Honeymoon Ideas - South African Safari.

When couples are planning to get married and start thinking about their honeymoon there are usually many ideas and destinations that pop up that would make an amazing experience and of course a great first holiday as a married couple. One of these experiences could be a South African Safari! Today my blog post is all about a Safari lodge that I stayed a while back and how you can make this experience and one amazing Honeymoon!!

There are hundreds of different Safari lodges you can choose to stay in across the African continent, from huge national parks with guides to self-drive tours there are lots of different ways to have your Safari experience. We were recommended to stay at Rhino Ridge in the Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park – which is one of the oldest game reserves in South Africa and we had the best time there!

If like me you weren’t quite sure how Safari lodges work keep reading….

Most Safari lodges do two game drives a day (a morning and an evening) depending on the time of the year will depend on the time of the drives but I think our morning drives were 5am and the evening were 4pm. This basically meant you went out to the reserve just before the sun rose and set so that you would get the best chance to see as many animals as possible! On each drive at Rhino Ridge we also had a short break where we would have Sunrisers or Sundowners – consisting of snacks and coffee/cocktails depending on the drive. These breaks were usually taken in a picturesque location over looking the reserve which just took my breath away. On one of our sundowners trips we watched a heard of elephant walk into the sunset….AMAZING! The drives would usually be around 3-4 hours and you would be out looking for all sorts of animals and wildlife and it becomes a game to see who can spot something first! The time went so quickly I always wanted to stay out longer! Depending on the lodge you would go out on these drives in a 4x4 truck type vehicle. We had a 3 levelled 4x4 which allowed you to see higher up that you normally would and spot animals from further away.

Once you return from your drive you would then have a full breakfast/dinner prepared by the on site chef. The food we had here was incredible! We were so well looked after and the dishes were some of the best I have ever had and the staff are so friendly and can’t do enough for you. Following your morning drive you would then have the rest of the day to spend at your leisure before your next drive. Rhino Ridge was a relatively small reserve with approx. 10 huts so when you were back from your drives you could grab a drink in the clubhouse and sit out on the terrace overlooking the reserve, head to the spa and have one of their many incredible treatment, relax by the infinity pool or go out with a ranger to look for more animals on a bush walk. This was the time where you could just relax and enjoy the beautiful surroundings you were in.

Rhino Ridge has a beautiful on site Honeymoon villa perfect for any couple. The villa has sweeping views of the reserve and bush as well as a private plunge pool and complete seclusion and privacy. They also offer packages with their sister hotels where you can follow on your Safari experience with a few days at the beach hotel. Rhino Ridge also has the facilities to host a romantic intimate wedding celebration, so you can have your wedding and honeymoon in one!

We were at Rhino Ridge for 5 days and the only animals we didn’t see or where not up close with was any Lions and that was purely down to the time of the year we were there. This was a once in a lifetime experience that I certainly will treasure forever and I cant recommend it enough! If you have always thought about a Safari I highly recommend it, and when better than your Honeymoon!

All photos are my own.