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After the wedding planning has been done and dusted, and you and your future spouse are ready to say your “I dos”, the next best step begins – planning your honeymoon.
Deciding on the perfect honeymoon destination is an important decision, as it is the place where you will be spending the first few weeks of the rest of your life together.
Africa is one of the most popular and beautiful honeymoon destinations in the world. Jam-packed with adventure and plenty of natural romance, a trip to this diverse continent is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that abounds with vast landscapes, fascinating culture and spectacular safaris, all of which come packaged in exquisite luxury for a truly romantic getaway.
We kick off this ultimate guide to planning your honeymoon safari by exploring the 6 best reasons why a trip to Africa is the best start to the rest of your life…
If you’re looking for a truly original honeymoon experience, an African safari takes you far from the maddening crowd found at the typical island beach retreats and brings you up close and personal with the pristine and untouched beauty of the African wild.
Africa as a destination is unique in the world for its enthralling diversity of wildlife, vast dramatic landscapes, and inspiring local culture – and the options are endless.
From the quintessential romantic African destinations like the Serengeti of Tanzania or the iconic Victoria Falls, to the intrepid options of gorilla trekking in Uganda or boat trips on Lake Malawi, together you and your spouse will make a wealth of unforgettable memories with enthralling stories to share with your loved ones for years to come.
Even though African safaris bring you up close and personal with the wildness of the bush, there is no shortage of indulgent luxury across the continent’s range of accommodation options. Many of these honeymoon stays boast king size beds wrapped in soft white linen, deep bubble baths, dedicated staff and high-end cuisine.
At many of the game lodges across the continent the staff go the extra mile for their honeymooners, ensuring that every need is catered for, and providing for an extremely friendly and relaxed environment.
And while these lodges may be ensconced in the peace and quiet of the remotest wilds, they come fully equipped with all the modern amenities such as Wi-Fi and television, allowing you to enjoy a serene bush lunch from an excellent menu, keep in touch with your friends and family back home, and follow this up with a campfire dinner to share enthralling stories with locals and other guests.
An African safari is a true escape from the many distractions of our bustling modern life, where many of us have to make date nights throughout the week to accommodate our busy schedules. Without the all-encompassing blare of modern life, couples have the opportunity to truly immerse themselves in the romance of their honeymoon, and absorb all the amazing sights and sounds of the African bush.
Out in the remote reaches of this spectacular continent, the daily humdrum of city traffic is replaced by the hum of cicadas or the distant call of the fish eagle, and your only loud neighbours are troops of baboons barking from atop the dramatic cliffs. And best of all, there’s no need to argue for the remote when enjoying bushfire television – the oft-used term to describe the special magic of a camp-side fire.
Africa has long been a subject of intense romance, with scenic love tales depicted in numerous iconic and beloved films and novels.
This is because the African continent naturally lends itself to the romantic experience, with deep, saturated sunsets that vanish into starry night skies soft with the chirruping of insects and the distant roar of the lion.
The exquisite backdrop of Africa’s beauty brings a special magic to your sundowners, and there is something truly memorable about discovering this pristine wildness with your new spouse, from the enthralling experience of coming close to a herd of majestic African elephants to cuddling up beside the fire for a night of stargazing.
A honeymoon safari allows you to create your very own Out Of Africa tale, allowing you to celebrate your new life together in a place unlike any other on earth.
A honeymoon safari offers a wealth of exciting activities, so that you are never likely to get bored during your romantic getaway with an abundance of variegated adventures that can be tailored to your interests.
Apart from the ever exciting game drives through the African bush, the diverse terrain and fauna and flora provide for a number of other enjoyable excursions, from boat safaris on the Okavango Delta in Botswana, to a horse riding safari in Zambia or a walking safari in the Kruger National Park of South Africa.
For more adventurous couples, Kenya offers the bucket-list option of a hike to the top of Africa’s highest mountain, the iconic Mount Kilimanjaro.
Whether you prefer sumptuous afternoons sipping champagne on the deck overlooking passing elephants, or are a thrill-seeking couple that enjoys a good adrenaline rush, Africa has something to offer for everybody.
On this massive and diverse continent you can escape into the wild without necessarily having to miss out on the excitement of its many cosmopolitan cities. With a wealth of options to choose from, you can book a safari package that includes many of these fascinating urban destinations.
On a journey to Southern Africa you can enjoy the thriving nightlife in Mozambique or relax on the beaches of Mauritius, or visit Cape Town in South Africa, voted the most beautiful city in the world, for its Michelin star restaurants, excellent wines and inspiring art galleries.
Honeymooners in East Africa can also enjoy the marvellous port city of Mombasa in Kenya, or visit the sultry Old Town of Zanzibar and walk hand-in-hand through its charming streets.
While most people visit African lodges for their amazing safari offering, these destinations also provide a plethora of other activities that cater to a wide range of interests.
Included in the selection of amenities are spas, swimming pools, yoga classes and fitness centres, while there are also the options of booking hot air balloon rides, horse trails, hiking and kayaking – so be sure to do thorough research to find the best lodge for you.
Africa is a vast continent that boasts a wide variety of biomes, habitats, and regional wildlife, so that the game viewing options will be strongly determined by the specific lodge’s location.
When choosing the perfect game lodge, decide on the type of landscape that speaks to your imagination and the particular wildlife which you would most like to see. While popular safari destinations like South Africa, Namibia, Tanzania and Kenya will offer Big 5 sightings, the concentration of wildlife will vary.
Added to this, many lodges are located in private concessions that focus on particular animals, such as elephant, lion, or rhino, so be sure to research the wide variety of options before booking your destination.
These vaccine requirements will differ depending on the country you are visiting, or even on the particular region within a certain country, and are determined by the type of prevailing regional diseases, such as malaria.
Most lodges include a vaccination list along with the provided packing list that will indicate the type of medication you might need to take for your trip, from antimalarial meds to hepatitis vaccines.
