Planning the honeymoon can be one of the most rewarding and gratifying experiences of the entire wedding process. But choosing the right place and finding the right time to go isn't always that smooth.
For our honeymoon we wanted to choose something different, a vacation we wouldn't otherwise get to experience. We chose South Africa and spent a week on Safari followed by a week's exploration of the rest of the country. It was an absolute trip of a lifetime, and I feel so fortunate we were able to do this trip at this point in our lives.
For the first part of the safari we went to Singita, www.singita.com, a luxury game 
reserve within the Sabi Sands. Here we stayed in individual lodges set apart from the rest of the guests, complete with our own heated pool overlooking the desert bush, colonial furniture and vibrant, ethnic craft and relics. Each morning we were awoken at 5:30 by a ranger who escorted us to the main lodge where we were greeted with coffee and hot chocolate. Warm water bottles and wool blankets awaited us on our jeep, as our ranger and spotter took us on an exploration of the land that wa
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nothing short of unforgettable. We viewed so much more than the "Big Five" and i've included some pictures on my photo album. We would return to the lodge after our morning drive where we awaited by a bountiful, delicious buffet. Afterwards, we would relax at the lodge, and even had massages under the sun on our own patio! Lunch was mid-day, another glorious buffet, and at 4:30 we met up with our rangers again the main lodge, where we were treated to hot chocolate before commencing our night drive. The night drives were my favorite - here we would view 
nocturnal animals emerging, and lions stirring from their slumber about to start their night hunt. As the sun set, we paused and sipped wine under the African stars as the sun disappeared into the bushveld. We returned to lodge, would take a nighttime swim in our pool before dinner. Dinners were incredulous - replete with indigenous fruits, delectable cheeses, and expertly paired wines selected by the sommelier himself. Nothing compared to the bond we shared with our ranger and spotter - their ability to spot an animal twenty miles in the distance based on the shape of a hoof-print left hours ago in the sand was literally unbelievable. If you are planning a trip to Singita please request Andre D'Hotman and tell him we sent you!
Next, we went to Leopard Hills, www.LeopardHills.com, another reserve in the Sabi Sands. Our glass-fronted suite situatied atop the African bushveld came with it's own sundeck, outdoor shower and rock plunge pool. Here we met other 
honeymooners and shared dinners with them under the stars in the BOMA -a reed-enclosed hut centered around a huge fire. Different terrain than Singita, here we saw the deadly hippos and other water animals.
After Safari we went to Plettenberg Bay, a beautiful coastal town located alongside the Garden Route. Plett Bay is characterised by it's beautiful view over the Indian Ocean, rocky peninsulas, towering indigenous forests and unpolluted rivers and sea. Here we did a lot of hiking and exploring and shopping and stayed at Tsala Tree Tops, www.TsalaTreeTops.com, where we had our own timber-lodge suite located twenty feet above ground! This tree-top lodge was complete with its own fireplace, where we roasted marshmellows and made smores.
Next we went to Cape Town, the capital of South Africa, where we stayed at the Cape Grace, http://www.capegrace.com, located right on the waterfront. From Cape Town, we took a day trip to the nearby winelands and visited world reknown Stellenbosh, where we tasted indigenous grapes and tasty wines. We went to Cape 
Point, the southern most tip of South Africa where the warm Indian and cold Atlantic oceans connect - a thirty degree difference between the both! We tasted wonderful foods and went to some wonderfully special restaurants, including The 
Codfather in nearby Camp's Bay, where we could choose our own fish and how we wanted the cook to prepare it.
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