Our Honeymoon

Joanna Spruce on 08 February 2018
Our holiday to South Africa in February 2018 was for our belated Honeymoon and 2nd Wedding Anniversary; due to several family commitments in the year or so after our wedding, we decided to wait and arrange our Honeymoon later!

Our trip was nearly 3 weeks in total, with an itinerary to try to capture as much as we could.

We started our trip in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, flying from Dubai via Johannesburg and stayed at the wonderful Victoria Falls Hotel for 2 nights. The hotel is colonial in style and as you walk through the lobby into its lush grounds, your breath is taken away by the stunning views, in the near distance, of the Victoria Falls bridge and the Falls themselves.

We took a helicopter trip over the Falls during our stay and did the Cliff Walk to take in the sound, sights, and sheer scale of the Falls. They are very loud, mesmerizing and yes, you do get wet!

From Victoria Falls, we took the enchanting Rovos Rail to Pretoria in South Africa. Leaving from just behind the Victoria Falls Hotel, the train was our home for the next three nights. The journey took us through the Hwange National Park, where we enjoyed a game drive on the first morning spotting an array of wildlife including Lion cubs! To the border at Beitbridge and onto Pretoria, covering over 1,400km.

The train itself is South Africa’s Orient Express; refined, elegant, five-star and a fantastic way to enjoy the scenery!

After a short transfer to Johannesburg Airport, we flew down to Port Elizabeth where we picked up a hire car to make our way up the Garden Route to Cape Town. First on our itinerary, however, was a two-night stay at the gorgeous Kichaka Luxury Game Lodge, located a couple of hours' drive east of Port Elizabeth. The early morning and late afternoon game drives did not disappoint! We were lucky to see such a diverse variety of wildlife, from Lions to Giraffes to rhinos (at one point our vehicle was charged by a baby Rhino trying out his intimidation techniques!). Hippos, Elephants, Gazelle, the list is long; it was wonderful to see so many in their natural habitat and get close to them.

Along the Garden Route, we had opted to stay in Plettenberg Bay, at the glorious Plettenberg Bay hotel, then go inland to Swellendam which gave us the opportunity to explore the Langeberg Mountain range as well as the historic town, from Swellendam we continued towards Cape Town along the Garden Route, spending two nights in Stellenbosch exploring its pretty town and tasting a lot of wine!

Our final stop was beautiful Cape Town. We stayed at the lovely Table Bay Hotel, situated on the Victoria & Albert waterfront, with views of Table Mountain. We explored Cape Town using the open top Hop on Hop off bus and were able to visit Camps Bay, Bantry Bay, Sea Point as well as several historical sites in the city. A visit to Cape Town would not be complete without a trip up Table Mountain. The cable car is an experience with its revolving floor enabling you to take in the view while on your way up and down, certainly a unique feeling!

At the top, we were blessed with clear blue skies and views across Lions Head Mountain, Cape Town, and the Bays on either side. A definite highlight of our time in South Africa.

Having the opportunity to see Victoria Falls, Table Mountain, and the wildlife and experience Rovos Rail, game drives and the Garden Route has left us with a lifetime of wonderful memories.

South Africa is a wonderful country to explore, the food, the wine (of course!) the scenery, the wildlife, the people, and the experiences will leave you making a promise that you will return, we did!