Catherine and Kieran Rafferty from Laois and Tyrone recommend beautiful South Africa for couples who want a perfect mixture of adventure and total luxury for their honeymoon.
Date of honeymoon: September, 2009
Average temperature: 14-16 Degrees
Where did you go? South Africa
Price range: Medium
Travel time from Ireland: You are travelling a day each way as there are no direct flights. A piece of advice would be to get night flights, chances are you’ll sleep better.
Airport you flew to: We flew to Amsterdam and then onto Cape Town. You can fly through Heathrow but our travel agent said that Heathrow can be a bit manic. On return, we left from Port Elizabeth to Jo’berg then Amsterdam and onto Dublin.
Why did you choose this location? We chose this location for a number of reasons… (a) We wanted to go where neither of us had been before (b) No Jet lag (c) Drive on same side of road (d) Heard nothing but great reports about South Africa!
Where did you stay? And would you recommend it?We stayed in many different hotels and lodges as we moved around quiet a bit. We were determined to see as much of South Africa as possible. We stayed in The Cullinan Southern Sun in Cape Town, Franschhoek Country Lodges, Hogs Hallow lodge and Kariega Ulozi Lodge. All were great but if I could single out one, it would have to be Hogs Hallow Lodge outside Plettenberg Bay. It was just amazing.
What kind of holiday was it? It was a busy honeymoon but that’s what we wanted. We believe that when visiting a country you should try and experience as much of it as possible. You can lie on a beach anytime.
Was it all-inclusive? All our accommodation was bed and breakfast except for the safari which was all-inclusive.
What were the main attractions? There was so many a couple favourites were Robben Island, Table Mountain, the wine regions, the cango caves and of course the safari.
What was the best part? Well I really enjoyed the wine region and safari; Kieran found the Cango Caves fascinating and the safari too.
Best place (or thing) to eat? You certainly won’t be short of fabulous places to eat in South Africa but one of our favourite restaurants was Rubens in Franschhoek. If you are intending on going to the wine regions then eating here is a must. You won’t be disappointed. Eating out is very good value for money. You can get a three or four course dinner for two with nice bottle of wine for between €30-€60, depending on restaurant.
Why would you recommend this honeymoon location? We would really recommend South Africa as a honeymoon destination. The service is amazing the food is great with good value for money. The people are extremely friendly and the scenery is so beautiful and diverse. The photos don’t do the experience any justice.
Tips for travelling to that destination: A lot of people look twice at you when you say you’re going to South Africa. You have to be safety conscious of course but no more than you would be going to any other country. Every South African we met was friendly, hospitable and helpful. If you get a clear day in Cape Town, go as quick as you can up Table Mountain!
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