Often when planning a long trip to a remote African destination, couples will likely want to spend as much time at one location in order to truly immerse themselves in the full experience. However, most camps follow a routine that may become exhausted by day four, after which you will likely want to enjoy something a little different.
Planning ahead will allow you to smoothly transition between various types of excursions, and if you’re hoping for a longer safari you might want to book several different camps, or even break up two safaris with a trip to one of the continent’s cosmopolitan cities like Nairobi or Cape Town.
Booking stays at different camps also allows for a varied safaris with a change in scenery, lodging, and new wildlife sightings, to make for a fully comprehensive and exciting experience.
Africa has a plethora of options when it comes to accommodation, with some lodges boasting the capacity to host hundreds of guests, and others limiting their bookings to no more than 12 visitors. This can also change the nature of your safaris and the number of people present on the vehicle. Added to this, some lodges are family-friendly to allow children in the camps and on safari.
If you’re a newlywed couple seeking a more private and intimate experience, make sure to enquire about the maximum number of guests provided in the camps and game-viewing vehicles, and those looking for a child-free experience can book a stay at a lodge for adults only.
Seasonal variations across the African continent should be taken into consideration before making your booking. This will depend on the country or region of your choice and what you’re expecting from the experience.
The African summer months from November to February are hotter and come with seasonal summer rain and lush vegetation, while the dry winter months afford for better game sightings, when the wildlife tends to congregate at the watering holes – but these seasons can also be more expensive.
If your travel dates are more flexible at the time of your planning, examine the options to find a destination that best suits your requirements, and if your dates are already set, make sure to find which destination is more conducive to the experience you’re looking for during that time period.
Kenya has long lived in the collective imagination for many travellers to Africa as the classic safari destination, with its vast pristine savannah mingling with lions, elephants and antelope, its gorgeous sunsets silhouetted with distant camel thorn trees, and its fascinating regional cultural groups.
Epitomized in both the book and movie Out of Africa, Kenya has become synonymous with the quintessential romantic African experience.
The Masai Mara will fulfil almost anybody’s fantasy of a romantic East African getaway, with its untouched savannah landscape, its myriad of herbivores and iconic big cats, and not least of all, the dramatic and breath-taking annual Great Migration.
Best of all, these unforgettable sights can be experienced from top-tier and luxurious lodges and camps that all go the extra mile for their honeymoon couples.
When choosing a location within this epic region, the Masai Mara National Reserve cannot be overstated for its amazing offering. This massive protected wildlife region reaches beyond the Tanzanian border, and what sets the Reserve apart for many travellers is that it is an annual host of the legendary Great Migration.
This epic wildlife event has been recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World, when almost two million wildebeest and 20 000 plains game migrate from Tanzania’s Serengeti to the south of Kenya’s Masai Mara in search of lush grazing grounds and water.
This awe-inspiring spectacle has been dubbed by many as “The Greatest Show on Earth”, where spectators can experience at close range the incredible thundering of thousands of passing hooves, driven by instinct to cross the Mara River and dodge the waiting predators.
As they cross these treacherous waters, Nile crocodiles lie in wait to pounce on the wildebeest and other antelope that cross their domain.
A truly wild African experience, the Great Migration is a bucket-list item for many wildlife enthusiasts, viewed against the startling backdrop of grand savannah landscapes.
To make the most out of your honeymoon safari to the Masai Mara, be sure to make intimacy and exclusivity a priority when selecting a camp or lodge.
The enormous lodges located in the Eastern section of the park host up to 150 beds, so it would be better to select a small camp with less than ten tented rooms for a more romantic experience.
To this end, a stay at one of the many private conservancies that border the Park is a great option for honeymoon couples. These smaller camps provide excellent wildlife viewing and stunning vistas, while the limited amount of beds per acre reduce the number of vehicles per sighting for a more exclusive safari experience.
Another great option is that of mobile tented camps which provide a wonderful sense of romance to your safari, being very small and offering the opportunity of enjoying a true safari camping excursion in the remote wilds, all with stylish furnishings, five-star meals, and modern amenities.
When looking for the perfect luxury tented camp for your honeymoon, the best options will be sure to match romantic and luxurious rooms with breath-taking scenery. These options provide privacy, exclusive plunge pools, open-air bathrooms, and some even feature a marvellous four-poster bed placed under the stars.
For added privacy, you also have the option of booking private game drives to enjoy the wilderness with just your spouse.
The staff at these tented camps typically go the extra mile for their honeymoon guests, offering private champagne breakfasts in the bush, stunning sundowners, couples massages, sunrise hot air balloon rides for just the two of you, and private candlelit dinners on your deck.
Tanzania is considered one of Africa’s wildest and most beautiful honeymoon destinations, home to the iconic Serengeti National Park, and offering an untamed and pristine experience that is nonetheless replete with opulent luxury and enthralling safaris.
Tanzania offers a wide variety of romantic accommodation, boasting intimate lodges nestled amidst rich and varied wildlife, ranging from sumptuous luxury suites to snug, private cottages or the more classic tented safari camps.
Tanzania also makes a fantastic honeymoon destination for the fact that these iconic safari destinations can be coupled with exquisite getaways to the country’s Indian Ocean beach locations, bringing the opportunity to begin your honeymoon with the magic of a sunrise safari and end it with a champagne sunset on pristine tropical beaches.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a wonderful place to kick-start your romantic Tanzanian honeymoon. Located west of Arusha in the Crater Highlands region of the country, Ngorongoro is a protected wildlife area and a World Heritage Site.
The Conservation Area is a marvellous wildlife destination, where visitors can view approximately 30 000 to 40 000 flamingos gathered in elegant swathes across the soda lakes, as well as leopard, cheetah, lion, zebra giraffe and eland.
In the wide grasslands visitors will also have the unique opportunity of spotting endangered black rhino and rare black-maned lions, as well as giant African elephants roaming the regional forests.
Here you can also combine your traditional game viewing safari with a spectacular hot air balloon excursion over the Serengeti to capture a bird’s eye view of the wildlife roaming the plains below.
