Africa has long set the seductive tone for globetrotting artists, explorers and romantics. So, if looking to up your romance ante, there is no better place on the planet to stage a romantic rendezvous than in an idyllic African oasis. So, grab your travel savvy sweetie for Valentine's Day or for any day where you would like to be treated like a sexy African King and Queen.
South Africa - &Beyond's Phinda's Rock Lodge in KwaZulu-Natal If you have yet to step foot on the continent of Africa, South Africa is your best bet for a first step as it has all on offer. South African Airlines flights are easily accessible with direct connects to Johannesburg with an easy onward to Cape Town, Southern Africa's sexiest city.
After a whirlwind tour and a bit of hobnobbing, shopping and a few eno-infused wine tours in the neighboring wine lands of Cape Town, head to &Beyond's Phinda's Rock Lodge in the subtropical northern section of KwaZulu-Natal.
Set within with close proximity to the warm Indian Ocean and the iSimangaliso Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, Phinda's award winning private game reserve is well-known for its abundant wildlife. You are all but guaranteed to see the big five before breakfast. Also, the less easily spotted species, such as the elusive cheetah and the scarce black rhino are quite common on the 56,830 acres of the reserve.
All of &Beyond properties are quite simply above and beyond when it comes to aesthetics, amenities and service. There are six different sets and style of accommodations on site. Phinda's Rock Lodge is an exceptional option. Their six rugged adobe-style buildings are carved right in to the rocky hillside and suspended seamlessly over the valley below. You will have a private plunge pool, an iconic panoramic view and a dining deck all to yourselves.
Zambia - Sindabezi by Victoria Falls Many savvy travelers add the can't miss Victoria Falls, known as Vic Falls on the front or back end of any Southern African itinerary as there are so many well-traveled countries nearby from South Africa to Namibia and Botswana, to name but a few.
If in Zambia on an African adventure, it's an easy finish to your trip. After a few walking safaris in Zambia with Robin Pope and or Norman Carr's crew, the man that put that act on the African map years ago, head to Vic Falls for an aquatic African adventure.
Sindabezi's private island and its honeymoon chalet is as idyllic of a spot you will find anywhere in the world. The individual chalet with an old fashioned claw foot bath tub for two, traditional hurricane lamps and candles used throughout the island together with your thatched roof and that soul sating silence will quickly set a very romantic tone.
If you do manage to leave your sexy spot, you can grab a helicopter ride and a bird's eye view over Vic Falls, white water raft or tandem kayak in the Zambezi, track rhinos and elephants nearby or simply take a more passive approach with floating candlelit dinners on the river or a couple's massage on that decadent deck. Or you can simply master the act of doing nothing in that African oasis of yours. Options are endless...
Tanzania - Singita's Sasakwa Lodge Sasakwa is one of Singita's three lodges in the private concession (350,000 acres) in the Grumeti Reserve in Tanzania, which means you will have that seductive stretch of Africa all to yourself. You can't help but feel insanely spoiled at Sasakwa from start to finish. So, simply surrender upon arrival.
The Sasakwa Lodge is built in the style of an old Edwardian manor house. Stone walls, deep verandas, high ceilings, stately furniture and a meticulously curated collection of African art gathered throughout the continent give the lodge it's Edwardian meets jet-set style. It's where the Downton Abbey gals would go if traveling to Africa today. One can almost imagine their chatter around the roar of the fire.
Each exclusive cottage at Sasakwa has a private infinity-edge pool overlooking the expanse of land below. The bedrooms beckon with beautifully appointed four poster beds complemented with African influences throughout with touches of wood, leather and grass, alongside crisp linens and hand-crafted furniture.
If looking to create your own African work of art while traveling, easels and art supplies are readily available. Simply let your muses have their way with you.
If you'd like to fully embrace that English ambiance, opt for a horseback ride for your game viewing or go the more traditional route with a gorgeous private game drive complete with several prides of lions, many lazy cheetahs and herds of buffalo to name but a few of the animals that meander a few feet away.
