Safari and Beach: the Ultimate African Getaway

A trip to Africa is often a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and you may find yourself torn between an adrenalin-pumping safari or a relaxing beach holiday. Well, thanks to an improvement in regional flights between destinations, you no longer have to make that choice.

Look no further than South Africa's Kruger National Park and the beaches of neighbouring Mozambique for that ultimate holiday experience: a safari and beach combination. And with accommodation ranging from luxurious, secluded honeymoon lodges to activity-filled family-friendly resorts, this winning combination suits every travel style.

Big Game Viewing in the Kruger National Park

The world-famous Kruger National Park provides a truly wild African experience for international visitors. It's Big 5 country, and when it comes to thrills, very little can beat the pure, primal exhilaration experienced while viewing wild, dangerous animals at close range in their natural habitat.

But game viewing can be a hit-and-miss affair: if it's consistently rewarding Big 5 game viewing you're after, head to the Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve on the Kruger Park's south-west border. This reserve is made up of individual private concessions that share the habitat and wildlife of the Kruger Park and offer what is often considered the best game viewing in Africa as well as activities not permitted in the main park such as night drives, off-roading and guided bush walks.

Bring your camera: there is very little wildlife that can't be found within the Sabi Sands. All the big predators are present as are elephants, buffalo and numerous antelope species. Tangled woodlands are filled with birds, rivers teem with hippos and crocodiles and the night sky, lit up by the Milky Way, is something to behold.

And then there is the accommodation: regardless of whether you're looking for a family-friendly camp or an exclusive honeymoon retreat, the Kruger Park delivers.

For families, there are several child-friendly options available. These lodges, such as the Simbavati River Lodge, provide a range of professionally-led activities to keep children entertained and the daily game drives will create a memorable and educational experience.

For couples, the untamed beauty of the Kruger provides the ideal backdrop for a wildly romantic getaway, no more so than in the Sabi Sands private reserves where such destinations as the exclusive Exeter River Lodge blend sensational game-viewing with outstanding luxury.

Combining your African safari and beach getaway

Your safari trip will undoubtedly be one of the most exciting experiences of your life. But after crack-of-dawn game drives and long hot days packed with wildlife viewing, unwinding on a tropical beach has to be the perfect way to end off. Luckily Mozambique, with its extensive and largely undeveloped coastline, shares a border with the Kruger National Park and with direct flights from the Kruger to Vilanculos on Mozambique's coast, combining your safari with a relaxing beach holiday is far easier than you may have thought.

Family fun in Vilanculos

Easy-to-get-to Vilanculos provides all the requirements for a quintessential family beach holiday: excellent lodges at affordable prices, superb restaurants and an array of water sport and land-based activities - it's also the best place from which to access the nearby Bazaruto Archipelago.

Not that you need to leave the mainland: with its warm, clear waters and palm-fringed beaches that stretch for miles, you could find yourself happily passing your days in Vilanculos soaking up the sun, lolling in the ocean and feasting on fresh seafood. For those who want a little more action though there is no lack of activities to keep you and your family entertained. Try quad biking and sand-boarding or, for a unique experience, take a horse-back safari along the captivating Vilanculos coastline. Alternatively, you can go deep-sea fishing or take a cruise on a traditional dhow to the islands of the Bazaruto Archipelago.

There are valuable lessons in nature conservation to be learnt from the eco-conscious Mozambicans but it's a social place too: introduce your family to new cultures by chatting with the friendly locals, visiting the markets or perusing the arts and crafts on show at the town's cultural centre. To refuel, try out one of the local eateries and sample the famous Mozambican prawns and chilled local beers.

Benguerra Island - the classic romantic retreat

Offshore from Vilanculos are the four tropical islands of the Bazaruto Archipelago. With their pristine sandy beaches, the largely uninhabited Bazaruto Archipelago islands embody the archetypal island getaway.

Benguerra is the second biggest island and boasts classic palm-fringed beaches and an abundance of natural beauty. Soak up the sunshine on an exquisite secluded beach or discover the island's freshwater lakes and wealth of birdlife.

Benguerra's main attractions however are found below the water. Throw on your snorkelling or scuba gear and marvel at the marine life of the surrounding coral reefs where brightly coloured fish mingle with manta rays, turtles and bottlenose dolphins.

The seductive scenery and opulent private lodges of Benguerra Island make this a superb destination for couples seeking a romantic 'desert island' getaway. There's no sign of the endless shops and bustling beachfront strips of typical beach destinations but if it's long stretches of soft sand unblemished by a single footprint, or unobstructed views of clear azure water that you're after, then Benguerra is your ideal destination.

Toast the setting sun with a bottle of champagne from the deck of a dhow sailboat; afterwards indulge in freshly-caught seafood served on the beach or in the privacy of your room and fall asleep to the sighing of the ocean.

Article © Copyright 2012 Go2Africa.

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