Machame Camp

This is the second safari holiday we have used Dev to organise. We had the privilege of visiting three beautiful lodges on this trip, Devs recommendations in three different locations, Sabi Sands, Timbavati, and Makalali, which entailed a lot of organising with pick up and drop by road, each of which was flawless almost to the minute.

First stop was Sabi Sands where we saw the big five within 30 minutes, Unbelievable!

Next stop was Timbavati known for the possibility of seeing the rare white lion, second day out we saw the white lion cub (one of three in the world so we were told ) a gorgeous dirty little white cub with the pride, once again magic. Next stop was Makalali, Dev had mentioned the possibility of seeing cheetahs, after a lot experienced tracking and off road driving we came across two magnificent males basking in the sun, unbelievable.

On our last day when due to leave, a Saturday, my wife fell ill and could not travel, one phone call to Dev, he had transfers rearranged, flights cancelled and rebooked, which took all the stress out of a stressful situation.

I cannot speak highly enough of Dev and Discover Africa.

Fantastic support in planning a once in a lifetime trip with amazing recommendations of places to stay whilst maximising the budget set. Thank you Chrizaan for your attention to detail in making this such a special trip. The partnership between Imvelo and the local community in Hwange was so special to witness, with the added benefit of walking with the rhinos!

This was the most thrilling vacation I have ever taken. Justin at Discover Africa planned everything down to the finest detail so it was effortless, magical and perfect from start to finish. A trip of a lifetime and then some!

I was recommended Discover Africa by a friend who raved about them for their African Safari adventure and they didn’t disappoint. From the start the communication was timely, despite the time zone difference, and the advice was thorough and precise. It seemed to me that our agent, Susan, was always available no matter what time I was communicating with her. More than that she regularly checked in with me during our trip to make sure all was going well and checked us in for all our internal flights ahead of time.

The first thing Susan did was to find out what we wanted from our trip and then used that to tailor an itinary that met all our desires. Susan’s intimate knowledge of tourism in Africa had us booked into game reserves and guides in South Africa and Kenya which had all the big 5 on display plus more. The accommodation and tour guides she organised were fantastic.

Thanks to Susan we have had an African adventure taking in Karongwe and Masai Mara game reserves, Victoria Falls and the beautiful city of Cape Town which has provided photos, videos and memories we will cherish for the rest of our lives.

The service we recieved from Discover Africa was exceptional and went beyond our expectations. I couldn’t recommend them more highly.

Our safari trip to South Africa was nothing short of spectacular and I would like to thank Chrizaan for putting together a wonderful itinerary for us. Our first contact with Discover Africa was with a consultant who was amazing and very personable. Our planning was over a year out and, unfortunately, she moved on but I appreciated Alice Lombard (Head of Sales and Operations) stepping in and referring us to Chrizaan. I couldn’t have asked for a better consultant.

Because of our location the time discrepancy made communication a bit challenging, but through emails, WhatsApp and Zoom calls the interactions with Chrizaan were all timely and efficient (1/2 hr blocks of time were set aside on Chrizaan’s schedule where one could book Zoom chats). I liked the web design they use to view options for personalized itineraries – descriptions on potential lodges, information on daily activities etc.

Our trip included a 4 day visit to Cape Town before our safari and Chrizaan arranged all the necessary flights, transfers and tours associated and everything went smoothly. Little things like sending us an email with our flight reservation so we could check in 24 hrs before our flight were much appreciated. If we had questions during our trip she was always available. We thought that this safari was going to be a once in a lifetime trip but our experience made us feel like it’s something we would love to do again and I wouldn’t hesitate to use Chrizaan and Discover Africa once again.

We did a 3-week bespoke tour with Discover Africa and specifically Devryn Panaino. South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana game parks. Our group of 6 had a fantastic time, as the itinerary was top notch, transfers smooth and now we can’t wait to go back. We were nervous about small plane transfers but it was very smooth and professional service. In fact, it puts Aussie’s Jetstar in the shade. We saw all the animals big 5, ugly 5, small 5 and everything in between. Would definitely recommend this company and Devryn. Hot tip: be prepared to spend a bit of money it’s worth it for a truly unique experience.

Vicki's Southern Africa Journey