50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Nailed the brief
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 eg a missed connection, guide not turning up, accommodation not as described, and we were mentally prepared for that.
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, 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 (lilac-breasted roller was a favourite), and seeing small animals like mongooses (4 different species), a chameleon and 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.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic experience
everything was perfect, our driver Peter Kapino gave us unforgettable moments
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Flexible and attentive
We had such a great experience. The Usambara tour was our first tour when landing in Tanzania. We had a few problems with our flights getting there, but Tiem Tours had to redo the itinerary 3 times to try and have us enjoy our days to the fullest - and they did with so much patience! We initially got to Mombo around 2am - and our guides were waiting for us and brought us to get food. From the moment our guides picked us up, we felt taken in charge of. Our guides were amazing. We were accompanied by Boka, Yona, and Hamis for the duration of the tour. We felt very safe, and the driver drove us so well, and made sure we had the chance to see every view point we wanted to see in the short time we were there. I would 100% recommend booking through Tiem Tours! Our experience was great!
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our driver, Peter Kapino, was exceptional. He allowed us to see the Big Five and experience spectacu
Everything was perfectly organized. The people were very helpful and kind in accommodating our requests
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very helpful and knowledgeable.
Our driver cum guide was great. The trip was terrific and great value for money. I would recommend Reteti Adventures to anyone.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Tarangire National Park by Patti
This park was not as lush as Arusha NP but the wildlife was easier to spot as a result. So glad that we went to this park.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Serengeti National Park by Patti
The Serengeti is how I had pictured Africa. Here it really had the ambiance of an African safari with orange sunsets, dusk with the silhouettes of the acacia trees and the sounds of animals in the distance. At night, the stars were so bright that it felt one could reach right up and touch them. It was so beautiful and amazing.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Ngorongoro Crater by Patti
The crater was beautiful. We saw a lot of wildlife there including a rhino as that was the only place we saw those since they are protected. We would not have wanted to miss that!
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Lake Manyara National Park by Patti
This park was smaller than the others but was still very nice and interesting.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Arusha National Park by Patti
Arusha NP was lush and green and we saw so many animals up close. The park was beautiful.