The Conservation Area also features a superb lodge which perfectly melds ecological and architectural concepts, from where you can spot the Big 5 including black rhino roaming the crater floor.
The Serengeti National Park is a dramatic African destination which combines breath-taking landscapes with enthralling wildlife sightings, making for a superb romantic destination that offers luxury lodges and camps located in remote areas of the wild.
Here you can witness the dramatic Great Migration as immense droves of wildebeest and plains game make their steady journey to the Masai Mara in Kenya, and enjoy close range sightings of lion, leopard, elephant and a great variety of plains game.
When planning your honeymoon safari in the Serengeti, it is important to consider the timing of your trip in order to take full advantage of seasonal wildlife movements, while some of the lodges and camps are only open at specific times of the year.
In booking your lodge or camp you will be spoiled for choice, as virtually every region of the Park boasts excellent upmarket accommodation that makes special effort to cater for romantic safaris. When choosing which one suits your desired experience, each option has its own special offering.
The greatest variety of choices is found in the Central Serengeti, with the largest concentration of accommodation located in the Seronera region of the reserve.
More exclusive options can be found at one of the lodges or camps in the western Serengeti at the Grumeti Game Reserve, but couples who prefer a more remote and intimate getaway should opt for one of the limited camps at the Soit Le Motonyi region in the Park’s far eastern reaches.
Couples who want to enjoy a wild experience with all of the superb modern amenities of a luxury excursion could opt for a permanent lodge, most of which offer spas, swimming pools, and gyms.
Many of these lodges provide tailored honeymoon packages with romantic activities such as couples’ massages, private picnics in the bush, and relaxing sundowners followed by exclusive candlelit dinners either on your private deck or in the bush. Added to this, couples will also have the option to book a private game drive through their lodge for exclusive safaris with just the two of you, your driver and your guide.
On the other hand, those couples who wish to be more immersed in the bush, but also wish to have the traditional wild safari experience can book accommodation at one of the permanent camps.
These canvas rooms feature stunning king-sized beds, beautiful antique furnishings and generous en-suite bathrooms.
However, couples seeking a truly wild experience would most enjoy a stay at one of the Park’s mobile tented camps, where massive herds of wildebeest can be found grazing just metres from your tent.
While the remoteness of these locations mean that you won’t have electricity or running water, these camps are not short on luxury, boasting enormous and ornately decorated tents, outdoor seating, communal lounge and library areas, en-suite bathrooms with hot bucket showers, and exquisite five star meals.
Botswana is one of the most popular safari destinations in Africa for its unique bush landscapes, its myriad of wildlife and its fantastic lodges, and the Okavango Delta, located in the northern region of the country, makes for a superb romantic destination for newlyweds.
The Okavango Delta, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is an expansive inland river delta that is lush with high grasses, floodplains, and almost every type of iconic African animal that safari goers might wish to see, including hippos, elephants, crocodiles, lions, leopards and giraffes, to name but a few.
The Delta provides an unmatched romantic setting, with superb luxury lodges and camps ensconced by dramatic scenery that teems with excellent wildlife sightings.
There is a fantastic selection of accommodation options in the Delta, ranging from luxury safari lodges to traditional tented camps for an immersive and authentic bush experience, while many safari packages allow you to combine these stays with other regions in the country for a truly unforgettable safari itinerary.
At these first-rate lodges, visitors can enjoy magical sunrise and sunset game drives, or choose to go for water-based safaris on a motorized boat or traditional dug-out canoe. From the serene setting of the water, couples can view habituated elephant herds that stroll along the water’s edge or walk alongside the game viewing vehicle.
This wealth of close-range wildlife sightings, set against the backdrop of untouched Southern African natural beauty, makes the Delta one of Africa’s most exclusive safari destinations.
A large number of the Delta’s camps and lodges are located in massive private concessions, and offer a personal and authentic experience of the untouched wilds of Botswana. At many of these concessions there are only one or two camps available, ensuring a wonderful level of privacy during your romantic getaway.
For an extra touch of authentic bush romance, a number of these camps offer the option to add a private sleep-out deck to your itinerary, as well as private game viewing activities, including game drives and bush walks.
The Delta’s wonderful variety of fauna and flora provides for excellent game viewing throughout the year, with a plethora of iconic African predators such as lion, leopard, cheetah hyena and wild dog.
As such, beginning your honeymoon with your new spouse on a luxurious Okavango honeymoon safari will be an unforgettable experience, allowing you to savour the startling beauty of the Botswana bush and witness some of Africa’s most renowned wildlife.
Most safari packages offer authentic and unobtrusive excursions into this remarkable wetland Eden, allowing you to immerse yourself in this unique and pristine ecosystem while enjoying some of the finest luxury Africa has to offer.
Botswana’s Chobe National Park is an exceptional wildlife paradise which is considered one of the best national parks in Southern Africa for its teeming throngs of wildlife and beautiful, lush vegetation.
The Park flourishes with a network of waterways, while the sparkling Chobe River that flows through the Park draws a great variety of animals and birdlife to its banks during the dry season.
Honeymoon couples will be able to select from a wide variety of superb accommodation, whether it be on a high-end cruise or at exclusive tented camps.
Honeymooners making their first visit to Chobe National Park will enjoy the more private options located on the Chobe Riverside. In fact, iconic Hollywood couple Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton chose this location for their own five-week honeymoon decades ago, and the region still maintains this sense of romance and exclusivity today.
The Western side of the River is less busy and allows for fewer vehicles intruding on game viewing sights, while the ultra-luxurious floating boutique hotels on the Chobe River make for a truly enthralling romantic experience. Here couples can drift serenely along the water and enjoy stargazing from the decks while enjoying catered service.
Honeymooners who wish to enjoy a certain level of privacy during this special romantic getaway should take into consideration the size of the camps or lodges before making their booking, as the smaller accommodation offerings will provide for a more intimate bush experience.
