Planning your honeymoon safari can easily get a bit sidelined as you focus entirely on making your wedding a dream come true. This is, even more, intimidating when you intend to take an African Safari for your honeymoon.
An increasing number of people are coming to Africa for honeymoon safaris. This is because of the incredible experience of being on safari and ticking off so many things of your bucket list. On its own, a wildlife or gorilla tracking safari is an unforgettable experience. Such an experience for your honeymoon is a great way to start a new journey together. Planning Your Honeymoon Safari
You want to have a magical, eye-opening, eventful and adventurous start to your new life. Here are some tips to help you plan the biggest and most significant trip for the two of you.
Plan in time
You should start thinking about your honeymoon the moment you start planning your wedding. Thinking about your honeymoon early helps you to narrow down your destinations, activities and all the other information that is crucial before taking a trip.
Planning in time gives you peace of mind when you know that all the details of the trip are sorted.
Plan Together
You and your partner should plan your honeymoon trip together. This is to make sure that the trip doesn’t just take care of the interests of just one partner and not the other.
While already know the things your partner likes, it is still important that you plan together. Just to make sure you both have a great time together.
Do not Overwhelm Yourself
The biggest problem around this time is putting too much on your plate. This essentially inhibits your creativity and ability to make good decisions.
Your honeymoon is a time to sit back, relax and get to know each other a little bit more so while planning for it, try not to avert all your energy to it but to enjoy everything else around you.
Pick Somewhere New
It is your honeymoon. It only makes sense to go to someplace you have never been but secretly always wanted to, a place that is completely different from what you have always known.
That is why an African safari is the perfect honeymoon destination! Not many people have experienced the thrill of the wilderness or seen wildlife in their natural habitats, not many understand serenity and being surrounded by nature or experienced new cultures.
A new place is not only the best adventure but also refreshing.
Do Your Research
Doing research online sounds like an easy task but is very daunting. If you start planning in time, this will be less of a problem. All the same, you have to do the necessary research before going on a safari for your honeymoon. Especially if you are following the above point of going to a new place you haven’t been.
Doing your research will help you have a clear idea of what you want to do on your honeymoon and where you will go. Your research also includes social media to get ideas.
Use a Travel Agent
Part of the research you will do includes choosing a safari operator to handle some logistical details for you. You should choose a travel operator who is trustworthy and experienced in handling the various needs you have.
This might be hard to figure out when your only connection is through the internet. Do a little investigative work and Google them to see if you might find negative reviews and experiences.
In case your journey leads to East Africa, here is why you should choose us for your honeymoon safari
Don’t Copy Someone else’s Itinerary
After you have established which company to work with, your next move is to get an itinerary. As part of your research, you might have found some itinerary that seemed great for another person, don’t use (or copy) that one. There are high chance that a borrowed itinerary won’t work as well.
Talk to your safari consultant about making all the necessary adjustments to make your honeymoon itinerary just your own. Remember to include the suggestions from your partner, as we mentioned above.
Throw In Some Alone Time
As you are planning and laying everything out, don’t forget to throw in some alone time. Relaxing is a big part of the honeymoon.
Alone time will allow you to get off the adrenaline high of the various safari activities, and relax. Candlelit dinners, relaxing walks and more can be a great addition. Planning Your Honeymoon Safari
When Is The Best Time To
This depends on where you are going to visit. Luckily in Uganda, there are no Winter and summer seasons because of the equator line that divides the country in two. There are two seasons, the dry season (December-February and June-July) and the wet season (September-November and March-May).
Generally, safaris here are all year round but the peak times are mostly in the dry seasons. Animals tend to congregate around communal drinking areas which makes it easy to spot them all at once in a ‘blended family’ sort of way.
Seek Advice
This trip is way too important to take any chances of doing it all on your own. Seek advice and recommendations from people who have been through the same and mostly been to the same region.
You want to hear firsthand encounters to decide whether that is what you envisioned your honeymoon like and then make up your mind. You might as well speak with a travel advisor who can help with options of the best destinations and possibly handle bookings and negotiations on your behalf.
Delayed Official Honey Moon
Unlike in movies where right after the wedding the new couple heads off into the sunset, the situation is different for many people. People do actually go on their official honeymoon a while after their wedding day.
If your mind is set on going to Africa to experience the magic everyone talks about, delaying the official honeymoon is okay. Because at times, work and other schedules do get in the way. Just don’t wait too long. This should ease the pressure.
Something Short To Do
The old idea that an African safari has to be a long affair is long gone. Your trip doesn’t have to take 2 weeks. Transport has evolved and you can do everything in less than 5 days.
This is especially important when the work schedule only allows for short periods of vacation. Many short safaris can be customised to fit your exact needs.
Take a look at a collection of our short safaris that are very popular with couples and families. These can show you how possible it is to tick things off the bucket list even when you have less than a week.
Schedule A Surprise
You can arrange a surprise for your partner while on safari. This could be anything, from a surprise massage to an activity they love doing.
Share some of your ideas with the safari expert and he/she will find a way of working all of it together in the itinerary.
Check Your Passports
To make sure that everything is in place, check your passports and make sure they are valid. Since you are planning your honeymoon safari several months in advance, your passport could need some work before you leave.
Remember, it is good that your passport has at least 6 months of validity at your time of travel. This means that you should check your passport’s expiry along with your planned honeymoon schedule.
This is a very easy task to accomplish, but very vital. If you find that your passport needs to be renewed, then you can do that at your earliest convenience.
Vaccinations
Travelling to Africa requires some vaccinations. The most crucial vaccination needed is the yellow fever vaccination. Without this, you won’t be given an ordinary tourist visa to enter the country. The good thing is you only have to get it once – and it lasts a lifetime.
Anti-malarial drugs might also be necessary to take before travel. You should consult your doctor on what vaccinations are needed – and follow a doctor’s professional opinion.
Regular Meds
Like checking your passport, you should check your regular medicine. This is to help you know whether or not to get a refill.
You essentially do this when you are just a few weeks or days from setting off for your trip. You should follow your doctor’s orders to make sure you are doing the right thing.
Packing Lists
What you pack will depend entirely on the activities you choose to undertake. You might not need swimwear if all you want to do is see gorillas in the wild.
Packing the right things means you don’t end up spending more to buy items you already have. Messing up the packing can easily cost you hundreds of dollars in new items. Your safari consult gives you this information. Don’t hesitate to ask any questions you might have.
Souvenirs
Of course, you will want souvenirs from your honeymoon African safari. Souvenirs are not counted as part of your tour package and you, therefore, buy them with your extra safari cash.
You can do a little bit of research as well as ask the representative of the tour company for advice on how much your money might need. The actual amount is different for everyone.
Conclusion
We hope that this article gives you a good insight into how you can go about planning your honeymoon. It is expected that you will have some questions that are very specific to you and your ideal holiday experience. Feel free to send us a message via the contact form.
We regularly update our blog with fresh content each week. We believe you will find there some wonderful insights to help you plan your honeymoon safari – or something different. Just check out
Finally, tell us what you would want your safari to be like and we will work along with you to make that dream a reality that you can experience. Simply fill out our Safari Request form and we shall design something perfect for you and your partner. Based on your interests, schedule and budget. Planning Your Honeymoon Safari
