House In The Wild

As a party of seven guests we found the travel arrangements seamless and the accommodation well suited to both older and younger members. In addition, we were of mixed bush experience with some seasoned safari members and some first timers. The Lodges and especially the guides were able to accommodate all levels of interest and discussion. We stayed at a lodge in the Chobe concession (our experienced and wise guide was Lebo) as well as in the delta in the Khwai concession (our guide Biyst was approachable and knowledgeable). The Lodges were well appointed, comfortable and the service friendly and impeccable. Discover Africa’s organizational skills were spot on! This was both affordable and value for money. They are clearly the experts in this area and we can highly recommend them especially for first timer safari travellers.

Matthys van Aswegen of Discover Africa went above and beyond to plan a two week trip for myself and my family (6 travelers) through multiple African countries that was unforgettable!

There were many moving parts to our schedule, but every step was thoroughly planned out so there was no stress – first class service all around! We were provided tickets and vouchers beforehand, Matthys thoroughly walked us through the activities and schedule, and was very receptive to all of our feedback and requests.

The clear standout of our entire trip was our stay at Simbambili with our incredible guide and tracker, Doctor and Service. They are worth a request! Obviously a ton of work went into the planning up front, but Matthys was also very helpful and responsive to our last minute add-ons while we were in Africa. He was easy to contact and got back to all members of our party immediately.

We would use Discover Africa for our next African adventure in a heartbeat, and we recommend their services to you!

We have just returned from the most incredible 2 week trip in Africa, travelling to Kruger National Park, Cape Town and Victoria Falls – it was made all the more special by the incredible guidance, planning and organisation of Discover Africa, specifically Cayleigh. During the planning stage, nothing was ever too much trouble – they went to great lengths to listen to what we wanted in terms of destinations and type of accommodation and it all ended up being EXACTLY what we were looking for! The trip itself was seamless, with every single pre-arranged transfer and activity being on schedule. Cayleigh also provided contact details and checked in on us during the trip, to ensure everything was going smoothly. There is also a post trip check-in. Discover Africa provide an extraordinary service and we cannot recommend them highly enough!

In terms of the trip itself, there are just too many highlights to list but some of them were – extraordinary animals on safari and absolutely gorgeous Thornybush Lodge in Kruger, penguins and Table Mountain in Cape Town and basically everything in Zimbabwe – Shongwe Lookout was an intimate boutique hotel, sunset cruise (so many hippos!), elephant encounter, Victoria Falls and Lookout cafe, visit to a local village and the Simunye: Spirit of Africa show. We just want to go back and do it all again!

Vihann was responsive and friendly, worked patiently with me as I tweaked my itinerary three times. I researched the camps myself and Vihann supported with his local knowledge so the result was very memorable and extraordinary holiday. I was very happy with local transfers, guides were available to answer questions and food was top notch.

Africa was on my travel “wishlist” but I never thought I would actually get there

That all changed when our son was home for a visit over Christmas. He announced that he and a friend were going to Africa. They had selected DISCOVER AFRICA to plan their trip. He shared all the details with us and we decided it was an adventure we had to experience as well.

Our son connected us with Vihann Van Wyk at Discover Africa, the same agent he was using. Vihann was a pleasure to work with. He coordinated our trip with our son’s and tweaked the details as requested. Communication was a breeze through both email and WhatsApp. Vihann made suggestions as well as accepted specific requests from us to build a custom itinerary. No detail was overlooked. Some accommodations were adjusted to keep us within budget without sacrificing our experience.

All drivers, tour guides, experiences & lodging did not disappoint. All internal flights were on Airlink …. better than some regional airlines in the USA. The weather was perfect too!

Deborah's Safari Experience

Our itinerary included:

*CAPE TOWN – Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel….very nice property with an excellent breakfast and beautiful outdoor dining. Must sees were the full day Cape Tour, Wine Tour to Stellenbosch, Table Mountain and High Tea at the Cape Grace Hotel.

*KRUGER NTL PARK – Lion Sands Tinga Lodge….a dream experience! Excellent private bungalow, twice daily game drives, delicious food, and a wonderful massage and facial at the spa. The staff was outstanding.

*VICTORIA FALLS – Shongwe Lookout Lodge…a modest property that met all our needs and saved us some money. We experienced the Zambezi River sunset cruise, Victoria Falls ( incredible!! ) , lunch at the Lookout Cafe and a visit to the historic Victoria Falls hotel for lunch.

*JOHANNESBURG – Marriott African Pride Hotel in Melrose Arch ….an upscale area with lots of shopping and dining. The Soweto Tour was an experience not to be missed. We visited Nelson Mandela’s office and home. The Apartheid Museum was sobering and moving.

Lastly, every where we went we met the nicest people….friendly and helpful.

Excellent adventure! An experience like no other!

We had a wonderful experience with Discover Africa from the planning stage all the way through to the end of the trip. I communicated what my family was looking for with a visit to Africa and Vihann helped construct a trip that provided the quality and experience to match our wishes. Using a travel agent, communication is of the upmost importance and Vihann was readily available during all parts of planning via email and even during the trip via WhatsApp.

If you choose to visit multiple countries in Africa and remote locations within those countries, transportation and logistics can be very challenging, and we were consistently at ease during our travel knowing that we’d always be in the correct place at the correct time because of Discover Africa. There were no hiccups or concerns going between locations and that alone made using Discover Africa worth it. In addition to logistics, Vihann chose incredible accommodations at each location in Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.

The camps in Botswana (African Bush Camps Kwai Lediba & Atzaro Okavango) and Zimbabwe (Old Drift Lodge) were luxurious and intimate and the staff at the camps made our stays far exceed expectations. On top of the camp hosts and staff being personable and accommodating, the safari guides were extremely knowledgeable and made it possible for us to see every kind of wildlife we wished to that was native to the areas (including lions, elephants, leopards, hyenas, hippos, and wild dogs).

While the price for the overall trip can change quite a bit based on the accommodations you choose, I strongly recommend paying the additional dollars for the comfort and service that you receive at the higher-end camps. Overall we had an amazing trip due to the planning and service provided by Discover Africa and Vihann. I would absolutely use them again in the future knowing that we would be taken care of and set up for success.