1. Ngoma Lodge, Botswana
At the western edge of Chobe National Park, this remote eco-friendly camp has just eight chalets, each with a private plunge pool overlooking the Chobe River, perfect for honeymooners. Environs are a salute to blend-into-nature African modern luxury design with floor-to-ceiling glass windows and indoor and outdoor shower options.
2. Sossusvlei Desert Lodge, Namibia
Surrounded by magnificent orange and red dunes rising up to 650 feet in the NamibRand Nature Reserve, Sossusvlei Desert Lodge got a complete redo in 2011 when purchased by safari company andBeyond. With just 10 glass-and-stone villas literally in the middle of nowhere – the night skies here are so bright astronomers visit for research – it was made for honeymooners. During the day explore the dunes by four or four-wheeler.
3. Lamai Serengeti, Tanzania
In the Northern Serengeti, some of the region’s best game viewing is just a short drive from the lodge – this is leopard terrain and spotting one of these elusive cats is common. The light and airy 12-room lodge is built into a rocky outcropping and serves panoramic views of the plains with sexy modern style.
4. Mahali Mzuri, Kenya
Sir Richard Brandon’s latest African venture, this exclusive camp opened in August, and sits directly on the Great Wildebeest Migration path. Watch for elephant and buffalo from the privacy of your bathtub in one of the futuristic tented suites scattered across this luxurious property.
5. One & Only Club, Cape Town
Just a short walk from the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront district, the One & Only Club, which opened in time for the 2009 FIFA World Cup, is the ultimate Cape Town honeymoon hotel. For something super romantic, book one of the 40 villa suites in the private island resort section, which are built around a man-made marine. These come with a personal butler.
6. Le Quartier Francais, Franschhoek, South Africa
In picture-perfect Franschhoek, Le Quartier Francais is a stylish country retreat with just 21 rooms in the heart of South Africa’s romantic wine country. Its onsite restaurant, The Tasting Room, is an excellent place to toast the future over some of the best gourmet food in town.
7. Fregate Island Private Hotel, Seychelles
If you really want to pamper your sweetheart, spend your honeymoon marooned on this private island resort in the Seychelles. Here you arrive by helicopter and stay in one of 17 mahogany villas that come complete with personal butlers and infinity pools. And because you’re on a private island, the stretch of sugar-white sand fronting the emerald-jade Indian Ocean is your own personal paradise.
8. The Residences, Zanzibar
If you’re looking for a white-sand and turquoise sea style honeymoon, head to exotic Zanzibar off the coast of Tanzania. Here you can stay at The Residences on the island’s undeveloped south coast. The all-villa property is a favorite with couples for its remote feel and beautiful private beach-house abodes.
9. Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, Zimbabwe
The only hotel in Victoria Falls to make the Condé Nast Traveler Gold List, the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge is an impressive thatch-and-timber masterpiece perched on a hill overlooking a water hole and a semi-arid landscape of baobab, teak and mopani trees. Warthogs graze on the front lawn and a dancer in traditional garb greets arriving guests at front entrance of this four-star hotel. It is great for couples who dig adventure sports, as it is just a five-minute drive from all the action in Victoria Falls – where everything from extreme rafting to bungee jumping is on offer. Back at the lodge, make sure to book a window table for dinner at the house restaurant.
10. Londolozi Game Reserve, South Africa
Honestly there is nothing cooler than viewing elephant from your al fresco bathtub, which is exactly what can happen inside Londolozi Game Reserve, part of South Africa’s immense Sabi Sand Game Reserve abutting Kruger National Park. At the reserve’s exclusive lodges crystal chandeliers and silver decanters abound and service is beyond personalized – think watchmen knocking on your chalet door to show you a baby elephant having breakfast in the bushes out front and guides who are amazing at spotting big cats.
