Honeymoon - Part One (South Africa)

I have been a "bush baby" for as long as I remember. Being able to see wild animals roam freely on their land is an indescribable experience and one that I would recommend everyone add to their bucket list. I absolutely love that Damian incorporated the "bush" into our honeymoon.

The morning after our wedding, after our goodbyes were said, we travelled 376 km to Phinda Private Game Reserve. As we pulled up to the Mountain Lodge we were greeted by the beaming smiles of the Phinda staff. We were whisked off to check in with delicious fruit juices in hand, while our bags were magically transported to our suite and our car valeted away. After absorbing the splendid views from the lodge, we were escorted to our suite. Our suite was spacious, comfortable, African inspired and all I could ever have wished for. Included in the gorgeous setup were an outside shower and our very own private pool.

At 15h45 we headed up to the lodge to meet our guide (Nick), tracker (Menzi) and fellow guests that would be on the same vehicle as us. We had one other couple on the vehicle with us, a retired couple from Pietermaritzburg who were a pleasure to chat with as they had a deep passion for wildlife and had travelled to many exciting countries like Kenya. On our first afternoon drive, we saw many interesting sights including some lions lazing on some rocks in the sun. The rocks reminded me of the Disney movie, The Lion King and Pride Rock with the lions looking out across their territory. What most people don't know about the start of our honeymoon is that Damian was sick on the first day of our honeymoon. By the time we got back from our afternoon drive, we rushed back to our accommodation where Damian felt progressively worse. Unfortunately, our first night of honeymoon was filled with Damian being incredibly sick. Luckily, the next morning my husband was back to his normal, energized and healthy self.

Each morning, you receive a call from the lodge waking you to prepare for your morning drive. Once you are dressed and ready for the day, you call the lodge who send a guard to escort you to the meeting area. The Mountain Lodge is open and therefore wild animals can roam freely in and around the Lodge. Once at the meeting area, you can have a warm drink before you set off for your morning drive. In the dark and cool of the mornings, there is thankfully a blanket on each seat to keep you warm on the open vehicle.

After driving around for about 30-40 minutes, our vehicle received a call on the radio that the resident male lion was spotted and on the move. We were able to see him for a couple of minutes before he moved off into a thick bush off the side of the road. We then moved on to have our morning drinks. Each morning your guide and tracker would choose a different spot to park the vehicle and set up a tea/coffee station where the guests can stretch their legs, enjoy a cup of steaming filter coffee with Amarula (South African cream liqueur) and take in the beautiful view. I have to say, compliments to the chef as the crunchie biscuits were out of this world.

We were fortunate enough to have another sighting of the lions seen on our first drive and a sighting of a leopard too. Seeing a leopard is usually a special occasion as they are rather shy animals, however, seeing a leopard at Phinda was even more special as they are exceptionally shy in this park and are not often seen.

When you get back from your morning drive, you are met with a wet towel to freshen up from the drive and a freshly squeezed juice to quench your thirst. One thing that I have to point out, simply do not go to Phinda if you are trying to watch your weight. The food is the best and most fresh food that I have ever tasted. Breakfast is filled with your choice of fresh fruit, yoghurts, cereals, bread, baked goods, spreads etc. On top of all these options, you are also able to order a hot cooked breakfast.

After breakfast, you have time to leisure around and do whatever you like. One day, Damian napped while I was in our private pool and on another occasion we had massages by the local masseuse. Lunch follows from 12:30 pm onwards. Believe it or not, we could actually fit more food into our stomachs. The lunches were truly delicious with choices of quiches, salads, roasts, bread etc. Wow, just thinking of it is making me hungry.

Every afternoon, we would head up for our afternoon drive. Just like the morning drive, our guides would stop during the drive to set up a drink and snack station where we would enjoy the sunset in the wild African bush. These were my favourite moments which I will feebly try to describe to you. Every day, we would pull up to these picturesque locations, where the sun would be beginning its descent into the African night. I would religiously have my gin and tonic along with some biltong (it would be silly not to) and we would watch the darkness approach around us with the sound of the African bush. That sound and feeling is almost indescribable, but I promise to try my best to describe it. Imagine the sound of beetles flying past you, a cry of a fish eagle in the distance, the crisp air on your face, the smell of the bush and you feel at one with the world around you.

Phinda is known for their cheetah. If you want to see cheetah, you come to Phinda. On our second afternoon drive were blessed to spend over an hour with two brothers while they patrolled their territory.

Once back at the Lodge, you are served dinner by your butler (oh yes, how could I forget to mention that each couple has their own butler)! The Mountain Lodge has two dining areas that they alternate between, weather dependent. Being outdoors in the boma was romantic and special as you dine under the canopy of trees with stars peaking in between the branches. Again, the food was truly out of this world and plated so exquisitely. After your meal is finished, you again are escorted back to your room.

The lovely couple from Pietermaritzburg left the next day after our morning drive and Damian and I were lucky enough to have the vehicle to ourselves for the rest of our stay. This was a stroke of luck. To have a private vehicle is an additional and expensive cost which we luckily got for the normal price. We only had one more night (afternoon drive and morning drive) left to our stay. This morning had gotten off to a slow start with no predators in sight. It does, however, remind you to appreciate the beauty of the animals in the park which sometimes do not get the credit that they deserve.

That evening, while having our night caps, we heard a male lion roaring in close proximity. We raced into the vehicle and began a gruelling track to find him. Eventually, we found him lying on his side and roaring into the darkness. It was the perfect parting gift from Mother Nature herself.

After our morning drive and breakfast, we headed back to our suite to pack our bags. When leaving, we started to chat with the Lodge Manageress. She was from the U.K. and had taken a year's break with her husband to travel the world. She gave us some tips for the next part of our honeymoon adventure to the Maldives. During our first dance at our wedding, Damian told me where we were going on honeymoon. It had been a secret which I knew he couldn’t wait to share with me. It was the most special moment and made our first dance that much more memorable.

So off we headed to start our road trip to the King Shaka Airport with a packed snack bag from Phinda. We made a pit stop at my parent's home in Mtunzini and then carried on to the airport.

Phinda was amazing, the perfect start to our honeymoon and I would return in the blink of an eye. It is highly recommended and was truly an experience that I will never forget.