Planning your African Honeymoon | Africa Travel Newsletter

5 Steps to Planning your Perfect Honeymoon

by Emma Gass, 23 June 2008

When planning a honeymoon in Africa your choices are so vast and diverse that it can be extremely helpful to ask yourselves five simple questions. These questions can lead you to exotic destinations and unforgettable memories.

When Are You Going on Your African Honeymoon?

In a sensible world couples would first ask each other, "Where do we want to have our honeymoon and what time of year is best for visiting?" instead of the traditional, "What date should we set for our wedding?"

When people go on honeymoon is most often dictated by the wedding date, leaving their choices for honeymoon destinations slightly limited. Goosebumps are not a sexy accessory for a beach honeymoon and torrential rain is never pleasant on a walking safari.

Being such a large continent, Africa offers an array of exotic honeymoon options at any time of year. Many honeymoon destinations in Africa are fabulous and romantic all year-round; others offer something for one couple at one time of year, and something completely different at another.

For example sun-worshipping newlyweds in search of glitzy evening cocktails on the beach should visit Cape Town at the height of the southern hemisphere summer (December - March), however, if a couple wants to visit the Cape's Whale Coast at the peak of whale season it would be better to postpone the honeymoon until August or September.

Ever popular is the African safari honeymoon, exuding exotic romance that includes dusty red sunsets, moonlit bubble baths and of course, Africa's unsurpassable wildlife. Taking your beloved to the greatest show on earth, the great migration of East Africa, is an unforgettable spectacle.

The good news is that it's not so much WHEN the migration occurs but WHERE - the animals are constantly moving in accordance with the seasons, so it's best to check where the migration may be at certain times of the year. You may, however, want to avoid Kenya and Tanzania's monsoon season between March and May.

Generally speaking, the southern hemisphere winter months (June - August) are the best for game viewing, whether you're heading to Kruger in South Africa or Chobe on the border of Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The bush is thinner at this time, making the game easier to spot, especially as they tend to congregate near scarce water at this time.

Lying on the tropical beaches of Mauritius sipping coconut cocktails in between waterskiing is a very popular honeymoon choice, as is snorkelling among the Mozambican islands of the Bazaruto Archipelago.

However, both are best avoided in February and March when cyclones visit; better to head for the Seychelles during these months for your perfect African island honeymoon - just ask about the pesky seaweed that clogs the sea at inconsistent times of the year.

What is your Dream Honeymoon?

Seeing as you only get one honeymoon (with each spouse anyway) it's prudent to consider exactly what you imagine to be the perfect honeymoon.

Many people conjure up images of tropical islands or umbrella-fringed beaches. Many places in Africa satisfy all desires for an African beach or island honeymoon, from the beach playground of Mauritius or undiscovered coves of the Seychelles, to the rich cultural heritage of Ibo Island of the Quirimbas Archipelago off the Mozambique Coast.

Alternatively, you may be thinking of a truly African experience: the romantic safari. Here your choices are as diverse as the landscapes of this vast continent. Choose between the savannas of Kenya, game viewing by canoe in the Okavango Delta, the luxury lodges of Kruger National Park or chimp trekking in Tanzania's Mahale Mountains.

In this hypothetical honeymoon are you and your beloved the only two people in the world? Is it a secluded honeymoon spot where everything revolves around your devotion to each other?

Starlit dinners for two under a vast desert sky in the Namib Desert will never suit you if you're looking for the finest restaurants and glamorous nightlife or culturally fascinating marketplaces. For that you need to think about a Cape Town honeymoon or honeymoon in Zanzibar respectively.

How to Avoid your First Fight

Of course, your idea of the perfect honeymoon and that of your life partner may be completely different.

Why kick off the marriage with a disagreement over your honeymoon? With modern travel (and quick-thinking travel specialists) it's now possible to combine tracking elephants on safari with a sun-drenched Mozambique beach holiday.

Your spouse can release pent up energy bungee jumping and white river rafting at the mighty Victoria Falls before a few nights at a luxuriously romantic safari lodge in Botswana.

How to Budget for your African Honeymoon

Budgeting for your honeymoon shouldn't just be about how much you want to spend but possibly more importantly, how you would like to spend it: the ultimate pampering of The Banyan Tree in the Seychelles or the eco-friendly Thonga Beach Lodge on the wild and unspoilt KwaZulu Natal Coast?

Would you like to safari with all the trimmings at Singita Lebombo Lodge in South Africa's Kruger National Park or does your romantic safari honeymoon involve colonial-style tented camps like Sala's Camp in the Masai Mara?

Remember that many wonderful honeymoon destinations offer accommodation where everything you need is included. Many Mauritius hotels are excellent at this, as are nearly all safari lodges. Leave your wallet at home and enjoy gourmet meals, drinks and even activities included in the price of your stay.

Oh, and don't forget to tell everyone it's your honeymoon, they might just throw in a few romantic extras.

Who will organise everything for you?

After organising the perfect wedding the last thing you want to deal with is connecting flights and hotel availability. Instead, hand over all the details to an African honeymoon travel specialist from Go2Africa.com.

They'll ensure you go in the right season, suggest some honeymoon ideas that may even surpass your traditional dream honeymoon and they know all the secrets to getting the most out of your honeymoon budget.