Migration River Crossings Safari with Governors’ Camps

I took my son to the Masai Mara for his 16th birthday, and it was our very first trip to Kenya—an experience we’ll never forget. From the very beginning, Discover Africa (especially Susan) guided us every step of the way. They helped us choose the perfect destination tailored to exactly what we were looking for, arranged incredible accommodations, and took care of every detail—from drivers to internal flights.

Even when we decided to extend our stay, everything was handled seamlessly. It truly felt like we had our own personal assistant throughout the journey. Communication was effortless via email and WhatsApp, and they even checked in with us daily to hear about our experiences, what wildlife we had seen, and to make sure everything was running smoothly.

The service was not only impeccable but also deeply personal and genuine. I honestly can’t imagine planning another trip without Discover Africa!

Honestly, this review can’t even possibly come close to expressing what this trip meant to us! I have taken a bit of time to write this review. We went back in July-August 2024. It has been hard to write a review that would do this trip justice, but I am going to try.

From start to finish, it was beyond our dreams! So let’s start at the beginning. We started working with Antoinette with Discover Africa in December 2023. Lucky for us, we found her by accident doing some research. We talked to others but really connected with Antoinette and decided to take a leap of faith in her. Thank goodness we did! She was the “Queen” of this trip, if you will! If it wasn’t for her, this experience would never have happened. I can’t express enough thanks to her and her team! She NEVER got impatient with us. Even with all our “stupid” questions. She answered all of our questions patiently. She never lost focus. She is a source of incredible knowledge and personal experience. She designed a fantastic bucket list trip for us! Every detail was thought out! She is a gem, and if you are lucky enough to get to work with her, you will not be disappointed!

Our trip was focused on the country of Tanzania. What an absolutely beautiful country and beautiful people! From the landscapes to the people and the animals, you should see this amazing country! (Kenya has nothing on Tanzania!)

We started our adventure in Kilimanjaro. We were picked up by Freddy, an Anderson and Harvey representative. He had the most smiling face to welcome us into the country. After a 30+ hour journey, it was well received! We asked him for a coffee place, and he took us to a stand since he is a tea drinker; he was a little at a loss but was very tasty. Onwards to our lodge. Stayed at the Kaliwa Lodge. Very pretty in the treetops over looking the river. With the abundance of foliage, it was hard to see the river but could hear it. Food was incredible, and staff were really nice and attentive. We tried to “hike” Kilimanjaro, I use this word loosely, to the first base camp. We made it halfway. It was a wonderful experience. Our guide was Kester who works with the lodge. He was so fun. I think he was a bit worried with us but we made it! We learnt about his life and what movies he liked. Great way to kick off our trip.

We were picked up from Anderson and Harvey transfers and met Charles for the first time. On the way, Charles treated us to a “respectful” coffee! He was such a delight. We loved talking politics to him. Learnt about his family and his job.

We met Charles a few times throughout the trip. He was a great representative for Anderson and Harvey. He brought us to Siringit Villa. That place is incredible! Beautiful grounds. The food is 5-star! People come from all around to eat there. The service was impeccable. The spa and the golf were fantastic. We spent one of our days visiting the Arusha National Park with Allen from Anderson and Harvey. The brush is incredible and thick. We had a picnic lunch and just a great conversation getting to know Allen and seeing the park and the animals. Really a nice relaxing stay to get ready for the push through to the Serengeti.

Next on our stop was the Arusha Coffee Lodge. Unfortunately, only 1 night at the Arusha Coffee Lodge. I wish it could have been more! The room was gorgeous. We were treated to an excellent dinner. And the breakfast was incredible! The arts and crafts are fun to watch them make and to shop.

Enjoying our trip immensely to this point, as I reflect, this is the point where our adventure really began!

We meet Penuel. He was our guide for the next 11 days. Starting from the Tarangire National Park, through the Ngorongoro Crater, into Central Serengeti, finishing in Northern Serengeti. That is a statement… meeting Penuel. He is a force of nature. He is an astounding guide! From his incredible sightings to all his knowledge. He is a true ambassador of the culture, environment, and all the creatures. His patience is unparalleled to anyone. His comprehension of the terrain and the roads was stupefying (not like there are road signs). His witty sense of humour and his sarcasm endeared him to us right away. We are in debt to Penuel for forever! What he showed us there are no words. He means the world to us! Thank you, Penuel!

Every place we stayed along the way, mentioned below, was beyond belief! From the service to the food and drinks to the breathtaking rooms! You do not want for anything! They surpassed any expectations that we might have had! We thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of our wonderful camps.

All 5-star experience:

• Elewana Tarangire Treetops
• Melia Collection Ngorongoro
• Nimali Central Serengeti
• Nimali Mara Northern Serengeti

Our trip ended in Zanzibar at Essque Zalu Zanzibar. This island is very cultural. Be respectful! Had a nice time unwinding from the rush.

If you made it this far, thank you! Spectacular Trip!

Friends of ours worked with Susan at Discover Africa to arrange our trip. We visited Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengetti, and Masaai Mara. The accomodations were all very pleasant, and the service, both at the accommodations and on our safari drives were all wonderful. The food was great. And we saw so many animals (and so many other tourists seeing so many animals!).

From our first contact with Karl, by email, to transferring large sums of money, which was promptly acknowledged, to being met by Petrous at Kilimanjaro, this Safari was way beyond our expectations. The moment, soon after arrival, the five of us received a boxed gift of a Masai blanket, each, we knew we chose the right Safari operator.

Discover Africa, you know the way to a tourist’s heart. Thank you. The blankets were used at every opportunity during the Safari and are now washed and ironed, at home, with us in Malaysia. A heart warming ,loved souvenir of our 8 absolutely amazing days in Tanzania.

