Rwanda in October

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!

We have just returned from a trip to 3 different safari camps in Botswana, a short trip to Victoria Falls and a gorilla trek in Rwanda that was booked with Susan from Discover Africa. We couldn’t be happier with the direction and support she gave us to truly make it a trip of a lifetime.

Although the three camps she booked for us were geographically quite close, they were very different in the wildlife viewing experiences, with different focuses for each (we were at camp Okavango, Xakanaxa camp and Chobe Game Lodge). We saw all the animals and birds we dreamed of seeing in Africa with the exception of the rhino as conservation efforts are currently underway and they are located only in central Botswana at this time. The accommodation was incredible at all of them, the food delicious and the staff exceptional. Such lovely, welcoming people.

Rwanda was an absolute favorite and not just for the amazing gorillas. The country is lush and beautiful, the people warm and welcoming and the Bishops house hotel was incredible.

Susan coordinated all of our bookings and when one of the airlines cancelled our flight within hours of our flying, she was completely on it and got us re-booked and on our way, even arriving an hour earlier than the previously scheduled flight. We would definitely book with Susan and Discover Africa again.

Susan and the team from Discover Africa you have excelled yourself through the initial contact to the very end of our journey. We were dazzled with the views of Cape Town. Victoria Falls and of course the game parks. The animals did not disappoint the spectacular service of all the staff will be etched in our memories forever.

The animals were the stars of the show but I have to mention the service,food and accomodation was out of this world. I took this tour with my 23 year old son and i was so impressed with all that this beautiful country had to offer. Susan, from the Wales family you are one amazing lady. Thank you again. To see our trip visit on instagram Saxons_odyssey

Africa was on my travel “wishlist” but I never thought I would actually get there

That all changed when our son was home for a visit over Christmas. He announced that he and a friend were going to Africa. They had selected DISCOVER AFRICA to plan their trip. He shared all the details with us and we decided it was an adventure we had to experience as well.

Our son connected us with Vihann Van Wyk at Discover Africa, the same agent he was using. Vihann was a pleasure to work with. He coordinated our trip with our son’s and tweaked the details as requested. Communication was a breeze through both email and WhatsApp. Vihann made suggestions as well as accepted specific requests from us to build a custom itinerary. No detail was overlooked. Some accommodations were adjusted to keep us within budget without sacrificing our experience.

All drivers, tour guides, experiences & lodging did not disappoint. All internal flights were on Airlink …. better than some regional airlines in the USA. The weather was perfect too!

Deborah's Safari Experience

Our itinerary included:

*CAPE TOWN – Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel….very nice property with an excellent breakfast and beautiful outdoor dining. Must sees were the full day Cape Tour, Wine Tour to Stellenbosch, Table Mountain and High Tea at the Cape Grace Hotel.

*KRUGER NTL PARK – Lion Sands Tinga Lodge….a dream experience! Excellent private bungalow, twice daily game drives, delicious food, and a wonderful massage and facial at the spa. The staff was outstanding.

*VICTORIA FALLS – Shongwe Lookout Lodge…a modest property that met all our needs and saved us some money. We experienced the Zambezi River sunset cruise, Victoria Falls ( incredible!! ) , lunch at the Lookout Cafe and a visit to the historic Victoria Falls hotel for lunch.

*JOHANNESBURG – Marriott African Pride Hotel in Melrose Arch ….an upscale area with lots of shopping and dining. The Soweto Tour was an experience not to be missed. We visited Nelson Mandela’s office and home. The Apartheid Museum was sobering and moving.

Lastly, every where we went we met the nicest people….friendly and helpful.

Excellent adventure! An experience like no other!

We had been thinking about a Southern Africa safari trip for a few years and had some valuable input from Zimbabwean friends who had been on tour many times. So we had a general idea of when and where but needed guidance on the finer details and options, as well as someone to put it all together once we’d agreed on an itinerary (South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana). This was possibly going to be our one and only trip of this type so we wanted to get it right!

I saw an ad for a tour similar to what I had in mind so contacted Discover Africa (DA). Devryn was able to clearly outline his preferences that would meet the brief. He suggested the order of travel, how long at each place, what type of accommodation (generally getting better as we progressed), how to get from A to B, etc., via several email conversations.

We had a Zoom meeting with him before finalising the plan, where we were able to ask further questions, which he was able to answer confidently and competently, given he had been to these places himself.

We felt confident enough with his recommendations to lock it in 12 months ahead of the trip.
Naturally, you anticipate some things will go wrong on tour, e.g., a missed connection, a guide not turning up, or accommodation not being as described, and we were mentally prepared for that.

Garry's Safari Experience

However, every connection was made on time and the accommodation exceeded our high expectations!

The Safari experience itself (which Devryn obviously couldn’t guarantee) was superb. The guides from the lodges we used were experienced, informative, respectful of the animals, and considerate of what we had and hadn’t seen previously and so every day (twice a day!) was another trip into the unknown. Everyone hopes to see the Big 5, which we did early on. After that it was a matter of literally sitting back in the jeep and seeing what would turn up. The birdlife was better than I expected (the lilac-breasted roller was a favourite), and seeing small animals like mongooses (4 different species), a chameleon and a steenbok were unexpected highlights.

The food was varied at the various lodges, with usually a buffet of 3 main courses of western-style cuisine (although I ate wildebeest, crocodile, kudu and springbok when it was offered). We finished off with 3 nights in Cape Town to let the Safari experience sink in, which was a very good move.

So in summary, we did some initial research, worked out a plan with Devryn, and he nailed the brief. We’ll never know if it could have been even better, but I seriously doubt it.

We are an Australian family of 6 and have just returned from a 2-week safari holiday in South Africa. Discover Africa was excellent. Devryn Panaino was our consultant and he was full of good information and always speedy with a return email.

There was not a single glitch during our holiday. The lodges and camps recommended were exactly what we asked for, with very comfortable accommodation and a couple of dietary requirements catered for every single meal. The guides and trackers were first-rate. They were very friendly and seemed to know everything about the African bush and its wildlife. They would get us into the best possible viewing spot every time and always so close to the animals.

Even the transfers were good – on time with friendly drivers and air-conditioned vans. Each transfer turned into a mini safari.
We hope to return to Africa in the next few years and will absolutely use Dev and the team at Discover Africa.

Steve's South Africa Safari Experience