Operations Manager- Archie Dzinetsa
Africa Uncovered Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2015)
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $75 to $800 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Elena Cabello Yeves | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing and immersive experience, with a constant sense of security and meaningful human connection
This experience has been one of the best I’ve ever had. I went on this trip with my brother Pedro, who managed most of the logistics. I trusted him completely, and I think we couldn’t have made a better choice than African Uncovered Safaris. We always had plenty of information, and once we arrived in Zimbabwe, Tafara was an excellent guide from the very start. The experience was outstanding, especially due to his kindness and all the insights he shared about the country and its wildlife. I believe Tafara is incredibly well-prepared, both professionally and emotionally, for leading tours like this.
Additionally, we always had flexibility in terms of schedules and activity choices, and we felt a great sense of safety with Tafara, both during the drives and in the country overall. As my brother Pedro has already mentioned, our tour started in Victoria Falls and the Zambezi River, then moved on to Chobe, Elephant Sands, the Okavango Delta, Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, and finally back to Victoria Falls.
As a biologist and nature enthusiast, this experience exceeded all my expectations. I learned so much and took countless photos. We saw a wide range of animals: elephants, hippos, giraffes, crocodiles, zebras, various species of antelopes, dozens of bird species (including vultures and eagles), wildebeests, a few lions, a leopard, and even rhinos. Besides the classic jeep tours, we also took a mokoro ride and camped in the wild, where we enjoyed the Southern Hemisphere night sky full of stars and shooting stars. We also had the chance to visit a local village, where we spoke with the residents and got a glimpse into their daily lives. Although our time there was limited to just a couple of hours, it was a meaningful experience. I highly recommend this as an opportunity to learn from their way of life and gain a deeper understanding of the local culture. It’s a great way to step outside the typical tourist bubble and connect more authentically with the community, rather than staying in a purely Westernized environment.
I highly recommend visiting Devil’s Pool. I was a bit scared, but I felt completely safe as lifeguards were present and assisted us throughout. The view was amazing.
In summary, this company is highly reliable, offering many options and flexibility, and having Tafara as our guide made the experience truly unique. Without a doubt, I’ll be doing this again!
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Email Carmen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent organisation in an unforgettable trip to Chobe and Okavango
Africa Uncovered Safaris deserves nothing less than a 5-star review for the exceptional experience they provided for us. From start to finish, this company showed reliability, professionalism, effectiveness, and ease of communication. We (me and my 22 year old daughter) did the Chobe & camp site in Okavango and we could not have had a better experience.
We were in the good hands of Muza and Norman, who ensured that our journey was not only safe but also unforgettable, who made us feel like we were exploring with old friends. Their availability was remarkable; whenever we had questions or needed assistance, they were there to provide guidance. Muza's deep knowledge of wildlife, history, and local culture enriched our safari in ways we couldn't have imagined. It felt like we were learning from the best in the field. The insights they shared allowed us to connect with the environment, animals, and the rich history and culture of the region.
Trustworthiness is a precious quality in the travel industry, and Africa Uncovered Safaris embodied it entirely. Since the very beginning, when I have a lot of questions from home, they always responded them quick and effectively and it gave me a lot of confidence, specially being two women, and without experience. I really appreciated it.
I wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone seeking an extraordinary safari experience and am grateful to the company, Muza and Norman for all the good care that they put on us.
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Email Noah Levy | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best possible 3-day tour of Botswana and Zimbabwe we could have wished for
[WARNING: VERY long review ahead, full of praise for a great travel outfit. The TL;DR version is: Africa Uncovered gave us an unforgettable glimpse of Botswana and Zimbabwe in 3 days’ time, at the end of our trip to South Africa. Archie Dzinetsa helped us plan it, and Norman Tsarara was our wonderful guide every step of the way. I would HIGHLY recommend this company and this same 3-day trip (or your variation of it) to anyone planning a trip to Southern Africa.]
