary setting.

Best time to go Temperatures in Fez during the summer months can be sweltering so rather head over when it’s milder between April and June and September through to November.

Göreme, Turkey

This small town in the Cappadocia region of Turkey is best known for its natural rock formations, called ‘fairy chimneys’, which lend the region an otherworldly air. Walk the hour-long Love Valley trail from Uçhisar to Çavuşin for remarkable views of this unique landscape, before unwinding with a mud mask at the Turkish baths in the centre of town. Passersby will be invited into stores with offers of tea, while the heady aroma of slow-cooked lamb will entice you to stop somewhere for lunch. Restaurants in Göreme offer a wide selection of Turkish staples such as kebabs and pide (flatbread pizza), as well as some unusual pottery dishes, prepared and served in a clay pot that you can break open. Nazar Börek has diners returning to this eatery for its gözleme (savoury pancakes) and sosyete böreği (stuffed spiral pastries served with yoghurt and tomato sauce), while A’laturca in the centre of town scores kudos for its delicious kayseri mantısı (ravioli with garlic yoghurt and spices).

Best time to go The ideal months to visit Turkey are in Autumn (April to June) and Spring (September to November).

Reims, France

Your honeymoon calls for a toast, or several! And no destination is more appropriate for such an occasion than Reims in the Champagne region of France. For a true luxury chateaux experience, check into Les Crayères, an elegant hotel built in 1904 and set on 17 acres of park-like grounds. Cellar tours and tastings at Veuve Clicquot are by appointment only and its doors close between December and March, the coldest months of the year. Take your pick from Michelin-starred restaurants serving fusion French cuisine or more casual cafes, centred around Place Drouet d’Erlon. Or simply pick up a baguette at one of the many patisseries and find a quiet spot by a fountain where you can daydream and watch the world go by. It’s worth spending a few days in Reims, perhaps as a side trip from Paris, which is two hours away.

Best time to go Avoid the peak tourist season in summer and visit Reims in spring (April to June) or autumn (September to November).

Valls, Spain

Just more than an hour’s drive south-west of Barcelona, Valls is a Catalan countryside town steeped in Spanish culinary tradition. In fact, it is the birthplace of the calçotada, a traditional Spanish feast, often served alfresco, that celebrates the spring harvest of oversized leek-like onions called calçots. Do not knock it till you taste it – especially when charred and dipped in salvitxada sauce alongside a spread of meats, beans and fresh bread, and washed down with Catalan wine from a porron, a glass pitcher with a spout that looks part watering can. The whole experience is debauched, messy and unforgettable. Stay at the Felix Hotel for its restaurant’s calçotada, as well as the tennis court and swimming pool. If you prefer a city honeymoon, make Valls a day trip during a weeklong stay in nearby Barcelona.

Best time to go Blessed with a Mediterranean climate, even the winters in Vall are crisp to cold but sunny. Early summer and autumn are ideal times to visit, especially May to June and September to October.

Ubud, Bali

If you’re in search of honeymoon paradise, look no further than Ubud. Steeped in culture and history, the town boasts some of the best spas and luxury living on the Indonesian island of Bali. Plus, if you can steer clear of the bland Western eateries, you’ll discover delicious and authentic satay, suckling pig and grilled fish. Ibu Oka Warung (opposite the former Royal Palace) is an Ubud institution popular with locals and tourists, who come here to feast on babi guling, Balinese roast suckling pig. As tables fill up for the midday rush the roast pigs – which are prepared off-site and arrive by motorbike precariously balanced on a tray – are ceremoniously chopped up and served alongside rice, fried intestines, spicy vegetables and Ibu Oka’s secret sauce. The pork is unbelievably succulent and the crackling alone makes it worth ordering seconds. Retire after lunch with a cold Bintang beer to a hammock at your secluded villa looking out across lush rice paddies. Or spend an afternoon exploring the remarkable architecture, artist workshops, galleries and temples of this intricate network of villages.

Best time to go As this is a high rainfall area, it’s best to visit Ubud during the drier months of June through to September.

