13 Days | August/September 2025
Below I’ve listed some of the building blocks of your itinerary, along with a few sample lodges so you can have an idea of pricing. At the bottom, you’ll find a few sample itinerary outlines to see how they might fit together. Hotels are only a small selection of what’s out there to get feedback on what you like.
Prices and availability may change. Food is included on safari and beach unless otherwise noted. All safari activities are also included.
Cape Town & Winelands
Because of direct flights to Newark on United, Cape Town is a natural place to start your honeymoon. Johannesburg also has a direct flight, but your mention of good food and wine connects to Cape Town. It’s a cosmopolitan city with one of the best food scenes in the world. The Cape Winelands are incredibly scenic, and I would propose a day tour here or an overnight if you can stay a bit longer.
You also have the option to stay along the Whale Coast, an hour east of Cape Town. In August/September, right whales calve, and whale watching is excellent. There is also good hiking in the Cedarberg Mountains, about an hour north of the city.
Recommended Hotels (Price for 2 nights):
- Gorgeous George: $313
- A stylish and affordable hotel option that is centrally located in Cape Town
- More Quarters Boutique Hotel: $680
- A more cozy boutique hotel in a quiet neighborhood
- La Cle: $1249
- A nice and unique hotel in the Winelands
- Grootbos: $3592
- A magical hotel along the coast for hiking and whale watching.
- Cederberg Ridge: $810 (full board)
- A nice hiking lodge north of Cape Town.
South Africa Safari
South Africa and the Greater Kruger National Park Area have one of Africa’s most complete one-stop safaris. I generally book the private reserves outside the national park, like Sabi Sands and Timbavati, to minimize the crowds. There are quite a few camps to choose from, depending on your budget and tastes.
If you want a longer South African safari, you can also visit other safari areas like the Kalahari Desert, Karoo, or Eastern Cape.
Recommended Lodges (Price for 4 nights):
- Simbavati Hilltop: $6,918
- This is a great value location option in the Timbavati Reserve near Kruger National Park. It has a plunge pool and a large room. The camp has only six rooms, so it’s very private.
- Simbavati River Tented Pool Suite: $4,570
- This is near the Hilltop Lodge. The room is tiny, but it has a small plunge pool and outdoor shower. It’s a great value.
- Dulini River: $9,950
- This is one of my favorite honeymoon camps in the private Sabi Sands reserve near Kruger National Park. It offers top-notch style, small camps, and great game drives. Sabi Sands costs a bit more because of it’s reputation as the premier reserve, but this is a good value for the money.
- Tanda Tula: $9,849
- This camp has been recently refurbished with a more contemporary design. Great location in Timbavati Reserve near Kruger.
- Samara Karoo Plains Camp: $4,282
- This is a more adventurous tented camp in a gorgeous landscape. There aren’t as many animals, so I usually combine it with another camp. However, it is the best place to track cheetahs on foot.
- Kwandwe: $5,584
- This can be combined with Samara as it is close by on the Eastern Cape with more wildlife. Great population of rhinos but not as many elephants and predators as the first four options. You get a really nice room for the price though.
Botswana Safari
Botswana is one of the premier safari destinations in Africa. It has the largest elephant herds, and the Okavango Delta is a natural wonder that attracts tons of wildlife. August is peak season, and prices are higher than in South Africa. However, it’s a good option if you want to go all-in on safari.
One of my favorite operators there has a seven-night package that is $9,219 per person. I may be able to get some honeymoon upgrades to go with that. Camp Moremi is one of their more popular camps, but I would mix three for the week. You can even stay near a San farming village and see ancient rock art while you’re there.
Beach
Relaxing on the beach is a great way to finish your safari. Mozambique is the best beach getaway from South Africa because of its proximity and low-key vibe. Other options include Seychelles and Mauritius if you are willing to fly further.
Recommended Resorts (Price for 4 nights):
- Sussurro: $5640
- This new resort is on the mainland and further from snorkeling, but the location makes it more affordable than other options. It’s also one of my favorite resort designs in Africa – great value for what you get.
- Azura Benguerra Island: $7,770
- This is one of my favorite honeymoon destinations. It costs a bit more, but they have a good location and are very community-oriented. I can sometimes get a free helicopter ride at this price.
- Hilton Northholme Seychelles: $2269
- This is a much cheaper option if you are willing to take the 5-hour flight to Seychelles. July is a windier month here, but the Hilton’s location on the northwest side of the island shelters it compared to other locations. (Only breakfast included)
Itinerary Outlines
Option 1: Classic Bush to Beach with Winelands
This is a tried and true honeymoon that combines a short stop in the winelands with a safari and beach resort. The only downside is that the Cape stop is rather brief, unless you can spare an extra day.
- August 24: Depart for Cape Town from Newark
- August 25: Arrive in Cape Town and check into Hotel
- August 26: Winelands Tour
- August 27: Fly to Kruger Area
- August 29: Safari
- August 30: Safari
- August 31: Safari
- September 1: Fly to Beach Resort in Mozambique
- September 2: Beach
- September 3: Beach
- September 4: Beach
- September 5: Depart South Africa
- September 6: Arrive in New York
Option 2: Cape Winelands, Whales, and Safari
This version trades a beach in Mozambique for more time in Cape Town and some colder water beaches nearby. It’s whale season in August, and you should be able to see a lot of right whales with calves this time of year.
- August 24: Depart for Cape Town from Newark
- August 25: Arrive in Cape Town and check into Hotel
- August 26: Hiking/Dining
- August 27: Winelands
- August 29: Whale Coast
- August 30: Whale Coast
- August 31: To Kruger
- September 1: Kruger Safari
- September 2: Kruger Safari
- September 3: Kruger Safari
- September 4: Kruger Safari
- September 5: Depart South Africa
- September 6: Arrive in New York
Option 3: Cape Winelands and Botswana
This version has a bit more time in Cape Town and then heads for the wilds of Botswana for the rest of the trip. Its a bit more expensive because it’s Botswana, but it’s safari heavy and an adventure.
- August 24: Depart for Cape Town from Newark
- August 25: Arrive in Cape Town and check into Hotel
- August 26: Cape Town Hiking/Dining
- August 27: Winelands
- August 29: Fly to Botswana
- August 30: Botswana Safari
- August 31: Botswana Safari
- September 1: Botswana Safari
- September 2: Botswana Safari
- September 3: Botswana Safari
- September 4: Botswana Safari
- September 5: Depart South Africa
- September 6: Arrive in New York
Option 4: Simple Bush to Beach
This is a version of the first itinerary without the winelands. It can give you more time for safari if you want multiple lodges or longer on the beach. You can also shorten the trip by a couple of days if you want to put budget towards nicer safari and beach destinations.
- August 24: Depart for Cape Town from Newark
- August 25: Arrive in Johannesburg and check into Hotel
- August 26: Fly to Kruger Area
- August 27: Safari
- August 29: Safari
- August 30: Safari
- August 31: Safari
- September 1: Fly to Beach Resort
- September 2: Beach
- September 3: Beach
- September 4: Beach
- September 5: Depart South Africa
- September 6: Arrive in New York
