A Honeymoon on the Wild Side: Gill and David’s Unforgettable African Adventure

When we were planning our honeymoon, the decision to go to Botswana felt natural. We wanted to experience something entirely new together: a journey grounded in exceptional wildlife, genuine comfort, and conservation-focused tourism.

Because Africa was outside our sphere of expertise, we wanted to hand the reins to a specialist on the ground, someone who understood the nuances of the terrain and could tailor a route around our specific desires.

When we reached out to a few travel agents, Devryn from Discover Africa stood out immediately. He was sharp, clear, and responsive. We told him we wanted just one day in Victoria Falls so that we could focus on wildlife experiences, and he recommended Botswana over Namibia, and after I ruled out other areas in Zimbabwe, Dev suggested Mana Pools.

Into the Zambezi Wilderness

Baggage was effortlessly managed, airport transitions were seamless, and the warm, genuine greetings from team representatives made us feel expected and deeply cared for every step of the way.

Our first stop was Zambezi Expeditions Camp in Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools National Park. Stepping into camp felt like an instant release of tension. The lodge had an intimate atmosphere, a welcoming shared dining table, and stunning views stretching across the Zambezi River.

Our guide in Mana Pools, Mash, set an incredibly high bar early on. He was like a walking botanist endlessly passionate about the ecosystem, pointing out bird species, explaining native tree life, and teaching us about traditional plant remedies. It was a rich, peaceful introduction that left us awestruck.

Facing the Unexpected in Khwai

Africa, in all its wild beauty, always keeps you on your toes.

Flooding caused a local airport to close and the wildlife to flee. Combined with a surprise airline schedule merge that left us waiting in an airport lounge for hours, we finally arrived at Khwai, late in the evening.

The camp staff were wonderfully accommodating, but looking out over endless floodwaters with limited wildlife in sight, a wave of panic hit. With only 12 days for our honeymoon, losing precious days to quiet water felt agonising.

In the middle of the night, surrounded by a chorus of croaking frogs, I wrote to Dev not a complaint, but a genuine plea for help: “Get us out of here!”

What happened next transformed a potentially trip-ruining bump into the defining highlight of our honeymoon. Dev responded immediately the following morning. He reorganised our arrangements on the fly, extended our stay at our next property, and arranged an earlier helicopter transfer to lift us out of the floodwaters.

Soaring into Heaven on Earth: Atzaró Okavango

If Mana Pools was the gentle prelude, Atzaró Okavango Camp was a masterful symphony in safari perfection. From the second we stepped into the lodge, we felt an overwhelming sense of belonging. With only a handful of suites, the atmosphere felt deeply intimate, refined, and entirely integrated into the surrounding landscape.

From that moment on, every single day unfolded like a scene straight out of a high-end wildlife documentary. We tracked wild dog packs on the hunt, watched lions moving through the bush, and stood in awe before massive, sweeping herds of buffalo and elephants.

Over a couple of days, we followed a lion cub that had eaten so much zebra that he was completely, hopelessly bloated. By the third day, his belly was so full he literally couldn’t roll over. We affectionately nicknamed him “Garfield”, and the story of that hilariously chubby cub has become our absolute favourite memory to share with friends and family back home.

Through Our Eyes: Raw, Unfiltered Nature

What made Atzaró so extraordinary was how raw and authentic the wilderness felt, without ever sacrificing an ounce of luxury or warmth. The line between the lodge and the wild simply didn’t exist.

One night, one couple we befriended couldn’t reach their suite because an elephant was blocking the path. We were escorted everywhere after dark, not as a gimmick as we initially thought, but out of concern for safety due to the wildlife moving freely through camp.

Yet, inside the camp, the human warmth was unmatched. We aren’t big-resort people; we thrive in boutique, thoughtful spaces. The team at Atzaró didn’t just serve us, they welcomed us into a family. After long five-hour morning game drives, returning to genuine smiles and shared stories over drinks made us feel deeply cherished.

When our final morning arrived, we both felt a genuine, heavy sadness to leave. We travel constantly, and usually, by the end of a trip, we’re ready to head home. But standing on that deck, looking out over the Delta, we simply didn’t want to go.

Lessons for the Next Chapter

Looking back, our journey taught us a valuable lesson about pacing. As active people in our sixties, we tend to throw ourselves into trips at full throttle, hopping from one destination to the next until we come home entirely exhausted. Next time, and there will undoubtedly be a next time, we’ll build in quiet rest days, perhaps adding a stop in Cape Town between safari legs to soak in every moment without rushing.

An African honeymoon is incomparable. From the intimate settings of the camps to the romance of being in the wilderness together, experiencing Africa’s top safari destinations together is one of the most memorable ways to celebrate your next chapter. 

Start planning your couple’s escape in Africa with an expert like Devryn, who has been to the destinations you’ve been dreaming about.