Migration in the Mara and Gorilla Trekking

We had an amazing time, and loved every minute. The tour was very well planned, and dealt with the many changes we made with ease.

I was recommended Discover Africa by a friend who raved about them for their African Safari adventure and they didn’t disappoint. From the start the communication was timely, despite the time zone difference, and the advice was thorough and precise. It seemed to me that our agent, Susan, was always available no matter what time I was communicating with her. More than that she regularly checked in with me during our trip to make sure all was going well and checked us in for all our internal flights ahead of time.

The first thing Susan did was to find out what we wanted from our trip and then used that to tailor an itinary that met all our desires. Susan’s intimate knowledge of tourism in Africa had us booked into game reserves and guides in South Africa and Kenya which had all the big 5 on display plus more. The accommodation and tour guides she organised were fantastic.

Thanks to Susan we have had an African adventure taking in Karongwe and Masai Mara game reserves, Victoria Falls and the beautiful city of Cape Town which has provided photos, videos and memories we will cherish for the rest of our lives.

The service we recieved from Discover Africa was exceptional and went beyond our expectations. I couldn’t recommend them more highly.

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!

I appreciate all the information and help received throughout in order to make my safari holiday a very memorable one.

I do not have enough words to thank them, especially Adelle.

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.

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