Thanda Island

Discover Africa Safaris made the entire experience very enjoyable. If anything went wrong Dev and his team were on it in moments. Every part of the trip was conducted by professionals from Federal airlines to the two safari lodges.

I can’t say enough about the Impodimo Lodge. The guide and tracker were excellent in both knowledge of the area and all the different animals we saw. All the meals were excellent and the staff were all so helpful and pleasant. We especially enjoyed sitting each night with our “jeep mates” for a great dinner and conversation. Sebastian, our guide would also regale us with wonderful stories. Sebastian, even ensured we made the last day morning trip because of a chance that there were cheetahs in the area. Sure enough we were able to take numerous photos of the 5 brothers and still make the flight back to Johannesburg.

Moving on to Hoyo Hoyo Safari lodge proved to be just as great. Although the meals were structured with only Trish and I at our table, the food was to die for with local dishes and wonderful desserts. Again the staff was of a caliber designated for 5 star accommodations. It also didn’t hurt when the afternoon elephant parade interrupted lunch time. I believe the only downside to our entire excursion was the return flight from Hoyo Hoyo as it was a commercial flight. That is how great of a time we had when the only thing to complain about was what every traveler complains about no matter where they are.

May I just say that if we were to make another trip I would be hesitant to use anyone other than Devryn and Discover Africa Safaris as our planner for another trip of a lifetime. Thanks to all!

We had an amazing time at our safari place(Kapama Karula) organized by Susan from Discover Africa!
She is very professional and gave us unforgettable time in South Africa!
I highly recommend Susan and discover Africa!

From start to finish, every phase of our trip was seamless. From the man who greeted us at Nairobi airport when we arrived to the woman who assisted us at our departure, we were taken care of perfectly. Our lodges at Saruni Samburu and Saruni Mara were beautiful. The staff was welcoming and we had genuine conversations that gave us an appreciation of their culture. Matthys at Discover Africa listened to our priorities. He communicated well and made our remarkable safari to Kenya a dream come true.

We travel a lot. I don’t normally write reviews and I typically plan and book everything myself because I am very exacting when it comes to the itinerary, logistics, accommodations, activities, etc. – everything must be perfect. When planning this trip, I vetted and researched at least 10 top-rated companies (including phone interviews) and reviewed a dozen itineraries before beginning to work with Discover Africa and Susan Veldman.

We were a group of 2 couples traveling together on a complex itinerary with high expectations, a restricted amount of time, and a budget range. Susan was patient, professional, friendly, and expertly knowledgeable. She worked with all of our parameters, spent hours on Zoom calls with me, and put together a lifetime experience trip to Tanzania and several other locations that was seamless and exceptional. In addition, Susan checked in with me regularly during our trip to make sure that everything was going well.

We had it all – incredible private guides, perfectly located accommodations, a great combination of luxury and simplicity to meet our desired experience at each location, and enriching experiences.

While on the trip, I was also pleased to hear from independent local operators that Discover Africa is highly regarded in the industry as an ethical company that is one of the best.

Save time and effort – I have done all of the work for you! (lol) – I highly recommend Susan at Discover Africa for your safari dreams!

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.

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