We know how stressful wedding planning can be and most are looking for complete relaxation in their honeymoons, think lying on the beach with a tropical drink in hand. While that can be fun too, we also know this is not every couple’s wish… If you would like to start your newly married life with a Remarkable Adventure you should consider an amazing Honeymoon Safari!
Our very own Melanie Panther recently traveled to South Africa to experience awe inspiring Safari Game Drives first hand. This provided a unique opportunity to express her passion for photography as you will see in her personal photos below. She stayed at Singita Ebony Lodge, located in Sabi Sand private game reserve, and Singita Sweni Lodge, located in Kruger National Park. The two parks are adjacent to each other and together they make up some of South Africa’s most incredible and pristine land. These areas are truly magical, full of adventure and romance. Now, over to Melanie!
Upon arrival at the small landing strip we were met by our guide, Gareth, and tracker, Johnson. They drove us the short distance to Ebony for a check in, fabulous lunch, and then we were off on our first safari!
To say our first safari drive was breathtaking would be an understatement. We were privileged to see three cheetah cubs that were approximately 5-7 days old. This is unbelievably rare and truly a once in a lifetime experience (not even Gareth and Johnson had seen them so young before). One of the other trackers accidentally stumbled upon them and we were graced with a short viewing window before the area around them was closed to tourism. One of the things we admire is their commitment to conservation, love and respect for the animals of all sizes under their protection!
After the excitement of our afternoon drive we stopped for snacks, cocktails and to enjoy the sunset.
We enjoyed a traditional evening in the boma under the stars with a bbq dinner and being beautifully entertained by the staff’s singing & dancing. It was then off to bed with excitement of what the morning game drive would deliver!
Sabi Sand is renowned for high concentrations of big game with frequent leopard and lion sightings. We saw the Big 5 (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, and rhino) on our first day and experienced a 23 lion pride sunbathing road block! The magnificent animals here are definitely an adventure to behold. We felt exceptionally cared for by the Singita staff and we enjoyed learning from our guide and tracker as they taught us about each of the animals we were viewing, the majestic landscape and their commendable conservation efforts. Each day is filled with adventure, excitement and wonder!
After a few days of exploring we were off on our short flight to Kruger National Park and Sweni Lodge.
The lodge lies in the southeastern reaches of the Kruger National Park, on South Africa’s border with Mozambique. Situated on 33,000 acres, Singita’s concession is located on an isolated piece of pristine wilderness and it is a 45 min drive from the landing strip to Sweni. This area is especially well-known for the remarkable concentration of the ‘Big 5’ and four particularly formidable prides of lions. Here, too, we enjoyed two open air Land Rover safari’s per day, luxurious en-suite accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, all drinks (including premium wines, spirits and liqueurs, but excluding French Champagne), bush walks accompanied by an experienced guide, and twice daily laundry services.
On our first game drive at Sweni we stumbled upon a majestic herd of elephants and lions with inquisitive playful twin cubs.
Going during the summer season we were blessed to see an abundance of babies of a wide variety on each safari game drive.
As the sun was setting during our last evening, we were very excited to find the male lion brothers after an hour of searching. It was quite the experience to see them begin to wake from sleeping away the afternoon heat and start their journey for their evening’s hunt for dinner.
Sadly, our week’s adventure had come to an end and our guide took us on one last stop on the way to catch our charter flight to Johannesburg. We were awe struck by the vast openness and everything you could see from the Ndlovu Lookout was still within the borders of Kruger National Park. Who wouldn’t be romanced by the splendor, and your South African Safari will be one of the most incredible trips of a lifetime!
If you have any questions about planning your Safari or the fabulous Singita properties, we’d love to help! If you’re ready to get pricing and learn about our exclusive upgrades through our proud affiliation with Virtuoso, please request a quote today.
The Remarkable Honeymoons Team
Luxury Travel Designers
1-866-614-1803
request@remarkablehoneymoons.com
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