South Africa honeymoon safaris

South Africa is the perfect place to start or end a honeymoon safari, with international access, excellent infrastructure and seamless connections to some of Africa’s most iconic destinations.

Wilderness offers a dedicated Touring service in Cape Town, where you can explore the Cape Peninsula, climb Table Mountain, taste world-class wines, or enjoy the beaches and endless dining options. Further afield, the Garden Route offers a scenic road trip with charming coastal towns, while Kruger National Park delivers a Big 5 safari at partner lodges.

From South Africa, it is easy to connect to the safari regions where Wilderness has camps, with easy flights to Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Tanzania and Kenya. This means you can easily book a safari honeymoon combining Cape Town with the Okavango Delta, Victoria Falls, or the legendary plains of the Masai Mara. 

Through our trusted collection of partner properties, we can arrange a safari honeymoon at some of South Africa’s finest lodges. However, for couples seeking more, it’s is the ideal launchpad to the African wild.

Namibia is just a short flight away, where the dunes of Sossusvlei lead to the haunting Skeleton Coast and the ancient landscapes and desert-adapted wildlife of Damaraland. Zimbabwe’s authentic safari camps are also easily reached, and offer unique honeymoon experiences such as walking safaris and canoeing on the Zambezi River.

Botswana’s Okavango Delta is another natural extension of a South African safari honeymoon, while the Linyanti and Mababe regions offer superb predator sightings and a sense of complete seclusion. For those looking to go even further, Zambia’s Busanga Plains in Kafue National Park delivers a vast, untouched wilderness, while East Africa’s Masai Mara and Serengeti are also within reach.

When is the best time for a honeymoon safari in South Africa?

If you want to enjoy a honeymoon safari in South Africa one of the best times to visit is during the dry season (June–October) as wildlife sightings are at their most reliable. That said, the period from November through March offers a different type of honeymoon safari as afternoon thunderstorms transform the landscapes with fresh grasses and it is more common to see baby antelopes and migratory birds. This is also a great time to pair your honeymoon safari in somewhere like Kruger with a visit to Cape Town which experiences hot sunny conditions during this time, making for a great bush and beach combination. Just try and steer clear of festive season and South African school holidays if you can as both destinations can become very busy during these dates. 

What romantic experiences are available in South Africa?

Romance in South Africa is all about shared adventure with a mix of safari and city-based experiences a possibility. Embark on game drives together, enjoy days spent on the coast, and venture out to explore the cuisine, culture and winelands of the Cape. Most hotels and resorts also offer pools and spas that you can enjoy together. You may also choose to add on any number of exciting activities to your itinerary from hiking together to scenic helicopter flights or hot air ballooning, cultural visits and community excursions, or outings on side-cars, luxury vehicles or e-bikes. 

How private are the camps in South Africa?

South Africa is home to a vast array of safari experiences, from exclusive remote camps in the Karoo to more well-known honeymoon safari experiences in places like Kruger National Park. While Wilderness doesn’t own safari camps in South Africa we work with a carefully curated selection of partner properties and every itinerary with Wilderness is fully bespoke, with your Travel Designer working directly with you to combine safari regions and arrange transfers, partner lodges, and experiences that match your interests, while taking any privacy concerns into account. You may also choose to combine honeymoon safari in South Africa with a stay at one of our more remote safari camps in the surrounding regions of Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia or Namibia, with all end-to-end details seamlessly arranged by Wilderness.