South Africa spices up your Romantic side with a Romantic Getaway Tour

In today’s fast paced society, we seem to work, eat, sleep and repeat. The rat race has many of us in this routine and a getaway is so dearly needed by most. But when you are in a relationship and the stresses of everyday life take their toll, the best getaways are the unforgettable romantic ones. South Africa has so much diverse culture and hot spots for couples to explore. The country has incredible art galleries, offers the finest in theatre and theatrical productions, has one of the world’s most thriving industries concerning safari and wildlife and has a rich and diverse history marked by wars for land, civil rights and freedom. A wonderful getaway for any couple is a self driven tour throughout the sights of the rainbow nation. The perfect place to begin would be in South Africa’s largest city: Johannesburg.

Start in the city of gold
The tour begins its first two days in a city with many activities available to a loving couple. The accommodation is a wide variety and includes many guest lodges, game lodges and five star hotels. The standard of service and hospitality is extremely high, perfect for the romantic couple wishing to be pampered. For two days in the City of Gold, the couple can enjoy theatre at the many first rate play houses and theatres showing famous productions and also new, local and intriguing productions. The art available in the city is of a similar standard: many famous art galleries are available for visiting. Due to the rich history of the country and the city being in the midst of some of the greatest accomplishments and downfalls in the country’s history, Johannesburg has wonderful museums to capture that history. As well as the cultural aspects of Johannesburg, there are also game parks reasonably close to the city encompassing some fantastic opportunities for romantic game drives and the best of treatment at their safari lodges and spas.

After two days in the city the tour moves on to Dundee in Kwa-Zulu Natal, a town steeped in the rich history of the arrival of explorers from the Northern Hemisphere, and the almighty attempt at stopping their infiltration by the local tribesmen. The town is reasonably central to the many battlefields surrounding such as Rorke’s Drift, Isandlwana, Blood River and Ladysmith. The town has a quaint elegance and is filled with historical buildings, museums and services offering tours and excursions to the famous battlefields. The Royal Country Inn is a wonderful hotel which was established four years after the town was founded in 1886 and is very well preserved. Other accommodation offered is B&B’s, guest houses, guest farms and so on. The tours to the battlefield give a feeling of achievement over past troubles, but also the cold frankness of man’s mortality.

History, art, theatre, wildlife: always nicer as a couple
Two days are spent in Dundee exploring the battlefields, museums and exhibitions, after which the tour heads for St Lucia. St Lucia is a wetlands area in Northern Kwa-Zulu Natal in an area known as Zululand and has an incredible variety of wildlife and flora to discover. It is situated in the Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park, South Africa’s first world heritage site. Take a boat cruise through the wetlands, have a safari at Phinda Game Lodge and swim in the sea at Cape Vidal. The area seems almost tropical and is lush and green. The area is fantastic for nature walks and romantic sunset strolls through the Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park. The area has hotels, guest houses, guest farms, hotels, self catering and B&B’s. After two days of nature at its finest and romance at its most poignant, it is time to move on to the next destination.

The tour spends one night in Sodwana Bay, also part of the world heritage site, yet further north than St Lucia. The area is the closest beach to Johannesburg and was popular with ivory hunters due to the animals coming to the sea as the only available water source nearby. The area is now famous for snorkeling and scuba diving as well as offshore fishing. There is also the reserve to explore and all these activities are perfect for a fun seeking, leisure loving couple. The accommodation available is self catering, resorts, hotels and guest houses, plus the area has the largest open campsite in the Southern Hemisphere. After one night in Sodwana Bay, the tour heads for Mbabane.

Across the borders
Mbabane is the capital City of Swaziland, so do not forget your passport as you need it to cross the border! Mbabane is a very cultural and thriving hub of activity. There is the Swazi Plaza and the Mall where the main banks, shops, restaurants and other interesting finds are situated. The accommodation available is up market hotels or the most basic self catering but this is still very comfortable. The activities surrounding Mbabane are obviously concerning the Mall and Swazi Plaza, but there are also game reserves, hikes, walks, game drives, arts and crafts and much more. The tour spends two days and nights in Mbabane after which it heads off to Hazyview.

Hazyview is situated just outside the Kruger National Park and has many geological wonders on its doorstep. The town is extremely young: it was only founded in 1959 but has a thriving community which is extremely involved in the tourism involved in the Kruger Park. The town has many luxury hotels, resorts, guest houses, guest lodges, game lodges, and hostels: most types of accommodation. The available activities are perfect for a romantic getaway: the Kruger is a stone’s throw away and it is a place where some of the best game drives, bird watching and star gazing occur – something extremely romantic for a couple’s getaway.

Into the wilderness
After spending two days in Hazyview and the Kruger, the tour heads for its final destination: the Olifants Rest Camp in the Kruger National Park. The Kruger National Park is known as the diamond of Africa, thus it is the perfect spot to enjoy two nights and two days with your loved one in the romantic bush. Olifants Rest Camp is positioned at the top of a hill and offers many exciting activities including Game Drives, star gazing, game walks, mountain bike trails, bush braais and much more. The accommodation available in the camp is park’s accommodation, camping, game lodges and self catering. The tour ends at Olifants Rest Camp on the 14th day.