Our founder Alex in Tanzania
Extraordinary Africa
- Located In:
-
United Kingdom
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2012)
- Member Of:
- Travel Trust Association
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $126 to $2,517 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Martin Peters | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A company that totally lives up to it's name - truly extraordinary!!
I am normally loathe to recommend people or businesses because I feel that everyone will have a different point of view or perception of what is good or excellent. I make an exception regarding Extraordinary Africa because however you look at it everything they do is exceptional.
Communications were timely, detailed, incredibly helpful and well presented. They really understood what I wanted and they went the extra mile to deliver it. The levels of service from Extraordinary Africa and everyone they booked for us was exceptional. The trip exceeded all expectations. I'm sure we will be back again as a family and it will definitely be with the help of Extraordinary Africa.
Email Chris Jones | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic trip
I was going to title it a once in a life time trip but given they organised our amazing safari/beach honeymoon last year that would be fairly inaccurate.
So this was obviously my second experience with Extraordinary Africa and both times they have been brilliant. Throughly professional at all times, very quick to respond to any queries, but also were able to recommend places based on personal experience which always gives you more confidence when booking a potentially expensive holiday. Alex in particular, who was our main contact at Extraordinary Africa, was superb and organised two amazing amazing holidays for us. I cannot recommend her or Extraordinary Africa more, and we simply cannot wait until our next trip with them.
Email Richard | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
WOW what an amazing first visit to Africa that fulfilled all our dreams/wishes. Thank you so much!!
First of all I would thoroughly recommend Extraordinary Africa (EA) to anyone planning to visit South Africa at all and for safari in particular (and I am sure they would be equally good elsewhere on the continent). We wanted a family holiday to create enduring memories together and Alex Matts and Extraordinary Africa delivered the most amazing experience - this is the best trip we have ever had. The EA team spent time in the planning stage talking with us to find out what made us 'tick' as a family and what would create the best experience. The time they spent on this bore amazing fruit in country - our preference being for cultural experiences rather than full on constant activity (but I know they would have provided the latter if that had been our wish). All of the documentation was very clear and timely - we found the detailed itinerary booklet absolutely fantastic, with all the details of the various elements of the trip and all the things we needed to know and take in one place. What was particularly lovely was the inclusion of all the little personal touches from Alex Matts about places we were staying and the like, including restaurant recommendations and all sorts of other local information.
All of the airport transfers and the organised trip to shark diving ran exactly as we were told they would - we felt constantly reassured that the trip was efficiently organised and that we had very good back up both on the ground and back in the UK from EA. We stayed in two locations run by the More family (More Quarters in Cape Town and the Lion Sands Lodge for Safari) - in both locations we were amazingly well looked after and there is no way to fault the attentiveness and quality of the service we received, which was truly exceptional. In Johannesburg we stayed in The Peech boutique hotel which is a beautiful setting with very attentive staff who looked after us very well.
Lion Sands is an absolutely amazing place - the lodge run by the More family (we stayed at River Lodge) is absolutely beautiful and we were looked after wonderfully - we wanted for nothing and there were so many little touches that showed how much the lodge care for their guests. We really felt as if we were being hosted and treated as so much more than clients or customers. As for the safari, with a limit of 6 people on any game drive, an amazingly passionate guide (if you get to Lion Sands and have Ruvan as guide you are very lucky!) and an incredibly experienced tracker (Patrick) we had an incredible experience. Yes we saw the big 5 (within the first day and a half!) and that was amazing - particularly when hyenas chased the leopard up a tree. The range of wildlife that we saw was astonishing so it was about more than the big 5, important as they were. We particularly loved that we were given insights into the whole range of the bush ecosystem, from the very small (ant lions living underground for 10 years before emerging for 1 week of adult life) to the very large of elephants, rhino and giraffe. We stayed our last night in the Kingston Tree House, which is remote from the main lodge and gives an opportunity to be absorbed in the night time bush environment. We heartily recommend this if you can do it - with picnic dinner and breakfast and the views of the night skies while listening to animals around you. We were two adults and two children - don't be put off by the fact that children sleep on 'camp beds' as these were very substantial and comfortable affairs for them.
All in all we had an indescribably good time and this review can only capture a shadow of how great our trip was and how appreciative we are to Extraordinary Africa for organising it - we have lifelong memories to treasure. Our overall sense was of a crescendo of experiences on our visit to South Africa and the safari was very much the pinnacle after brilliant times elsewhere. Our greatest challenge now is working out how soon we can get back to revisit a country that we have fallen in love with - we will definitely be using Extraordinary Africa for our next trip there.
Email Mitul | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extraordinary...
