travelandleisure

Honeymoon Part 1 - South Africa Safari

I don’t know about you but I am longing for some sunshine now after yet another storm hits the UK this weekend. Whilst I’m stuck indoors I thought I would share our honeymoon adventure in case anybody is thinking of doing the same thing!

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We went on honeymoon two days after the wedding in October 2019. Up until this point I had never travelled outside of Europe as I HATE flying so this was a massive deal for me to be able to do all this travelling - the final destination had to be worth it!

After countless hours trawling the internet and deliberating about destinations we decided to take the plunge and go on Safari. Our ideal honeymoon had to tick the perfect balance of adventure and relaxation - two weeks on a beach just isn’t us. The idea of relaxing on a sunbed is very appealing but the reality of sand in all places, red head skin that burns and a husband who doesn’t read books for longer than ten minutes makes it more stressful than relaxing for us!

When I found out you could do “twin centre holidays”, we knew it was the right choice for us.

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I have a few friends who love planning all aspects of their trips from travel, changeovers and hotels. That person is NOT me. I needed someone to do it for me and after making several appointments with all the big luxury travel agents, I found Paper Plane Travel on Instagram and felt this was more up our street.

After a few emails and phone-calls, Charlie provided the quotes and once we all agreed, she arranged everything for us. From flights to transfers to little honeymoon touches that make it all the more special. I knew which hotels I wanted to stay in which was a starting point but this doesn’t always have to be the case. Charlie is fab at recommending hotels you would never have found on booking.com.

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I fell in love with Marataba Safari Lodge from the moment I saw pictures and I can honestly say it is the best place I have ever stayed. It is pure magic!

Getting there though is a bit of a bitch especially if you don’t like travelling. We flew from Manchester to Johannesburg via Dubai with Emirates (no cheeky upgrade though, unfortunately). It was 6 hours to Dubai with a 3 hour transfer time. From there it was 9 hours to Johannesburg. After we landed in Johannesburg we had another 4 hour car journey to the lodge.

But my God was it worth it! The staff like to say “welcome home” and I really really really wish it was my home because everything is amazing. The facilities are pure luxury, the staff are amazing and the food is incredible.

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Full disclosure - Safari is not for the fainthearted. You have 5am wakeup calls everyday sometimes before the sun comes up and probably only sleep about 4 hours maximum at a time during the whole trip. But we never felt more relaxed at Marataba even with no sleep.

We had a few hiccups along the way - the first being a storm on the first night which immediately took me back to a fateful camping trip in Snowdonia many years ago. It may be a luxury expensive tent - but it is still a tent when the wind blows!

We also had a family of warthogs make a den under our tent for a few nights. Ever wondered what a family of warthogs sounds like? Like they are sawing through the wooden supports that hold the tent up and at any moment the whole thing might collapse.

There was also a wildfire which started after the storm. Although it never came close to the lodge, you could see it raging across the mountain top and it really made you appreciate how dangerous and destructive these fires are.

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I was not prepared for the immediate immersion in nature once arriving at the lodge. I thought we might have a few drives before spotting any of the “Big 5” but on our very first drive, just hours after arriving we saw elephants, lions and the elusive Black Rhino. It was so breathtaking, nerve-wrecking and beyond my wildest dreams all at the same time!

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My top tips for Safari :

  1. Be prepared clothing wise but bear in mind some blogs/advice maybe a little extreme. For example I didn’t need to buy walking boots, my gym trainers were more than suitable. We also didn’t need waterproof pants - we spent most of the time in shorts and hoodies.

  2. Take naps in the day but also enjoy the facilities. Try the wine, the “exotic” meat. Order room service and book the massage on the balcony - it was insane!

  3. Make sure your camera has the flash turned off before setting off on a game drive. I nearly had a nervous breakdown in the midst of a family of elephants when another guests flash went off!

  4. Sit at the back of the car if your hearing is good enough. It’s the best place to see everything and if you’re a bit nervous like I was when a herd of rhino’s catches your smell downwind then you feel way more protected than lower down in the vehicle.

  5. Be prepared to wee in the bush. Something I hadn’t really considered until I was squatting down behind a tree hoping that there wasn’t a lion waiting, or worse - a snake!

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So if you are debating a safari for your honeymoon, or just because - I would say do it! Save the money, spend the money and you will never ever regret it. Unless maybe if you get eaten by a lion but even then that would be cute ;)

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36 Hours In Edinburgh with Novotel Hotels

Victoria Street, Edinburgh

Victoria Street, Edinburgh

Gifted stay with Novotel Hotels

I was very kindly invited by Novotel Hotels to stay at the recently renovated Edinburgh hotel right in the centre of the city. Having visited Edinburgh a good 6 years ago, I was keen to go back and explore again.

The hotel is situated perfectly for exploring Edinburgh - it is just a short walk from all the major tourist attractions. Rooms vary from standard rooms to suites. I was kindly upgraded to the Suite which was really spacious and had the pièce de résistance - a balcony with amazing views.

