The Romance Issue

Southern Africa’s most romantic spaces.

There’s a vast selection of romantic destinations in Southern Africa, where rim-flow pools look as if they spill over into the African savannah or merge with the ocean along its coastline. Sunsets are rich in colour, the stars put on a spectacular show and the food is varied and flavourful.

Choosing the best place to savour time as a couple, on honeymoon or holiday, can be overwhelming. Here are a few of our favourites:

Unwind in tropical Mozambique

Mozambique’s tropical beaches and the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean ooze a sense of relaxation, and provide a dreamy destination for romantic getaways.

You can spend time snorkelling or scuba diving together, lazing on the sand banks, horse riding on the beach, or sharing a candlelit dinner at the water’s edge to the sound of gently lapping waves. The freshly caught seafood is often infused with flavours of Portugal and there’s ample time for long walks on palm-lined beaches or a leisurely boat trip on a local dhow. And if you’re fortunate enough, you may get to swim with a gentle whale shark or spot a rare dugong.

Be entertained in Cape Town and the Cape Winelands

Whether you’re an adventuring couple who likes to get outdoors or you prefer to sip on world-class wines and enjoy culinary delights, Cape Town and the nearby winelands provides this and more.

Take a helicopter flip from the V&A Waterfront over the dramatically beautiful coastline or try a chauffeured sidecar ride from beneath Table Mountain, along the Cape Peninsula. You can enjoy romantic dinners at fine-dining restaurants like Fyn, Epice and Indochine or a picnic of artisanal foods and crisp sauvignon blanc under the pine trees at Boschendal Wine Estate. There’s also no shortage of luxurious accommodation with suites overlooking the ocean, as well as a selection of more secluded romantic establishments, to choose from.

Be enthralled on safari in the Kruger

Wake up to bird song (or the snorts of animals foraging nearby) in wild spaces that offer you and your partner the perfect escape from the constant pressure of everyday life. You’ll have the option of joining skilled game rangers, who have in-depth knowledge of the plants and animals, on morning and evening game drives. In between there’s time to enjoy meals and drinks overlooking the bush or river, relax at the pool, read, or have a spa treatment.

The Kruger National Park is South Africa’s most well known big game reserve and forms part of a larger wilderness area that extends past its borders to private reserves like Sabi Sands, Timbavati and Thornybush. These and other unfenced reserves on the western border of the Kruger National Park make up what is known as the Greater Kruger. Each wilderness section has its own characteristics and animals that you are more likely to see. Sabi Sands is known as one of the best places to see leopard, the most elusive member of the Big 5, while elephant and buffalo are commonly spotted near the Kruger National Park’s Mopani Rest Camp.

Whether it’s a bush break, a beach holiday, experiencing the best in food and wine or a combination of all of these, at Leopard we’re always eager to share the very best of what Southern Africa has to offer.

Have you always wanted to see a pride of lions in the wild, swim with dolphins, or float over the winelands in a hot air balloon? Whatever your romantic African dream entails, we’re here to help you bring it to fruition in the most memorable way.

Happy travelling,

The Leopard Team

P.S. My husband and I recently escaped the city for the glorious Drakensberg Mountains. We stayed at Montusi Mountain Lodge in the northern berg. The setting was sensational and the staff warm and friendly – the key ingredients for a perfect weekend. What we most wanted to do was get out into the mountains.

We did the Mudslide and Crack hikes in Royal Natal. It was challenging and adventurous, taking us high into the mountain. There is something special about being in the wilderness, far from civilization, with only a few baboons and soaring eagles for company. You can see some photos on our Facebook page. – Diana