Bucket-list Tanzania Safari

We really enjoyed our trip from South Africa to Botswana and Zimbabwe! Sometimes a lot of whether a trip is successful comes down to the logistics. In this case, Susan Veldman and the company took care of all details related to our accommodations, transitions between countries and transportation from day to day so that our trip was seamless. The vendors and their staffs (hotels, restaurants, drivers, etc.) were so helpful and friendly. The experience was amazing!

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 started to plan our Safari only 2 months prior to arriving in South Africa. The planning and logistics provided by Discover Africa were superb. We only visited Botswana (4 different camps for 2 nights each) and each camp was a wonderful, and yet very different experience in terms of geography and animals. We will definitely be coming back to visit other countries in Southern Africa.

When there are so many choices out there for safari tours, we were a little overwhelmed. But when we reached out to Adele from Discover Africa, she is prompt in her response and understood our request and very quickly she put together a tour that is one of the best holiday of our lives!

At Hoya Hoya we were greeted with the most amazing hospitality, and even though it’s full board, the chef prepared different dishes the 3 days we were there. Andrew, our driver and guide is fantastic, and we saw the big five during our stay and of course the ‘live tv’ just opposite our dining place allow us the best experience of our lives. The elephants, giraffes and even hyenas visited the watering hole that Hoyo Hoyo built was just brilliant.

Our next adventure at Chisomo Karongwe private game reserve did not disappoint. On top of the big five, Polly (guide) and Eddie (tracker) made my dream came true by spotting 3 cheetahs during the morning drive.

We would like to thank Adele for planning this once in a lifetime trip for us and thank you Africa for the memories for life.

We had a wonderful experience with Discover Africa and, specifically, Dev Panaino. Dev helped us plan a dream vacation to South Africa and Zimbabwe and made the planning from our end effortless. We met with Dev via Zoom calls for the initial trip planning, and he regularly followed up with us via email. Dev was personable, easy to work with, and really listened when we outlined the experiences we desired on this trip. He designed an itinerary that met and even exceeded all our goals. With his knowledge of the area, he had great ideas for enhancing our adventure. Discover Africa provided us with comprehensive information on how to prepare for the trip down to the smallest detail. We left home with our travel documents safely in tow and the knowledge that we could reach out to Dev at any time should difficulties arise. And they sure did.

It’s worth noting that Dev arranged all our ground transportation at each leg of the trip as well as a private guide for several excursions. We traveled in unexpected luxury on the excursions with a knowledgeable, friendly guide who really added depth to the experiences. Dev also strongly recommended a safari lodge other than the more popular (and expensive) choices we had researched ourselves on-line. It turned out to be a true hidden gem, upscale yet cozier and more intimate than the others.

One of us had an unfortunate, vacation-ending injury on the fourth day of the trip (bad fall resulting in a broken kneecap requiring immediate surgery). We contacted Dev almost immediately in near-panic about what to do and how to get home. He really rose to the occasion, reassuring us that he would help and we’d be safe. Dev made many on-the-fly arrangements for us, from finding last-minute hotel accommodations and dealing with the local airline to arranging ground transportation and making all the necessary cancellations/re-bookings. Following our return home, he provided gathered helpful information to support our travel insurance claim.

Although our trip did not work out as planned, needless to say we highly recommend Dev Panaino at Discover Africa and would absolutely work with him again.

As soon as we chose Discover Africa to send us to Africa, we were constantly helped in planning the trip and were also continually guided during the trip. I felt as confident as possible that my wife and I were going to have a great trip. I appreciated the information we got about our lodging and activities at the 4 camps we stayed at. I also appreciated the quick responses by Susan Veldman to my every question leading up to the trip. And she often checked in with us while we were in Africa.

Despite our moving from camp to camp (my friend planned our itinerary) four times, everything went off without a hitch. We we were welcomed enthusiastically by the staff at each camp, including being serenaded when we arrived and at every dinner. The camps were well designed and well designed. They were way beyond anything we could imagine. The food was excellent and healthy choices were always offered.

Our lodging was spacious and comfortable, and we enjoyed night sounds of our surroundings, including the grunting Hippos in the river nearby. The guides assigned to us were skilful and very personable. They made sure we had endless opportunities safely to get up close to wildlife for photos that will last a lifetime. This was a remarkable trip, which we will never forget.