Zambia in May

We live in Australia and I honestly didn’t know who to contact about organising a trip of a lifetime and I really wanted someone that knew Africa and not someone that was from Australia and just guessed.

I found Discover Africa on TikTok and got in touch with Justin and my gosh I am so beyond happy we did!

He was amazing from day one. He answered all my questions even the ones I felt were a bit silly to ask but it was no problem at all. He was beyond fantastic! There are no words that I explain what Justin did for us and the experience he has given us that will remain with us for a lifetime.

The itinerary was incredible with some extras he booked that I wouldn’t even of thought about! He organised everything from transfers to accommodation flights to a sunset cruise that were all beyond amazing! We will never ever be able to thank you enough Justin but if you live anywhere in the world and want to have an experience of a lifetime then book with Justin from Discover Africa!!!

All advising given by Discover Africa (in our case, by Justin Van Wyk) was really helpful and the programe they have outlined was great. Everything went really smooth and professional.

It was an extensive planning process to put together a 24 day safari and adventure trip covering Victoria Falls, Mana Pools and Hwange Park in Zimbabwe, followed by a wonderful experience in Botswana on the Chobe River and Okvango Delta. There were flight considerations and a few changed plans along the way. I was worried that I was becoming a bore but no, Adelle was just as excited to plan my trip as I was to go on it. Finally the day arrived and I boarded my flights and arrived in Victoria Falls after 36 hours of travel. There waiting for me was my shuttle driver and the hotel was amazing. The next day the same level of service and off to Mana Pools I went. Same wonderful level of service.

But 1.5 days later I fell in the middle of the night and fractured two discs in my back. The care and support I received from Adelle is what got me through what could have turned into a tragedy. She was there for me every step of the way and continued to check in with me after I was finally safe at home. I don’t know what I would have done without her. A 5 star rating is simply not enough. Discover Africa and Adelle deserve a million stars. Once my back is healed we will begin the planning process again. They have won not only my repeat business but also my heart. I cannot sing their praises loudly enough.

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.

I first chose Discover Africa from 4 other agencies because they responded quickly to my many many changes in itinerary, but also guided me with reasonable suggestions. This trip meant so much to me and I wanted to fit in as much as possible. I was most worried about the travel and connections between destinations. It worked perfectly.

During the trip when I contacted Vihann at Discover Africa, he answered immediately and continued to guide us until we were home. The places we stayed were amazing and we saw everything on my bucket list and more. This was my bucket list trip and they really made it as close to perfect as it gets!!!

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.