I’ve Planned Over 500 Honeymoon Safaris—Here Are My Top Recommendations for This Once-in-a-lifetime Trip

My first safari was back in 1989; followed by my honeymoon safari in 1996, when my husband and I woke to lion tracks outside our tent. Over three decades—and after planning hundreds of honeymoons — I still get goosebumps when a couple I send to the bush hears their first dawn chorus. Below, how to plan your dream honeymoon safari, and the important things to consider before you go.  

Pick the Right Dates

Book 12- to 18-months out for migration seasons, and consider shoulder months. The period of May through June, or late October, will have smaller crowds. Talk to your advisor about timing. The wrong month can mean missed migrations or sparse wildlife. Well-timed visits, on the other hand, deliver peak sightings. 

I also recommend spending six- to eight-days in a country with more than one habitat to explore. In Botswana, for example, you can glide by mokoro (a traditional, dug-out canoe) through the Okavango Delta’s lily-dotted channels, then take a 30-minute flight to the Linyanti Reserve. In Kenya you can pair the Masai Mara’s golden plains with Laikipia County’s rugged ranchlands, where you can track rhinos on foot or spot giraffes on horseback.

And lastly, pack light; soft-cushioned bags are ideal for bush flights.

Choose the Best Camp

I recommend owner-run boutique camps with a limited number of tents or villas. The meticulous attention to detail will create an intimate atmosphere. For honeymooners, adults-only camps provide enhanced privacy and a more sophisticated ambiance.

A honeymoon in Africa can also be a force for good. Choose camps that partner with local communities—often on private conservancies—and your stay might fund village schools, support anti-poaching efforts, or train conservation leaders. A honeymoon like this becomes a love letter that lasts long after the champagne flutes are packed away.

Book a Rare Experience

Book a night in a tree-house. Think lighting by a faint, lantern glow; dinner in a basket; and a skylight to view the Milky Way. Or, have dinner on a pontoon boat with each course delivered by silent canoe.

Seek Adventure

Challenge yourselves by hiking Mount Kilimanjaro, a dormant volcano in Tanzania; trekking mountain gorillas in Rwanda or Uganda; flying in a hot air balloon over the Masai Mara; or zip-lining over Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls. 

Unwind Along the Coast

Zanzibar, a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa, tempts with spice tours, rooftop cocktails, and sunset dhow sails. Kenya’s coast offers seamless bush-to-beach transfers and world-class kite-surfing. For something more exclusive, the Seychelles, an archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean, delivers barefoot luxury—from breezy suites on Mahé (the largest island of Seychelles) to private-island hideaways. 

Mauritius, another island in the Indian Ocean, is perfect for couples who love watersports or a round of golf in between massages. In the southeastern part of the continent, Mozambique’s warm reefs and piri-piri prawns make it a diver’s paradise with serious culinary appeal. Further east, Madagascar adds a dose of the unexpected, with lemur treks at dawn and baobab-lined beaches by dusk. 

And for true off-the-radar romance, the Central African island country of São Tomé and Príncipe, offers cocoa-scented rainforests, black-sand coves, and turtle-nesting sights.

Eat Well

Modern safari kitchens are a culinary delight—from fresh sourdough baked at dawn and garden herbs, to five-course meals paired with decadent South African vintages. In Cape Town, honeymooners can dine on FYN Restaurant’s rooftop, eat seafood at Salsify at The Roundhouse, or share small, wine-paired plates at Furny’s Fine Wines & Taste Room.

Karin Jones is a member of Travel + Leisure’s A-List and specializes in Botswana & Kenya trips. You can create a tailor-made itinerary with Jones by contacting her at ​​[email protected].