Right now, Southern Africa is brimming with honeymooners. Some had their plans stalled by the pandemic, some have upgraded their original plans with monies saved over the past two years and others are have just heard about the magnificent diversity of offerings afforded by the destination – and are flocking here.
We recently had honeymooners from New York travel with us and had the opportunity towards the end of their trip, to meet for a drink and gather their impressions of their holiday.
TAS (Trans Africa Safaris): What made you choose Southern Africa for your honeymoon?
HM (Honeymooners): Our advisor, who plans trips for both our families, provided us with a list of destinations. She had recently visited South Africa and was so inspired, and singing the country’s praises so loudly, it was difficult to look at other options.
TAS: You have been on safari in Botswana, then to Victoria Falls and now in Cape Town. What are your impressions?
HM: This is our first time on the African continent. We are both very into nature and wildlife. To start our trip in the Okavango Delta, was a genius move. We had a chance to relax after our long flight and talk about starting on a high! The wildlife was uncanny – we saw and did it all! Besides the game drives, we walked, boated, canoed and did a helicopter flip. The highlight was seeing a baby elephant that was no more than a day old. He was still wobbly on his legs. Our guide, Max, was incredible – his knowledge and ability to find animals, big and small was next level.
The Falls were enormous – we got pretty soaked during our walking tour. We definitely recommend the flight over the Falls – that really allowed us to appreciate the scale and majesty of this natural wonder.
Cape Town is so gorgeous! The beaches, mountains and chilled inhabitants make this the most amazing city. We could live here for sure!! It’s cosmopolitan, has great energy, THE most amazing restaurants – and the shopping is to die for. Talk about retail therapy ….
We spent a day in the winelands and are in love with Franschhoek! We consider ourselves lovers of good wine and were blown away by the variety of excellent estates, and your local bubbles – oh, my word. And the price of these wonderful wines – we could buy half a case for the price we pay back home for one good bottle.
Also, we had been following several restaurants and shops on Instagram for some time prior to our trip and were able to visit them all while here. Social media only did them half the justice they deserve!
TAS: Your next stop is Benguerra Island, Mozambique where you will have some wonderful time for R&R. Your holiday is not done yet, but we’d like to know if there is anything, in particular, that has left a lasting impression.
HM: The generosity of spirit of the local people, their warmth and hospitality has been refreshing and inspiring. Some destinations present a somewhat tired face to visitors, but here it is the complete opposite. The people we have met on our travels were all curious to learn about our way of life back home and were very eager to share their stories, views, cuisine and aspirations with us.
TAS: Did you have any concerns about Covid during your trip?
HM: Not at all. We are fully vaccinated (and boosted) and we knew we’d be outdoors a good deal, so we really were not worried. We really felt more at ease here than back home. Hygiene and health protocols were handled without any fuss and just seemed to be part of the normal operations. Plus, we were very fortunate in that the PCR test requirements had just been lifted, so that was a real bonus.
TAS: Thanks guys – it was great to get your first-hand thoughts on your trip. Enjoy the rest of your holiday!
