Honeymoon to South Africa & Seychelles
Claire Bergin, 20th January 2022The trip was incredible - the trip of a lifetime!! Every detail of the trip was considered by Donna which made it extra special and reminded us of the benefits of going through a travel agent.
Countries Visited
South Africa
“South Africa was wonderful - it surpassed our expectations. The weather was fantastic and the people were so warm and welcoming. The food and wine was also top class and brilliant value. We will definitely be back!
Our driver on arrival was fantastic too :)”
Seychelles
“The Seychelles was idyllic. It was a very relaxing island with beautiful scenery and stunning waters to enjoy! However, we did find it very expensive although we were aware of that ahead of travelling but maybe coming from South Africa the prices just seemed a little steep compared to what we had been paying in the previous weeks. We felt that there were also a limited amount of things to do. However, it felt like a very safe island and the people were very welcoming and they were delighted to have tourists back! We enjoyed our time there and it was the perfect end to our honeymoon :)”
Accommodation Visited
Cloud 9 Boutique Hotel and Spa
“Cloud 9 was gorgeous. Although the location was a little away from the main tourist attractions (which we knew when booking), we enjoyed our time exploring the city from here, as well as feeling part of the local community with great local choices for some restaurants and bars. The breakfast options were fantastic and the views from the top bar in particular of Table Mountain were stunning. The staff were extremely helpful and there was a great buzz about the place particularly at the weekend. The two pools were gorgeous and our room was great - it was really spacious, the bed was really comfortable and there was a Nespresso machine and bottled water available for us everyday.”
“LaFonatine was incredible! The service was exceptional - they really went above and beyond! We enjoyed every moment here - the pool, the room, the food, the location - everything was top notch. There was a bottle of rose bubbles on arrival which was a wonderful surprise. We didn't actually drink it the first day and they were so accommodating by providing a new bucket of ice when we drank it a few days later. I (Claire) have some food allergies (some of which are not that common) and on the first morning at breakfast, one of the staff came to me to let me know that the chef had prepared something specifically for me. We had arranged for dinner in one of the wine estates on our first night and they offered a lift there and back. We were happy to walk there but took them up on the offer of the return lift and indeed they arrived on time and we had a very comfortable ride back and went to the bar for a drink which we presumed we would be paying for but both lift and drink were on the house. They also advised us on some local walking/running spots to explore as well as local restaurants and bars to enjoy.
Our room was also extremely comfortable - every detail was just perfect!
They had also implemented a charity initiative to help local disadvantaged people with food requirements which we gladly donated to - this was not pushed on us but just a flyer that was at their front desk.
We would highly recommend and hope to be back some day.”
“Can we give more stars?? What can we say?! This place was out of this world. From arrival to departure we were treated like royalty. The bedroom was the size of an apartment in an incredible setting. The food was exceptional and the service from the staff in the lodge to our safari guide were more than we could have hoped for!
We felt extremely lucky with our guide who was hugely knowledgeable and experienced. All 8 drives were brilliant and we enjoyed our time with the other guests at the lodge throughout the drives, for the sundowner drinks and the time at the bar in the evening reminiscing over the experience on our drives. We were even lucky enough to enjoy a Big 5 Drive on my birthday. The staff also went to extra effort of baking me a birthday cake and singing Happy Birthday after dinner and had rose petals and a bottle of champagne in our room on return from our evening drive.
Again Tuningi paid great attention to detail with my allergies and put me at ease when enjoying the delicious food!
On our first night we enjoyed a wonderful group dinner overlooking the watering hole when an elephant strolled by (that doesn't happen everyday) - we had gorgeous braai and other local South African cuisine. The other nights we ate just ourselves but enjoyed great chats with the staff, guide and the other guests.
The pools were stunning and a welcome escape from the heat and the gym was perfect - we needed it to burn off all of the calories we were eating - but they were all amazing calories - 3 course lunch and dinner and some great choices at breakfast!”
Carana Beach Hotel
“Carana Beach was just gorgeous - we loved our chalet and the outlook it had to the ocean. They had some bubbles and a cheeseboard on arrival for us, as our flight came in late on the night of our arrival. They also provided us with a complimentary lunch voucher to celebrate our honeymoon and as we were half board and felt the Seychelles in general was very expensive we were delighted with this! And on our final evening, they booked a lovely dinner right by the beach as our romantic dinner - very thoughtful.
The staff didn't seem to understand my allergies which left me a little uncomfortable but i tried to stick to things I knew would be safe to eat. The service was also a little slow and there were some miscommunications with food orders but in general it was a wonderful stay.”
Staff Review
“Donna is our hero! Right from the start Donna was clearly an expert on African travel and discussed with us lots of options and as we narrowed down our itinerary and accommodation, we knew we had made the right choice to go with Mahlatini for our honeymoon. This became even more clear when the many Covid implications started to impact our trip between travel restrictions and ourselves also picking up the virus - however Donna put us at ease immediately and managed to rebook flights and accommodation I don't know how many times. We don't know how we would have even begun to navigate all of those challenges. Then as we began our travels, we were blown away by the service en route - with the ease of travel, with people meeting us at our various destinations and staying in amazing accommodation, it made it a truly spectacular trip - beyond what we had hoped for. Thank you so much Donna - we will remember the trip forever and without hesitation would recommend Mahlatini to anyone thinking of a honeymoon or any sort of trip to Africa!”