Long-awaited weddings will soon take place and newlyweds will embark on their well-deserved honeymoons. We believe that Africa is the ideal honeymoon destination, offering a unique mix of adventure and romance. And now, just as importantly, safaris offer outdoor and socially distanced fun. To help make your honeymoon safari a success, we’ve compiled our list of top products and experiences you can give each other or add to your wedding registry.
Newlyweds like photos and Africa is a fantastic setting to take a wide range of shots. But smartphone cameras won’t cut it there, so give the gift of photography in the form of a high quality, lightweight digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera like this Nikon D5600 DSLR. Cost: $800.
For a little old school romance, what better than to read one of the classics such as Out of Africa, Karen Blixen’s (Isak Dinesen) tale of struggle and romance in colonial Kenya. Cost: $19.
Packing for Africa can be challenging with many tours including small plane flights with strict weight restrictions for your bags. Your existing hard-sided or large bags will not be allowed. We’ve tried many bags over the years and really like this affordable rolling duffel from Swissgear. Cost: $198.
Just kidding! Instead ask for the gift of travel in the form of contributions from your wedding guests on registries such as Honeyfund or Zola. AAC can also take payments directly from your guests and apply it towards your trip.
There is nothing like silently gliding over the African bush in a hot air balloon. Whether you’re viewing the great migration over the Serengeti Plains, the lush greenness of Botswana’s Okavango Delta or the endless desert vista of Namibia’s NamibRand Nature Reserve, your experience will be unforgettable. Most trips start at sunrise and include a delicious champagne bush breakfast after you land. Cost: $350-$600.
At some of our preferred safari camps and lodges, we can arrange for a private, romantic bush dinner just for the two of you. Enjoy a night of fine dining with the sounds of the bush as your background music. Cost: Free or a small charge, depending on location. Wine and champagne sometimes extra.
Sunsets in many parts of Africa are amazing and there are several options to get out on the water and toast the end of the day together. Enjoy motorboats on the Zambezi River near Victoria Falls, private yachts in Cape Town or wind-powered dhows in Zanzibar, just to name a few. Cost: $50-$500, depending on location.
Many of our preferred tented camps and lodges already rate highly on the romantic scale, but it is possible in some select locations to take it up a notch by booking a treehouse or star-bed sleep out. Here, just you and your new spouse enjoy a private evening under the stars. Cost: Call for pricing.
Photos courtesy of The Sanctuary at Ol Lentille, Nikon, Swissgear, AAC Livingstone Club member Rhea Mae Chavez, Riz Jiwa, Desert and Delta, Seasons of Africa and Lion Sands