south africa honeymoon safari

Itinerary

Day 1 – Cape Town: Upon arrival in Cape Town, you will be transferred to your hotel. Enjoy the remainder of your first day of your South Africa honeymoon relaxing. Overnight at The Silo Hotel (luxury), Kensington Place (deluxe) or Cloud 9 (value).

Luxury – The Silo Hotel is an exclusive five-star hotel towering above the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. It has been built above Zeitz MOCAA (Museum of Contemporary Art Africa), which houses Africa’s largest collection of contemporary African art. The exterior of the building was designed by Thomas Heatherwick, Founder and Principal of the London-based Heatherwick Studio. Each of The Silo Hotel’s 28 rooms have been individually designed and decorated by Liz Biden, owner and founder of The Royal Portfolio. Colorful and eclectic pieces juxtapose the modern, industrial architecture. The views offered by the glittering pillowed-glass windows are some of the best in the world.

Deluxe – Kensington Place is a contemporary private hotel which combines cutting-edge design with a tranquil but prime location off trendy Kloof Street, below Table Mountain. Eight bespoke en-suite guest rooms have extra length king size beds and private outdoor terraces. This is a private home styled with immaculate taste, the finest linens used on the beds, the thickest towels used in the bathrooms and flat-screen TVs, iPod docking stations and personal laptops with complementary Wi-fi access are just a few of the modern accessories. 

Value – Cloud 9 Boutique Hotel is nestled at the foot of Table Mountain and integrates five Edwardian Heritage properties into a beautiful 55-room boutique hotel, spa and restaurant. All rooms are decorated with locally sourced art, Charlotte Rhys amenities, Internet, air conditioning, safes, Nespresso machine, mini bar fridge and an Ultra HD TV with Netflix.

Day 2 – Cape Town/City & Table Mountain Tour: After breakfast, enjoy a private half-day City & Table Mountain Tour. Your tour of the “mother city” will take in the Houses of Parliament, the Castle (built between 1666 and 1679, this is South Africa’s oldest building), the lively Greenmarket Square with its daily market, the Company Gardens, and of course Table Mountain, which will give you spectacular views over the city and the peninsula (Note: cable car ride is weather dependent and usually closed for maintenance from end July to mid-August). Return to your hotel for the remainder of your day at leisure. Overnight at your selected accommodation.

Day 3 – Cape Town/Walk To Freedom Tour: After breakfast, enjoy a private full-day Walk to Freedom Tour. This tour delves deep into South Africa’s political past and opens up doors to communities not always encountered in the city itself. Start in the colorful Bo-Kaap, home to the Malay community, before crossing over to District Six, once a vibrant colorful neighborhood before the Group Areas Act of Apartheid turned it into a desolated wasteland. From here, visit one of the townships, then head to the Waterfront for your ferry ride and tour of Robben Island. Finally, return to your hotel for the remainder of your day at leisure. Overnight at your selected accommodation.

Day 4 – Cape Point & Peninsula Tour/Winelands: This tour of the Cape Peninsula starts with the beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay, before crossing over to Hout Bay, where you may choose to join an optional boat cruise to Seal Island. Continue to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve via Chapman’s Peak, one of the world’s most breathtaking coastal drives, where a funicular takes you to the top of the peninsula to witness the symbolic meeting of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans and enjoy spectacular views over False Bay. Stop for lunch in the area (on your own account), before continuing to the naval base of Simonstown, followed by a visit to the African Penguin breeding colony at Boulders Beach. On the return trip, enjoy a stop at the world-renowned Kirstenbosch Gardens before continuing to your hotel located in Franschhoek. Enjoy your evening at leisure and overnight at La Residence (luxury), Leeu House (deluxe) or Franschhoek Country House (value).

Luxury – La Residence is situated in the Franschhoek Valley on a 30-acre estate filled with vines, fruit trees, flowers and herbs. It is a romantic and indulgent paradise whose magnificent interior is filled with rich fabrics, wonderful artwork and antique furniture. Eleven individually-decorated suites enjoy vibrant color schemes and spectacular views. Palatial en-suite bathrooms ooze glamour.

Deluxe – Leeu House is a private five-star destination with 12-rooms and a suite, in the scenic Franschhoek Valley. An oasis of comfort and luxury exclusively offered to adults of 18 and above. Leeu House’s appeal is its country guesthouse feel on the main street of vibrant Franschhoek village, within easy strolling distance of award-winning restaurants, art galleries, boutiques and many other attractions.

Value – Franschhoek Country House offers fourteen well-equipped rooms including six standard rooms, five luxury rooms and two cottages. In 2003, the twelve opulent Villa Suites were added. Each suite is 100-sq meters in size, with a spacious lounge, a large balcony, a separate bedroom, dining area, fireplace, entertainment center and underfloor heating, in an extravagant French Provencal style.

Day 5 – Winelands, Chocolate, Cheese & Olives Tour: This tailor-made tour by your resident wine expert is designed for our South African honeymoon couples who would like to experience and taste some of the other delectable delights that are also offered in the Winelands area, in addition to the local wines. Your day can include Paarl, with its imposing Afrikaans Language Monument, and the Franschhoek Valley, including exceptional estates such as Haute Cabrière, Môreson, La Motte and Grande Provence. You will delight in cheese, chocolate, olive, and olive oil tastings and enjoy a lunch at one of the top restaurants or estates (lunch on own account but wine tastings included). Return to your hotel late this afternoon and enjoy the remainder of your day at leisure. Overnight at your selected accommodation.