We recently returned from 15 days in Southern Africa. The 3-day safari in Botswana and Zimbabwe that we booked with Africa Uncovered Safaris was in many ways the highlight of our trip. Despite the short duration (due to limited time and money), we had a thrilling and very satisfying time on this safari, and we feel that the very capable staff at Africa Uncovered gave us the greatest possible experience of this region, given the time we had available. We would recommend this tour company and our tour guide (Norman Tsarara) to anyone considering a trip to Zimbabwe/Botswana. We hope to be able to return some day and will plan another trip with this company when we do.
Our positive experience with Africa Uncovered Safaris began well in advance of our arrival. In doing research about possible safari options through SafariBookings.com, we inquired with three different tour operators and received responses from all three. Archie Dzinetsa, Operations Manager with Africa Uncovered, was one of those responding to our inquiries. We immediately liked him the best and felt comfortable with him, because he had excellent communication skills and replied to all of our emailed questions promptly, with clear answers, yet never crossed the line into being pushy or trying too hard to make the sale. When we told him what we were looking for and how much time we had, Archie put together some options with different pricing, and then helped us to make a choice that fit our itinerary perfectly. We did not have to align our schedule with any predetermined dates; rather, we told him which 3 days would work best for our group, and he put together a schedule that packed a lot into those 3 days while still allowing time to rest and relax between outings.
When we arrived in Zimbabwe at the Victoria Falls airport, our guide Norman Tsarara was there to meet us — and had waited patiently for us despite the delayed flight, and the lengthy process of getting through immigration. From the start Normal was cheerful, friendly and helpful to us in any way he could be. We began to learn a great deal about Zimbabwe just from chatting with Norman on the way from the airport to our first hotel. Since the “official” safari would not begin until the following morning, we stayed that first night at the Shearwater Explorers Village hotel in Victoria Falls, a lovely and well-appointed place with a nice swimming pool and a fun bar. For dinner that night, Archie had arranged a reservation for us at the restaurant of the nearby Victoria Falls Safari Lodge. This lodge was very upscale, and we had decided it was too expensive to stay there — but we’re very grateful that Archie suggested we could just have dinner there, which was delicious and quite affordable. The outdoor seating area at this restaurant/bar has an excellent view of a nearby watering hole (which is partly what makes this lodge so special), and so from our dinner table we had a clear view of a herd of elephants that came to the watering hole at dusk.
The next morning Norman collected us early so we could begin our “official” safari with a trip to the spectacular waterfalls at Victoria Falls. We had initially considered skipping this part of the proposed tour in order to have more time for wildlife viewing — but we are very glad we didn’t, as our guided walk through the park at Victoria Falls was unforgettable. Norman handed us off to his colleague Peace Shoko, who was our guide for our time at the falls. We are glad we took Peace’s suggestion to each rent a full-body rain poncho for this walk… because the pictures we had seen of the falls didn’t convey just how WET the experience of walking along the gorge is! Along the way, Peace spoke to us about the history and geology of the falls, and pointed out numerous species of trees and plants as we walked. We learned a great deal from her in the short time we were there.
Then we were headed to Botswana with Norman as our driver. We all (my wife and I plus our 21-year old son) really enjoyed the drives with Norman, as we learned so much about our surroundings from him, and loved getting to know more about his personal story as well. He was truly a delight to spend time with… by the end of our trip we had come to think of him as a friend, someone we will definitely stay in touch with.
Our accommodation in Botswana was at the Tlou Lodge in Kasane — a more basic lodge than the previous night in Victoria Falls, but still very spacious, clean and comfortable (AC was essential here), with a small pool and a good restaurant. It is located very near to the scenic bridge over the Zambezi River where the corners of Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and Zambia all touch — the only place in the world, I believe, where four countries touch. On our second day in Kasane Norman took us across the bridge on foot… both for the striking views, and so we could set foot in Zambia on the other side!
The point of staying in Kasane was its nearness to the Chobe National Park. We had heard from others (who had visited multiple parks and game reserves in Southern Africa) that Chobe is one of the best places to see many of the most charismatic species of wildlife… and we were not disappointed. We had about 48 hours staying there, and we spent that time taking three “game rides” in open air jeeps, each about 3 or 3.5 hours long, plus a late afternoon boat cruise on the Chobe River that forms one edge of the park. This felt like a perfect way to divide our time and see the park from numerous locations over the course of two days.
