Honeymoon in South Africa and Mauritius

"Honeymoon in South Africa and Mauritius" by Andrea and Anna Paola A safari in Africa had always been the romantic trip par excellence in my imagination. Searching among the most renowned destinations, South Africa was the country offering the best climate in the month of March. The pairing with Mauritius, much advertised, seemed to us an attractive variation. To try to avoid the depersonalisation of the organised tour but also the excessive effort of a fly-&-drive, we plunged into our first trip with a private guide. Somewhat by chance we turned to a local tour operator (Action Travel) and found what we were looking for: an Italian guide with more than 20 years of South African experience, flexibility in planning the route, calm and speed in transfers, and plenty of advice for personalising the itinerary and finding the accommodation and activities best suited to our tastes.

And so, on 19 March 2007, our trip began: Transfer from Johannesburg directly into the Mpumalanga region up to the heights of the Drakensberg (Highveld). Visit to the Blyde River Canyon, the 3 Rondavels and Pilgrim's Rest. The historical memories of the gold prospectors are very interesting, as are the characteristic pancakes. Then the splendid descent into the Lowveld through the Drakensberg Escarpment; a thrilling plunge into the flat green sea that stretches out of sight to the horizon all the way to Mozambique. This is the Africa we were looking for: the savannah, the Kruger Park. We spend a few days in Phalaborwa, the gateway to the central-northern Kruger. The town is quiet and orderly, with little houses with pools and English gardens, an American-style shopping centre and a football pitch.

Then someone tells us about the time a lion managed to reach the supermarket car park where a Mozambican immigrant was resting..... The park entrance is a few km away and you need only pass it to begin the long-awaited experience of a safari in a private car. We move along a strip of asphalt through all the park's environments: the bushy, sandy, wooded, rocky savannah, the forest of Mopane trees, baobabs, muddy fords, rivers, ponds etc., etc., and we are never alone. Everything happens in there: hundreds of antelopes, buffalo, zebras, wildebeest, warthogs graze with the watchful gaze of those who could at any moment end up in the jaws of a lion or a leopard, a cheetah or a pack of hyenas or jackals. They're all around, perhaps only a few metres away. Sometimes they show themselves without a care for those silly metal boxes like ours.

The elephants, on the other hand, seem attracted, perhaps tempted to send us rolling away with a swing of their trunk. The giraffes try to hide but it isn't easy for them. Ostriches, guinea fowl and francolins peck here and there. Hippos and crocodiles are the masters of the waters of the Limpopo; eagles, kestrels, vultures, hornbills and colourful birds of the sky. In the movements of the baboons we imagine the story of our species. For me, a passionate naturalist since birth, a true paradise. Each animal has its place in this living picture in which life and death have always chased one another. It's not a film, it's not a joke, out there it's for real. A mix of emotions makes its way, ranging from respect to fear, to a sense of inadequacy.

Suddenly we realise the importance of being able to have a safe place to sleep, of food, of water and of so many things that were simply taken for granted before. We certainly recommend living the days in the park to the full, making use of the wonderful facilities provided. There are barbecue areas, museums, huts, bungalows or resorts in which to spend magical days in perfect harmony with nature. We very much appreciated the Kapama resort, located in a private reserve directly bordering the park. Colonial bungalows cared for down to the smallest detail, a terrace over the lake, a pool with a waterfall, a reading room in the style of Out of Africa, an open-air restaurant, all perfectly set in the environment. The safaris aboard the Land Rovers are a bit tiring but what better way to experience the renowned experience of a sunset or sunrise on the savannah? Unmissable for a honeymoon.

Tips for other travellers? South Africa has a great deal to offer in terms of attractions and hospitality, but it is rather dangerous compared to the European average. Never go around at night, especially in the more run-down areas, and generally always stay on your guard, not only inside the park. As for antimalarial vaccination, we did nothing. In two weeks staying in the Kruger at the end of March, we'll have been bitten by 4 mosquitoes... In fact it wasn't worth it.

The second part of the trip was on the island of Mauritius. The arrival by air over the island is very emotional. After hours of ocean, indeed, Mauritius and Reunion appear, solitary in the ocean just like the classic pirate islands. Green with tropical forest and volcanic heights surrounded by the light foam typical of the coral reef, an irresistible attraction. As the plane descends you discover that the island is anything but uninhabited and, on the contrary, teems with frenetic, multicoloured activity. The inhabited centres are spread over the whole island and the traffic of old cars, buses and various mopeds often clogs the main roads. But the most singular feature of the Mauritians is certainly the variety of ethnicities and the singular ability to live together without fully mixing.

That's how you can stumble into an Indian quarter complete with a brightly coloured Hindu temple, or into the red lanterns of a small Chinatown, or into a Creole fishing village, or a classic nineteenth-century European villa. Not to mention the variety of tourists. The end result is an atmosphere of characteristic mixing that pleasantly accompanies the tourist at every moment. We stayed at Flic en Flac, a place a little far from the more classic tourist destinations such as Grand Baie, but perhaps for this reason quieter and more natural than average. Our tour operator booked us into one of the fine resorts that occupy the very long sandy shoreline facing a lovely coral reef: The Sands. We were very well looked after.

The property offers the classic attractions: pool, restaurant, bar, sporting centre and wellness centre, but it stands out for its care of the environment and the courtesy of the service. A coral beach well shaded by palms, lots of greenery, flowers and colourful birds. A little corner of paradise where we were left wanting for nothing, including the "honeymoon dinner" by candlelight in a gazebo by the sea. It was fun to go around the island on a moped, although the car is probably the most suitable means, given the frequent rain squalls and the scarcity of petrol stations... Worth recommending is the catamaran cruise in search of dolphins and the most secluded beaches, or the incredible colours of the sunset from the beach at Flic en Flac. Ah, you get used to the placid Mauritian pace at once and it's hard to go home....

It was a beautiful trip, our honeymoon, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who made it possible.