Africa Honeymoon planning with the experts

Africa is an outstanding honeymoon destination. There is nowhere else in the world where you can experience such phenomenal wildlife in beautiful untouched wilderness, just a short hop away from a glorious Indian Ocean beach, the bright lights of Cape Town or the wonder of the mighty Victoria Falls. The combination of unique experiences in Africa is endless, and the personal touch unique to your perfect African safari lodge is a perfect antidote to all the stress of a wedding, and an unforgettable shared experience to kick off married life in style.

Africa Honeymoon planning with the experts
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The best honeymoon safari countries in Africa

Kenya Honeymoon Safaris
Kenya Honeymoon Safaris
Zambia Honeymoon
Zambia Honeymoon
Tanzania Honeymoons
Tanzania Honeymoons
Botswana Honeymoon Safaris
Botswana Honeymoon Safaris
Zimbabwe Honeymoon
Zimbabwe Honeymoon
Uganda
Uganda
Rwanda
Rwanda
Namibia Safari Holidays
Namibia Safari Holidays
South Africa Honeymoon
South Africa Honeymoon

Where to go? East Africa honeymoon vs Southern Africa honeymoon


Africa is a vast continent with a huge variety of options to consider for your honeymoon. In the first instance, there is a broad distinction between East and Southern Africa.

East Africa includes Uganda and Rwanda (both of which offer gorilla trekking) and also Kenya and Tanzania. Kenya and Tanzania are home to the phenomenal Great Migration, and each has their own Indian Ocean coastline and islands, notably Zanzibar. There are also some fabulous beaches in neighbouring Mozambique which are worth considering. It is very easy to combine a fantastic East African safari adventure followed by some chillout time relaxing on a beach – we even do a few beach-safari-beach itineraries where time and budget permit. 

Southern Africa includes Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Namibia, all of which have excellent safari options and beautiful African landscapes. These destinations combine well with Victoria Falls and/or Cape Town. It is also possible to add on beach extensions to Mozambique, Mauritius, Madagascar, although logistically this is slightly trickier than East Africa, and can be expensive.

Some honeymooners are keen on the idea of the Seychelles. It is possible to add on a beach extension here following an African safari, and the Seychelles are absolutely beautiful, however you need to have very deep pockets and plenty of time available as rates are astronomical and travel logistics are time-consuming!

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The best East Africa safari honeymoons

Uganda
Uganda
Rwanda
Rwanda
Tanzania Safari
Tanzania Safari
Kenya Safari Tours and Packages
Kenya Safari Tours and Packages

The best adventure honeymoons in East Africa


Climb Kilimanjaro: For the truly venturesome duos out there, it’s got to be Kilimanjaro. Probably the most unique African honeymoon out there, this will prove to be an extremely memorable start to married life. Many people like to combine this adventure with a bit of safari, and almost always beach time.

Gorilla Trekking in Uganda: Most people think of Rwanda when considering a gorilla trekking honeymoon, but it is has in recent years taken a high quality low volume approach to tourism making is uber luxurious and expensive as a result. Uganda on the other hand provides real adventure, at half the price and is a destination with so much on offer; hiking, canoeing, safari as well as gorilla treks.

The best luxury East African safari destinations



The Serengeti, Tanzania – The mother of all safari parks, home to the greatest natural event on the planet; the Great Wildebeest Migration and with some of the world’s best lodges and private reserves; a Serengeti safari offers unrivalled wilderness luxury if you know where to look.

Rwanda is Uganda’s luxurious older sibling – since it opened its arms to tourism Rwanda’s gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park has established itself as one of the most exclusive and luxurious experiences on the continent. With luxury lodges and amazing primate viewing, it offers one of the most memorable honeymoon experiences in the world.

If you are looking for luxury on your honeymoon for less, then there is nowhere better than Southern Tanzania, namely The Selous and Ruaha. These parks offer amazing luxury for the money you pay; what is $1,400 per person per night in the Serengeti, is $700 per person per night in the southern parks… Also, they are very close to the beach so you save money and precious time on long internal flights. They also happen to be totally off the beaten track and two of the most wildly romantic parks on the continent….

