Southern Africa in May

My best friend and I just recently returned from an excursion in South Africa. There are simply not enough adjectives to describe this experience. Starting with the initial “interview” with Matthys Van Aswegen…. Matt was so thorough, so personable and extremely knowledgeable. I was able to comfortably explain to him exactly what we wanted without feeling “snobby”. He put together a package that was amazing. Everything we wanted and more. I basically said we wanted to be treated like queens and we were! The accommodations he arranged in Cape Town, Simbambili and Rattary Lodge were unbelievable. Our main focus was to see as many exotic animals as possible. We saw absolutely every animal except the cheetah (extremely rare). Every. Single. One. We were treated to the rare sight of wild dogs, and a hippo OUT of the water as well.

Booked almost a year in advance, Matt was vigilant in his correspondence. He sent numerous suggestions for preparing for the trip which were extremely helpful and informative. He answered all of my emails and questions within 24 hours. Just before we left he also gave me his personal phone number in case we ran into any difficulties ( we didn’t). I can’t say enough about how incredible he was and firmly believe he was the reason our trip was so spectacular. After seeing my photos and videos, several friends are now interested in a Safari and I have strongly recommended him.

If anyone is interested in a Safari, Discover Africa would be the first place to start. Bar none.

First safari for us – 3 days in Arusha, 2 Tarangire, 2 Ngorongo, 4 Serengeti and 6 in Zanzibar.

We found the choice of potential locations, accommodation, routes etc almost bewildering at first. Matthys at DA carefully sought to understand we were looking for and came up (after a couple of face to face discussions and several emails) with a suitable schedule

Pre and mid trip communication was excellent. The DA portal is very detailed and comprehensive and the app was very useful on a day to day basis once we arrived in Tanzania.

The recommended accommodation and transport was mostly superb, only issue was transferring from Kogatendi to Zanzibar where a supposed direct flight was in fact 2 flights with a 2 hour delay on the second, meaning we arrived in Zanzibar around 4 hours later than planned. We understand this happens quite regularly in the bush so not a big deal.

My wife was unfortunately taken ill during the trip (not attaching any blame to any lodge or hotel, these things can happen any time). An initial doctor visit was very well handled by our first guide (en route from Tarangire to Ngongoro), and after a slight recovery she again went downhill when we in the Serengeti. Between Matthys from DA and our driver in Zanzibar a hospital visit was pre-arranged when we arrived and the recommended hospital was excellent. The camps in Ngongoro, Serengeti and the hotel in Zanzibar really couldn’t have done any more to make sure she was as comfortable as possible.

The accommodation was fabulous in all locations and the two guides/drivers absolutely exceptional. All arrangements went as planned and everyone we encountered were so friendly and helpful. Despite the illness disruption we saw many amazing things, too many to list here,

Would very happily recommend DA and use them again.

We booked our 10-day safari in Tanzania and Kenya through Discover Africa, and it exceeded every expectation. From our first conversation through the end of our journey, everything was exceptionally well organized, allowing us to focus entirely on enjoying the experience.

A special thank you to Bianca, who helped us design our itinerary. She was knowledgeable, responsive, and incredibly patient throughout the planning process. We had a lot of questions, compared multiple itinerary options, and made several adjustments along the way. Bianca always provided thoughtful recommendations, explained the tradeoffs, and never made us feel rushed. Her expertise was invaluable in building an itinerary that perfectly matched what we were looking for.

Every transfer, flight, and accommodation was seamlessly coordinated. We never had to worry about logistics, and everything ran exactly as planned.

The itinerary itself was phenomenal. We experienced Cape Town, Victoria Falls, Tanzania, and Kenya, culminating in an unforgettable safari where we witnessed the Great Migration, saw the Big Five, and had incredible wildlife encounters throughout. The accommodations Discover Africa selected were all excellent, each offering something unique while consistently delivering outstanding hospitality and service.

What impressed us most was that Discover Africa didn’t simply book hotels and flights. They helped craft an experience. The pacing of the trip, the choice of camps, and the routing between destinations all came together to create a vacation we’ll remember for the rest of our lives.

If you’re planning an African safari and want a company that genuinely listens to your preferences and takes the stress out of organizing a complex itinerary, I highly recommend Discover Africa. Thank you to Bianca and the entire team for helping us create the trip of a lifetime.

From the very beginning, Bianca was a wonderful help in planning our South African safari. Her knowledge, attention to detail, and thoughtful recommendations made our trip truly exceptional.

Becks Safari Lodge was, in our group’s opinion, a six-star experience. The attention to detail throughout the property, in our luxurious rooms, during every meal, and on the game drives was simply impeccable. Every aspect exceeded our expectations.

There were so many standout moments, but for me, the most memorable was the way the staff came together to celebrate my friend’s birthday. From the delicious cake they prepared to their beautiful singing voices that sounded like angels, it was a heartfelt experience that we will treasure for the rest of our lives.

Bianca also recommended that we spend three nights in Franschhoek, and it turned out to be one of the highlights of our South African adventure. It was a perfect recommendation.

We cannot thank Bianca enough for helping create such an unforgettable holiday, and we will definitely book through her again on our next visit to South Africa.

This was our first experience using an online booking agent and it was outstanding. Justin went through our requirements even though we were pretty sure we knew what we wanted (we really didn’t!) and came up with a plan that met our needs, including coordination with our existing travel plans. I can’t say enough good things about Justin and the folks at Discover Africa Safaris.

Cayleigh put together an 18 day tour of Victoria Falls, Botswana and Namibia that was the best trip we have ever taken! The service was so personal and professional, we were taken care of every single step of the way. When a flight was cancelled for some of our party, Cayleigh was immediately in touch even though she was on vacation. Any time we had a question, Cayleigh was quick to respond. When our flights were changed and we were scheduled to arrive in the evening, she made sure that a dinner was waiting for us at the hotel. The accomodations were amazing, the staff at each lodge were awesome. All of our meals were exceptional, and included most of our beer and wine. Truly, it was an experience we will never forget.