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With February, the month of love, drawing to a close, what could be more romantic than heading off to Africa for a safari for two?
Picture open plains dotted with incredible wildlife, sundowner bubbles in the bush – and just the right mix of romance, relaxation and adventure. The perfect recipe for celebrating love! Africa is renowned for its sumptuous hotels and lodges in breathtaking locations, its discreet but personable service and delectable cuisine, all setting the scene for unforgettable memories – be it a honeymoon, anniversary or simply a romantic getaway. Here are a few beautiful locations across Africa to reignite the romance in your life…
Spa-fari at Mara Bushtops in KenyaYou would be hard pressed to find a more romantic location in Kenya than Mara Bushtops. Not only is it home to the ‘Best Safari Spa in Africa’ (their Amani Spa has won this title multiple years in a row at The World Luxury Spa Awards) but the accommodation oozes romance, with beautiful king sized beds and fabulous views from its private hot tub over a busy salt lick that attracts wildlife from miles around.
Couples can enjoy private bush breakfasts, sundowners at dusk with a campfire for two made by your Maasai guide – or even a hot air balloon safari, floating peacefully over the iconic Masai Mara at sunrise!
Bushtops is currently celebrating its 20-year anniversary – and a new value add that every booking now enjoys at no extra cost is a private vehicle with dedicated Maasai ranger and spotter for your stay, ensuring your safari memories, be it on the private Isaaten conservancy or in the Masai Mara National park itself, can be enjoyed at your own pace for that added bit of “Out of Africa” romance!
The month of February also falls within their low/green season where if you stay 3 nights you get a 4th night free. This special offer applies from now until 30th June 2026 and then again from 1st October to 20th December 2026.
Night of a million stars on the Onguma Dream CruiserOnguma is a pristine nature reserve on the eastern fringe of Namibia’s Etosha National Park. It is privately owned and operated by Onguma Safari Camps, with a choice of 5 lodges to suit all tastes and budgets.
Couples with a spirit of adventure will absolutely love to spend one of their nights on Onguma’s one-of-a-kind Dream Cruiser in the middle of the wilderness, under a canopy of stars. A land cruiser has been custom-converted into a star bed – complete with creature comforts like a flushing loo with a view and basin and shower below leading up, by internal ladder, to a beautiful upper deck with lounge and dining area and a lush four poster bed draped in netting! Enjoy a delicious picnic-style dinner and bubbly under the stars before tucking up in bed. Couples can choose to close the canvas flaps if they wish – or enjoy sweeping 180-degree views over a waterhole all through the night, with that added injection of adrenaline! (Spoor showed that a lion walked right past me to drink water on the night I spent on it, but I sadly slept through the whole thing!)
If you like your safari a little tamer, Onguma Camp Kala ticks all boxes for safari perfection! With just four elevated suites in total, Kala offers couples absolute privacy and exclusivity. Each suite has its own sala with day bed (or sleep out under the stars), a beautiful deck with choice of both a wood-fired hot tub and cool plunge pool depending on your mood – and discreet butler service. There is also an on-site photographic hide, gym and spa room for relaxation and pampering between safaris, making it ideal for a long Valentine’s weekend, honeymoon or simply a romantic getaway.
Loved up at Warangi Ridge in TanzaniaRomance is truly wild at Warangi Ridge in Tanzania. Perched on a secluded ridge, tucked amongst some breathtaking boulders in the central Serengeti, this luxury camp, which only opened last year in July 2025, offers just 15 intimate tented safari suites which have been designed to celebrate the rare and endangered pangolins that call this area home.
Suites are furnished with a sumptuous king-size bed, freestanding bathtub with a view, cosy fireplace in the lounge, both an indoor and outdoor shower under the stars and beautiful deck that opens straight out to sweeping savannah views, perfect for sunset bubbles or stargazing. These suites also boast the only heated private plunge pools in the Serengeti, I am told!
I enjoyed a stunning hot air balloon safari while I was there, booked through Serengeti Balloon Safaris, which ends with a wonderful Champagne Breakfast. Unforgettable.
Warangi Ridge ran a fabulous 2-night Valentines package for the whole of February 2026 which included sunrise hot air balloon safari, a champagne bush breakfast and a private candlelit dinner for two. Book early for 2027!
Everything you need to plan your trip in 2026 Mountain Magic at MontusiRomance at Montusi in KwaZulu-Natal’s Northern ‘Berg is all about the mountain views and quiet, cocooned moments for two. Free‑standing thatched suites are tucked into lush gardens, each with its own lounge, fireplace and patio gazing straight onto the Amphitheatre escarpment, so you can linger over sunrise coffee or sunset drinks in complete privacy.
