There is no question that a safari during the South African winter offers the best game-viewing opportunities – days are cool but sunny and the bush is dry and sparse, making it much easier to see animals in the undergrowth or gathered around a waterhole. It is also a wonderfully romantic time of year to visit the wilderness, with crackling fires and warm drinks to enjoy, plush, cosy beds to snuggle in, and vast, cloudless skies for late-night stargazing.
Privacy and seclusion are important elements of a romantic getaway, allowing couples the space and time away from their everyday routine to really unwind and reconnect. With spacious, luxurious suites and expansive views of the landscape, each of our lodges has been designed to bring our guests closer to nature while enclosing them in a comforting cocoon in which to enjoy precious moments together.
At Pel’s Post, in a private concession in the remote northern reaches of the Kruger National Park, a feeling of warmth and connectedness awaits our guests as they descend the wooden walkway to the lodge. With just four suites, privacy and romance is a given, while discreet service, an abundance of space, luxurious facilities and a gorgeous view of the Luvuvhu River add to the sense of solitude and exclusivity.
With one of the most iconic bathtubs on the continent, the Honeymoon Space at The Outpost, just upstream from Pel’s Post, is another impossibly romantic winter safari destination. As with the 11 other free-standing spaces perched along the ridgeline, the suite features state-of the-art retractable, remote-controlled screens which disappear into the ceiling, leaving the room open on three sides with 180º of uninterrupted views. The effect is extraordinary – you’ll feel as if you’re floating in mid-air, surrounded by the sights and sounds of Africa in the raw.
In the treetops of the Welgevonden Game Reserve – a Big 5 conservation area just three hours from Johannesburg – Tshwene Lodge offers couples safari romance in spades. The relaxed luxury of the contemporary interiors provides comfort and warmth, giving a modern spin to the charming treehouse aesthetic and allowing guests to feel completely at home in the beautifully-appointed space. The five standalone suites are perched along the rugged Taaibos River valley, each with their own private balcony overlooking the forest below – the perfect spot for morning coffee or an indulgent couples massage.
No matter which of our extraordinary safari lodges you choose to escape to with your loved one this winter, you are guaranteed the type of restful, restorative experience that only the African bush can offer.
Photos by Kim Paffen
