As we begin 2020, many of us are planning 2020 travels — booking flights, researching destinations, picking out tours, making reservations. I myself am in planning mode, first for my upcoming wedding in May and, secondly, for our subsequent honeymoon! After much thought, my fiancé and I decided on South Africa, affording us the opportunity to safari, wine taste, explore cities and experience a number of firsts together.

I’ve traveled quite a bit, so it can be a challenge to select a totally new place and experience, and I definitely wanted it to be a place new to both of us. We did consider Tahiti and the ultimate beach experience but decided while we’ve never done the South Pacific, we’ve done beaches, and we both wanted some adventure. My fiancé is an animal lover, so I knew I wanted wildlife incorporated into our honeymoon. I’ve always toyed with the idea of a safari for a momentous occasion. We also thought about Alaska, for the epic scenery and so much more, but a trip to Alaska feels more attainable any given year than a safari in South Africa. No matter what we discussed, we kept feeling the tug to South Africa.

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Once we landed on a destination, planning began. We have flights on South African Airways; our safari experience at Mhondoro Lodge booked; a two-night trip on Rovos Rail, a luxury train in South Africa, planned; and three nights along the coast at Grootbos. I’ve never traveled overnight by train, so I’m eager to experience that type of travel. My fiancé will have the chance to go underwater with great white sharks at Grootbos, and I’ll at least see the majestic beasts from the boat unless I build up the courage between now and June to go sharking myself. We also plan on some time in Cape Town and Johannesburg, and I can’t wait to take a daytrip to South Africa’s renowned wine country. And I’m sure there will be no words for the wonder of a safari or even taking in the sunset from our villa overlooking a watering hole.

It will truly be a trip to remember, and that’s what I wanted from our honeymoon: a vacation experience we’d forever look back on and remember as epic. Send me your suggestions, recommendations and must-do’s from your own experiences, as we’d love to incorporate as much as we can into this trip of a lifetime!

— Kim Krol, editor in chief