Forget the Eiffel Tower, these are the world’s best places to propose

There’s one proposal story that I’ll never forget, aside from my own.

A good friend was planning to propose in Rome—arguably one of the most romantic cities in the world—and had chosen to get down on one knee at the Spanish Steps. He had planned the whole trip as a surprise, and he didn’t tell his girlfriend where they were going—just that she needed a passport and weather-appropriate clothes. By the time they landed in Rome, it was all amore and baci and gelato until—wait for it—they stumbled upon another proposal right at Piazza di Spagna. Petrified to carry the ring any longer, my friend took his girlfriend back to the hotel, where he popped the question (oddly enough, on both knees) at the foot of the bed.

Guys: That story ended fabulously well. She said yes, they had one of the most beautiful weddings I’ve ever seen, and a few, happy years of marriage later, they’re still one of the best couples I know. But learn from his mistake and propose somewhere a little less obvious.

In case Valentine’s Day has you thinking of your own magical moment, we’ve teamed up with Abbie Kozolchyk, author of National Geographic’s new book, The World’s Most Romantic Destinations. She helped us narrow down a list of 50 stunning destinations that she curated for the tome to just nine perfect proposal spots. They’re all but guaranteed to get you the big answer you’re looking for.

Under the northern lights in Swedish Lapland

Remember the Ice Hotel? The one carved entirely out of ice that we told you about a few weeks ago? Turns out the staff is impressively adept at setting a romantic scene. There, said Kozolchyk, you can hire a reindeer sled to take you to a “glittering, Narnia-like national park” in Swedish Lapland, where your guide will set up a campfire and build a cosy fort for you to cosy up in.

You’ll wait for the northern lights to do their thing while sipping Champagne under reindeer skins; once the sky starts twinkling, that’s your cue. The key, said Kozolchyk, “is to book through an operator [such as Off the Map] that really knows what it’s doing in this part of the world, where conditions are eminently changeable (but consistently gorgeous).”

Over dinner in a sandbar in the Philippines

The Philippine archipelago of Palawan — which consists of almost 2,000 islands — has some of the best beaches in the world. So it may come as a surprise that the destination’s best proposal spot is actually a bit off shore. Here, Kozolchyk said, you can stay at a resort on Lagen Island, a cluster of 18 overwater cottages tucked into limestone cliffs. They’ll arrange for a boat to take you to a secluded sandbar, where a dramatic meal awaits.