Vic Falls, Chobe and Delta Luxury Fly in Safari

An outstanding safari through Discover Africa- from the organisation and attentiveness, Thanks Vihann, to the sublime wildlife viewing and stunning sunsets this was Africa as you imagine it. Okavango is stunning and pristine form the air and the camps fabulous. The people in the camps and everywhere we went were warm, smiling, joyous and proud. And rightly so. Different landscapes and habitats wherever we went, not just Okavango, and stunning vistas. The hospitality tops it off.

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.

Our party of seven had a great time on our trip to Africa. All the accommodations, tours and travel connections were terrific. We left for Africa on a Tuesday and 13 days later arrived back home and never had to worry about anything. The itinerary was varied and everything was enjoyable.

Our Safari was for 15 days and included trips to four different camps in South Africa and Botswana with a side trip to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. Our first stay was four nights at Sabi Sands Bush Lodge in South Africa followed by three night stays at each of the three Sanctuary Retreat camps in Botswana – Chobe Chilwero, Stanley’s and Chief’s. The game drives at each camp were absolutely amazing and very exciting, and we saw an incredible amount of wildlife in the bush (saw the “Big Five” by day 2) and on the river at Chobe, more than we ever imagined.

The guides and trackers were experts in finding the wildlife and very informative in all aspects of animals, plants and birds. They were also very fun to be with. The staff at all the camps were very friendly and helpful and made sure we were safe and comfortable. The accommodations were impeccable and gorgeous, and the food was very varied and delicious.

Our travel planner, Susan Veldman, was fabulous from the start with the planning of our Safari to keeping in touch with us daily during the whole trip. All transfers and connections to the different camps were seamless. We would HIGHLY recommend Susan and Discover Africa to anyone planning a Safari. Thank you, thank you for this most amazing trip ever!!!

Karen & Bill's Safari Experience

Right from the first query till the last day of reaching back home, Megan was so responsive which made my decision to opt for discover Africa an excellent choice.

The challenges and positives of each option was clearly outlined at each step which made our decision matrix easier. The lack of water in okovango was disappointing which could have been given as a disclaimer by discover Africa. Maybe it got lost in the chain of communique.

The three days in Oddballs camp and two nights at Kingdom in Victoria Falls were well managed. ODDBALLS is a basic tented camp but they make up for it with the hospitality. It’s not extravagant on food per se, but then the focus is on safari walks so that was fully met by our guides Congo and Alfred.

Our aim was to undertake numerous makoro rides in the reeds but lack of water all over Botswana did not see that happening. That basically reduced our reach into the Chiefs island. The 20 minute flight from Maun to the Camp and 1.5 hour flight from the Camp to Kasane was well managed without any hiccups whereas there were some other passengers who were left frustrated by some tour operators.

Kingdom hotel is a royal place to say but I should say that some of the facilities are worn down and gives a vintage look. The hotel could not accommodate our children in closeby rooms which again in my review gives them a minus. The Falls are just 5 minutes away and the sun downer cruise and Falls walk organized through Wild Horizons by Megan was outstanding.

Overall an excellent five day package well coordinated and orchestrated by Discover Africa with minimum hassles. Thank you

It took one e-mail to Discover Africa (very friendly and competent staff), one phone call for details and one phone call for minor modifications and in the end we had a perfect holiday experience – a magical Botswana safari as they titled it. The self-driving tour (4×4 camper) included Kalahari, the pans, Okavango, Victoria falls, Tuli block.

In detail we have been at some fantastic spots we would have missed without their recommendations. The pre-organized accommodation (on campgrounds in our camper, in tented camps, in hotels and in luxury safari lodges) turned out as a mixture tailored to us.

Summary: Discover Africa organized a perfect trip for us.