Added to this, honeymooners would likely prefer adult-only establishments for a more peaceful excursion, but tented camps that cater to either markets will make sure that your honeymoon tent is located in the most private area.
Those seeking a particularly luxurious and upmarket stay will find superb accommodation at private concessions in Linyanti and Selinda, where private game drives can also be arranged.
The accommodation at these concessions meet the highest standards of fine dining and white glove service, while the romance factor can be taken up a few notches with the booking of a star bed. These open sleep-outs bedecked in fine lined and enshrouded by soft mosquito nets allow couples to spend a night under the starry canvas of the African night sky.
The Savuti camps and lodges in the Chobe National Park offer a particularly raw and wild locale, while the Nogatsaa option has recently introduced a spacious camp that is perfect for couples seeking the magical peace of the bush as well as the opportunity for excellent wildlife viewings in a lesser utilized area of the Park.
A honeymoon safari in Namibia is a unique African experience, offering pristine silence and isolation in an untouched desert wilderness. Here, you and your new spouse will likely be some of the few people for miles, while relaxing in five-star luxury at premium intimate lodges.
These stylish accommodation options often feature rooms on the edge of the iconic red sand dunes or exclusive water holes, with some even being built to nestle in the branches of trees.
As such, watching the saturated Namibian sunset sinking over the great Desert while sipping sundowners from your deck, or enjoying a morning coffee in your bed with antelope grazing only meters away are just some of the exceptionally intimate and romantic experiences that Namibia has to offer its honeymooners.
A good option is to combine your honeymoon safari at both Etosha and Sossuvlei, both unique locales with their own special magic and the opportunity for superb wildlife sightings of Namibia’s unique desert wildlife.
Some of the best honeymoon destinations in Namibia include Sossusvlei and the Etosha National Park, both of which feature romantic luxury lodges as well as exclusive honeymoon cottages for ultimate privacy, with special romantic excursions such as picnics and candlelit dinners.
Nestled in a startling landscape of wavering dunes, dazzling gravel plains and rugged rocky outcrops, Sossusvlei offers supreme tranquillity and one of Africa’s most captivating destinations.
Honeymooners that feel drawn to this locale would enjoy the Sossuvlei Desert Lodge, located in a concession that borders the International Dark Sky Reserve of the NambRand Reserve. Here, you will witness the sparkling canvas of the incredible desert night sky, allowing you and your new spouse to connect with each other and with the pristine wilderness that surrounds you.
Sossusvlei is remarkable for its superb combination of sustainability and ultimate luxury, where honeymooners can opt for incredible suites made of stone and glass located on the edge of the escarpment, and whose unique design allows you to take in the constantly variegating nature of the desert.
Visitors can settle into a romantic stay for two with a private plunge pool, a shaded veranda, a living room with a fireplace for the chilly desert nights, and a wide retractable skylight over the bed that allows you to fall asleep beneath the stars. Added to this, the en suite bathrooms also feature glass showers with astounding desert views.
Sossusvlei also provides for a number of unforgettable excursions that you would be hard-pressed to match elsewhere. Early risers can join a guided walk up the iconic crimson sand dunes, which are some of the tallest dunes in the world, and visit the intriguing Dead Vlei, where the glittering white salt pan is fingered with dark and ancient fossilized trees.
Wildlife enthusiasts can enjoy a game drive for sightings of oryx, springbok and bat eared fox, while more adventurous couples can explore the area on a quad bike. The area also affords for lovely sunset excursions to the nearby Sesriem Canyon to explore the fascinating rock passageways.
A honeymoon safari to Namibia’s Etosha National Park allows you to escape into a region that remains close to the achingly beautiful rhythms of the earth, the warmth of the sun-baked savannah, the thrilling scent of rain on dry earth, and the surrounding vegetation rustling with passing herds of antelope and zebra.
Etosha is the gateway to Northern Namibia and Ovamboland, and is known as Namibia’s leading wildlife destination. This unique and varied landscape is home to a wonderful variety of animals.
At Etosha National Park one is filled with the sense of an ancient world, a supremely relaxing destination that is filled with the dramatic romance of the untouched wilderness, yet combined with upmarket lodges and intimate luxury.
Honeymooning couples in search of luxury and beauty will find all they need on one of the private reserves located outside of Etosha, which are still within easy driving distance from Park’s main gates.
The variety of accommodation options includes upmarket lodges, private villas and tented camps tucked into the beautiful surrounds that teem with wildlife and offer stunning views of these vast natural reaches.
Couples seeking a catered stay can opt for fully-inclusive options with gourmet meals and private game drives, without having to worry about lifting a finger during one of the most romantic vacations of your life.
Visitors can also be flown into their destinations for a dramatic first sighting of Namibia’s immense reach and of the endlessness of its unspoiled terrain.
Couples seeking more privacy and intimacy during their honeymoon should opt for smaller lodges or camps, and be sure to look out for those that feature a floodlit waterhole to observe, hand-in-hand with your partner, the careful creep of a nocturnal leopard at the water’s edge.
A range of other activities can also be arranged for unforgettable experiences together, such as guided walks, hide photography and the incredibly enthralling opportunity to go rhino tracking with a professional tracker.
If your honeymoon is designated for the summer months, it might be desirable to find accommodation with a private plunge pool or an outdoor shower. All of these accommodation options, however, will come with superb and tailored service that pull out all the stops for their honeymooners.
Here you can enjoy some marvellous wild experiences while sipping a sundowner in a beautiful setting, the sun sinking behind the vast Etosha horizon as you watch the crashing pass of an enormous rhino.
Honeymoon couples seeking true romance on their Etosha safari should certainly opt for the smaller and more modern luxury eco-camps, found at Dolomite in the west of the Park or at Onkoshi in the east.
While these options are somewhat more rustic than the larger luxury lodges, they are located in extraordinary settings with sparkling vistas where you can witness the gentle passing of elephant herds as they fade into the dusk, while private game drives can be booked for an exclusive safari outing.
