HOW TO PLAN A HONEYMOON SAFARI

Coming to Africa is a bucket-list honeymoon option for many newlyweds. It’s easy to see why: romantic accommodation, endless pampering, true tranquillity, impeccable service, beautiful views and complete relaxation come standard on any safari.

But planning a safari honeymoon on top of a wedding can be exhausting as there are so many details to consider like flights, transfers, destinations, seasons, activities… Fortunately, our seasoned consultants (some of whom planned their own bush weddings and safari honeymoons) have excellent advice to share.

Explore the highlights of this post with ease by using the table of contents below to navigate to sections of interest.

Be sure you’re both on the same page about pre-dawn wake-up calls (especially for hot-air ballooning), days out in the bush and nights around the campfire listening to everything from nightjars and owls to raucous toads. There may be hot days, occasional rain, bugs, a kill – are you all in?

Safaris all about proximity to wild animals; at Victoria Falls River Lodge, the decks are raised so elephants can pass easily underneath

This is perhaps one of the biggest factors to consider. If neither of you have ever been, is it a shared dream for both of you? Safaris aren’t for everyone so make sure your expectations of a honeymoon are aligned.

This is a big factor in choosing your accommodation. There are some lodges with hotel-like amenities such as hair dryers, hair salons, fully equipped spas, private dining in your room, televisions, streaming services and so on. If you need air conditioning, underfloor heating and 24/7 strong Wi-Fi, then let us know.

On the other hand, there are also lodges with outside star beds, private pools and even bathtubs under the stars – all of which add to the romance. Treehouses and sleep-outs amp up the feeling of just the two of you snuggled under the Milky Way…

Rustic can be romantic as the gorgeous treehouses in South Africa’s Lion Sands Game Reserve prove

Yes, love is priceless but safaris sadly aren’t! Be upfront about your budget. If we know what your absolute maximum is, we can cleverly use your funds to save in some areas and splurge in others. We can also find lodges that offer discounts for spouses (sometimes 50% off or even free) and exclusive pay-stay deals (eg pay for three nights, stay for four). These are not often available to those outside the travel trade.

You may find you can stay at your dream lodge by going in Green Season, for example, or we can link lodges to trigger a long-stay special. Once you give us a budget, we can handle the rest.

If one of you is an avid birder or wildlife photographer and the other is more interested in art, wine, golf, spa treatments, adrenalin sports or even vintage cars – do not despair! There are places in Africa where you can ‘get it all’.

A classic South Africa safari honeymoon lets you do a Kruger safari with plenty of phenomenal golf courses such as Leopard Creek to play on. Then a short flight takes you to Cape Town and the Winelands for history, culture, art, food, wine, shopping and a huge classic car collection (plus more excellent golf plus links courses). And all in South African rands, which offers very favourable rates against the US dollar, pounds sterling and the euro.

There’s more to Africa than safari… How about SUP on Lake Malawi at Kaya Mawa?

Safaris can surprisingly tiring! Very early mornings run into long days in fresh air, which turn into nights around the fireplace, often with a nightcap or two. To be truly rested before you head home to start your lives as spouses, we often build in a few nights on an island or beach where you can sleep late and soak up the sun before flying back.

Africa’s islands and beaches are beautiful and charming with everything from private spots in the Seychelles (which Kate Middleton and Prince William choose for their honeymoon) to lavish all-inclusive resorts. The Indian Ocean offers warm water and excellent scuba diving as well as seasonal turtle hatching and whale watching. What could be more soothing that sailing a dhow at sunset with husband or wife?

Many couples do not depart straight from their weddings to the airport for a long-haul flight and there is no harm in waiting a few months if that gets you the best time of year to be on safari or if it means you can access lower rates.

Here is a very general outline of seasons in sub-Saharan Africa:

November to April: summer rainy low season

May to October: winter dry high season

Cape Town and the surrounding Winelands are the opposite – the hot, dry summer runs from November to April and the cold, wet winter runs from May to September.

There are also annual events that have their own seasons such as whale watching, the Great Wildebeest Migration, spring wildflowers, gorilla trekking, the bat migration, migrant birds and so forth.

African hospitality and service is unbeatable, and lodges like Mnemba Island off Zanzibar love to surprise and delight honeymooners

The same as a wedding: it can be as extravagant or simple as you like. Factor in non-negotiable costs like long-haul flights and visas first, and then let us work with the rest of your budget. Generally speaking, the more moving parts your trip has, the more expensive it will be.

Budget favourites include:

• Fly to Cape Town and self-drive the Winelands
• Fly to Cape Town and self-drive the Garden Route
• An Eastern Cape safari in South Africa
• A Kruger safari
• Victoria Falls
• Pilanesberg, Madikwe or Welgevonden (a bonus is that our specialist transfer division can drive you there and back to Johannesburg)
• Mauritius
• Zanzibar

If you want to splurge:

• Gorilla trekking in Congo (Rwanda and Uganda are more accessible; Congo is more remote)
• Fregate Island in the Seychelles
• Madagascar for lemurs
• Chimp trekking in Mahale Mountains or Rubondo Island
• A trans-Africa trip on Rovos Rail, a luxurious train with bottomless champagne
• Opt for helicopter transfers between lodges

Every safari destination has high-end and more cost-effective options. Because we travel so much, we match your preferences as much as possible with your budget. And, remember, you don’t have to do and see it all on your honeymoon – we also create babymoon and anniversary safaris!

Wake up with the East African sunrise at the Loisaba Star Beds in Kenya

• Do you mind children or do you prefer an adults-only environment?
• If you are travelling with your children, how old are they? Some activities have age restrictions or you may have to hire a private game-drive vehicle.
• What activities do you each enjoy? Birding, diving, photography, fine dining, sketching, reading, working out, wine tasting, hiking, trekking, boating, horse riding – Africa offers lot.
• What facilities must you have? If you are travelling with a medical condition that requires specialist equipment, for example, please let us know.
• What facilities can you do without? For example, many couples never use their private pools as they are generally unheated and can be cold in high season. Many also request a gym but get plenty of exercise elsewhere.
• Do you have dietary requirements?
• Do you have any religious requirements?
• What level of luxury do you want? Africa offers everything from heated toilets to open-air bush bathrooms; vehicles with cooled seats and fridges to back-to-basics walking safaris – the variety is endless and there is something for everyone.
• Can you travel out of season? The mid-year high season is the most expensive and in-demand as it coincides with the northern hemisphere summer vacation.
• Do you want to be on-the-go all the time or do you want plenty of downtime?
• How important is eating out and shopping?

Africa is full of beautiful and unusual accommodation like the Baobab Sleepout at Xigera in Botswana