10 Day Beaches & Big Five Honeymoon

Upon arrival at O.R. Tambo International Airport, a representative of African Sky will meet you and assist with checking in for your flight to Mbombela (Nelspruit). Here, you will be met and transferred to Lukimbi Safari Lodge, which is set on a 15,000-hectare private concession in the southern part of Kruger National Park along the Lwakahle River. This region is renowned for excellent Big Five viewing and varied habitats. Safaris conducted here have access to river systems like the Lwakahle and Crocodile Rivers, primary water sources that attract large concentrations of animals during the dry winter months.

You will enjoy game drives on each day of your stay at Lukimbi. One is conducted shortly after sunrise and returns to camp for a late breakfast, and the other departs camp in the late afternoon and extends into the first hour of darkness. You will also have the option to join a bush walk led by an armed ranger in the mid-morning. It is a unique way of immersing yourself in the African wilderness, with small details often overlooked on game drives pointed out by the ranger as you explore tracks, plants and smaller creatures on foot.

After enjoying a last safari and breakfast at Lukimbi, you will be met and transferred by road through southern Mozambique to the harbor in Maputo, the country’s capital. From here, the final leg of your journey to Machangulo Beach Lodge is by boat across Maputo Bay. The lodge is built on the Santa Maria Peninsula, tucked between the Indian Ocean and sheltered estuaries, and overlooks pristine white beaches backed by dunes and coastal forest. The setting combines easy access from Maputo with a wonderfully secluded, sand-between-the-toes atmosphere that is ideal for honeymooners.

Machangulo Beach Lodge is the perfect place to relax and spend quality time in each other’s company. Included activities typically range from kayaking and paddleboarding to guided nature hikes in the coastal dune forests, where you will learn about the unique ecology and sensitive ecosystems of the peninsula. Optional activities available at extra cost include fishing, diving and snorkeling excursions, cultural visits to nearby villages and a variety of nature outings. Highlights in season include day trips into Maputo Special (Elephant) Reserve, dedicated birdwatching, whale watching from June to November and turtle nesting experiences along the beach.

After a last unhurried breakfast in this tropical paradise, you will have a final chance to admire the sweeping views over the Indian Ocean and the Santa Maria Peninsula’s untouched dune forests. Then it is time to depart Machangulo Beach Lodge by boat back across Maputo Bay, returning to the mainland and the bustle of Mozambique’s capital city, where your coastal retreat gently comes to a close.

On arrival in Maputo you are transferred to the airport for your onward journey to Johannesburg, where an unforgettable ten-day honeymoon draws to an end. Although your time between Lukimbi’s private Kruger concession and Machangulo’s secluded beaches is over, the shared memories of game drives, sunsets, ocean breezes and relaxed days on the sand will continue to shape your stories long after you arrive home.