Our guide and driver was totally committed to ensuring we sighted as many big cats, other wild animals, insects and birds as we could. He stopped to show us a line of Martebelli ants and on another occasion,a dung beetle busily preparing its nest. Nothing was too trivial for Petrous.

Returning to a kopje ,which housed big cats ,sighted in the morning to “ see what the lions, leopards and Cheetahs “were up to,now” was the norm each day; it did not matter that we were driving around for 6-8 hours before that ! We feel very grateful that he was assigned to us. Rational, knowledgeable and calm. He drove skillfully through shocking, terribly muddy ditches. We were impressed and he endeared himself to my husband, our 3 adult children and me.

Accommodation was as expected the first 3 nights but our final four nights were spent in a luxurious, comfortable and absolutely scenic camp – Lemala Nanyukie. Being lulled to sleep by roaring lions was sublime. Food was delicious, the barman Nelson was awesome and staff friendly, warm and hospitable. Leaving the Serengeti was not easy for all 5 of us. We will treasure memories of awesome wild life, trustworthy ,honest ,hospitable people and stunning scenery.

Thank you Karl and Mathys of Discover Africa. May we be in contact again, in the future. S Sushila

I am an avid traveler, I love to discover new places and see new things. It didn’t take long for me to put Africa on my bucket list of places to visit with an African safari as a top priority bucket list activity.

I’ve visited other websites and have even communicated with their employees, unfortunately, I didn’t have good experiences with some of them. So upon planning my first safari, I came across Discover Africa & true to their name, they did help me discover a part of Africa.

My correspondent was Karl, and I have to say that he was very efficient, I laid out the specifications for him and he quickly managed to create an itinerary for me. Things were smooth from the planning stage, to the tour itself, to the return. I had a wonderful time and I can confidently recommend Discover Africa for your first (or next) trip to Africa. Africa is certainly a unique continent full of wonder.

My first trip was a combination of two East African countries, Rwanda & Kenya. It was a great combination as there was a stark contrast between the two countries.

Rwanda was a lush, green, mountainous region where farms galore. Kenya had a somewhat harsh, arid landscape. The gorillas and golden monkeys were Rwanda’s flagship attraction so I didn’t dare to miss the opportunity to see both. Some people opted for 2 gorilla treks as opposed to one gorilla & golden monkey trek, and I simply don’t recommend that. There is beauty in both encounters & a contrast in behavior as well. The gorillas were generally more reserved and shy while the monkeys were playful and mischievous. The rules of both encounters differ as well & you had a bit more freedom with the golden monkeys. Rwandans are a very welcoming, friendly people & I lost count of how many times we got smiles, hellos and waves as we drove past them. On one occasion, a couple of cute children did a little cultural dance and song for us.

Kenya was beautiful in it’s own way as well. I stayed at the Governer’s Camp at the Maasai Mara & the experience was nothing short of unique. A 45 minute flight will take you away from society and into the wilderness where the camps are located. You will be greeted by gazelles, giraffes, baboons & zebras upon arrival & transferal to the camp. You will enjoy the escape from civilization, you will enjoy waking up to the grunts and roars of animals as opposed to the grunts and roars of vehicles, you will enjoy viewing the wildlife you may have seen in zoos, only this time in their natural habitat. Having breakfast while marveling at the gazelles & zebras on the horizon is an alluring experience and beats all the dinner nights I’ve had watching my favorite TV shows. If you get the chance, opt for some Kenyan coffee, it’s a pleasure to the senses and the best I’ve ever tasted (and I’m not much of a coffee person).

One thing to keep in mind is that this is nature, experiences will vary from one person to the next, there are no guarantees in the wild. But I can guarantee that you will have a great overall experience. My favourite moment was witnessing the very end of a river crossing by a zeal of zebras as it rained over the Mara river. A zebra met it’s end at the jaws of a crocodile. Our driver brought us closer to witness the spectacle of a bask of crocodiles engaging in a feeding frenzy like nothing I’ve ever seen. All of this while a rainbow arched over us.

Truly awe inspiring.

Our trip was arranged by Carel Verhoef at discoverafrica.com and was perfectly organised.

We flew into the Masai Mara from Nairobi and all flight connections and transfers were arranged for us and went like clockwork. Carel was also very generous with his advice having lived in East Africa for some years – he is a mine of useful information.

My wife and I have had this trip to see the wildebeest migration on our bucket list for some time and we decided to go this year to coincide with our wedding anniversary. For that reason we were looking for something special yet reasonably priced and Carel helped us find Mara Ngenche. What a spectacularly good choice that was.

We stayed for 5 nights the camp and were extremely well looked after. The staff are fantastic. Our waiter, Steve, learnt what food we liked and didn’t like and was always on hand with a glass of wine and also taught us some Swahili! The Masai guards who escorted us to & from our tent especially Musanga, Karbolo & Lindeni were always on hand, very polite and interesting. Almost everyone speaks excellent English.

The game drive vehicle that we used was completely open at the top and sides and was very comfortable. We had some fabulous sightings with Joseph, our very experienced driver/guide. He was excellent at anticipating the animal’s movements to ensure good photos. In one afternoon we saw the Big 5 and on another occasion 4½, as we could only see the leopard’s tail that time.

The position of the camp on the confluence of two rivers was so relaxing and we often sat on the deck watching the 30 or so hippos all day, even though they didn’t move very much. Breakfasts and lunches were served under the trees beside the river. Dinner, served in the restaurant, was four courses and was beautifully prepared and presented.

Overall, it was a fantastic trip and the staff at Mara Ngenche made it more than special. When it came time to leave, my wife cried because she didn’t want to go. Of all the holidays we’ve had over the years, this has been our most memorable.