You spend months working hard planning your special day, saving all of your hard earned pennies. We have seen some interesting trends in wedding world and more couples are now having smaller, more intimate weddings and investing more of that money in their honeymoon.
Where to go on your honeymoon:
You need to unwind and relax after what seems like an endless task of deciding a theme, colours, cakes and more. Most couples we have spoken to insist that their honeymoon has some essential ingredients. They want peace, calm and a place to relax. The problem is, after months of hard work they find themselves in a quandary, exhausted from planning but still high on that wedding buzz. You can take off to the Caribbean for a couple of weeks just to kick back, but after a few days of laying on a beach you may be looking for a bit more excitement. We have the perfect solution! Have a honeymoon that is both exciting and relaxing! What better way to come off that wedding merry-go-round than to jet off to a game reserve in Africa, followed by a few days on a picturesque luxurious resort.
I have been looking at some of the best trips around to satisfy the explorer in all of us, from national parks to white sands, giraffes to hyenas. Whatever gives you that perfect couple of weeks away to find yourselves again as you embark on a lifetime together.
How about a visit to the Kruger National Park in South Africa followed by a week lapping up the waves in Mauritius or the Seychelles? If big game is on your list of things to see, take a trip to Kenya where you will find cheetahs, hippos and crocodiles.
Take a visit to Madagascar which is the world’s 4th largest island and enjoy the vast lemur population at the Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, then off to the beach and enjoy the dolphins.
Whether you set your heart on Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique as a starting point you will be excited and enthralled by the stunning scenery and wildlife. Then move to the beach and completely relax and unwind in your own tropical paradise.
When is the best time to go:
If you are planning on a trip to Africa, remember to check the weather! Some couples actually plan their wedding around their honeymoon. For North Africa the weather is coolest Nov-Mar. Central Africa the dry season is Jun-Sep. East Africa has two main dry seasons Dec-Feb and Jun-Sep. Southern Africa it is Nov-Mar but it can occasionally rain until Dec. Also check what inoculations are required and make sure you book this well in advance.
What the other couples say:
I asked a few couples where they honeymooned and what made it so special. It seems that a huge majority did take a beach and safari honeymoon, with Kenya being one of the favourites. What made it special I asked? My favourite response was:
'After all the excitement of the wedding, we were even more excited to get away on our honeymoon. The problem is we didn’t realise how much strain planning the wedding had put on us. To be able to get away and spend a few days on a safari gave us the winding down time we needed. Then to hit the beach for a week; just pure heaven. By the time we came back, we were refreshed and ready for a normal life again. If we had just gone to a beach for two weeks we would have gone stir-crazy. The buzz of the wedding was just so big, we didn’t realise how much it had consumed us. Being able to go somewhere where we were still busy, but at our pace was a God send. Seeing amazing wildlife up close is something we will never forget, then time to ourselves to do what we wanted, but to be honest the beach was the perfect haven for us after all this excitement. We would recommend this type of honeymoon to anyone; you get the best of both worlds. We can’t wait to go back for our 10th anniversary!’
So from the words of one of our couples, this is the perfect end to a perfect wedding and the perfect start to your married life together.
Book with a travel specialist, they have deep knowledge of a variety of destinations and they have significant first-hand experience to help you better tailor your trip. Speak to Africa Travel experts, call 020 7843 3500 to book your perfect honeymoon in Africa.
Guest Blog: by Tina Reading