The best Southern Africa safari honeymoons

Zambia Honeymoon
Zambia Honeymoon
Zimbabwe Honeymoon
Zimbabwe Honeymoon
Botswana Honeymoon Safaris
Botswana Honeymoon Safaris
South Africa Honeymoon
South Africa Honeymoon
Namibia Safari Holidays
Namibia Safari Holidays

The best adventure honeymoons in Southern Africa



A walking safari in the South Luangwa Valley, Zambia: The mother of walking safaris, when exploring the African bush on foot there is nowhere better than the raw Zambian wilderness. Here, you can enjoy walking between different lodges; this is a real adventure perfect for honeymooners who like to do things a little differently!

A riding safari in the Okavango Delta is a phenomenal honeymoon option. It is actually a very inexpensive way of seeing the Delta, which is surprising given you can ride horses every day. This experience can be as intrepid as you like with a variety of experiences on offer from 7 nights fly camping, to permant lodges only or even a mixture of the two. 

Tearing around the Victoria Falls on a kayak, or maybe taking a dive on a bungee jump, followed by dinner on the beautiful pink sunset of the Zambezi river… It would be a mistake to miss out Victoria Falls on a Southern Africa honeymoon. 

The best luxury African safari destinations in Southern Africa


The Okavango Delta, Botswana – Where else in Africa, and in the world, do you get such a huge amount of unbelievable wildlife in such a magical setting… Nowhere! It has to be the Okavango Delta for honeymooners who love the luxury life.

Sabi Sands – Completely private but with the infamous Kruger’s magnificent amount of wildlife, Sabi Sands has got to be the most unique luxury honeymoon setting in the world.

Add on to any safari the glittering lights of Cape Town and you have yourself an enviable honeymoon comprised of the worlds best wildlife, food, wine and scenery. 

The Skeleton Coast, Namibia – The eerie stretch of Namibia’s coastline offers a completely bewitching safari experience. A safari in Namibia is not about huge amounts of wildlife, but  unique wilderness and even more peculiar desert adapted animals. The lodges are as luxurious as the landscape is dramatic. 

The Indian Ocean

Islands in Africa for a honeymoon


Across Africa’s slice of Indian Ocean there are numerous glorious beach spots, perfect for a honeymoon. The bug bear though is that not all of them are easy to combine with safari, which is why most honeymooners (and travellers full stop!) venture to Africa. 

East Africa safari and beach honeymoon


Zanzibar: A fabulous island off the coast of Tanzania, Zanzibar has an array of amazing value romantic and botiquey hotels to choose from. Whether you are into relaxing on the beach, or tearing around the Indian Ocean, Zanzibar will have a beach hotel which caters exactly to you.

Fanjove: Ship-wreck chic and one of our absolute favourites – Fanjove offers private island seclusion at a mere $400 per person per night and is a really special honeymoon beach escapes.

Mafia and Pemba Islands: With world-class diving, both Mafia and Pemba are for those couples who enjoy adventure over uber-luxury. These islands are up and coming though, but we are regularly visiting to see what’s changed.

Seychelles: Luxury in the Seychelles is boundless. North Island is the most sought-after honeymoon island in the world, and at $5,000 a head per night, so it should be! Though, it is expensive to stay in, access and logistically is hard to get to…

Kenya’s coastline has opened up for business again since its turbulent recent history, and is it gorgeous. Zanzibar is the popular beach destination after an East Africa safari, but watch this space because Kenya’s Lamu Archipelago is back on the map.


Southern Africa safari and beach honeymoon


Madagascar: Tsarabanjina in particular is the ultimate Indian Ocean getaway. About as far away as from anything you could imagine, romance is endless in this little slice of paradise. Madagascar should be done by itself and not in combination with mainland Southern Africa safari, as it is so huge and there is an awful lot to cover.

