Time + Tide Luwi

My best friend and I just recently returned from an excursion in South Africa. There are simply not enough adjectives to describe this experience. Starting with the initial “interview” with Matthys Van Aswegen…. Matt was so thorough, so personable and extremely knowledgeable. I was able to comfortably explain to him exactly what we wanted without feeling “snobby”. He put together a package that was amazing. Everything we wanted and more. I basically said we wanted to be treated like queens and we were! The accommodations he arranged in Cape Town, Simbambili and Rattary Lodge were unbelievable. Our main focus was to see as many exotic animals as possible. We saw absolutely every animal except the cheetah (extremely rare). Every. Single. One. We were treated to the rare sight of wild dogs, and a hippo OUT of the water as well.

Booked almost a year in advance, Matt was vigilant in his correspondence. He sent numerous suggestions for preparing for the trip which were extremely helpful and informative. He answered all of my emails and questions within 24 hours. Just before we left he also gave me his personal phone number in case we ran into any difficulties ( we didn’t). I can’t say enough about how incredible he was and firmly believe he was the reason our trip was so spectacular. After seeing my photos and videos, several friends are now interested in a Safari and I have strongly recommended him.

If anyone is interested in a Safari, Discover Africa would be the first place to start. Bar none.

I worked with Justin Van Wyk at Discover Africa Safaris to arrange safaris in Zimbabwe and Botswana, including a stop at Victoria Falls, for two of my children and me. The safaris were exquisite, and Justin was phenomenal—professional, responsive, and detail-oriented. He patiently helped refine my changing requirements and dreams until we created a luxurious, once-in-a-lifetime trip. The adventure was extremely well organized: there were no surprises, we were greeted at each location, and transportation between destinations was well planned and flexible when needed.

The six luxury camps arranged by Discover Africa and Justin were outstanding. The food was excellent, and even my picky daughter ate well at every meal. The accommodations and furnishings were beautiful, and the staff were welcoming, attentive, and friendly. Everyone at the camps prioritized safety and made sure we always felt comfortable and secure.

The actual safaris and activities we out-of-this-world. My goals of this trip were to have my adult children see the Big Five and to capture pictures of leopards. We saw a leopard on the first day! And around a dozen in all. Many amazing pictures were taken as well. With a side trip to see rhinos, we did see the Big Five, and many, many more wild African animals. We even caught tiger fish…

Thank you, Justin and Discover Africa,
Bill Reid

PS – Captured acceptable Milky Way photos in Botswana as a Bonus!

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.

We had a wonderful safari experience, and Justin from Discover Africa made everything seamless from start to finish. Communication before the trip was clear and helpful, and we felt well supported throughout.

Some truly special moments including the fantastic lodge we stayed at (Arathusa) and the incredible wildlife sightings made the trip unforgettable.

Everything including flights and transfers ran smoothly, which allowed us to simply enjoy the experience. We would happily recommend Justin and Discover Africa to anyone planning a safari.

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.

Cayleigh planned the perfect safari for us! The safari and tour following were exactly what we wanted. Rockfig was an amazing luxury experience that allowed us to see the big 5 and so much more. Our trip with Discover Africa was worth every penny!