Hwange Experiential Safari and Victoria Falls

We did a 3-week bespoke tour with Discover Africa and specifically Devryn Panaino. South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana game parks. Our group of 6 had a fantastic time, as the itinerary was top notch, transfers smooth and now we can’t wait to go back. We were nervous about small plane transfers but it was very smooth and professional service. In fact, it puts Aussie’s Jetstar in the shade. We saw all the animals big 5, ugly 5, small 5 and everything in between. Would definitely recommend this company and Devryn. Hot tip: be prepared to spend a bit of money it’s worth it for a truly unique experience.

Vicki's Southern Africa Journey

Per our input, Chrizaan at Discover Africa arranged a terrific itinerary to Cape Town, Victoria Falls, Chobe National Park, and the Okavango Delta. All transfers, tours, and guides were waiting for us at each destination. Both my husband and I felt the trip was everything we had hoped for and would highly recommend their services. Thank you for a wonderful trip!

We are a family of 5 with three kids between 12-17 living in Melbourne, Australia. Coming out of Covid lockdown we were considering our options for the Christmas holidays; we wanted to do something special and were targeting a 4-5 week trip away. Do we stay in Australia, go further North to somewhere in Asia (again), maybe go East to the Pacific or further to South America or, as we finally decided, go west to Africa.

My wife and I had been very fortunate to have travelled reasonably extensively and independently in Africa pre-kids but with a limited timeframe and kids in tow we decided to look for a slightly more organised trip. We still wanted a level of independence but with more certainty on accommodation, transfers and timeframes. Being very busy with work and life generally we also wanted to ‘outsource’ a lot of the local travel related ‘stuff’.

I reached out to Discover Africa via their website and was quickly contacted by Susan. From our very first zoom call with Susan I felt we were in very safe hands. Susan in a very experienced and knowledgeable operator and we quickly built a strong rapport. She was as interested in understanding who we were, how we like to travel as much as the where, when and budget. We told Susan our rough conceptual itinerary based around South Africa & Namibia. Yes we wanted to spend time on Safari but also wanted to expose the kids to local cultures and experiences.

After working with Susan on a number of iterations of the agenda we ended up settling on a self drive with a week in Cape Town and surrounds, driving North though Springbok into Namibia. In Namibia – Namib, Sossusviel, Swakopmund, Erongo Mountains (for Christmas), Etohsa and back down to Windhoek. From there we handed the car back and flew to Vic Falls transiting to Botswana – Kasane Forest and down to Savuti then back to Vic Falls then out via Johannesburg back to Melbourne. While it was not peak season for Safari we did have an amazing time and all without the crowds.

Yes the driving distances were large (Australians are generally quite used to this) and most of the roads quite rough but in all 100% worthwhile. Susan’s suggestions for accommodation were absolutely on point and all aspects went smoothly. We did have some mechanical issues with the car we rented – a new Toyota Fortuna from Avis – cracked rim in the middle of the desert and some other issue that required a replacement car. Susan was across this and on the phone to Avis. She was in constant contact, checking how were were travelling, if we need anything and checking we made our destinations. She was like a travel support team and as always keen to hear what we had been doing, how the kids were enjoying everything and providing suggestions for interesting stops along, things to do or watch out for or restaurants worth visiting. The detailed itinerary Susan provided in .pdf and on the website, including all supporting documentation and vouchers, was extensive and detailed. This included driving directions and times.

I cannot recommend Susan and Discover Africa highly enough and will definitely be using their services again (hopefully sooner rather than later).

We had an incredible safari that started perfectly at our take off airport and continued seamlessly until we arrived back home. We were taken care of by very wonderful and knowledgeable guides and the staff at the lodges were very nice. We ate great food. The safaris were excellent and each camp had a different focus that we enjoyed.

We went to Victoria Falls Safari Club, Chobe Game Lodge, Camp Xakanaxa, Camp Okavango, and Camp Leroo La Tau. We saw and learned about many animals, birds, and vegetation. We loved the variety and if I could change one thing it would be to stay longer at the camps. We have never done a safari before and Megan let us know how everything would work and that let us relax and enjoy Africa. We can not wait to return.

We also went to Cape Town and went on four activities. We enjoyed exploring the Wine Country, learning about Cape Town, and exploring the surrounding area and seeing penguins. We had a very personable and knowledgeable tour guide who made the tours fun. We also went cage diving with sharks and that was beyond belief. Megan listened to what we wanted to do and put together the trip of a lifetime. And, of course, I want to do it again.

We originally booked 4 nights in Zimbabwe and Botswana for April 2020. The original planning and booking process was simple. Megan at Discover Africa provided a variety of options for durations and locations, and we were able to select the number of nights and the hotels that worked best for our budget and what we wanted to see/do. It was easy to add excursions such as boat tours and a helicopter flight over Victoria Falls.

When Covid derailed our trip, we were able to defer all the bookings indefinitely. In Spring of 2021, we put everything back on track for May 2021, and Megan got us set up with appointments and the information we needed to get Covid PCR tests in Zimbabwe and Botswana. Everything went off without a hitch.

Victoria Falls was extraordinary. The land transit to Botswana was complicated, but handled adroitly by the Wild Horizons drivers. We would have had a real headache figuring out those specifics without an experienced guide on the ground.

Our time in Chobe National Park was wonderful; we saw so many animals from pretty close-up! Again, the guides here were great. All of our covid results came in very quickly, and we had no worries about making our next transit to another country. Can’t recommend Discover Africa enough for getting you to and around Southern Africa.

Even in these uncertain Covid times, it’s very doable (check local conditions frequently though, as things seem to change rapidly).

The service received from the staff at Discover Africa was fantastic. Dealing with Megan was a pleasure. She was able to create a unique package for us that both exceeded our expectations and fitted within our budget. My fondest memory was definitely the trip to Devil’s Pool at Victoria Falls. It really was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and something I will never forget.