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Gill and David travelled through Zimbabwe and Botswana for their honeymoon, exploring Mana Pools and the Okavango Delta. Intimate camp atmospheres, exceptional guides, and immersion in the wild made for a trip that exceeded expectations.
This is their story.
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.
While the wildlife concentration here was gentler than what lay ahead in Botswana, the experience was truly magical. We went on a bush walk, watched countless hippos surface in the slow-moving currents, and spent our evenings holding ice-cold sundowners as the sun melted into the Zambezi, painting the sky in deep African ambers.
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.
Our guide here, Witness, was a legendary tracker who trains other guides across the region, a true master of his craft. On our very first game drive with him, Witness spotted faint leopard tracks in the dust. Within 30 minutes, we were sitting quietly in our open vehicle, watching a magnificent leopard drink calmly from a pool of water.
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.
Within 30 minutes, we were sitting quietly in our open vehicle, watching a magnificent leopard drink calmly from a pool of water.
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.
One night, one couple we befriended couldn't reach their suite because an elephant was blocking the path.
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.
Yet, even with the logistical curveballs that nature threw our way, the trip proved to be everything we had dreamed of and more. Dev’s swift responsiveness didn’t just save our honeymoon; it cemented an incredible trust between us and Discover Africa.
Botswana has set an impossibly high benchmark for every journey we take moving forward. As we look ahead to future travels, one thing is completely certain: Africa has hooked us, and we will be back.
Standing on that deck, looking out over the Delta, we simply didn't want to go.
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.
Itinerary
Accommodations and Destinations
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A28 Jun 2026
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B1 Jul 2026
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C2 Jul 2026
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D5 Jul 2026
Crafted with the expertise of Devryn Panaino
“Gillian and David were wonderful to work with. What I loved the most about working with them was that they wanted each stop to have a purpose and to feel different to the last. We had a couple of meetings along the way, and they loved the purpose-driven tourism of the African Bush Camps brand. It was a very special trip for them, as it was their honeymoon, and I was grateful to have worked with them on it.”
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