English teacher Charlie Corazza and his wife Chelsey recently returned from their honeymoon in Africa.

Different and fun is right. How many honeymoons are chock full of zebra, elephants, and wildebeest? Not many. The Corazzas set out each morning on a safari in a Jeep packed with the day’s meals, and they were off.

Each day was filled with new adventures and new experiences. Corazza told of a time when they had to stop and turn the Jeep off for 45 minutes. “We had to sit there while a group of lions decided to just take a nap.”

The couple spent hours exploring the endless plains of the Serengeti. Though they missed the annual anima migration by about two months, there wasn’t a shortage of animal action. Corazza talked about an extraordinary sight, a sea of wildebeest, as far as the eye could see.

Extraordinary sights were every day things, including the sunsets. Africa has been known to have amazing sunsets, and Corazza saw them first hand, “It was surreal, I’ve never seen colors like that in my life, such a quality golden.”

Lake Manyara was another attraction the couple visited. Located in Tanzania, Ernest Hemingway called it “the loveliest in Africa.” The lake is 127 square miles, but hidden. “We couldn’t see it,” Corazza said. “It was so big it blended into the horizon.”

The Ngorongoro crater was another place the couple ventured to. Inside this large inactive volcano is earth and grass instead of lava. The crater was freezing and they had to wear winter clothes to dress for the occasion.

The Corazzas traveled to more than just Africa, they spent three days in Amsterdam, taking walking tours and enjoying their time before the African journey began. The two put the safari gear away and ended the trip relaxing on the beach in Zanzibar.

Corazza took more than memories and photos from the trip: he came home with a sense of appreciating home. Even though they stayed in five star hotels, running water was still a luxury that wasn’t always available. Food was impossible to tell what they were eating due to the lack of translation. “I actually tried wild boar,” said Corazza. The first thing the couple ate after arriving back at home? A nice, juicy, Americanized, burger.

Still Corazza remains captivated about Africa. The word that continued to resurface is “phenomenal.” This was a trip of a lifetime, and they planned that specifically: the couple didn’t want to go anywhere that they could possibly go back to.

In addition to the memories, photos, and new outlooks, the Corazzas took with them newfound friends. They met a couple who were also honeymooning on the same trip. They have stayed in touch, and plan on making a visit to Nice, France, in the spring when the adventures of the Corazzas continue.