Novotel Edinburgh Suite Balcony - the views are gorgeous!

Novotel Edinburgh Suite Balcony - the views are gorgeous!

11pm

After dropping our bags and freshening up we immediately headed out for some cocktails - you know me, I can’t stay away from an espresso martini for too long. The Dome was recommended by one of my lovely instagram followers and it really is an impressive building - the perfect place for a sophisticated cocktail.

9am

There is an option for room service breakfast at the hotel for an extra £5, if you already have breakfast included in your room, which is really good value. I love nothing more than breakfast in bed at hotels - hiding away in your dressing gowns, watching tv. It feels like a real luxury. And it meant we got to relax in the room for longer and take advantage of the gorgeous sunny morning on the balcony.

Breakfast in bed, Novotel Edinburgh

Breakfast in bed, Novotel Edinburgh

Sunny morning coffee on the balcony, Novotel Edinburgh

Sunny morning coffee on the balcony, Novotel Edinburgh

11am

Victoria Street is a beautiful curved street with gorgeous colour facades each holding lovely little cafes and shops which is one of my lasting memories from the last time I was in Edinburgh. We stopped off at Hula and sat outside in the sunshine and sipped on juices before making our way across the city.

Victoria Street, Edinburgh

Victoria Street, Edinburgh

Victoria street is just off the Royal Mile which is a must see if it’s your first or millionth time visiting Edinburgh. It is a hub of souvenir shops, cathedrals and bagpipes all leading to the stunning castle on the hill.

The Royal Mile, Edinburgh

The Royal Mile, Edinburgh

1pm

After wandering through the old town and into the new town, we stopped off at Badger & Co to warm up with coffee and cocktails. I can highly recommend the blood orange mimosa!

2pm

Circus Lane is an Instagram favourite so of course I had to go check it out. That’s the beauty of visiting a city the second time round, you can forget the tourist must sees and start heading to the outskirts to explore places you might not necessarily see on the first visit.

Circus Lane, Edinburgh

Circus Lane, Edinburgh

3pm

The Scran & Scallie, Edinburgh

The Scran & Scallie, Edinburgh

We had booked a table at The Scran and Scallie in Stockbridge - a gorgeous gastro pub run by two of Scotland’s top chefs, Tom Kitchin and Dominic Jack. I would say booking is a must as the pub was packed. We had an amazing meal here and some delicious champagne too.

Stockbridge is a wonderful little area, bustling with boutiques, bars and restaurants. It reminded me a lot of Burton Road in Didsbury and I could definitely see myself living here!

5pm

Back to the hotel to freshen up. The decor here is really relaxed and welcoming which was a nice surprise for me. Neon lights, lounge chairs and plants make the reception a place you actually wouldn’t mind chilling out in which is something most big brand hotels fail at in my opinion.

Novotel Edinburgh Reception

Novotel Edinburgh Reception

Novotel Edinburgh restaurant

Novotel Edinburgh restaurant

Novotel Edinburgh Bar

Novotel Edinburgh Bar

8pm

It took us a a few minutes to find Bramble Bar - a hidden underground space on Queen Street in the new town area. It’s a really cool cosy bar serving up fabulous gin cocktails if you like gin - which apparently everyone in the world does except me! There are also regular djs and the tunes were amazing!

Ready for a night out in Edinburgh

Ready for a night out in Edinburgh

9pm

Dinner at The Honours was beautiful. It’s a fine dining kind of setting with a more relaxed price list which appealed to us. The scallops were incredible, and although we were too full for dessert they looked and sounded amazing.

Just up the street from The Honours is Copper Blossom which is a cute cocktail bar with lots of lovely decor and foliage which of course I was a like a moth to the flame.

Copper Blossom, Edinburgh

Copper Blossom, Edinburgh

8am

Sunday morning chilling in bed with the balcony doors open and the sun streaming through was perfect. We really lucked out with the weather this weekend, although cold, it was mainly dry and sunny. And the weather made the suite even more special.

Suite view, Novotel Hotel, Edinburgh

Suite view, Novotel Hotel, Edinburgh

Brushing my teeth with a view, Novotel hotel Edinburgh

Brushing my teeth with a view, Novotel hotel Edinburgh

11am

Coffee before the train, back where we started on Victoria Street. La Barantine is a cute little bakery with lots of Parisian patisseries and great coffee. And it’s also just a 10 minute walk from Waverley station.

La Baratine, Victoria street, Edinburgh

La Baratine, Victoria street, Edinburgh

I would highly recommend visiting Edinburgh if you’ve never been before, or if you are thinking of going back soon. The Novotel Edinbrugh Centre is the perfect central location and a really good hotel, deserving of it’s 4 star status. Comfy beds, gorgeous rooms and delicious breakfasts make it the perfect city break base camp.

Novotel Hotel, Edinburgh - the perfect city break base camp

Novotel Hotel, Edinburgh - the perfect city break base camp

*This was a gifted stay provided by Novotel in exchange for some images and blog post. All words are my own and I would never recommend somewhere I didn’t enjoy.