Animals aside, the land and the seemingly painted placement of trees and that vibrant cobalt blue sky make for a scene that will seize your breath away several times a day. Top that off with am ambient sundowner or perhaps a five course dinner under the stars, finished off with local dancers and musicians. It's an arousing assault of the senses.
Rest assured Micato Safaris will meticulously sort out all things Singita-related and will carefully make all of your Tanzanian arrangements, including a business class flight on Qatar Airlines, which sets the spoiled tone straight out of the gate.
Botswana - Letaka Safaris For a sexy slice of rustic chic romance, head to Botswana and let Letaka take over. The bush boys of Botswana will ensure an authentic immersion in to Africa. This slice of safari life is for the more ruggedly romantic couple.
You will have your own private tent where you and your safari sweetie will shower under a ceiling of stars, under your rustic bucket shower. You can let the laze of the days pass you by on your private veranda in between abundant game drives.
You will never look at bread the same way again. You will be spoiled silly with fresh bush bread, baked underground every day by the Botswana crew. That together with fresh, five-course meals, where no two dishes are ever repeated, make the meals as much of a feast, as the experience itself.
There is nothing quite like a roar from the king of the jungle mid meal to remind you that you are merely a visitor in camp. That is just the beginning as you will experience an abundance of bush theatrics daily in camp and in the Moremi Game Reserve, the Khwai Concession Area and the Chobe National Park on your twice daily drives. You will fall truly madly and deeply for Botswana's elephants. Get ready for a knee weakening need to take one home with you.
Top that off with an unimaginable beauty each day. The endless string of Southern African sunsets made us feel like nature was forever trying to one up itself, and it did in spades. Sunsets were naturally complemented with the best sundowners...ever.
Aardvark Safaris is your go to for arranging all things Letaka and Botswana related including your flight on South African Airlines from the US to South Africa with a direct connect to Maun in Botswana. They will be sure to start your Botswana-thon in &Beyond's Xaranna Lodge, set on the lush Okavanga Delta. It's a great way to decadently decompress after a long flight.
Namibia - Wilderness Safaris Doro Nawas Camp There are no words that can come close to capturing the magic that is Namibia. It's easy to see why so many couple's from around the globe choose Namibia after their big I Do. The red ruby sand, the undulating dunes, the buoyant cobalt blue sea, the haunting beauty of the Skelton Coast and a wee bit of that desert bush, make this otherworldly oasis unlike any other, anywhere.
After the sea of Swakopmund, the dunes by Sossusvlei and the flight over The Skelton Coast, head to Damaraland for a subtle slice of their bush life. There are no large concentrations of wildlife there, but the arid environment is a picturesque backdrop and home to desert-adapted elephant, gemsbok, springbok and variety of other species including the endangered black rhino and cheetah.
Slip in to Wilderness Safaris Doro Nawas Camp, located in the dry Aba-Huab River Valley, within the Doro Nawas Conservancy in central Damaraland. It commands spectacular views of the Etendeka Mountains and those red sandstone cliffs of Twyfelfontein, Namibia's first World Heritage Site. The diverse and dramatic landscape varies from unimaginable tabletop outcrops, small canyons and dry riverbeds, to savannah and rich grassland vistas. Its jaw dropping beauty at every turn, punctuated with that soulful life affirming silence.
Your villa with its mix of natural stone and canvas walls with wood and glass doors and a thatched roof seamlessly blends in to the natural sand and safari surroundings. Finish your dusty day in the bush with a shared outdoor shower, capped off with a private sundowner and some stargazing on your own veranda where sexy sleepovers under the stars are highly encouraged.
Nobody does it better in Namibia than Wilderness Safaris. Aardvark Safaris will set up all things Wilderness-related and will sort out all on your Namibian itinerary, including your South African Airlines flight to South Africa with the direct connect to Windhoek with the necessary overnight in The Olive Exclusive Boutique Hotel in Namibia's capitol city upon arrival. You can't help but fall in love with Namibia.
Now set those seductive plans in place...