After the wedding planning has been done and dusted, and you and your future spouse are ready to say your “I dos”, the next best step begins – planning your honeymoon.
Deciding on the perfect honeymoon destination is an important decision, as it is the place where you will be spending the first few weeks of the rest of your life together.
Africa is one of the most popular and beautiful honeymoon destinations in the world. Jam-packed with adventure and plenty of natural romance, a trip to this diverse continent is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that abounds with vast landscapes, fascinating culture and spectacular safaris, all of which come packaged in exquisite luxury for a truly romantic getaway.
We kick off this ultimate guide to planning your honeymoon safari by exploring the 6 best reasons why a trip to Africa is the best start to the rest of your life…
If you’re looking for a truly original honeymoon experience, an African safari takes you far from the maddening crowd found at the typical island beach retreats and brings you up close and personal with the pristine and untouched beauty of the African wild.
Africa as a destination is unique in the world for its enthralling diversity of wildlife, vast dramatic landscapes, and inspiring local culture – and the options are endless.
From the quintessential romantic African destinations like the Serengeti of Tanzania or the iconic Victoria Falls, to the intrepid options of gorilla trekking in Uganda or boat trips on Lake Malawi, together you and your spouse will make a wealth of unforgettable memories with enthralling stories to share with your loved ones for years to come.
Even though African safaris bring you up close and personal with the wildness of the bush, there is no shortage of indulgent luxury across the continent’s range of accommodation options. Many of these honeymoon stays boast king size beds wrapped in soft white linen, deep bubble baths, dedicated staff and high-end cuisine.
At many of the game lodges across the continent the staff go the extra mile for their honeymooners, ensuring that every need is catered for, and providing for an extremely friendly and relaxed environment.
And while these lodges may be ensconced in the peace and quiet of the remotest wilds, they come fully equipped with all the modern amenities such as Wi-Fi and television, allowing you to enjoy a serene bush lunch from an excellent menu, keep in touch with your friends and family back home, and follow this up with a campfire dinner to share enthralling stories with locals and other guests.
An African safari is a true escape from the many distractions of our bustling modern life, where many of us have to make date nights throughout the week to accommodate our busy schedules. Without the all-encompassing blare of modern life, couples have the opportunity to truly immerse themselves in the romance of their honeymoon, and absorb all the amazing sights and sounds of the African bush.
Out in the remote reaches of this spectacular continent, the daily humdrum of city traffic is replaced by the hum of cicadas or the distant call of the fish eagle, and your only loud neighbours are troops of baboons barking from atop the dramatic cliffs. And best of all, there’s no need to argue for the remote when enjoying bushfire television – the oft-used term to describe the special magic of a camp-side fire.
Africa has long been a subject of intense romance, with scenic love tales depicted in numerous iconic and beloved films and novels.
This is because the African continent naturally lends itself to the romantic experience, with deep, saturated sunsets that vanish into starry night skies soft with the chirruping of insects and the distant roar of the lion.
The exquisite backdrop of Africa’s beauty brings a special magic to your sundowners, and there is something truly memorable about discovering this pristine wildness with your new spouse, from the enthralling experience of coming close to a herd of majestic African elephants to cuddling up beside the fire for a night of stargazing.
A honeymoon safari allows you to create your very own Out Of Africa tale, allowing you to celebrate your new life together in a place unlike any other on earth.
A honeymoon safari offers a wealth of exciting activities, so that you are never likely to get bored during your romantic getaway with an abundance of variegated adventures that can be tailored to your interests.
Apart from the ever exciting game drives through the African bush, the diverse terrain and fauna and flora provide for a number of other enjoyable excursions, from boat safaris on the Okavango Delta in Botswana, to a horse riding safari in Zambia or a walking safari in the Kruger National Park of South Africa.
For more adventurous couples, Kenya offers the bucket-list option of a hike to the top of Africa’s highest mountain, the iconic Mount Kilimanjaro.
Whether you prefer sumptuous afternoons sipping champagne on the deck overlooking passing elephants, or are a thrill-seeking couple that enjoys a good adrenaline rush, Africa has something to offer for everybody.
On this massive and diverse continent you can escape into the wild without necessarily having to miss out on the excitement of its many cosmopolitan cities. With a wealth of options to choose from, you can book a safari package that includes many of these fascinating urban destinations.
On a journey to Southern Africa you can enjoy the thriving nightlife in Mozambique or relax on the beaches of Mauritius, or visit Cape Town in South Africa, voted the most beautiful city in the world, for its Michelin star restaurants, excellent wines and inspiring art galleries.
Honeymooners in East Africa can also enjoy the marvellous port city of Mombasa in Kenya, or visit the sultry Old Town of Zanzibar and walk hand-in-hand through its charming streets.
While most people visit African lodges for their amazing safari offering, these destinations also provide a plethora of other activities that cater to a wide range of interests.
Included in the selection of amenities are spas, swimming pools, yoga classes and fitness centres, while there are also the options of booking hot air balloon rides, horse trails, hiking and kayaking – so be sure to do thorough research to find the best lodge for you.
Africa is a vast continent that boasts a wide variety of biomes, habitats, and regional wildlife, so that the game viewing options will be strongly determined by the specific lodge’s location.
When choosing the perfect game lodge, decide on the type of landscape that speaks to your imagination and the particular wildlife which you would most like to see. While popular safari destinations like South Africa, Namibia, Tanzania and Kenya will offer Big 5 sightings, the concentration of wildlife will vary.
Added to this, many lodges are located in private concessions that focus on particular animals, such as elephant, lion, or rhino, so be sure to research the wide variety of options before booking your destination.
These vaccine requirements will differ depending on the country you are visiting, or even on the particular region within a certain country, and are determined by the type of prevailing regional diseases, such as malaria.
Most lodges include a vaccination list along with the provided packing list that will indicate the type of medication you might need to take for your trip, from antimalarial meds to hepatitis vaccines.
Often when planning a long trip to a remote African destination, couples will likely want to spend as much time at one location in order to truly immerse themselves in the full experience. However, most camps follow a routine that may become exhausted by day four, after which you will likely want to enjoy something a little different.
