Romantic Gataways

1.Blue Train bliss


Incorporating The Blue Train into a honeymoon on its route between Pretoria and Cape Town gives a  couple 31 hours of cocooning in luxury with a butler service, brunch, high tea, dinner and breakfast, an off-train excursion and accommodation in a plush compartment with en-suite bathroom.

2.Night skies the star of the show


Romance is found at a number of Sanctuary Retreats properties, among them Sanctuary Baines’ Camp bordering the Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana. Here honeymooners can bathe under the stars and then go on to sleep in the open, under cover of night.

3.Safari and spa accent at Summerfields


Summerfields Rose Retreat and Spa, near Hazyview and 10km from the Kruger National Park’s Phabeni Gate, is offering honeymooners a four-night package with one night free and a number of complimentary inclusions.

4.Secluded beaches in Mozambique


The dunes behind Machangulo Beach Lodge in Mozambique provide an opportunity to take a romantic walk on the beach to a new level.

5.Sabi Sands intimacy


With only 10 comfortable chalets, the four-star Idube Game Reserve in the Sabi Sands is an intimate location for a honeymoon.

New culinary route opens on Cape West Coast

West Coast Way Foodie Route, which showcases the diverse flavours to be found in this area, launched last week.

The route is a self-drive circular route with 10 stops – the West Coast National Park with Geelbek Restaurant; Langebaan; Saldanha Bay; Jacobsbaai; Paternoster and Cape Columbine; St Helena and Shelley Point; Velddrif; the West Coast Fossil Park; Hopefield; and the Thali Thali Game Lodge.

“The West Coast Way Foodie Route showcases the relationship between passion, innovation and food,” said Founder, Carmen Lerm.  

“It must be mentioned that this new route is located within an area of vast natural and cultural beauty,” added James Vos, South African Shadow Minister of Tourism.

The route launch began at Thali Thali Game Lodge with a traditional West Coast breakfast, followed by the official ribbon cutting ceremony at Herons Rest. Guests were then taken to Protea Hotel Saldanha Bay for oysters with a final stop at Saldanha Bay Cultural Village and Museum, showcasing the historic fishing houses of Hoedjieskop in Saldanha.

Other West Coast Way routes include the West Coast Way Scenic Route, the West Coast Way Berg Route and the West Coast Way Cultural Route.

“Tour operators can use these routes as part of their itinerary and easily find what they need to put bespoke and new packages together,” says Lerm.

New camp opening in Hwange

African Bush Camps will open a third camp in its Somalisa concession in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, in June.

“Somalisa Expeditions, although replicating the rustic and authentic atmosphere of the original Somalisa Camp, will open with completely new modern meru-style tents, all with en-suite bathrooms including flush toilets and running water showers,” said Founder and CEO, Beks Ndlovu. The camp will offer six tents accommodating 12 people.

Ndlovu added that Somalisa Expeditions would have its own spacious main area built on raised decking and overlooking a small waterhole and a swimming pool, which he said has become the regular “elephant drinking pool”.

Somalisa Expeditions will open at a lower cost, compared with the group’s Somalisa Camp and Somalisa Acacia properties, also in Hwange.