Why Honeymoon In South Africa

Deciding where to go for your honeymoon is actually a more tricky issue than it seems. This is especially true for Heartland Boy- an anxious henpecked husband perpetually worried about pleasing Heartland Girl. Well, Heartland Boy was very pleased that marriage life got off on a brilliant note with a romantic honeymoon in South Africa. They had an amazing time in such a far flung, exotic and idyllic continent. South Africa has a myriad of activities catering to the adventure junkies, the nature lovers, the food gastronomers etc. Essentially, anyone planning to spend their honeymoon in South Africa will be able to complete an itinerary effortlessly. Furthermore, these activities were all available at very good value for money. Given that South Africa has so much to offer in all seasons, it makes for an excellent choice for a honeymoon destination. Heartland Boy will tell you 4 good reasons why you should spend your honeymoon in South Africa.

1. Adventure Seekers Should Honeymoon In South Africa

Africa is known for its safaris. For those who grew up watching animal documentaries on National Geographic, your dream is about to come true. To say that you will be in for a treat is doing injustice to the amazing adventure you are going to experience. The Heartland Couple chose Shamwari Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape.

Shamwari Game Reserve- First Class Service Standards

It is about a 10-hour drive away from either Cape Town or Johnannesburg, with the nearest major city being Port Elizabeth. Not to worry, you can drive on the scenic Garden Route from Cape Town to reach Shamwari Safari. Heartland Boy chose this private safari after reading about the rave reviews that it has received on Tripadvisor. Safaris are full-board experiences, so they definitely do not come cheap. Heartland Boy managed to obtain significant savings by staying during off peak rates and taking up its promotion package of “Stay 4 nights, Pay 3 nights”. The great thing about full-board experiences is that the itinerary is planned from day to night. No further planning is required so you can truly enjoy your honeymoon in marital bliss.

The Heartland Couple were really fortunate to be able to witness up to 4 out of The Big Five. They did not see the African leopard but saw some cheetahs instead. To be able to connect with the animals on such a close up level was a very surreal and heart-stopping experience. Yet, after every game drive, you realized that it was all so therapeutic and uplifting to the soul.

Mandatory morning stop with the giraffes

If thrill seekers are not satisfied with witnessing gory images of lions devouring zebras and antelopes, they are bound to get a rush of adrenaline from shark cage diving at Mossel Bay or bungee jumping at Bloukrans Bridge that are all situated along the Garden Route.

Other suitable activities for adventure seekers are hiking. South Africa is blessed with many wonderful mountains, the focal attention of which should be Table Mountain. Heartland Boy read that more people die hiking at Table Mountain than Mount Everest.

It was indeed a hair-raising experience for the Heartland Couple to be trekking at such windy and chilly conditions. But if you view it positively, it is a good test for your relationship! Seriously, a good piece of advice would be to check weather conditions before embarking on your hike. A relatively easy and safer hike would be Mount Rochelle in Franschheok.

Mont Rochelle in Franshhoek

2.Food Gastronomers Should Honeymoon In South Africa

When in Franschhoek, you would have stepped into the gourmet food capital of the Cape. It is home to some of South Africa’s top restaurants such as La Petite Ferme. As Franschhoek is an old quaint town, you often find yourself dining against a backdrop of vineyards and valleys. This complements the food and makes it an even more romantic experience.

Majestic backdrop for every dining experience

If going to top restaurants in South Africa is not good enough for you, then be dazzled with internationally acclaimed restaurants in Cape Town. Cape Town is home to Test Kitchen and La Colombe, placed 22nd and 76th respectively on the San Pelleringo World Top 50 Restaurants 2016 edition.

La Colombe- Ranked 77th In World Best Restaurants

Over at Test Kitchen, the lunch tasting menu is available at S$ 60 for a total of 8 dishes. The moment the first course arrived, Heartland Girl embarked on a culinary adventure beyond her wildest imagination.

Test Kitchen- a story behind every dish

For Heartland Boy, he was just as delighted to be able to spend quality time with the wife over world-class food and wine. It was exactly the way he had envisaged his honeymoon to be. These restaurants represent deep value for money. In fact it is food gastronomy at unbelievable prices. Note that a good tip would be to book months ahead for a weekday seating in order to get a table at this restaurant.

3. Nature Lovers Should Honeymoon in South Africa

For nature lovers, simply renting a car and driving on the world famous Garden Route will be worth the price of your air ticket. At every turn, your eyes will be treated to scenic views that are all too unfamiliar to city dwellers such as Singaporeans. Heartland Boy clearly enjoyed the opportunity to be able to drive past mountains, valleys, vineyards and oceans along uncongested and well-built roads. It was a very refreshing experience.

Even for those who do not drive, Cape Town boasts the renowned Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. As one of the greatest botanical gardens in the world, it was declared a UNESCO heritage site in 2004. Couples on honeymoon can look forward to long strolls in the park and enjoy quality time. Or throw a picnic mat and seek shelter together under the lush trees.

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

4. Honeymoon In South Africa Is Affordable

Except for the safaris, everything ranging from hotels to food and car rental is actually very affordable. This is contrary to popular belief that South Africa is an expensive country for holiday-goers. Heartland Boy used a combination of Entertainer App and Shopback to save on hotel bookings. For instance, he stayed 2 nights in Knysna but only paid for one night due to the Entertainer App. If the participating merchants remain the same, you may even get to book properties run by Marriott! For cities where Entertainer App has no participating merchants, he managed to earn cashback from Shopback. He managed to save a couple of hundreds from his initial budget and reduced his honeymoon costs. In Cape Town, he stayed in a lovely AirBnB apartment that overlooked the pier, and enjoyed the sunset.

Conclusion- Why Honeymoon In South Africa

For Heartland Boy, his holiday in South Africa was the most amazing and memorable that he has ever had. He could not have been happier to have spent it with Heartland Girl. He wanted to pen this review so that he can re-live his honeymoon in South Africa easily. Given that English is widely spoken, it is quite easy to navigate your way around South Africa. For the newly-wedded brides who cannot decide on what they want to do for their honeymoons, South Africa may well be the answer to all that dilemmas. South Africa is one of the best places to spend your honeymoon in, and husbands will do well to simply book the next available flight (We flew via Qatar Airways as it was cheaper than Singapore Air). Heartland Boy is certain that you will earn more than just brownie points for making this once-in-a-lifetime decision.

Getting all excited about your travel plans? Don’t forget to purchase your Travel Insurance policies immediately after you have booked your air tickets! Protect yourself against trip cancellations, flight or luggage delays, medical fees incurred in foreign countries with a comprehensive Travel Insurance policy.

*Heartland Boy earns a small fee for every successful referral.

For readers who are keen on Heartland Boy’s honeymoon itinerary in South Africa, kindly drop him an email to request for it because he spent several days researching on Tripadvisor to prepare for it!