Big Five Safari in Mala Mala

Our safari trip to South Africa was nothing short of spectacular and I would like to thank Chrizaan for putting together a wonderful itinerary for us. Our first contact with Discover Africa was with a consultant who was amazing and very personable. Our planning was over a year out and, unfortunately, she moved on but I appreciated Alice Lombard (Head of Sales and Operations) stepping in and referring us to Chrizaan. I couldn’t have asked for a better consultant.

Because of our location the time discrepancy made communication a bit challenging, but through emails, WhatsApp and Zoom calls the interactions with Chrizaan were all timely and efficient (1/2 hr blocks of time were set aside on Chrizaan’s schedule where one could book Zoom chats). I liked the web design they use to view options for personalized itineraries – descriptions on potential lodges, information on daily activities etc.

Our trip included a 4 day visit to Cape Town before our safari and Chrizaan arranged all the necessary flights, transfers and tours associated and everything went smoothly. Little things like sending us an email with our flight reservation so we could check in 24 hrs before our flight were much appreciated. If we had questions during our trip she was always available. We thought that this safari was going to be a once in a lifetime trip but our experience made us feel like it’s something we would love to do again and I wouldn’t hesitate to use Chrizaan and Discover Africa once again.

Megan with Discover Africa did an excellent job planning our trip. We are from the US and it was so great to get her help. It made our trip so much easier. We flew into Cape Town and were there a few days. Then we were flown to Kruger National Park. Our stay was at Jock Safari Lodge. This place was fabulous. It is completely what you would want on a safari.

We were taken on 2 drives per day and we found all of the Big 5 and much more! Jacob was so informative. He knew so much detail about each animal and the vegetation. After 3 nights it was time to fly to Victoria Falls. Megan booked Insika Lodge. This place is gorgeous.

We then flew back to Cape. Stayed a few more days then flew home. Getting to and from Africa was separate from the rest of our trip. It was so well planned and our homes away from home were exactly what we would pick out ourselves. I cannot say enough good things!

We just returned from our first African trip and had an absolutely amazing and memory making trip. We are usually self planners for our vacations but with essentially no knowledge I attempted to do research on Africa and felt overwhelmed. As suggested from different sites I did contact several companies and ultimately chose Discover Africa and was certainly glad we did.

We worked with Susan and after a lengthy phone conversation and some e-mail follow ups she put our itinerary together. Revisions were not an issue for her and Susan provided some great knowledge when it came to deciding our ultimate plans. In hindsight, I never would have been able to co-ordinate all the different aspects of accommodations, air and ground transfers, and paperwork the way she did. The availability of using the TravelKey App was great.

Our 15 day safari far exceeded our hopes. Each camp/lodge had their own unique qualities and all the guides and staff overflowed with knowledge and kindness. As I told Susan, when the experienced guide gets his camera out because the siting was rare or exceptional you know you have had a WOW moment.

Susan was great about keeping tabs on us and assuring all was going smoothly. She even contacted the lodge to assist in getting my husband some food items more to his liking. Our trip itinerary consisted of:
2N-Xugana Island Lodge- Okavango Delta
2N-Camp Xakanaxa- Moremi Game Reserve
4N- Camelthorn Lodge- East Hwanga National Park
2N Insika Lodge- Victoria Falls
4N Sable Camp- MalaMala Game Reserve

We have been blessed with many wonderful travels prior to this trip but it’s fair to say we will go back and explore more of what Africa has to offer and Discover Africa, and Susan will take the lead!

We had a great week on safari and all the arrangements worked well. There was a problem with our hotel in JNB when we arrived the evening before we left on safari and Adelle Bell answered our call and fixed it quickly even though it was outside working hours.

Fantastic holiday. Tintswalo Manor was absolutely ideal for our family party of 11. We had the entire house to ourselves and were looked after really well. Fabulous food for all, wonderful safaris and a couple of surprises which made the whole holiday a magical experience for all of us.

Then off to Sun City for a few days which was also great.

Matthys looked after us extremely well from the moment we first contacted him. All queries were answered very promptly and all changes were made efficiently. The holiday itself was very well organized: all transfers were on time, clean vehicles, polite and helpful drivers.

If you want a trouble-free holiday of a lifetime, then Discover Africa is the company to contact.

Discover Africa provided elite service from start to finish. After explaining what I was looking for in a safari trip, and my approximate budget, I received multiple itinerary options within 12 hours. Not only was each itinerary reflective of exactly the preferences I had set, but (1) every single accommodation option was amazing (2) a few options I had not found anywhere else during my own hours of research (3) the online itineraries themselves were extremely informational and user-friendly. I cross-referenced the prices provided with each itinerary with what they would be had I booked everything individually myself, and found them to be comparable.

After booking the trip, Megan at Discover Africa provided extremely helpful information (a travel tip and packing document, confirmation vouchers, an emergency contact number) and would check in every so often to make sure I didn’t have questions. Her communication was always helpful and never overbearing or spam-like, as I have experienced with other operators.

And finally, the trip itself: absolutely extraordinary. It is one that will stick with me for the rest of my life and it was 100% a result of using DiscoverAfrica. I will use them again whenever I come back, and have already sent out their information to friends and family. I highly recommend their services, you will not find anything better.