MEET THE EXPERTS

After nine years as the personal travel agent for Dodi Fayed, Leigh Karin Padilla now sends blissful newlyweds on Kenyan safaris and tours of the Indonesian Spice Islands. The owner of World Leigh Travel has earned a reputation as a honeymoon specialist, arranging exotic excursions for studio heads and the Hollywood elite. Padilla continually hunts for up-and-coming hot spots, such as new favorites in New Zealand and the eastern side of the Yucatan Peninsula. This year, Padilla says, she’ll be scouting resorts in Botswana and Zambia. Though romantic spots such as France, Italy and Hawaii remain top destinations for Angelenos, Padilla says, Tahiti is growing in popularity for the choosiest--eight nights at a five-star resort in Bora Bora runs $25,000. “You can obviously do it less expensively,” she says, “but if you want a really nice honeymoon, it starts at about $20,000.” Ultimately, Padilla says, matching the right couple with the right destination requires her to build a relationship with the honeymooners so she can learn about their personal tastes. “You talk to them, you get a feel for them and what they think makes up a dream honeymoon,” she says. “Then, we talk about how to make that happen.” www.world leightravel.com

--Wayne Niemi