What’s more exciting than planning a wedding in Cinque Terre Italy? For us, it was planning a honeymoon in Africa. Okay, Africa may not be what comes to mind for most when picking a romantic exotic destination to start a married life. But I think it’s clear we’re not every couple.
As amazing as they sound, the more honeymoon-friendly places like Bora Bora, Maldives, or Santorini just aren’t what we’re after.
As a couple, we’ve visited a lot of countries. So, for our honeymoon, we wanted that once-in-a-lifetime trip that we’ll be talking about for decades to come. We planned an African safari, a relaxing stay in Zanzibar as well as gorilla trekking in Uganda for our honeymoon.
We didn’t do it luxuriously, we did it in typical “us” style. By staying at smaller hotels and B&Bs, eating at cheap local restaurants, and getting the bus when we could. But of course, on occasion we did splurge – it was our honeymoon after all.
So, here’s a little peek at what destinations we added to our itinerary when planning a honeymoon in Africa. We had two months there – lucky buggers we are.
Top itinerary tips for planning a honeymoon in Africa
My top advice is to start off by choosing destinations that best suit you as a couple. If you’re wildlife lovers, then, going on a safari in Tanzania’s Serengeti or Kenya’s Amboseli National Park, where you can witness the incredible Big Five up close will be right up your street. I
For a more laid-back vibe, the beautiful beaches of Zanzibar are paradise on earth. Picture yourselves relaxing on soft sands, sipping cocktails, and watching the sunset—pure bliss!
If you want something a little off-the-beaten path consider a gorilla trekking tour in Uganda!
Don’t forget to consider the best time to visit each destination to make the most of your trip. And remember to carve out some downtime in your itinerary. Those quiet moments together are what make a honeymoon truly special.
1. Gorilla-trekking in Uganda
Gorilla-trekking in Uganda was at the very tippy-top of my bucket list. Trekking for mountain gorillas in the remote misty cloud forest region of Africa. Mountain gorillas are only found in this small part of the world. And that’s in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and along the dormant volcanic Virunga mountain range that stretches across Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
There are only about 800 mountain gorillas left. Some experts believe they will be extinct soon. I won’t go into too much detail on this here but watch the Netflix documentary Virunga for a better insight. Warning – you will be horrified.
Gorilla trekking is super expensive, so that will be a big chunk of your budget gone. It’s the permits that are the most costly part of the experience. But it as all worth it to see these magnificent creatures in the wild. The effort you have to go to to get to them will make it all the more worthwhile, too.
You can check out the best gorilla trekking tours here!
2. Witness the great wildebeest migration
You may have seen this on National Geographic or the like. Imagine witnessing over two million wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles racing through Serengeti National Park and Masai Mara National Park in search of green pasture. It’s like that scene from The Lion King (after Mufasa dies). Just imagine witnessing this in real life. The great wildebeest migration happens once a year from late October to December.
We were lucky enough to witness this in late September on the Mara River. For the best chance of seeing this phenomenon stay at Mbalageti Serengeti which looks onto the Mara River.
3. Safari in the Serengeti
One of the most sought-after safari destinations on the planet, the remote Serengeti National Park in Tanzania has an abundance of wildlife. It’s home to the famous Big Five as well as cheetahs, giraffes, and zebras.
I recommend booking at minimum a 4-day, 3-night safari in the Serengeti. That’s how long we had, and it enabled us to visit not only the Serengeti but also the Mara River (where the great migration occurs) and the otherworldly Ngorongoro Crater.
Every day on safari in the Serengeti is different. And your driver will adapt each day depending on what animals you want to see. Also, depending on the time of the year – seeing the great migration will likely be a big priority to you. FYI, this 3-day 2-night tour is very similar to the tour we did in Serengeti!
Related Read: We also loved our safari in Amboseli National Park in Kenya.
4. Stay at the Hotel Rwanda
Many of you have probably watched the famous movie Hotel Rwanda. This movie was based on the true story of the Rwandan Genocide and the efforts of hotelier Paul Rusesabagina to save the lives of thousands of refugees.
Well, despite its awful past Rwanda has well and truly come out the other side and is now considered one of the safest destinations in Africa. You can stay at the beautiful Hotel des Milles Collines (the real Hotel Rwanda). It offers a true sense of the history of Rwanda (both good and bad)
Related Read: We also had so much fun exploring Zanzibar!
5. Visit the Okavango Delta in Botswana
Some very well-traveled people we know have listed Botswana as one of their favorite countries in the world. So, we are excited to visit and see why. Like Rwanda, it is considered one of the safest destinations in Africa. 17% of this country is devoted to National Parks or Game Reserves.
The Okavango Delta is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa. It is teeming with African wildlife and is considered one of the ‘easiest’ places in the world to spot amazing animals like elephants and black and white rhinos.
6. Experience the unique Sossusvlei and dunes in Namibia
The unique Sossusvlei is characterized by its famous red, pink & orange sand dunes and white salt pans. Despite being the most popular tourist attraction in Namibia, many travelers describe Sossusvlei as being remote and “not seeing a soul” which I love. Plus, just look at the photos – the photo opportunities here are endless.
7. Visit one of the coolest cities in the world – Capetown in South Africa
Did you know – we actually planned to move to Capetown after living in Whistler but instead we opted to move to New Zealand due to visa issues? So obviously, we were very excited to visit this beyond-cool city. Whilst in Capetown we hiked up Table Mountain, visited the penguins at Boulders Beach, and visited the very colorful neighborhood of Bo Kaap.
Thanks for Reading!
So there you have it – our honeymoon in Africa itinerary. Now, we intend to visit a lot of other places in Africa in the future (we love this continent so much!) But these are the destinations that were top of our list when planning a honeymoon in Africa. We were beyond excited to explore this unique area of the world on our first trip as husband and wife.
P.S. You may be interested in reading more about our Wedding in the Cinque Terre here!
Last Updated on March 6, 2025 by snaphappytravel