What Supporters Say About Our Trips!

DM Travel offers more than 30 destinations for your supporters to enjoy.?We help guide and navigate the entire experience, so they want to buy again at your next auction.?Recently we had travelers experience our South African Safari and they took the time to give you a peek into their journey.??

To Dean and Team at DM Auctions:

We wanted to thank you for the fantastic safari we won at one of your auctions. We went with another couple and spent 7 days exploring South Africa with our guides Alec and Jaco. The farm and lodge were beautiful and we enjoyed wonderful South African-Inspired meals every day. We saw “the big five” , along with many other magnificent animals - and even fed Jessica the Hippopotamus.

?"This was a trip of our lifetime and we highly recommend Magifeni Safari’s for anyone interested in experiencing South Africa." ?--Jane and Terry Darrow

The Darrow's traveled with another couple who have dreamed of this trip for many years and they did a lot of research ahead of time. Their review of this trip is a great breakdown of what you may experience when you embark on this journey.

The trip turned out to be an absolute “home run”.?

My wife and I finally checked off a big item on our bucket list this summer. For several decades we have talked about going on an African safari, and over the years, I have done a fair amount of research into them - looking on-line at various outfitters and lodges. All this prior research created in me a pretty idealized expectation of the accommodations and adventures that I wanted for my Africa experience. The timing of our eventual safari trip was driven, in large part, by the fact that that we would be traveling with a friend who had advanced neurological disease, and who would not be able to make such a trip if he waited too much longer. He and his wife had learned about the Mafigeni Safari Company from a mutual friend, and determined that they would book a 9 days safari/adventure with Mafigeni. Anxious to enjoy the adventure w/ our friends, we agreed that we would book the same trip, not really knowing much before hand regarding the location, accommodations, and whether or not it would check the boxes that we had in our minds for such a trip. The trip turned out to be an absolute “home run”.

I will comment on just a few key elements that made the trip so wonderful:?

The Accommodations:?

The lodge, the bungalows, the grounds, the general setting were amazing. The bungalows had so much charm: thatched roofs, rooms appointed w/ South African native art/décor. They were super clean; air-conditioned; showers were hot; towels and sheets were fresh each day. Our stay also included a daily laundry service, which enabled us to pack light for the flights to/from the U.S. The main lodge, where we gathered for meals and night-time fire-sides, was so picturesque and comfortable, with the feel of a wildlife/South African cultural museum – filled w/ amazing hunting trophies and native artifacts…it as a very fun and comfortable place to hang out.?

The Food:?

The daily operations of the lodge are run by Alec and his wife, Raven. Raven does almost all of the food preparation and cooking; while Alec pitches in when it’s time to grill meat. Be careful - You may put on 5-10 lbs. at Mafigeni. The meals were fantastic! Appetizers, salads, main course, desserts – all were creative, delicious, and worthy of a place on Master Chef. We were particularly pleased with their efforts to accommodate our sense of adventure pertaining to food by incorporating some of the local dishes and “bush meat”. While we were there, we ate wildebeest, impala, and eland – all delicious! For me, they even reluctantly grilled-up some of the warthog that I shot (as they would not ordinarily serve to it a guest).?

The Adventures:?

There is so much to do and see in the area surrounding Mafigeni. Our itinerary included hunting, various game drives (including an overnight stay in Kruger National Park!), visits to wildlife rescue facilities (where we had hands-on interactions with amazing critters), etc., etc. Nevertheless, the attitude of our guides (Alec and Jaco) was the we “were in charge”, meaning that they were happy to “bob & weave” if for any reason we wanted to change the order, duration, or frequency of our adventures. They made sure we fit it all in. Alec, who I think has been guiding hunts since he was 16 or 17 years old, met all expectations. His knowledge of the wildlife, and strategies for hunting the various species paid off for us. The skills of the trackers were a huge fascination. We were so thankful for the patience and tenacity exercised by Alec, that enabled my friend to ultimately bag a trophy eland, despite his physical limitations.?

The People:

The quality of the people who own and operate Mafigeni, was a significant factor in making this trip a “home run”. The owner, Jill Timberlake, really held our hand through the process of booking the trip, and notwithstanding the all of the red-tape added to travel by the COVID pandemic, she made the process relatively smooth. (Don’t let the COVID red-tape hold you back; it’s not a hard to navigate as you may thing). Alec and his wife, and their associate, Yaco, were such warm and personable hosts. We thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to get to know them personally as we shared most of our meals with them at the long dining table in the main lodge.

Finally, the genuine patience, and care with which they all strove to accommodate my friend’s physical limitation to ensure that he could get the fullest experience, really reflected the quality of their character. They are truly people with whom you would want to stay in touch. We loved the whole experience. We have done a fair amount of international travel, and this was definitely one of our favorite trips!!?

We have done a fair amount of international travel, and this was definitely one of our favorite trips!!?

Royal & Karen Pratt Phoenix, Arizona