Affordable Migration Safari from June to October in Tanzania (HerdTracker)

Amazing honeymoon – we had the best experience with Susan and Discover Africa in planning our honeymoon. Everything went smoothly and all the lodges / guides were incredible. She also put some special touches like a surprise dinner in the bush and a private spot for breakfast which really made the trip feel even more special. She was a great sounding board throughout the planning process as well. We could not recommend Discover Africa enough!

My early July eight-day safari was supposed to capture the Mara River crossings but the herds failed to cooperate and had only just reached the river on the last day. Nonetheless the safari was a fabulous success. We flew from Zanzibar directly to Lake Manyara to minimize drive times and spend more days on game drives.

Antoinette put our trip together: the lake, Ngorongoro Crater, the Central Serengeti and the Northern Serengeti. Our guide delivered the goods. Penuel Tango had a vast knowledge of both the animals and the lay of the land along with a fully equipped and fully working vehicle that made the daily game drives easy and fun.

Not only did he know where to find the prized critters, he could spot them from far away when all we could see were grass and trees. Lions, leopards, cheetahs, jackals, rhinos, elephants, buffalo, and the great herds were all open to us on every drive. He knew the stories of lion prides in the area. Our goal was to see as many animals as we could and we did. We were up close and personal with lions, cheetahs and leopards on every drive. He was patient made waiting for action a priority and in being so we were often had “private” viewings of the big cats.

The huge herds of the Northern Serengeti were a wonder to see and experience up close as they made their way north and Penuel knew all about them, their habits and life cycles.

Overnight lodging was the lesser part of each day but Antoinette arranged great camps with good food and accommodations that all had very attentive and friendly staff. Boxed lunches provided for game drives were sufficient and varied. July is peak season for safaris and we saw and learned about the experiences of others. Not all were perfect. Not all were well planned. Broken vehicles and bad guides happen. With Discover Africa we didn’t have any troubles anytime during the adventure. The planning time Antoinette spent with me up front paid off mightily. Zoom calls with her topped trying to do things only by email.

Everything happened right on time and without any hitches. Flights were smooth and effortless, accommodations seamless, Guide interactions perfect. Excellent work all around.

I found Discover Africa via a Google search and sent them an email. Within 24 hours I had a reply (due time difference) and then a phone call with Antoinette and we planned the trip. Antoinette was so easy to work with and had the patience to keep changing the itinerary due to the pandemic and flight cancellations and more. She is a pleasure to work with and I highly recommend her to anyone looking on planning a trip to Africa.

The tour itself was arranged with Wild Frontiers. We did a 4 night Gorilla trekking trip in Uganda and then a 9 night safari in Tanzania. All the arrangements went exactly to plan and then some. From the moment we arrived at Entebbe Airport with the VIP meet and greet which had been arranged I knew we were in good hands. The VIP meet and assist off the aircraft on arrival is a life saver. With all the requirements to have a covid test on arrival and navigate the airport and the various stages of entry into the country, it simply is a must.

Our flight to Entebbe had been cancelled so we arrived a day earlier than scheduled. Arrangements were made to move the transfer a day earlier and we spent the day at an airport hotel. This had not been planned as we were going to fly direct to Bwindi – however in hindsight it was a blessing. Having the day to recuperate was awesome. A representative of Wild Frontiers, Evelyn, met us at the hotel and went over the itinerary and handed over tickets and gave us lots of tips. She even arranged to have our baggage, which had been delayed, sent to Bwindi when it finally arrived two days later. I could not ask for any better service, they were simply incredible.

On arrival we were met by our guide Echy. What can I say about him other than he was one of the best guides I’ve had on trips to Africa. Charming, funny, and full of information on what to expect. He is well known in the area and it was delightful to see how everyone greeted him. He made you feel at home and comfortable. Ask for him – you will not be disappointed.

Accommodation and Buhoma Lodge is simply awesome. Right at the start of the gorilla trekking area so close to everything. Food and service are awesome and the accommodations are superb – though there are a lot of steps to the rooms so bear this in mind.

From Bwindi we flew to the Serengeti via Entebbe. This is pretty much a full day affair on charter flights so be prepared. One suggestion I would make is to have a packed lunch sent with you as there is no time at the airports to grab a bit to eat.

Again all arrangements were superb with not hitches whatsoever. On arrival we were met by our guide, George. Again another super person who was full of knowledge. He immediately realized we loved birding and was awesome in spotting them. He was flexible with game drive times and length which was wonderful.

Kiota Camp is a wonderful camp overlooking the open plains of the Serengeti. Lying in your comfortable bed at night listening to the sounds to of the bush is incredible. Again service and food are wonderful and the staff went out of their way to look after us. In the evening after our game drives and we had all showered and freshened up we would head to the dining tent and sit around the camp fire and have a pre-dinner drink and just talk about the day. One night the staff asked us if they could move our chairs for a moment. We were not sure what they were doing but the next thing they had brought our dinner table from the dining tent and put it at the fire so we could have dinner there. It was super night.

One comment I do have on this – when going out for the game drives a packed lunch is provided. These were always put on the floor of the vehicle and sat there for a good number of hours before we stopped for the lunch break. Recommend this be put into a cooler box rather than left in the open heat. There was a cooler box on the vehicle but it was not working so that didn’t help.

After 4 nights in the Serengeti we moved to the Ngorongoro Crater area and stayed at the Bougainvillea Safari Lodge. A wonderful place to stay with awesome meals. The food was incredible.

Unfortunately this is when I fell ill with gastroenteritis and severe dehydration and ended up in the hospital! George, our guide, was magnificent at handling all of this and still making sure our friends traveling with us would continue with the safari. They throughly enjoyed their game viewing in the crater and then moved onto Honeyguide Tarangire Camp, which they just raved about. I was sorry to have missed that part of the trip.

We ended the trip at the Africa Tulip Hotel in Arusha. A great hotel to end or start your trip if starting in Arusha. Highly recommended.

I highly recommend both Discover Africa and Wild Frontiers. All arrangements were exceptional and the constant communication through-out the trip made for a well executed safari. Thanks to everyone for all their help and look forward to seeing you on the next adventure.

This was my first safari. I didn’t expect to be so pampered. Everything was first class. We had everything provided for us before even asking. We had a dedicated team at our service. Megan was on call whenever we needed something and she would always check on us along the way. We felt very well taken care of on all fronts.

Booked safari adventure in Kenya at main Governor’s Camp and in Uganda at the Silverback Lodge. Both experiences were outstanding and exceeded expectations. Also booked the hot air balloon safari and it was breathtaking to include seeing the sun rise as we began our journey over the Maasai Mara.

All bush plane connections/flights were on time and a nice addition to our adventure. Gorilla Trekking was beyond compare and while quite strenuous, well worth the effort. Walking sticks and porters made the journey much easier!

All accommodations were superb and the food was outstanding! Breakfast in the bush and happy hour cocktails all added to the experience in the wild observing a wide variety of animals up close.

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