Vilanculos Holidays

We had a truly magical safari experience perfectly planned & organised for us by Susan Veldman at Discover Africa.

We flew from Cape Town to Hoedspruit and then seamlessly transferred to the most beautiful lodge in the Karongwe private game reserve. We stayed at Kuname Lodge and it was perfect, the setting, the staff and the lodges were all wonderful and the food was amazing. The game drives from the lodge were so well organised and we saw so much big game.

The transfer back to airport and flight back to Cape Town were also seamless so the whole experience is everything we could have asked for.

If anyone asks me where to look when booking a South Africa adventure then I would say that they do not have to look any further than Susan!

Cayleigh put together an 18 day tour of Victoria Falls, Botswana and Namibia that was the best trip we have ever taken! The service was so personal and professional, we were taken care of every single step of the way. When a flight was cancelled for some of our party, Cayleigh was immediately in touch even though she was on vacation. Any time we had a question, Cayleigh was quick to respond. When our flights were changed and we were scheduled to arrive in the evening, she made sure that a dinner was waiting for us at the hotel. The accomodations were amazing, the staff at each lodge were awesome. All of our meals were exceptional, and included most of our beer and wine. Truly, it was an experience we will never forget.

We had a great trip in Namibia. In 11 days we did a roundtrip, which was organised through online meetings. Every thing went on as agreed on and ver smoothly. We had a very good guide/driver, who explained us a lot about the country, politics, history and most importantly about the scenery we were enjoying as well as the wildlife we were seeing. The lodges we stayed in were very comfortable, the food was excellent. The trip itself was run by Namibia tours and Safari.

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!

Justin helped me book my camp experience with short notice, he made the whole process very easy, took care of everything, was easy to contact and my trip was perfect.

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.