Planning ahead will allow you to smoothly transition between various types of excursions, and if you’re hoping for a longer safari you might want to book several different camps, or even break up two safaris with a trip to one of the continent’s cosmopolitan cities like Nairobi or Cape Town.
Booking stays at different camps also allows for a varied safaris with a change in scenery, lodging, and new wildlife sightings, to make for a fully comprehensive and exciting experience.
Africa has a plethora of options when it comes to accommodation, with some lodges boasting the capacity to host hundreds of guests, and others limiting their bookings to no more than 12 visitors. This can also change the nature of your safaris and the number of people present on the vehicle. Added to this, some lodges are family-friendly to allow children in the camps and on safari.
If you’re a newlywed couple seeking a more private and intimate experience, make sure to enquire about the maximum number of guests provided in the camps and game-viewing vehicles, and those looking for a child-free experience can book a stay at a lodge for adults only.
Seasonal variations across the African continent should be taken into consideration before making your booking. This will depend on the country or region of your choice and what you’re expecting from the experience.
The African summer months from November to February are hotter and come with seasonal summer rain and lush vegetation, while the dry winter months afford for better game sightings, when the wildlife tends to congregate at the watering holes – but these seasons can also be more expensive.
If your travel dates are more flexible at the time of your planning, examine the options to find a destination that best suits your requirements, and if your dates are already set, make sure to find which destination is more conducive to the experience you’re looking for during that time period.
Kenya has long lived in the collective imagination for many travellers to Africa as the classic safari destination, with its vast pristine savannah mingling with lions, elephants and antelope, its gorgeous sunsets silhouetted with distant camel thorn trees, and its fascinating regional cultural groups.
Epitomized in both the book and movie Out of Africa, Kenya has become synonymous with the quintessential romantic African experience.
The Masai Mara will fulfil almost anybody’s fantasy of a romantic East African getaway, with its untouched savannah landscape, its myriad of herbivores and iconic big cats, and not least of all, the dramatic and breath-taking annual Great Migration.
Best of all, these unforgettable sights can be experienced from top-tier and luxurious lodges and camps that all go the extra mile for their honeymoon couples.
When choosing a location within this epic region, the Masai Mara National Reserve cannot be overstated for its amazing offering. This massive protected wildlife region reaches beyond the Tanzanian border, and what sets the Reserve apart for many travellers is that it is an annual host of the legendary Great Migration.
This epic wildlife event has been recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World, when almost two million wildebeest and 20 000 plains game migrate from Tanzania’s Serengeti to the south of Kenya’s Masai Mara in search of lush grazing grounds and water.
This awe-inspiring spectacle has been dubbed by many as “The Greatest Show on Earth”, where spectators can experience at close range the incredible thundering of thousands of passing hooves, driven by instinct to cross the Mara River and dodge the waiting predators.
As they cross these treacherous waters, Nile crocodiles lie in wait to pounce on the wildebeest and other antelope that cross their domain.
A truly wild African experience, the Great Migration is a bucket-list item for many wildlife enthusiasts, viewed against the startling backdrop of grand savannah landscapes.
To make the most out of your honeymoon safari to the Masai Mara, be sure to make intimacy and exclusivity a priority when selecting a camp or lodge.
The enormous lodges located in the Eastern section of the park host up to 150 beds, so it would be better to select a small camp with less than ten tented rooms for a more romantic experience.
To this end, a stay at one of the many private conservancies that border the Park is a great option for honeymoon couples. These smaller camps provide excellent wildlife viewing and stunning vistas, while the limited amount of beds per acre reduce the number of vehicles per sighting for a more exclusive safari experience.
Another great option is that of mobile tented camps which provide a wonderful sense of romance to your safari, being very small and offering the opportunity of enjoying a true safari camping excursion in the remote wilds, all with stylish furnishings, five-star meals, and modern amenities.
When looking for the perfect luxury tented camp for your honeymoon, the best options will be sure to match romantic and luxurious rooms with breath-taking scenery. These options provide privacy, exclusive plunge pools, open-air bathrooms, and some even feature a marvellous four-poster bed placed under the stars.
For added privacy, you also have the option of booking private game drives to enjoy the wilderness with just your spouse.
The staff at these tented camps typically go the extra mile for their honeymoon guests, offering private champagne breakfasts in the bush, stunning sundowners, couples massages, sunrise hot air balloon rides for just the two of you, and private candlelit dinners on your deck.
Tanzania is considered one of Africa’s wildest and most beautiful honeymoon destinations, home to the iconic Serengeti National Park, and offering an untamed and pristine experience that is nonetheless replete with opulent luxury and enthralling safaris.
Tanzania offers a wide variety of romantic accommodation, boasting intimate lodges nestled amidst rich and varied wildlife, ranging from sumptuous luxury suites to snug, private cottages or the more classic tented safari camps.
Tanzania also makes a fantastic honeymoon destination for the fact that these iconic safari destinations can be coupled with exquisite getaways to the country’s Indian Ocean beach locations, bringing the opportunity to begin your honeymoon with the magic of a sunrise safari and end it with a champagne sunset on pristine tropical beaches.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a wonderful place to kick-start your romantic Tanzanian honeymoon. Located west of Arusha in the Crater Highlands region of the country, Ngorongoro is a protected wildlife area and a World Heritage Site.
The Conservation Area is a marvellous wildlife destination, where visitors can view approximately 30 000 to 40 000 flamingos gathered in elegant swathes across the soda lakes, as well as leopard, cheetah, lion, zebra giraffe and eland.
In the wide grasslands visitors will also have the unique opportunity of spotting endangered black rhino and rare black-maned lions, as well as giant African elephants roaming the regional forests.
Here you can also combine your traditional game viewing safari with a spectacular hot air balloon excursion over the Serengeti to capture a bird’s eye view of the wildlife roaming the plains below.
