Due to scheduling issues with grad school and both of their start-up companies, my friends Amy and Dave decided to go on their honeymoon before their wedding.  Read all about their incredibly adventurous African honeymoon below.

When and where did you honeymoon?

June/July 2009, East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania/Zanzibar), Rwanda, South Africa.

How long was your trip?

3 weeks.

How did you decide on your honeymoon destination(s)?

I’d always wanted to go on safari in Africa.

The best part about our honeymoon was…

So many… but most incredible experience was hiking into the jungle in Rwanda to see mountain gorillas interacting in their natural setting.

Other great experiences: the huge expansive sky and landscape in the Masai Mara and seeing so many different animals, driving down into the Ngorongoro Crater and seeing our one and only rhino, learning about the fascinating mixing of people and culture in Zanzibar and tasting spices on a spice tour, the views from the top of Table Mountain in South Africa, touring Robben Island and learning about the apartheid history/Mandela.

If I knew then what I know now, I’d change…

If I could’ve planned the timing around the annual Great Migration, that would’ve been amazing to see.

How much planning did you do in advance?

I did a lot of planning since this was a trip of a lifetime. I talked to friends who had gone before and tried to squeeze in all the major sights that I wanted to see in the time that we had.

What was your biggest honeymoon splurge?

Seeing the mountain gorillas – it cost $500 per person for 1 hour with the gorillas.

Where do you want to go on your next big trip?

Back to India, Morocco or Turkey.