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Be Wild—Honeymoon on SafariRomance Isn't Dead; It's in Kwazulu Natalby Rowena Carr-Allinson
These days, it's impossible to put a price on privacy and intimacy. Spending time on safari, away from 'civilisation' gives you a complete sense of freedom and a chance to get close to one another in total isolation. There are different ways to safari. Most camps or lodges offer a selection of activities for every day of your stay but you are totally free to do as you please and pick'n'mix. South Africa boasts an enormous variety of comfortable safaris from tented camps to luxury lodges or chalets within the boundaries of a game reserve. Depending on the budget naturally standards vary but then again you're only going to do this once, right?
At Phinda luxury is the mot du jour. Anything you desire, delivered on a silver plate. You will be cared for in style…Staying here is the ultimate treat. Bask in these plush surroundings while indulging in total extravagance.
The most intimate and cozy camps for honeymooners are Vlei and Rock Lodge. Both of these have very few rooms and the chalets are set far apart giving you that great feeling isolation and being alone with nature.
Phinda is possibly heaven on earth.
If you prefer to hear the sounds of the bush at night and think you ought to try a tent, you can opt for the up-market, tented camp.
Pongola, like Phinda and Hluhluwe is also home to the Big Five. White Elephant and Phinda offer night drives, giving you the opportunity to spot unusual wildlife behaviour such as hippos running across a path or lionesses and their cubs climbing up trees. Snug under the blankets, a night drive is a mystical, almost magical experience—a real privilege.
A cocktail, delicious food, a night drive snuggled up under blankets or a bath in the bush and retiring to your soft bed draped in a mosquito net. What could possibly be more romantic? FOR MORE INFORMATION Rates for one night including meals and activities: Phinda Reserve Hluhluwe River Lodge White Elephant Lodge Photographs by Mowgli Frere |
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Lazy days on sandy beaches may appeal to some, but young energetic couples are increasingly on the lookout for an adventure during their honeymoon. A thrill and memories to last a lifetime.
If you're looking for luxury and money is no object, then try the Phinda Private Game reserve run by CCAfrica. The ultimate sophistication in the wild. 
Phinda is blessed with seven different eco-systems which makes it the perfect home to a multitude of flora and fauna. With your allocated guide and tracker you might be lucky enough to spot leopards, lions, cheetahs and even mice on game drives! 
Each individual chalet has a private, secluded viewing deck and a hot tub where elephants have been know to take a drink! The décor in both lodges is sensational. Vlei has a colonial African feel to it, while Rock, carved into the mountainside, has a distinct Moroccan theme. Everything is simply beautiful, from the bedding, to the bath salts and the gourmet food.
For a more cosy, down to earth experience try The River Lodge in Hluhluwe. This lodge is situated a few miles away from the reserve but also has the same secluded feeling to it and has magnificent views over Lake St Lucia. A family run affair, Gavin and Bridget Dickson and their rangers Hennie and Brad make you feel like part of the family and socialise with guests, treating them to horror stories about snakes and creepy crawlies over aperitifs! 
As with Phinda, it's possible to organize horseriding expeditions, game drives, or even eco-walks. The Lodge also has its own private access to Lake St Lucia and can treat you to outings on the lake to see the hippos while sipping Bucks Fizz. Very civilized! 
The Honeymoon suite at the Lodge is gorgeous. With minute attention to detail, the Dicksons have ensured you are staying in a suite where everything down to the plug stops have been hand picked. As well as the friendly atmosphere and the splendid views, the food is fantastic. Every night a three course meal is served up either in the Isibaya, a traditional a traditional Zulu enclosure with a bonfire, or on the deck with delicacies such as cucumber soup, roast game or beef, followed by home-made ice-creams or cheesecake. After a day's activities the meal is bliss…especially with a drop of fresh local Rose.
The White Elephant Lodge is set in the idyllic Pongola Game Reserve and has beautiful views of Pongola Lake and the reserve. In these tents you won't be 'roughing it'. Here, you'll find a stand-alone Victorian claw bath, fluffy white bathrobes and his'n'hers washbasins. 
You can also have a taste of adventure and have an 'al fresco' shower, as each tent has a shower unit round the back. Just watch the beasties don't get in with you! 
Honeymooners here, are also given the possibility of bathing in the bush. The friendly staff will fill a bath with scented bubbles and arrange for you and your beloved to bathe at one with nature with the classic combination of champagne and candlelight.