Osaka, Japan

Kuidaore (‘eat until you drop’) encapsulates Osaka’s food-loving culture, which translates into a wide variety of seriously good eating establishments around the city. Try one of the many Okonomiyaki restaurants where you can grill your own savoury pancakes with a variety of meat and seafood fillings at tables fitted with special hot plates. Another popular local dish is takoyaki (small octopus dumplings), which can be found at small specialty shops. Many restaurants display menus with photographs and prices, so you can just point to the dish that appeals to you – but be prepared for the odd surprise!

Soak up the energy around the Osaka metro station hub and quench your thirst with a cold beer at a Tachi-nomi stand-and-drink bar. If you’re after a milder brew in a more relaxed setting, take a 20-minute train ride to one of the many historical tea houses in the Kyoto vicinity.

Best time to go Osaka is at its most beautiful during the cherry blossom season which occurs around late March or early April.

El Yunque, Puerto Rico

Puerto Rican cooking, called ‘cocina criolla’, gets its wonderful aroma from adobo and sofrito – blends of herbs and spices that give many of the local dishes their distinctive taste and colour. While chicken features heavily on restaurant menus, you’ll also find a range of meat, vegetarian and seafood dishes such as the popular mojo isleño (fried fish), camarones y cerveza (shrimps cooked in beer) and Caribbean lobster. The secluded rainforest region of El Yunque in the north-east is rich in island folklore and natural beauty and home to the endemic coquí tree frog and Puerto Rican Parrot. The La Mina trail leads to an impressive waterfall where you can swim in the cool waters beneath a green, leafy canopy. Adventure junkies can go ziplining through the forest with Aventuras Tierra Adentro tour company.

Best time to go With its temperate climate, El Yunque is lovely to visit any time of year.

Isla Mujeres, Mexico

Once home to the ancient Mayans, this picturesque stretch of land was a sanctuary serving Ixchel, the Mayan goddess of love and fertility. The remains of the temple built in her honour is said to be the first place in the whole of Mexico to feel the sun’s golden rays each morning. Honeymooners can spend their days snorkelling or scuba-diving in the crystal-clear waters, coming up for air to enjoy the wide array of chilli-infused cuisine. This small island is host to a wonderful variety of restaurants and cafes, a melting pot of Yucatán, Mayan, European, Caribbean, African and Middle Eastern cuisine. Don’t leave without trying the local tikin xic (white fish wrapped in banana leaf, marinated and baked in a traditional Yucatán mixture of achiote, orange and garlic). But there’s also something to be said for sitting back with a plate of spicy tacos and a margarita, watching the sun set over the Caribbean, with the lights of Cancún twinkling in the distance.

Best time to go Be sure to avoid Mexico’s peak holiday season between July and August as foreigners and locals alike flock to the coastal regions and prices tend to soar.

New York City, New York

The City that never sleeps is famous for its variety of ethnic cuisines and top restaurants – and that it caters to any type of taste at any time of day. Sign up for a food tasting and cultural walking tour through NYC’s historic suburbs, visiting Greenwich Village or the indoor Chelsea Market in the Meatpacking District and sampling a variety of globally inspired dishes. Buy salted pretzels from a street stand and stroll through Central Park or head over to Junior’s, a famous purveyor of cheesecake in Brooklyn. If fine dining is in your budget, you’ll be hard-pressed to decide where to spend your dollars, but a reservation at Eleven Madison Park (best restaurant in North America on the latest S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna list), celebrated for its interactive and engaging dining experience, is sure to impress your new husband or wife.

Best time to go Every season presents a different experience but summer (June to August) can get oppressively hot.

Sonoma Valley, California

For a spectacular honeymoon in northern California’s wine country, skip high-traffic Napa Valley for its lower-key neighbour, Sonoma. Reserve a room at the cosy El Pueblo Inn and sample the bistro fare (best when paired with a wine-tasting flight) at The Girl & the Fig, a charming restaurant on the town’s plaza. For the days spent touring the nearby wineries, be sure to hire a designated driver: join a group wine shuttle  or splurge on a private tour. Sonoma Market is a fantastic grocery store and deli selling hot-pressed panini and everything else you’ll need for a picnic in the vineyards.

Best time to go Devote at least a long weekend to Sonoma during spring, summer or, best of all, autumn, when many of the local vineyards are in the middle of harvest.

Photographs: Courtesy