The Conservation Area also features a superb lodge which perfectly melds ecological and architectural concepts, from where you can spot the Big 5 including black rhino roaming the crater floor.
The Serengeti National Park is a dramatic African destination which combines breath-taking landscapes with enthralling wildlife sightings, making for a superb romantic destination that offers luxury lodges and camps located in remote areas of the wild.
Here you can witness the dramatic Great Migration as immense droves of wildebeest and plains game make their steady journey to the Masai Mara in Kenya, and enjoy close range sightings of lion, leopard, elephant and a great variety of plains game.
When planning your honeymoon safari in the Serengeti, it is important to consider the timing of your trip in order to take full advantage of seasonal wildlife movements, while some of the lodges and camps are only open at specific times of the year.
In booking your lodge or camp you will be spoiled for choice, as virtually every region of the Park boasts excellent upmarket accommodation that makes special effort to cater for romantic safaris. When choosing which one suits your desired experience, each option has its own special offering.
The greatest variety of choices is found in the Central Serengeti, with the largest concentration of accommodation located in the Seronera region of the reserve.
More exclusive options can be found at one of the lodges or camps in the western Serengeti at the Grumeti Game Reserve, but couples who prefer a more remote and intimate getaway should opt for one of the limited camps at the Soit Le Motonyi region in the Park’s far eastern reaches.
Couples who want to enjoy a wild experience with all of the superb modern amenities of a luxury excursion could opt for a permanent lodge, most of which offer spas, swimming pools, and gyms.
Many of these lodges provide tailored honeymoon packages with romantic activities such as couples’ massages, private picnics in the bush, and relaxing sundowners followed by exclusive candlelit dinners either on your private deck or in the bush. Added to this, couples will also have the option to book a private game drive through their lodge for exclusive safaris with just the two of you, your driver and your guide.
On the other hand, those couples who wish to be more immersed in the bush, but also wish to have the traditional wild safari experience can book accommodation at one of the permanent camps.
These canvas rooms feature stunning king-sized beds, beautiful antique furnishings and generous en-suite bathrooms.
However, couples seeking a truly wild experience would most enjoy a stay at one of the Park’s mobile tented camps, where massive herds of wildebeest can be found grazing just metres from your tent.
While the remoteness of these locations mean that you won’t have electricity or running water, these camps are not short on luxury, boasting enormous and ornately decorated tents, outdoor seating, communal lounge and library areas, en-suite bathrooms with hot bucket showers, and exquisite five star meals.
Botswana is one of the most popular safari destinations in Africa for its unique bush landscapes, its myriad of wildlife and its fantastic lodges, and the Okavango Delta, located in the northern region of the country, makes for a superb romantic destination for newlyweds.
The Okavango Delta, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is an expansive inland river delta that is lush with high grasses, floodplains, and almost every type of iconic African animal that safari goers might wish to see, including hippos, elephants, crocodiles, lions, leopards and giraffes, to name but a few.
The Delta provides an unmatched romantic setting, with superb luxury lodges and camps ensconced by dramatic scenery that teems with excellent wildlife sightings.
There is a fantastic selection of accommodation options in the Delta, ranging from luxury safari lodges to traditional tented camps for an immersive and authentic bush experience, while many safari packages allow you to combine these stays with other regions in the country for a truly unforgettable safari itinerary.
At these first-rate lodges, visitors can enjoy magical sunrise and sunset game drives, or choose to go for water-based safaris on a motorized boat or traditional dug-out canoe. From the serene setting of the water, couples can view habituated elephant herds that stroll along the water’s edge or walk alongside the game viewing vehicle.
This wealth of close-range wildlife sightings, set against the backdrop of untouched Southern African natural beauty, makes the Delta one of Africa’s most exclusive safari destinations.
A large number of the Delta’s camps and lodges are located in massive private concessions, and offer a personal and authentic experience of the untouched wilds of Botswana. At many of these concessions there are only one or two camps available, ensuring a wonderful level of privacy during your romantic getaway.
For an extra touch of authentic bush romance, a number of these camps offer the option to add a private sleep-out deck to your itinerary, as well as private game viewing activities, including game drives and bush walks.
The Delta’s wonderful variety of fauna and flora provides for excellent game viewing throughout the year, with a plethora of iconic African predators such as lion, leopard, cheetah hyena and wild dog.
As such, beginning your honeymoon with your new spouse on a luxurious Okavango honeymoon safari will be an unforgettable experience, allowing you to savour the startling beauty of the Botswana bush and witness some of Africa’s most renowned wildlife.
Most safari packages offer authentic and unobtrusive excursions into this remarkable wetland Eden, allowing you to immerse yourself in this unique and pristine ecosystem while enjoying some of the finest luxury Africa has to offer.
Botswana’s Chobe National Park is an exceptional wildlife paradise which is considered one of the best national parks in Southern Africa for its teeming throngs of wildlife and beautiful, lush vegetation.
The Park flourishes with a network of waterways, while the sparkling Chobe River that flows through the Park draws a great variety of animals and birdlife to its banks during the dry season.
Honeymoon couples will be able to select from a wide variety of superb accommodation, whether it be on a high-end cruise or at exclusive tented camps.
Honeymooners making their first visit to Chobe National Park will enjoy the more private options located on the Chobe Riverside. In fact, iconic Hollywood couple Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton chose this location for their own five-week honeymoon decades ago, and the region still maintains this sense of romance and exclusivity today.
The Western side of the River is less busy and allows for fewer vehicles intruding on game viewing sights, while the ultra-luxurious floating boutique hotels on the Chobe River make for a truly enthralling romantic experience. Here couples can drift serenely along the water and enjoy stargazing from the decks while enjoying catered service.
Honeymooners who wish to enjoy a certain level of privacy during this special romantic getaway should take into consideration the size of the camps or lodges before making their booking, as the smaller accommodation offerings will provide for a more intimate bush experience.
Added to this, honeymooners would likely prefer adult-only establishments for a more peaceful excursion, but tented camps that cater to either markets will make sure that your honeymoon tent is located in the most private area.