Now, it should be said that we got rather lucky on this visit — not everyone who visits Chobe sees any lions at all (we had lion encounters during two of our three drives, one of them very close up); and while elephants in the park are numerous, not everyone finds themselves (as we did) parked at the edge of the river, literally surrounded by a herd of 15 elephants, with no other jeeps in sight. That said — I do think it matters who your guides are. For our game drives in Chobe, our tour company (Africa Uncovered) partnered with another company, African Odyssey, which is based in Botswana. For our three game drives (two starting at dawn, the other ending at dusk) we had a driver named Frank who has been taking visitors into Chobe for 19 years. It was marvelous to watch the way he was able to look out the jeep at the dirt road, spot tracks of various animals, and identify not just which animal made it, but how recently. It was due in part to Frank’s skills as a tracker and guide that we had up-close encounters with lions, elephants, giraffes, and buffalo (as well as baboons, kudu, and impala which are more common). Plus, each time we went out with Frank we were the only three passengers in his jeep (which made it easy to talk with him and ask questions), whereas most jeeps we saw in the park seemed to have 6 or 8 passengers.
Even when Norman was not our guide (as when he handed us off to Frank for the game drives), he took good care of us. He woke up early each morning to ensure that we were all ready to be picked up by Frank at 5:45 am. He took us out to meals during our time with him. He chose some local restaurants that were quite good — and he also (because we asked him to) took us to Nando’s, a Southern African chain restaurant that is hard to explain, but it’s basically what you might get if KFC and Chipotle had a baby and moved to Brazil. And Norman was very conscientious about the time it might take to get back from Botswana to Zimbabwe (including the attempted shakedown by some border guards on the Zimbabwe side, which he handled adeptly) so that he could get us to the Victoria Falls airport two hours before our flight — just as he had promised. We all loved the three days we spent with Norman, and hope to see him again in the future. I would trust Africa Uncovered with any and all travel plans that we make in Africa in future.
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Email Emily | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best tour guide ever! Well organized tour
We did a 10 day tour through Zimbabwe and Botswana, then added Zambia on last minute. Everything was organized perfectly, giving the right balance of adventure and relaxation.
I want to highlight the excellent work from the staff, namely Archie who organized our tour and our on-the-ground guide Tafara.
When I was doing research for the trip and making multiple inquiries for safari packages, Archie from Africa Uncovered Safaris was the first the respond. Not only did Archie send me an itinerary via email, he also reached out by Whatsapp (professionally, not in an overstepping manner) to ensure I knew he was readily available to answer questions. He was extremely responsive for the months leading up to the trip. I requested to make a trip to Devil's Pool in Zambia one week before our departure date and he was able to add it on.
Our guide Tafara was the epitome of a perfect guide. He was friendly and social, making for great company at all our shared meals, yet strict with punctuality, keeping us on time for all our booked activities. We saw so many animals because of his insane vision-- he was able to spot animals may safari drivers could not see! He also provided good recommendations for our itinerary, such as adding a visit to Mosi oa Tunya National Park while we were in Zambia to see white rhinos, which ultimately helped us complete the search for the Big 5! We also felt a personal bond with him as he shared stories of his childhood and culture, which helped us learn about local culture and history.
Overall, I cannot recommend Africa Uncovered Safaris enough. I wholeheartedly trust them to take care of us and make sure everything goes well with the trip.
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Email Daria | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing trip to Chobe park!
