Recommend June 2012 - (Page 21)

Pampering is a priority here. Lazy walks, sunbathing by the swim- ered villages nearby. In addition, guests can opt for helicopter rides to ming pools or indulging in a therapeutic massage in the Bedouin tent view the spectacular Kalambo Falls, take in a spa treatment, and go ﬁshing, game viewing or water skiing. housing the rooftop spa, highlights its laid-back ambiance. The award-winning resort has a ﬁrst-rate restaurant considered one Contact: palmietvalleyestate.co.za of the best in the region. kenya Contact: ﬁrelightexpeditions.com From balloon ﬂights at dawn soaring over the Maasai Mara to diving into the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, Kenya is a wonderfest of botswana romantic options that will have honeymooners gliding gleefully into their Some expert African travelers consider Botswana the destination of choice for a taste of the so-called African experience. For honeymoonnew life as a married twosome. Romance will ﬂower with an African honeymoon at Elsa’s Kopje, ers, it offers unparalleled experiences that can add zest to a different a stylish and romantic hideaway named after the famous lioness in type of honeymoon. Botswana is where safaris on elephant backs were George Anderson’s book “Born Free.” Elsa’s Kopje (kopje means “hill”) practically invented and there are activities galore for newlyweds includtowers above Anderson’s original camp and each of its nine cottages ing treks into the fabled Kalahari Desert. Some go as far as saying that blends in with the rocky hillside. The honeymoon suite is a 3-level se- if Africa is the most bewitching continent on earth, then Botswana is cluded haven shaped around the twists of a giant rock and overlooks the sorcerer. Zarafa, a chic and romantic nook, is a camp where honeymooners the plains of Meru National Park, home to elephants, rhinos, and giraffes, as well as the occasional leopard. The animals can often be can opt for private dinners, private pools and spend nights in a canvasstyle luxury tent overlooking the Aibadianja Lagoon. spotted from the private terraces in every room. The brainchild of National Geographic ﬁlmmakers Dereck and Beverly During safaris, honeymooners receive individual treatment. Guides and drivers will stop the vehicle to pour drinks and serve snacks while Joubert, this intimate 4-tent camp on a private 320,000-acre reserve the couple watches the scenery at dusk. Rates begin at approximately overlooks a lagoon teeming with hippos and elephants. Big cats, wild dogs, and other game are common throughout the area. $625 per night. It is very romantic, accommodating a maximum eight guests, each Contact: elsaskopje.com receiving personal service. Every tent features a private pool, private tanzania bath and outdoor showers that could easily have the best view in Couples who want to experience a unique honeymoon in a far more Botswana. remote location should consider Tanzania, one of Africa’s most distincZarafa is in the Okavango Delta and the solitude, service and richness tive destinations—very remote and full of names that invoke adventure in animal viewing and hiking plus the nights spent under the southern and romance: Serengeti, Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar, Ngorongoro, etc. This is constellations make it a magical spot. a country that offers everything from sun-splashed beaches to mounThis all-inclusive resort is ideal for those who seek complete solitude tains, as well as moss-covered ruins of ancient Swahili kingdoms and and comfort. Rates are $1,150-$1,800 pp per night dbl. treks over barren landscapes guided by genuine Maasai warriors. Contact: greatplainsconservation.com/zarafa Ngorongoro Crater Lodge sits on the lip of the famous crater, makmorocco ing it one of the most attractive lodges in Africa. The property is designed to look like a Maasai camp. The Tree Camp has six bunga- Away from wild game, tropical weather and in the continent’s extreme lows, while its neighboring South and North Camps are composed of north, where Africa touches the Mediterranean, Morocco offers newly12 suites each. All offer views of the crater. The property reeks of up- weds an experience unrivaled because its culture is so different from scale comfort, with ﬂower petals scenting baths drawn by a personal others in the continent. Couples coming here will feel like they’re livbutler. The ﬂoor-to-ceiling windows are dressed with curtains made ing amidst the pages of an Arabian fairy tale as Morocco is ﬁrmly enfrom raw silk and the accommodations are lit with chandeliers made trenched in a culture that’s centuries old and where the pull of romance is as enchanting and melodic as the call from a muezzin from a lonely by local artists. The main area sits on stilts and is accented with antiques, chan- minaret at dusk. At the foot of the Atlas Mountains on the plain considered the gatedeliers and African masterpieces, giving it a graceful blend of modern way to the South Moroccan desert, Ouarzazate, the “door to the desEuropean and ancient African styles. Ngorongoro Crater Lodge also overlooks Lake Tanganyika—the lon- ert” in central Morocco, is full of lush oases. This is also home to Dar gest and deepest lake in the world, which stretches a distance roughly Ahlam, an all-inclusive, 13-suite cluster of magniﬁcent structures that 500 miles. It is a very secluded and romantic property. Rates from ap- look like red sandcastles. This mirage-like vision, a Relais & Chateaux property, is one of the most romantic places in Africa. proximately $720 per night dbl. As beﬁts a resort owned by a French theater director, Dar Ahlam Contact: (866) 356-4690; ngorongoro-crater-lodge.com Lupita Island by Firelight is Tanzania’s ultimate retreat, a 130-acre ($925-$2,500) offers an unqualiﬁed romantic atmosphere highlighted wilderness haven with luxury accommodations in the pristine shoreline by choreographed, candlelit dinners in locations that stretch from olive groves to rooftops and long romantic moonlight treks into the desert. of Lake Tanganyika. If that isn’t romantic enough, guests can also choose to spend a With 11 luxurious bungalows and two larger cottages, all lavishly decorated, there is no place within the property that does not offer night in a tent for two among the majestic sand dunes that stretch away uninterrupted views of the lake. Rates start at about $2,200 dbl for a from the area or to explore little-known desert towns nearby. luxury suite, and include all game viewing excursions, meals and even Contact: relaischateaux.com/darahlam ■ laundry service. Guests can either bask in the luxury and island tranquility, or enjoy Archived related articles (available on recommend.com): watersports and join excursions to catch a glimpse of tiny, undiscov- From Zambia to Zimbabwe (March 2012) june 2012 21 http://palmietvalleyestate.co.za http://www.firelightexpeditions.com http://www.elsaskopje.com http://www.greatplainsconservation.com/zarafa http://www.ngorongoro-crater-lodge.com http://www.relaischateaux.com/darahlam http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend June 2012

Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: Noble House Hotels & Resorts
Tour Talk: Artisans of Leisure
Romance on Land & Sea
Out of Africa Come Romantic Retreats
Starry-Eyed Bliss in Exotic Surroundings
Enchanting Nuptials American-Style
Honeymoons that Stir the Soul
Latin American Gems Play to the Heart
Brazil Travel Planner
Fairy Tale Honeymoons in Europe
Island Weddings Pump Up the Volume
Once-in-a-Lifetime Honeymoons
Destination Wedding Powerhouses
Fancy-Filled Mexican Weddings
'Mooning in Mexico

Recommend June 2012