This is the ultimate bush to beach itinerary with 5-star properties in South Africa and a private-island resort in Madagascar.
This itinerary features three of Africa's most extraordinary properties in one honeymoon. Begin high above the harbor at The Silo, transformed from a historic Cape Town grain silo over the V&A Waterfront into a stylish art hotel. Then fly to the Sabi Sand and Singita for peerless service, design and Big Five game viewing. Then the finale: a Tuesday flight to Nosy Be and onward by helicopter to Miavana, a private island off northern Madagascar where villas open straight to the Indian Ocean and the reef is yours for unlimited diving.
4 nights
Where the mountains meet the sea. Cape Town pairs Table Mountain, the V&A Waterfront and the Camps Bay coastline with world-class dining and the Cape Winelands on its doorstep — a refined, romantic bookend to any Southern Africa honeymoon.
4 nights
The Sabi Sand shares an unfenced border with Kruger in the south-western corner of the Greater Kruger, where the perennial Sabie and Sand rivers keep the bush green and the game concentrated through the year. It is South Africa's most celebrated Big Five reserve — the place for close, relaxed leopard sightings and some of the finest tracking and guiding on the continent, with lodges spanning intimate owner-run camps to the grandest names in African hospitality. Dense riverine forest and thicket make for intimate, up-close viewing from open vehicles that follow the cats off-road.
1 night
Africa's busiest hub and the natural overnight pivot between a southern-African safari and the Indian Ocean islands. A night near O.R. Tambo takes the strain out of the long connections — a comfortable airport hotel, a proper dinner and an early onward flight — so you reach the bush or the beach rested rather than frazzled. Not a destination in its own right, but the join that makes an ambitious multi-country journey run smoothly.
5 nights
Nosy Ankao is the largest of five islands in a remote archipelago off northeastern Madagascar, ringed by white sand and coral reef and home to a single lodge — Miavana by Time + Tide. It's a barefoot-luxury island finale to a safari: snorkelling, diving and sea kayaking over the reef, with lemurs and rare birds in the island's own forest and turtles nesting on the beaches. A private-plane hop from the mainland keeps it wonderfully cut off.
Visa — not required. US passport holders don’t need a visa for stays under 90 days. You do, however, now need to complete South Africa’s online customs/traveller declaration before you arrive.
Passport. Valid for at least 30 days beyond your planned departure from South Africa, with 2 consecutive completely blank visa pages per entry (endorsement pages don’t count).
Vaccinations. A yellow-fever certificate is required if you’re arriving from a country the WHO designates as a risk — and the vaccine must be given at least 10 days before arrival.
Currency. You may bring in or take out up to ZAR 25,000, plus unlimited foreign currency if you declare it on arrival. Krugerrand coins can’t be brought in; up to 15 may be taken out with proof they were purchased in foreign currency.
Good to know. Crime is high — stay alert, especially in cities. Traffic drives on the left, and the roads are more dangerous than in the US. On safari, follow your guide’s instructions — the animals are wild, not tame. And expect occasional scheduled power cuts (“load shedding”).
U.S. Embassy, Pretoria: za.usembassy.gov
Visa — required. US passport holders need a visa, valid for 90 days. You can apply in advance through the Madagascar Embassy or get one on arrival.
Passport. Valid for at least 6 months beyond your arrival date, with 3 blank pages.
Vaccinations. A yellow-fever certificate is required if you’ve visited a yellow-fever country within the past 6 months, or had a layover of more than 12 hours in one. Rabies is also present and local treatment is very limited, so a pre-travel rabies vaccination is worth discussing with your doctor.
Currency. No restrictions on bringing money in or out, though cash over about US$1,160 should be declared at customs on arrival.
Good to know. Cannabis and CBD in any form are illegal, as are firearms and ammunition. Medical care is limited outside the main cities, and power and water outages are common. Getting around takes time — roads between regions are slow (and best avoided after dark), and domestic flights are frequently cancelled, so it’s wise to build in buffer days.
U.S. Embassy, Antananarivo: mg.usembassy.gov
Guidance for US passport holders — if you travel on another passport, please confirm the requirements for your nationality.
Every departure runs a similar route with all-in pricing. Prices vary by season.
Inclusions: Safari lodge and camp rates are inclusive of all meals, drinks, and most activities — including game drives — but exclude top-shelf drinks and premium activities like helicopter excursions. City and beach stays follow each property's own board basis, shown on the lodge.
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