Those seeking a particularly luxurious and upmarket stay will find superb accommodation at private concessions in Linyanti and Selinda, where private game drives can also be arranged.
The accommodation at these concessions meet the highest standards of fine dining and white glove service, while the romance factor can be taken up a few notches with the booking of a star bed. These open sleep-outs bedecked in fine lined and enshrouded by soft mosquito nets allow couples to spend a night under the starry canvas of the African night sky.
The Savuti camps and lodges in the Chobe National Park offer a particularly raw and wild locale, while the Nogatsaa option has recently introduced a spacious camp that is perfect for couples seeking the magical peace of the bush as well as the opportunity for excellent wildlife viewings in a lesser utilized area of the Park.
A honeymoon safari in Namibia is a unique African experience, offering pristine silence and isolation in an untouched desert wilderness. Here, you and your new spouse will likely be some of the few people for miles, while relaxing in five-star luxury at premium intimate lodges.
These stylish accommodation options often feature rooms on the edge of the iconic red sand dunes or exclusive water holes, with some even being built to nestle in the branches of trees.
As such, watching the saturated Namibian sunset sinking over the great Desert while sipping sundowners from your deck, or enjoying a morning coffee in your bed with antelope grazing only meters away are just some of the exceptionally intimate and romantic experiences that Namibia has to offer its honeymooners.
A good option is to combine your honeymoon safari at both Etosha and Sossuvlei, both unique locales with their own special magic and the opportunity for superb wildlife sightings of Namibia’s unique desert wildlife.
Some of the best honeymoon destinations in Namibia include Sossusvlei and the Etosha National Park, both of which feature romantic luxury lodges as well as exclusive honeymoon cottages for ultimate privacy, with special romantic excursions such as picnics and candlelit dinners.
Nestled in a startling landscape of wavering dunes, dazzling gravel plains and rugged rocky outcrops, Sossusvlei offers supreme tranquillity and one of Africa’s most captivating destinations.
Honeymooners that feel drawn to this locale would enjoy the Sossuvlei Desert Lodge, located in a concession that borders the International Dark Sky Reserve of the NambRand Reserve. Here, you will witness the sparkling canvas of the incredible desert night sky, allowing you and your new spouse to connect with each other and with the pristine wilderness that surrounds you.
Sossusvlei is remarkable for its superb combination of sustainability and ultimate luxury, where honeymooners can opt for incredible suites made of stone and glass located on the edge of the escarpment, and whose unique design allows you to take in the constantly variegating nature of the desert.
Visitors can settle into a romantic stay for two with a private plunge pool, a shaded veranda, a living room with a fireplace for the chilly desert nights, and a wide retractable skylight over the bed that allows you to fall asleep beneath the stars. Added to this, the en suite bathrooms also feature glass showers with astounding desert views.
Sossusvlei also provides for a number of unforgettable excursions that you would be hard-pressed to match elsewhere. Early risers can join a guided walk up the iconic crimson sand dunes, which are some of the tallest dunes in the world, and visit the intriguing Dead Vlei, where the glittering white salt pan is fingered with dark and ancient fossilized trees.
Wildlife enthusiasts can enjoy a game drive for sightings of oryx, springbok and bat eared fox, while more adventurous couples can explore the area on a quad bike. The area also affords for lovely sunset excursions to the nearby Sesriem Canyon to explore the fascinating rock passageways.
A honeymoon safari to Namibia’s Etosha National Park allows you to escape into a region that remains close to the achingly beautiful rhythms of the earth, the warmth of the sun-baked savannah, the thrilling scent of rain on dry earth, and the surrounding vegetation rustling with passing herds of antelope and zebra.
Etosha is the gateway to Northern Namibia and Ovamboland, and is known as Namibia’s leading wildlife destination. This unique and varied landscape is home to a wonderful variety of animals.
At Etosha National Park one is filled with the sense of an ancient world, a supremely relaxing destination that is filled with the dramatic romance of the untouched wilderness, yet combined with upmarket lodges and intimate luxury.
Honeymooning couples in search of luxury and beauty will find all they need on one of the private reserves located outside of Etosha, which are still within easy driving distance from Park’s main gates.
The variety of accommodation options includes upmarket lodges, private villas and tented camps tucked into the beautiful surrounds that teem with wildlife and offer stunning views of these vast natural reaches.
Couples seeking a catered stay can opt for fully-inclusive options with gourmet meals and private game drives, without having to worry about lifting a finger during one of the most romantic vacations of your life.
Visitors can also be flown into their destinations for a dramatic first sighting of Namibia’s immense reach and of the endlessness of its unspoiled terrain.
Couples seeking more privacy and intimacy during their honeymoon should opt for smaller lodges or camps, and be sure to look out for those that feature a floodlit waterhole to observe, hand-in-hand with your partner, the careful creep of a nocturnal leopard at the water’s edge.
A range of other activities can also be arranged for unforgettable experiences together, such as guided walks, hide photography and the incredibly enthralling opportunity to go rhino tracking with a professional tracker.
If your honeymoon is designated for the summer months, it might be desirable to find accommodation with a private plunge pool or an outdoor shower. All of these accommodation options, however, will come with superb and tailored service that pull out all the stops for their honeymooners.
Here you can enjoy some marvellous wild experiences while sipping a sundowner in a beautiful setting, the sun sinking behind the vast Etosha horizon as you watch the crashing pass of an enormous rhino.
Honeymoon couples seeking true romance on their Etosha safari should certainly opt for the smaller and more modern luxury eco-camps, found at Dolomite in the west of the Park or at Onkoshi in the east.
While these options are somewhat more rustic than the larger luxury lodges, they are located in extraordinary settings with sparkling vistas where you can witness the gentle passing of elephant herds as they fade into the dusk, while private game drives can be booked for an exclusive safari outing.
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MoAfrika tours and the Kruger Safari Co. are destination management companies (DMC) and are not entities of the South African National Parks Board (SANparks).