Day 6 – Durban: After breakfast, transfer to Cape Town International Airport for your flight to Durban. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel and enjoy the remainder of your day at leisure. Overnight at The Oyster Box (luxury), Teremok Lodge & Spa (deluxe) or Beverly Hills Hotel (value).

Luxury – The Oyster Box is a five-star luxury hotel located on the seafront in Umhlanga, approximately 11 miles north of Durban. This distinguished hotel has 85 sea or garden facing rooms and suites. All are individually decorated and exceptionally comfortable. With superb attention to detail, room features include fresh flowers and fruit, air-conditioning and ceiling fans, a selection of magazines and books, complimentary mineral water, tea and coffee station, satellite TV with movies on-demand, bathrobes and slippers, soap and pillow menu, heated towel rails and beach gear.

Deluxe – Teremok Lodge & Spa is less than one mile from the ever-popular Umhlanga Rocks village. The serene, home-away-from-home lodge offers eight suites that are unique in design, layout and feel with small subtleties such as individual scent, mood-music and evening confectionary, creating an enchanting atmosphere. Teremok also has a gym and spa facility offering a wide range of treatments.

Value – Beverly Hills Hotel is an award-winning hotel on the uMhlanga Rocks beachfront and offers guests uninterrupted ocean views from every room, boutique spa treatments, culinary excellence and access to their iconic outdoor pool. Positioned between uMhlanga’s famous pier and lighthouse, the accommodation at the Beverly Hills makes the most of the Indian Ocean vistas with private balconies in each of the 89 rooms. Classically elegant interiors are complemented by modern luxury amenities like unlimited WiFi, Nespresso machines, pillow choices and flat screen TVs. 

Day 7 – Durban: Enjoy your day at leisure exploring the coastal city of Durban. Tours can be arranged in advance or directly on-site (at an additional cost). Overnight at your selected accommodation.

Day 8 – Phinda Private Game Reserve/mFulaWozi Wilderness Reserve/Hluhluwe iMfolozi Game Reserve: After breakfast, transfer to your selected safari accommodation, arriving in time for lunch. Enjoy an afternoon shared safari activity. Dinner and overnight at Phinda Rock Lodge (luxury), mFulaWozi Biyela Lodge (deluxe) or Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge (value).

Luxury – Phinda Rock Lodge is one of six luxury lodges within the Phinda Private Game Reserve in the Maputaland region of northern KwaZulu Natal. Its six suites are seemingly suspended over the deep valley below, providing breathtaking views. Each romantic suite, constructed from contoured stone and adobe, boasts solid wooden shutters and doors, opening onto a private plunge pool and viewing deck. Complete with spacious en suite bathrooms, these sublime suites also feature outdoor showers, providing some of the most scenic al fresco bathing on the African continent. The Lodge’s comfortable sitting areas are the perfect vantage point for viewing the abundant wildlife roaming the bushveld below. 

Deluxe – mFulaWozi Biyela Lodge is built into the hillside of untouched mFulaWozi wilderness, perfectly positioned to maximize the sweeping views of the imposing flood plains of the White iMfolozi River below. The lodge consists of 12 standalone luxury suites. Each suite takes in the richness and abundance of the surrounding landscape. Opening onto a private enclosed deck, they provide unmatched views of the wildlife that transverse daily down to the river. 

Value – Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge is the only private lodge located in the Hluhluwe iMfolozi Game Reserve, a triumph of conservation efforts. Eighteen well appointed, air-conditioned rooms nestle on a ridge, each with their own private deck giving expansive and uninterrupted views of the reserve. The lodge, built in 2015, is designed in a contemporary style with overtones of organic forms utilizing natural finishes and materials. 

Days 9, 10, & 11 – Phinda Private Game Reserve/mFulaWozi Wilderness Reserve/Hluhluwe iMfolozi Game Reserve: Enjoy three full days of shared safari activities. Activities include twice-daily game drives in the early morning and afternoon; nature walks; cultural visits; spa treatments; pangolin, elephant and rhino conservation experiences; a beach adventure; Indian Ocean scuba safari; black rhino tracking on foot; turtle nesting adventure; and ocean safari (varies based on accommodation and some at an additional cost). Meals and overnights at your selected accommodation.

Day 12 – Jo’burg/Depart: Enjoy your final safari activity or spend the morning at leisure. This afternoon, transfer to the local airstrip for your flight to Johannesburg. Connect to your onward flight.

Optional Pre-safari Luxury Train Journey on Rovos Rail: Spend 4 days and 3 nights on Rovos Rail, traveling from Pretoria to Cape Town. Rovos Rail is a luxury train with accommodation carriages, dining cars, a lounge car, small gift shop, smoking lounge and observation car with open-air balcony. The train also has three types of suites available, with all including en suite bathrooms, air conditioning and other amenities. Each day en-route to Cape Town includes planned stops. Along the way you will visit Kimberley’s Diamond Mine Museum, the Big Hole and the historic village of Matjiesfontein, as well as enjoy scenic views along the way. Dinner on board each night is a formal affair, with formal attire, fine china and crisp linens.

Interested in this trip? Give us a call or drop us an email.