Mauritius: A nice option for couples who crave Indian Ocean activities and feel most at home in 5* hotels, rather than small boutique lodges.

Mozambique has a few really lovely lodges, though, they are very expensive for what you get in comparison to the beach options off East Africa. It is probably the best beach option for Southern Africa honeymooners though…

Africa honeymoon accommodation





The essence of a honeymoon is of course the spectacular African landscapes, wildlife and destinations - but your accommodation is a big part of the experience too!

Africa safari honeymoon lodges


Your safari can be simple and rustic (bucket showers, no electricity), or fantastically luxurious, chic and stylish (with fine wines and dining, spa treatments and every creature comfort), with lots of options in between...

The "types" of accommodation can be divided into "tented" or "non-tented" options. The difference here is not necessarily between being in luxury and rustic accommodation. Some of the most luxurious lodges in Africa are "under canvas", yet totally permanent and with all the luxuries in the world. On the flip-side, you could have an unauthentic and commercial brick hotel in the middle of the wilderness which is not "tented" or "under canvas", and will not be nearly as luxurious as some of the intimate and high-end tents out there.

Our general go-to distinctions between our preferred lodge styles are uber-luxury costing up to $3,800 pppn, luxury costing around $1,300 pppn, barefoot luxury costing around $1,000 pppn, authentic with a splash of luxury costing upwards from $600 pppn and rustic, bona fide safari camps which cost up from around $400 pppn.

Africa beach honeymoon hotels


A lot of couples like to gho for luxury beach accommodation after a more authentic safari experience, and luckily for you there are some excellent options off the coast of Africa for reasonable prices. Authentic barefoot luxury boutique hotels begin from around $180 per person per night, and can go all the way up to $1,700 per person per night for a private island experience… Luxury is no limit when it comes to African honeymoons, but thankfully there are also lovely options at the lower end of the scale too!

How much does an African honeymoon cost?

Africa offers a wide range of accommodation options of various styles, so to some degree an itinerary can be crafted to fit your budget whatever it may be - although of course the bigger your budget the more options you will have.

The most expensive element of an African honeymoon is the safari part; a night on safari is much more expensive than a night at a beach. The lowest cost for safari accommodation is roughly $400 per person per night, whereas your beach time can begin from $180 per person per night. It is worth noting that your safari is so expensive because included in this is guide, vehicle, camping and conservation fees as well as the lovely intimate safari experience you get in these little lodges which burst with character. Itinerary planning is all a matter of balancing your time and budget between safari and the beach in the way that works best for you, which we can guide you through and help you with.

We recommend at least three nights on safari, as we feel that any less is too little to really ‘get’ the experience. Four to six nights on safari is absolutely perfect in our opinion – much longer than this will be astronomically expensive and you’ll probably get “safari-ed out!”.

The good news is that we have long-standing, excellent relationships with all our suppliers, so our clients often get special treatment and little extras (the best room in the lodge, a private dinner in the savannah, a surprise bush breakfast, rose petal filled baths…) which means you get the best possible value for your money.

Introducing Odyssey Explorer

Welcome to our new itinerary-building app! Odyssey Explorer allows you to browse a range of popular itinerary templates and tailor them to suit your budget and tastes. Once you are happy with your route template, Odyssey Explorer gives you the freedom to select and change your accommodation in each destination. It is an excellent tool for you to get an instant price for your dream trip before you work with a Tanzania expert to fine-tune it and make it into a reality.

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When is the best time for an African honeymoon?

Africa is enormous and each country’s climate depends on its own certain factors including latitude, altitude, distance from the sea etc. The very best time to safari depends on each particular area, and also depends on what you are after form your experience. For further information please see our individual country pages.

In general terms, East Africa has an equatorial climate, with little seasonal temperature variation across the year, and it is dry in our summer which is confusingly their winter. Similarly, Southern Africa has the best wildlife and is driest in these months – Southern Africa has a more extreme climate though, and safari is closed throughout their summer (rainy season) from January through until late March. Most honeymooners coming from un-tropical climates (such as the UK!) like to honeymoon in Africa within this period from July – October to make the most of the African sun!

