The most memorable and cherished part of our honeymoon was our safari, which has been at the tippy top of my and my husband’s bucket lists for as long as we could remember.
I’ve never experienced anything like safari, and it was truly a time to be in nature, appreciate wild life and conservation and truly relax. I found the experience meditative and renewing.
When it comes to booking a safari, there are a ton of considerations to make regarding what part of Africa to visit, how long to stay, what price point, etc. After literally months of research and interviews with some close friends who had recently been on safari, we decided to safari in the Sabi Sands region of South Africa at the luxe Dulini River Lodge.
We chose the region and lodge for a number of regions, which I will detail below. First off, we were really keen on seeing the big 5 of the animal kingdom, and often times when people don’t see the big 5, it’s because leopards are elusive and very hard to find. Sabi Sands is so densely populated with leopards that we saw them several times a day and even had a few walk through the resort while we were there! This ensured that not only did we see the big 5 (and many, many other animals) but we saw them twice a day, which was astounding.
We chose Dulini after comparing the private game reserves in Sabi Sand and hearing rave reviews about it from a girlfriend who had spent a week there a few months prior to us. Dulini is super luxe and their level of care as it relates to design, food, the quality of their rangers and game drives was truly outstanding.
From the moment I walked into Dulini’s open-air lobby and was greeted with a cocktail, I felt at home and ease. The décor of the lobby – browns, neutrals with African flair that was extremely tastefully done, created a cohesive design experience that permeated throughout the rest of the hotel and villas.
Our host greeted us to go over our agenda during our five-night stay. We’ve gotten a ton of questions from friends on how safaris “work,” so let me explain to you what we did at Dulini. The price-per-head for safari can be pretty steep – I think Dulini’s going rate is about $1,000 per person, per night. But, that rate includes so much. We didn’t take out our wallets for our entire stay. (To be sure, there are other safaris that are less expensive that come with fewer bells and whistles if this isn’t in your price point. It was our honeymoon, so we really did want to splurge).
The rate included our room, which we will get to in a second, all of our gourmet meals, all of our wine and alcohol and two incredible game drives each day. We were completely babied and spoiled the entire time we were at Dulini, and frankly, I could get used to that.
We should note, we were very keen on a private game reserve because it means that it isn’t overcrowded and no day trippers or tourists can drive in with their own cars like they can in parts of Kruger National Park. Kruger can get very crowded and you can’t get as close to the animals, so that wasn’t of very much interest to us.
We were escorted to our room and it was paradise. The rooms at Dulini are massive (there are only six rooms in total) and they are designed to be super welcoming and relaxing. The four-post bed is draped in white mosquito nets, there is a standalone white tub facing the plains where animals roam outside.
The bathroom is enormous, with a beautiful rainfall shower overlooking nature as well as an outdoor shower. We had a secluded deck with sun chairs, a Jacuzzi and tables to take our meals. It was seriously a haven. The bed was super flush and above the bed was a high, thatched roof perfect for the area. At night, we could hear the animals outside, which was so fun for us. I spent a lot of time soaking in the bath after our morning rides while letting the lavender bath salts dissolve.
The day we arrived, we put ur stuff in our room and then pretty much immediately got ready for that day’s evening safari. I obviously very carefully planned out my safari outfits, and you can buy everything I wore on safari here.
Our days went as follows: we would get a wakeup call at 5:00am to report to the beautiful common area for tea, coffee, fruit and some light pastries before heading out for safari at 5:30am. For the next three hours, we would cruise around as the sun rose, scouting out beautiful animals and offloading. We had super experienced guides that could spot leopard tracks from a mile away, so we were always hot on the trail of the animals. In the mornings, it was a little cool, so they provided blankets to wear while out and about. Mid-morning, we’d park at a beautiful vista, maybe a lake where hippopotamuses were bathing, or overlooking a pack of zebras, and our guides would put out a spread of coffee with marula liquor, tea, biscuits and other snacks.
We’d get back in the safari jeep and cruise around until 9am when we’d go back into the lodge for a hearty breakfast. It included a beautiful buffet with all of the fixings, as well as a menu of hot items such as omelettes and pancakes. From there, we’d retire to our room to either take a nap, jump in the hot tub, or get an early start on a bottle of wine or some gin and tonics. We loved that our room was stocked with our favorite wines from their cellar and all the fixings to make cocktails and have snacks. Sometimes, we would lay outside with drinks reading our books and watching the animals roam by. One day, a herd of about 100 elephants walked right by our room.
We would typically order our lunch and a bottle of South African white wine to our room to eat on our patio. The food was super gourmet and delicious. Safe to say we gained all of the weight we lost for our wedding back at Dulini. At around 3:00pm, we’d report to the lodge for afternoon tea and nibbles before setting off on our evening drive at around 3:30 or 4:00pm for more than three hours.
The evening rides were really adventurous and the sun setting added an aura of thrill to it. One night, we saw a pack of lions hunting, another, we tracked a leopard up into a tree. We nearly got stampeded by a herd of elephants another ride. It was totally exhilarating. We would stop at sunset for gin and tonics and snacks, something my husband affectionately named “gin o’clock.” We really loved those night time safaris and getting to learn about the wildlife. I’d find myself closing my eyes and listening to the sounds of nature, which seemed really meditative.
After the ride, we’d return to the lodge and head right into dinner, which we’d choose earlier int he day based on the menu. A few nights, they had surprises in store for us, like the night we ate under the stars while locals danced and shared tribal songs with us. Another night, we returned from safari to our room being made up into a romantic dinner for two. The tub was filled with rose petals and our butler left the wine flowing.
We didn’t use a travel agent for any of our honeymoon because we didn’t want to add costs, and I really wanted an a la carte, personalized honeymoon situated to our needs. You can see the rest of our itinerary and travel guides in South Africa at the links below if you wish to draw inspiration from it or copy it for your own trip.
Read More Of Our Africa Travel Guides:
The Ultimate Cape Town Travel Guide
Where To Eat & Drink in Cape Town
Where To Say In Cape Town: The Twelve Apostles Hotel
Safari Fashion: How To Look Chic on Safari
Where To Stay In Hermanus: One Marine Drive Hotel
Hermanus, South Africa Travel Guide
Franschhoek & Stellenbosch Travel Guide
Our Safari In Sabi Sands