Enjoy the peace and solitude of the great outdoors, with miles of trails to explore hand in hand, or even better, on horseback! Return afterwards for a refreshing dip in the rock pool, a game of tennis or perhaps some pampering in the day spa. For the more adventurous, wild swims in one of the nearby dams or rivers are an absolute treat, or take a shower beneath a waterfall!
February specials for the Month of Love start from R6,000 (£275) per person, for 2 nights of romance in a Garden Suite, including all meals, afternoon teas, a couple’s 60-minute massage and a bottle of bubbly.
Couples who enjoy hiking might want to take this one step further and sign up for the new 55km slackpacking trail recently launched by The Carte Collection, which links four accommodation partners within the Northern Drakensberg Nature Reserve. Called the Northern Drakensberg Nature Way, it is a four-day, multi-stage hiking route with luggage transfers between lodges. The trail connects The Cavern Drakensberg Resort & Spa, Greenfire Drakensberg Lodge, The Berghouse & Cottages and Montusi Mountain Lodge. Meals are provided at each overnight stop, and this new slackpacking trail is getting rave reviews.
Sunsets ala OmaandaZannier Hotels Omaanda is located just 30 minutes’ drive from Windhoek, gateway to Namibia. It is tucked within a 22,000-acre private wildlife conservancy, surrounded by beautiful grassy plains, dotted with acacia trees. The reserve is home to a variety of wildlife including rhino, elephant and big cats, many of which have been rescued and rehabilitated.
This boutique lodge comprises just 15 individual Owambo-style thatch and clay huts – all with breathtaking views and is known for its crazy-beautiful sunsets! Certainly, one of the most memorable I have ever experienced in 30 years of safaris! Omaanda offers a fabulous alternative to staying in Windhoek town before or after your Namibian itinerary – with many romantic activities on offer including sunrise yoga, stargazing, breakfast with meerkats and of course game drives. It also boasts fabulous wellness facilities such as an open-air infinity pool, a fitness centre and a spa where they offer African healing therapies and rituals designed to purify and rejuvenate. Add it to your bucket list!
Land of giants, leopards and loveUltra-exclusive Euphorbia Villas in Botswana’s Mashatu Game Reserve is a fabulous spot for a loved-up safari for two! Comprising just eight luxury villas, with each one’s unique design inspired by the Mopane pod’s graceful form, these villas deliver on romance! If you can bear to drag yourself away from the views, you can sign up for a full-body couples massage at the Serokolo Spa, enjoy candlelit dinners at tables tucked amongst the euphorbia forest or take a dip in your lantern-lit plunge pool after dark.
Mashatu is known as the “Land of Giants” and certainly delivers on the safari, scenery and big skies! They also offer a wide range of adventure activities, including underground hide sessions, walking safaris, cycling safaris, horseback safaris – and more. This is absolute heaven for those who seek both heart-racing wildlife encounters and indulgent downtime à deux. Mashatu has also recently been dubbed the “Land of Leopards” thanks to its recent Nat Geo Wild documentary… available now on catch up.
My favourite personal memory from my safaris at Mashatu? Those regular, adrenaline pumping reminders from the expert Mashatu guides to “Hold tight please” as you head up or down another steep riverbank in search of leopards and other wildlife! Just the memory makes me want to book a flight!
They have a romantic/Valentine’s special running until 31 March 2026 where if you book 2 nights or more, and 1 person stays free.
A safari for the soul at Tembe Elephant ParkNestled in the remote wilderness of South Africa’s northern KwaZulu-Natal, Tembe Elephant Park offers an enchanting retreat for those seeking to reconnect with nature. Wake to the distant rumble of elephants, enjoy guided game drives through indigenous sand forest and sundowners beneath an endless African sky. A soul safari for sure!
The lodge’s beautiful safari tents blend luxury with authenticity, including both indoor and outdoor showers—perfect for quiet moments together. Whether you’re watching gentle giants at a waterhole, enjoying a few hours in the incredible Mahlasela Hide (Check out YouTube Africam for the webcam feed), Tembe’s wild beauty will touch your heart. It certainly holds a special place in mine.
Tembe offers a special 2-night package for honeymoons and/or anniversaries including all meals, two daily game drives, plus one private dining experience at your tent, a couples massage and a bottle of bubbles for 820 USD per couple which is incredible value for money at around US$205 /£145 pppns.
An African safari ticks all the boxes for romance because it combines thrilling, once-in-a-lifetime adventure experiences with deeply intimate moments in wildly beautiful settings. Where will you book your next romantic getaway?
Claire Roadley
Claire Roadley is Founder of Umlingo. Umlingo promotes authentic, sustainable hotels and safari eco lodges across Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands. If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.
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