Discover Africa Safaris team
Discover Africa Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2002)
- Member Of:
- ATTA, SATSA & IGLTA
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $550 to $2,300 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
FR
Email Sandra | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Honeumoon: total fiasco and bad fait from discover africa
We booked our honeymoon through Discover Africa, which included three stages, including three nights at Kambaku Safari Lodge in Timbavati. Overall, this was a very expensive trip. Let's be factual: for the first and third legs, the contract was respected to the letter and the travel itinerary matched reality perfectly. However, for Kambaku Safari Lodge (sold and cataloged as a 4-star establishment), it was a succession of disappointments, with deplorable crisis management and customer service.
Accommodation scam and lack of security: Upon arrival, we were placed in a communicating room with the connecting door locked, reducing us to a tiny room, completely unsuitable for a honeymoon. After complaining and emailing the agency (Vihann), we were moved to a family room. On site, the lodge manager confirmed the existence of the actual "Honeymoon Suite" that the agency had sold us and written into our official travel itinerary... except it was occupied by a British couple! The agency is now trying to hide behind an initial global quote to deny its own travel itinerary. On top of that, the rooms do not lock from the outside, leaving our personal belongings unprotected, while the provided safe is too tiny to fit even a tablet.
Unsanitary room, unsafe water, and abandoned facilities: The replacement room had numerous dysfunctions: unacceptable bathrooms, a clogged shower causing a pool of water, a cracked sink siphon (causing leaks and a moldy smell), leaky faucets with no pressure, and hot water running out after three minutes. Despite our reports, technical intervention was limited to a superficial cleanup with no actual repairs. Regarding health, the lodge supposedly provided "filtered water" in dispensers, but we witnessed them simply being refilled without being replaced. As a result, I ended up getting sick from this water. When I asked for sealed bottled water to take my medication, I was simply told there was none. Outside, the pool was unmaintained and very dirty. The agency tried to blame this on a gust of wind, even though the pool stayed in this state throughout our stay, only being cleaned in a rushed way on our last day, curiously right after we took photos.
Catering not matching the standards: Our official travel itinerary clearly stipulated that the package included three full meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner). Instead, there was no actual lunch, just a minimal "brunch" with very few choices. Regarding the hot dishes of the brunch, they consisted of recycled leftovers from the previous day, such as yesterday's ostrich steak turned into shepherd's pie. Services fell far below what was expected of a 4-star lodge.
The fake last-night "upgrade": For our last night, we were "upgraded" to Kambaku River Sands, presented as a special gesture from the agency. The reality was quite different: our previous family room was already booked for new guests arriving that day. The lodge simply had no other alternative.
Deficient customer support and agency contempt: The Wi-Fi in the room was so faulty that it was unusable, forcing us to try and catch data out in the bush during our game drives to try and resolve issues. Despite our explicit requests to be called via WhatsApp for efficient communication, the agency never bothered to call us, hiding behind emails with replies spaced several hours apart. On site, we were told to "enjoy the rest of our trip peacefully" with the promise that everything would be sorted out upon our return. Result? Upon our return, the management completely took the lodge's side, flatly rejecting our word, denying the facts despite the evidence, and trying to pass off our forced room change as a gift.
In short: If you use an agency, it is precisely to be protected and supported when things go wrong. Instead, we felt completely abandoned on site, and then looked down upon and contradicted upon our return. Given this complete lack of support and professionalism, I can only recommend that you use another agency.
Reply from Discover Africa Safaris
Posted on Aug 20, 2026Hi Sandra
Thank you for taking the time to share this detailed account. We're genuinely sorry that the Kambaku Safari Lodge leg of your honeymoon fell short, especially when the first and last stages of your trip met your expectations.
These concerns weren’t taken lightly. When they were raised during your stay, our team acted the same day. We escalated the matter directly to the lodge's ownership and to our senior management. An upgrade to the neighbouring Kambaku River Sands was secured at no additional cost. Further experiences were also arranged as a gesture of goodwill.
On your return, we formally put every point, including the cleanliness and maintenance issues, to the lodge in writing and asked them to account for each one. Some were acknowledged and corrected, and we have separately fixed an inconsistency in how the room was described in our itinerary.
We understand that this is not the resolution you were hoping for, and we're sorry we could not bridge that gap. Our door remains open should you wish to speak further.
The Discover Africa Team