Namibia: The Perfect Honeymoon Destination (Part 1)

People often give us a look of bewilderment when we tell them that we went to Namibia & Cape Town for our honeymoon. “But… WHY?!” they would sputter. Well, in these 2 posts, we’ll try to explain why these 2 destinations provided all the elements for a perfect honeymoon (:

Read on for 5 reasons why Namibia was perfect:

1. Sand Dunes! (Just one of the many surreal landscapes for fantastic photo opportunities)

The landscape in Namibia is fantastically diverse, and one of the most arresting images that we found while doing our research was Deadvlei, a white clay pan in the middle of towering crimson dunes that truly looks like something out of this world. It is situated in the Namib- Nakluft Park, which is home to some of the highest sand dunes that are a ton of fun to climb and even more so to run down. For conservation purposes, sand boarding is not allowed, but it was still a heck of an experience (and workout!) climbing up the dune and then racing down together.

Tip #1: Skip Dune 45 (which most tourists go to and is hence very crowded) and drive to the arm of “Big Daddy” instead, which will give you an breathtaking (literally!) view of Deadvlei and more motivation to climb.

Tip #2: Consider staying at the campsite within the Namib-Nakluft park or at the Sossus Dune Lodge (which is the only lodge located within the park) as this will allow you to get a head-start and watch the sunrise over the dunes. Unfortunately we didn’t get to do this and were stuck outside the gates for a good half an hour after the sun rose despite leaving at the crack of dawn.

2. So. Many. Stars.

There’s nothing that takes my breath away more than a sky littered with stars. The ridiculous amount of large, wide, open spaces in Namibia means that light pollution is minimal, understandably making it one of the world’s top destinations for star-gazing. One of our favourite experiences on our honeymoon was huddling in the cold outside our lodge, trying to set up our tripod to capture the starry night. Being amateur photographers, we got really excited when we actually succeeded in doing so! (: Some of the lodges (like the Sossusvlei Lodge) even offer star-gazing tours or telescopes for better viewing. For the more adventurous, opt for the camping option on your safari as that will allow for even better star-gazing opportunities since the campsites are usually in more remote locations and have less light. A word of caution – do check the weather and go prepared if it’s winter! We camped on our first night in woefully inadequate clothes and no amount of cuddling could get those toes warm.

3. Skydiving

ET might differ with me on this, but skydiving is AWESOME! Swakopmund is well-known as the adventure capital of Namibia and it is understandably the best place to sky-dive as you get a wonderful view of the coast AND dunes for a really reasonable price. For  USD 210 you get a 25 minute scenic flight with gorgeous views of Swakopmund and then you get to jump off the plane! (: It’s a true leap of faith to take, but a word of caution for the guys, if you’re not a fan of the G-Force sensation and don’t fancy spinning your way down, make sure to tell your instructor not to do so. ET wasn’t so lucky. We went with Ground Rush Adventures and they were very professional. Recommended!

4. Animals. Lots of animals. 

I can’t even begin to count how many animals we saw on the trip. Apart from the three days we spent at Etosha where we saw the Big 5, we also saw herds of zebras, giraffes, wildebeest, and animals I’ve never heard of such as kudus and oryxes (to name a few). It was most spectacular observing them at the waterholes, and I will never forget the moment we held our breaths as we watched a herd of elephants walk serenely in a straight line towards the waterhole, or the time I saw a giraffe leap so gracefully to its feet after it had done a near split to drink water. At Cape Cross,  we also saw thousands (I kid you not) of seals, although this wasn’t that pleasant an experience because they smell like you’ve stuffed your face into a bag of salted fish for an hour. Half the fun is really the unpredictability of knowing which animals you will see, and making a game out of seeing who spots what first (:

5. Hospitality 

Everyone knows that terrible service ruins the best of holidays, but that is something you do not have to fear in Namibia. The locals we met along the trip were extremely friendly, and we were so touched by the warmth of their hospitality, their efforts to help us celebrate our honeymoon (4 bottles of bubblies!) and their wonderful culture. We loved the songs, the dances, and most of all, the bright smiles on their faces. The people at Wild Dog Safaris (whom we toured with) were also awesome and we owe it to them for giving us such a wonderful honeymoon!

So there you go, if you’re looking for an all-rounded trip with amazing scenery, fantastic game-viewing, and fun in the sun, sand, seas and skies, Namibia is definitely worth a consideration as the perfect honeymoon destination.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin!