Our Honeymoon!

Rachel and I have been so many places in the World and we're constantly seek new, interesting, and off the beaten track destinations. After many heated debates in the bushveld of Africa, we finally decided on Madagascar and Reunion Island (only since the Seychelles became so popular after an unnamed princess spent her honeymoon there). The last Prime Minister was violently overthrown and banished from the Island nation. He now lives down the street from us in Pretoria. How unsafe can it be?

Madagascar
Madagascar is the Noah’s Ark adrift in the Indian ocean, an island peopled by seafarers and colonized by the French. “Unique” is almost too simple a word for its creatures, its cultures, and its landscapes. Rachel and I plan a fairly open itinerary. We will arrive in the Capital City of Antananarivo on 9 May to begin our 9 day journey with a restful and romantic night. The next morning we will fly to a little town in the north called Diego Suarez (formerly known as Antsiranana). From there we will travel by road to the Parc National de Montagne d’Ambre to see lemurs and tsingy and spend two to three days trekking and camping through the wild park. From there it is a quick 70 miles (or 6 hours) to get to the next park, the Reserve Speciale de l’Ankarana, a wilderness of caves, pinnacles, and canyons to explore for 3 days. The remaining three to four days will be spent relaxing and exploring the beaches of Nosy Be, one of the premier dive sites in the Indian Ocean with over 15m of visibility. Rachel and I will lounge on the beach, SCUBA Dive, and eat fancy French food. After our short 9 day visit, we will say goodbye to Madagascar and its ridiculous infectious diseases and fly to Reunion Island.

Reunion Island
An island of true contrasts, the French department of Reunion is unknown to many of the world's travelers. With an active volcano on its south coast, 17 miles of warm, welcoming beaches in the west, and lots of mountains and forests in between, Reunion Island offers vacation opportunities ranging from relaxing to truly insane. Rachel and I will land in St-Denis, the capital of Reunion Island and we will quickly leave the lights of the “big” city and head to the lights and glamour of the beach capital of St-Gilles-Les-Baines. This vacation hot spot offers warm waters, cosmopolitan French dining, and a sizzling nightlife. Plus, we will make a few SCUBA dives in the beautiful coral reefs. After a short visit, we will travel to Piton de la Fournaise, an eerie lunar landscape formed by a giant active rumbling volcano. After a quick hike, it is back to the beaches and luxury in St-Pierre. This unhyped area’s drawcard is the amazing underwater topography, a host of untouched dive sites with numerous ridges, canyons, and drop offs. We will round out the island with a stay in Ste-Rose where lava laps at the door of a church, just waiting to overpower the Virgin Mary. After this quick 5 day stay in an island paradise, it is a long return flight to Johannesburg and a drive back to Pretoria and our real lives!