Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Destination Honeymoon Africa: Adventures Outside of the Box

Words by Courtney Kellar

As couples become more and more adventurous when planning their destination wedding, they’re also thinking outside the box when it comes to the honeymoon. The stay-cation is thankfully becoming less and less common and newlyweds are venturing off to faraway lands filled with romance and adventure. Thankfully, there are travel companies dedicated to creating a custom, safe experience in virtually every corner of the globe. One such example is Africa Adventure Consultants, or AAC. Founded by a husband and wife team infatuated with all that Africa has to offer, the company offers five pre-planned itineraries or will create a personalized experience for you and your new spouse to one of 13 countries in Africa.

“We understand the potential of travel to provide profound connections and enduring memories,” says co-founder Kent Redding. “Every couple’s dream honeymoon is unique.” Perhaps the most popular option for AAC is the nine-day Botswana Honeymoon Safari. Your trip begins at Victoria Falls and includes a sunset cruise is a native wooden canoe called a moroko, spotting lions from a motorboat safai on the Chobe River and tracking the rare white rhino in its natural habitat. This package starts at $7,819 per person for a low season rate and includes aircraft flights between camps, game-viewing and secluded accommodations throughout your adventure. Here is a brief sampling of the Botswana itinerary:

Days 1-2: Arrive Livingstone, Zambia; transfer to Islands of Siankaba for meals, lodging and choice of two activities daily: cultural tours, visit to Victoria Falls, mokoro ride (indigenous wooden canoe), or national park game drive.
Days 3-5: Transfer to Chobe Chilwero with game drives in open 4x4s in Chobe National Park (Africa’s highest concentration of elephants), motorboat safari on Chobe River and sundowner cruises on Chobe River; overnights at Chobe Chilwero.
Days 6-8: Light aircraft transfer to Chief’s Camp in the exclusive Mombo Concession of the Moremi Reserve, the "predator capital of Africa." Daily game viewing excursions in open four-wheel drive vehicles and mokoro trips in the Delta channels.
Day 9: Light aircraft transfer to Maun airport for departure.

If Africa is your aim, but Botswana doesn’t tickle your fancy, AAC also offers custom honeymoon itineraries to Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Zambia. Not only does the company offer custom, private journeys, but more than 20 group trips including gorilla safaris in Uganda and Rwanda, Mount Kilimanjaro climbs and migration safaris. For more information and to find out if a honeymoon adventure in Africa is right for you, visit AdventuresInAfrica.com.

Photos courtesy of (in order of appearance) Islands of Siankaba & Sanctuary Retreats