However, there are always exceptions to the rule! We can guarantee that at any month you are looking to honeymoon there will be an exceptional place to go. For example, although January, February and March are wet and rainy for southern Africa safari, this is one of the very best times to see the Great Wildebeest Migration calving in the Southern Serengeti in Tanzania. Equally, November is the best time to go and see the Liuwa plains come to life in Zambia, and Cape Town is wonderful and sunny and dry in January through until May! It is best to call up with your dates and preferences and we can guide you to the very best destination for you.

African Honeymoon Planning – Africa Odyssey Tips

When planning your itinerary don’t try to fit too much in, or you will get exhausted and won’t enjoy yourselves. Give yourself plenty of time to relax! Safaris are tiring with early stars and action packed days, I tis important to make room for downtime in your itinerary.

Consider travelling in the off-season – you will pay less and will still get an incredible safari experience.

Don’t head off on safari immediately after the wedding, give yourselves a little time to decompress first so you can make the most of the experience once you get there.

Consider adding optional extras (such as a private vehicle while on safari, a night fly camping in the bush, or bungee jumping at Vic Falls…) for some very special memories.

We have some excellent honeymoon special offers, including 50% off for the bride at some lodges – ask us for further information!

Africa Honeymoon FAQs

Why go on a luxury African safari honeymoon?


Africa is the best combination of beach and wildlife viewing in the world. If you are at all into animals, and at all into feeling the sand between your toes, then Africa is unquestionably your ultimate honeymoon destination.

Wilderness and seclusion is on offer in Africa - more so than in any other place on the planet. Romance can be found in every corner of Africa with floating candle lit dinners on the Zambezi, to sleeping under the stars - not a bad way to begin married life.

Safari lodges and camps in Africa are famed for their ability to truly look after their guests. Many that we prefer to sell are intimate, cosy, characterful and with hugely attentive staff. On a honeymoon in Africa you certainly won't feel like "just another couple"...

Logistically Africa is everything you could want from a honeymoon. The time to go is generally summer time, and most people choose to have their wedding at this time - extremely convenient. Also, after the stress of organising your wedding, a safari honeymoon in

Africa really takes care of everything itself. From the moment the plane lands in Africa, you will be chaperoned and taken care of - no stresses about where to go for dinner! Everything is, quite literally, laid out on a plate for you to enjoy.

A safari in Africa is, for many, a once in a lifetime experience and as is a honeymoon! Why not combine the two and share in this unforgettable and unique adventure?

Why go on safari for your honeymoon?


There is nothing more romantic than sipping champagne and watching a giraffe stroll by in front of the perfect African sunset. If you book with us, there are numerous safari honeymoon packages we can offer. The best way to spend a honeymoon is on safari, from your room to your wild encounters whilst out on game drive, you can be guaranteed that you will be mesmerized. If you're both feeling intrepid, then there are also other safari activities such as walking, boating and fly camping offered in certain areas so make sure you call us to make sure you get the perfect safari honeymoon.

More Africa Safari FAQs

Client Reviews

[100% BASED ON 6 REVIEWS]

Africa Honeymoon - Reviews

We cannot express what an incredible honeymoon yuo planned for us to Africa. We can not thank you enough. As you predicted, we will be back

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Our honeymoon was wonderful..Thank you so much. We loved all the safari lodges you recommended and we have been singing your praises since our return.

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We just wanted to say thank you for the most incredible honeymoon to Africa. We could not have done this without your guidance and knowledge, it exceeded my expectations. Thank you again.

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Hi Dave, we are back from our honeymoon and still on cloud nine. Thank you so much for all of your hard work putting together such a perfect trip.

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Thank you again for all your patience, knowledge and overall awesomeness!

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Many thanks for all your help in planning our honeymoon. As you predicted we loved it and cannot wait to return.

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