Botswana & Cape Town Holiday Review

I was very pleased with the information, help and booking process provided by Cayleigh

Our Hwange Safari and Victoria Falls tour, expertly arranged by Cayleigh Brown from Discover Africa, was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. From the seamless logistics to the eco-conscious charm of Insika Lodge and Sable Valley Lodge, every detail reflected thoughtful planning.

Special mention goes to our guide, Mr. Caleb, whose knowledge and passion brought the safari to life. Discover Africa delivered exceptional service and support every step of the way.

Highly recommended for anyone seeking a meaningful and unforgettable African adventure.

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

My daughter who is 27 and I (her mom)have been dreaming of this trip for a few years. It was everything we wanted July seemed to be the best month to visit South Africa. Weather is comfortable, better opportunity for seeing the wildlife , no mosquitos or bugs due to it being winter at that time. Our trip started in Cape Town which was beautiful. We stayed at the Victoria and Alfred for 4 nights. Service and food there was really good. Lots to do in CT.

Then we went to the Kambuka River Sands private nature reserve for 4 nights. We rated it 10. Everything about it was great. We then went to Sabi Sabi little Bush reserve for 2 nights. It was great as well. We saw all the animals we wanted to see except for the cheetahs. We also saw lion cubs and baby elephants. End of trip was Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe for 3 nights at the Shongwe Oasis. All transfers and domestic flights were pretty much on time. Service was great everywhere. Definitely got your money’s worth.

Laura's Safari Experienc

We had been thinking about a Southern Africa safari trip for a few years and had some valuable input from Zimbabwean friends who had been on tour many times. So we had a general idea of when and where but needed guidance on the finer details and options, as well as someone to put it all together once we’d agreed on an itinerary (South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana). This was possibly going to be our one and only trip of this type so we wanted to get it right!

I saw an ad for a tour similar to what I had in mind so contacted Discover Africa (DA). Devryn was able to clearly outline his preferences that would meet the brief. He suggested the order of travel, how long at each place, what type of accommodation (generally getting better as we progressed), how to get from A to B, etc., via several email conversations.

We had a Zoom meeting with him before finalising the plan, where we were able to ask further questions, which he was able to answer confidently and competently, given he had been to these places himself.

We felt confident enough with his recommendations to lock it in 12 months ahead of the trip.
Naturally, you anticipate some things will go wrong on tour, e.g., a missed connection, a guide not turning up, or accommodation not being as described, and we were mentally prepared for that.

Garry's Safari Experience

However, every connection was made on time and the accommodation exceeded our high expectations!

The Safari experience itself (which Devryn obviously couldn’t guarantee) was superb. The guides from the lodges we used were experienced, informative, respectful of the animals, and considerate of what we had and hadn’t seen previously and so every day (twice a day!) was another trip into the unknown. Everyone hopes to see the Big 5, which we did early on. After that it was a matter of literally sitting back in the jeep and seeing what would turn up. The birdlife was better than I expected (the lilac-breasted roller was a favourite), and seeing small animals like mongooses (4 different species), a chameleon and a steenbok were unexpected highlights.

The food was varied at the various lodges, with usually a buffet of 3 main courses of western-style cuisine (although I ate wildebeest, crocodile, kudu and springbok when it was offered). We finished off with 3 nights in Cape Town to let the Safari experience sink in, which was a very good move.

So in summary, we did some initial research, worked out a plan with Devryn, and he nailed the brief. We’ll never know if it could have been even better, but I seriously doubt it.

We are an Australian family of 6 and have just returned from a 2-week safari holiday in South Africa. Discover Africa was excellent. Devryn Panaino was our consultant and he was full of good information and always speedy with a return email.

There was not a single glitch during our holiday. The lodges and camps recommended were exactly what we asked for, with very comfortable accommodation and a couple of dietary requirements catered for every single meal. The guides and trackers were first-rate. They were very friendly and seemed to know everything about the African bush and its wildlife. They would get us into the best possible viewing spot every time and always so close to the animals.

Even the transfers were good – on time with friendly drivers and air-conditioned vans. Each transfer turned into a mini safari.
We hope to return to Africa in the next few years and will absolutely use Dev and the team at Discover Africa.

Steve's South Africa Safari Experience