5-Day Big Five Safari in Thornybush Game Reserve

Susan is efficient and set up a great tour package for us.

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 W · Canada

She made my dream come true

Was the Safari of lifetime. We spended one week between Zimbabwe for the Victoria Falls and Botswana. Amazing. The river cruse in the Zambezi river is a dream. We saw also Chobe national park and the Delta of Okavongo: a dream. Everything was well organized. The transfer/The Lodge/the Game drive. Chrizaan was super. She provide us the best organization and also assistence during the trip.

Gaia · Italy

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.

Garry · Australia

Very well organized and great tour itinerary

I was in a group of 8 other travelers that we were very well suited to each other. Everyone including the guide was knowledgeable and very interested in all aspects of the tour. The tour guide was also the driver and had very pertinent knowledge of the areas we went to. The itinerary was fairly well paced. Most days we were at our hotel by mid-afternoon. The lodge accommodations were unique and quite rustic in some cases. Staff at those accommodations were very dedicated and pleasant.

Bernice · Canada

Are rates charged per person?

Rates are per person and exclude the international flight from/to your home country.

Which currency is this tour priced in?

This tour is offered in South African Rand (ZAR).

Can children join this tour?

This tour accepts children who are 12 years and older.

Can this tour start on my preferred date?

If availability permits, this tour can start on any day.

Can the itinerary be customized?

You can request minor changes to the accommodations and destinations of this tour.

Where do travelers stay during this tour?

Thornybush Game Lodge - Luxury lodge inside Thornybush GR (Greater Kruger). Meals: Day 1: Lunch & Dinner Included; Day 2: All Meals Included

Where does this tour start and end?

This tour starts and ends in Johannesburg

Are airport transfers included?

A transfer from and back to the airport is included