How lucky I am that I turned to this company to organize a safari in Chobe Park! Archie promptly replied by mail and we quickly agreed on all the nuances. I am very grateful that he offered a transfer from the airport to our lodge and we did not have to look for a taxi and get there on our own. Norman and Simba met us at the airport - very cool and sincere guys! The organization of the safari is simply on top! Everything is clear and punctual. We really liked everything! On the day of departure, they also arranged for us to transfer to the airport, for which, again, we are very grateful to them, saying goodbye to them we just cried, how warm and sweet everything was On our next visit to Zimbabwe, we know exactly where to turn!!! Many thanks for everything;-)
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Email Jamie J | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful Tour with Amazing Guide
My parents and I went on the tour of Victoria Falls and Chobe River in Botswana for 7 days with Africa Uncovered Safaris. The booking process was very easy and Archie was a great contact. Very responsive and answered all of our questions. From the moment we landed in Victoria Falls, our guide Musa was incredible! He was very knowledgeable, friendly, and made sure we were well looked after and were able to do all the activities we wanted. One of our travelers ended up having a medical issue on the trip and both Musa and Archie were amazing support, getting us medical treatment immediately and their adaptability allowed us to rearrange our trip to still insure a fantastic experience. Even with the slight hiccup, we only missed one day of activities and all travelers were very happy with our experience overall. The quality of their service has been unmatched to any other tours we have taken before and the price point was very reasonable. All meals were included and the lodgings were great. I highly recommend their services and would use them again in the future!
Email Pedro J. Cabello Yeves | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent tour, incredible human quality
Where to start? I can gladly say the 8-day tour we did with Africa Uncovered Safaris has been one of the best experiences in my life. The company is relatively new, but they are a great group of professionals. Archie was very informative via email since we contacted the operator and it facilitated things, bookings, etc. Tafara was our guide and we are extremely happy to have enjoyed an incredible experience with him. We shared many beautiful, mystical moments with him. He is always smiling, laughing, joking, a good driver and he is very flexible with timetables. Our tour started in Victoria Falls and Zambezi river, then we moved to Chobe, Elephant Sands, Okavango Delta, Makgadikgadi Salt pans and then back in Victoria Falls. I really reccommend this 7-8 day experience as you can get to see lots of animals and have a general idea of the main natural parks in Botswana. The quality of food in the different lodges was quite good, plus the accommodation was great. The tour we chose had a final price of ca. 2700 USD, which is a good quality price for what you get. We have been really lucky to see the majority of the animals in the different game drives, natural parks, even on the main roads. I can perfectly say we have seen >200 elephants, many hippos, jirafes, crocodiles, zebras, many types of antilopes, tens of birds (including vultures and eagles) species, wildebeests, a few lions and a leopard (in Chobe), rhinos (in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, Zambia). The majority of the wild life you will see in Chobe, so I really reccomend doing all possible activities in that immersive natural park. The Okavango delta will bring a great experience with locals that use mokoros and the landscape is stunning. Salt and Elephant pans are magical places. I really reccomend doing Devil's pool as an optional activity, what an adrenaline shot! This is overall an experience that you cannot miss if you are fan of nature, animals and want to see how Safaris work. We will repeat for sure in the future!
Email John W | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A great day in Chobe, delivered very efficiently by friendly and expert people.
I chose this company to book from the UK because the information on their website was clear and comprehensive. During and after booking they were very responsive to emails and on the day they delivered everything (and more) that was promised.
The journey to and from Chobe was punctual and comfortable, and the border crossings were straightforward with staff there to help.
Morning coffee and lunch were excellent in very nice surroundings near the river.
The river cruise was brilliant and NOT to be missed, with countless close views of animals, birds and reptiles and a charismatic and very knowledgeable guide (Mr T); a completely different experience from a land drive. The afternoon game drive was also really good and I had the best views of lion I have ever seen.
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Email Sonal | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We received outstanding, personalized highly recommended service!
I selected this company based on online reviews. From the beginning Archie answered every question and issue without delay and to the best of his understanding. Our companion, guide and driver Muza went above and beyond to make our trip safe, comfortable, memorable, and truly a trip of a lifetime. Knowing that we were vegetarian he made sure that every meal was to our liking! I would highly recommend this company to anyone that wants to explore beautiful Africa!
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Email Marisa | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Life changing experience, thank you!
My experience with África Uncovered Safaris certainly deserves a 5-star rating. Our guide Muza was a wealth of knowledge about the area, sharing insights that enriched our journey. Norman, another guide, was incredibly friendly and attentive, making us feel well taken care of. The transportation was perfect, and the choice of lodges was impeccable. This personalized and informative approach made the trip truly unforgettable. I highly recommend África Uncovered Safaris for an authentic African adventure.
