Our Dream Honeymoon in South Africa

The Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa

The Twelve Apostles Mountain Range.

After a long journey from Toronto, Erin and I arrived in Cape Town and transferred to our hotel, the Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa. The hotel sits between the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the picturesque Twelve Apostles Mountain Range on the other. On our first morning in South Africa, we took our tea and coffee onto the balcony to take in the incredible views. Our room faced south, so we were able to see both the calm waves and azure waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the rocky escarpment of the Twelve Apostles mountain range. It was the perfect way to get acquainted with South Africa.

Our view from the Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa.

Azure Restaurant

Our first dinner in South Africa was at the Azure Restaurant, located in the Twelve Apostles Hotel. We knew that Azure routinely makes the list of the best restaurants in Cape Town, so naturally we were excited to see what the night would hold. From the moment we arrived, the service was fantastic; it hit that sweet spot of friendly and attentive. Erin and I took advantage of the sommelier service to help with our wine pairings. We wanted to toast to our first night in South Africa with some bubbly before dinner, and Gregory Mutambe, the head sommelier, made us a recommendation that paired perfectly with our food choices.

Azure Restaurant.

Between courses, our waiter brought out a palette cleanser, but with a twist. Dry ice accompanied the sorbet and when he poured some water on top of the dry ice, the "fog" enveloped our table. It was a spectacular effect and the perfect romantic touch to mark our marriage celebration in South Africa. Dinner and desert were both excellent, and Erin and I left Azure stunned with the quality of the service, food and, most importantly, the experience. This was, without a doubt, the best meal of our honeymoon.

Table Mountain

Video: the cable car ride to the top of Table Mountain.

When we arrived in Cape Town, we were told that the Table Mountain cableway hadn’t been running the last few days due to high winds. We only had three full days in Cape Town, but we remained hopeful that we would get to experience Cape Town’s Wonder of Nature first hand. On our last day in the city, the winds disappeared and we were able to take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain. The ride up the mountain is swift—we made it to the top in less than 5 minutes, but the experience was phenomenal. The floor rotates on the bottom of the car, ensuring that no matter where you stand in the car, you get the complete 360-degree view of Cape Town and the surrounds as you ascend to the top of the mountain.

Erin at Table Mountain.

After Erin and I cleared the crowds at the top of Table Mountain we made our way along the stone path, stopping for photos and to admire the stunning view. My absolute favorite part of the experience was sitting on a rock close to the edge of the mountain and enjoying the breathtaking views of Cape Town, the waterfront and ocean down below. It felt extraordinarily peaceful and romantic to just stop for a few minutes and take it all in.

Kapama

Kapama Game Reserve.

On the second leg of our journey through South Africa, we stayed at Kapama Southern Camp in the Kapama Private Game Reserve. Kapama is part of what is known as the Greater Kruger National Park. Kapama is a private reserve and comes with all of the amenities associated with that status, including open safari vehicles and luxury accommodations, while also being a living part of the larger Kruger ecosystem.

   
Left: a zebra sighting at Kapama. Right: a lion print.

On our first official game drive, we saw wildlife in abundance: zebras, monkeys, impala, giraffes, warthogs, hornbills, vultures and more! The most thrilling experience of our first safari was tracking a lion. Carlos, our tracker, spotted lion prints on the road and we stopped the vehicle to take a closer look. Carlos explained how he knew it was a lion print and a few minutes later, after jumping back into the safari vehicle, we successful tracked a lone male lion walking into the bush from the road. Mike, our ranger, explained this lion was an older male lion that was booted from the pride by his sons. We weren’t able to follow him further into the bush, but the sight of our first lion was exciting!

Erin enjoys a sundowner with some surprise company.

Our lion sighting was just the beginning of our safari thrills. Later, we stopped for sundowners in a clearing. We were enjoying our drinks and snacks, thinking we were alone, when a small group, or “journey”, of giraffes walked right through the clearing behind us, stopping to take a look at us as before moving on to the much more interesting (and delicious) acacia leaves.

Hot Air Balloon

   
Left: Erin and I have lift off! Right: the view from the balloon.

On our final full day at Kapama, we had an early wake-up call—3 a.m.—so that we could meet our driver to take us to the hot air balloon launch site. I didn't sleep much the night before because I was so excited, but who needs sleep when you have a hot air balloon waiting for you? When we arrived, we were given some tea and coffee and watched the balloons slowly inflate. Once the balloons were ready for launch, our captain gathered our group and we boarded the basket, with each couple taking up a separate corner. Then, with the lightest of movements, we began to ascend into the sky. It’s hard to describe just how effortless the transition was from standing on the ground to flying: one minute we’re in the basket, firmly grounded, the next we have gently floated 50 feet above the Earth, watching the sunrise over South Africa.

Video: Our hot air balloon ride in South Africa.

The views from the balloon were nothing short of incredible: below us were idyllic citrus farms and in the distance the Drakensberg Escarpment stretched across the horizon. After about one hour of flying, we landed just as gently as we launched, only this time it was right on a citrus farm! We celebrated our adventure across the South African skyline with some champagne and snacks—the perfect way to end the morning.

Want to celebrate romance on your next vacation? Learn about Lion World Travel's celebration travel gift registry. Erin and Jordan traveled on Best of South Africa.