Well...what can I say...My new wife and I were looking for honeymoon ideas and after much consideration and research we decided that a African Safari and Mauritius would be the best way to celebrate our joining but also get a good mix of adventure and relaxation. After speaking with many different companies on the phone and giving them our budget we were left a little disheartened by their response (and we didn't have a small budget either). We then came across Extraordinary Africa, and spoke to the lovely Alex. From the beginning she was brilliant - from her big bright personality that shine through even over the phone to her fine details and sticking to get promises. I knew from the moment I spoke to her we could absolutely trust her to organise our honeymoon and ensure it was a trip of a lifetime.
There were many times that we were sending emails to each other and I can honestly say that the service that Alex has shown is the best service I have experienced when trying to book a holiday. She is extremely quick at responses and nothing is ever a bother to her. Even after we had decided on an itinerary I went back to ask about another hotel and without even a blink I got a reply with full details on the other hotel with a new price and information about the area.
We were definitely not disappointed by the choices that were made on the camp in South Africa and the hotel in Mauritius. The trip was planned to perfection and I don't believe anyone else would have been able to plan it any better.
Up until the last day before traveling Alex and Extraordinary Afirca have been amazing, we were even called the day of travel to ensure we had everything and even once we got back to see how the trip was.
Without hesitation I would recommend Extraordinary Africa to anyone looking to book a trip to Africa. The knowledge that Alex has about the country is second to none.
We are already looking at doing another Safari in the near future and would definitely ask Alex and Extraordinary Africa to organise it for us.
Mitul and Tash
Email Diana Rashkova | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding service, great communication, friendly and helpful staff! I would definitely recommend!
The experience we had with Extraordinary Africa far exceeded our expectations! We were planning to go to South Africa for our honeymoon and a friend of ours recommended Extraordinary Africa. We approached them and they organised every last bit of our trip with great care and attention to detail. The trip was tailored to our requirements and we didn't have to lift a finger. Everything, including car hire, accommodation, flights etc. was booked by the agency and we also received great recommendations for restaurants, attractions and activities. We stayed in very interesting and quirky places that we would have never found ourselves. This was a trip of a lifetime and we couldn't have planned it better ourselves!
US
Email Carolyn | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Alex created a customized trip that exceeded every expectation. Every day was extraordinary!
We could not have asked for a more hands-on, personalized service from Extraordinary Africa. Not all members of the family were completely enthusiastic about this trip, but, by the time we returned home, everyone agreed that it was the most amazing experience we had ever enjoyed together. We can't decide if it was so special that it can't be beat or if we can't wait to go again! Every day was completely customized to our interests and our tour operator responded immediately to every email and request - you'd think she never slept! From the first day, I thought, "if this is the best day of our journey, this trip will be a success" - and yet, the days just got better. We had adventure, and yet, it was relaxing. The views and the animals were breathtaking, the people we encountered were friendly and fascinating, and we learned so much. It was simply amazing and I know that we could not possibly have had this kind of experience with out the guided expertise of Extraordinary Africa, helping us to make the right decisions for our interests and needs.
Email Viv Rees | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best ever personalised service!
My husband and I made a brilliant decision when we contacted Aya of Extraordinary Africa to help us plan our 50th Birthday trip to South Africa.
Aya did great information gathering from us, identifying our needs: she found out what we wanted to do, how long we wanted to be away, budget etc and she crafted the most brilliant personalised trip for us which far exceeded our expectations. Out trip was incredible, I didn't think you could see so many great things in such a short space of time. Something for everyone!
If you are even considering South Africa, contact Aya, she is so helpful, accommodating and so thorough and focused on the details which made the trip so special. It was fantastic to work with someone who knew so much about our destination and could give us many options so that we made the best choices.
Thank you Aya for probably one of the best holidays we have ever had. As you know, we have already been discussing our next trip to Africa! Look forward to planning it with you!
Email Tim C | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing family holiday over Christmas to South Africa
WOW! I can't thank Alex enough for helping us design, book and ensure we had a fabulous family holiday.
Alex came recommended by a friend, for whom she had designed an amazing honeymoon but with two young daughters (8 & 10) our needs were going to be very different. From the very start Alex's approach was very friendly and warm. She listened to our loose plans, questioned us on our likes and dislikes and then put together her suggested itinerary, we discussed this at length altering it to reflect our feedback, availability and budget. You can see that Alex’s loves what she does and cared passionately about getting it right for us. Her personal knowledge, contacts and experience were all evident in shaping our holiday.
Communication was excellent, before, during and after our trip, with fast responses. It felt that Alex was getting just as excited about our trip as we were. Everything we needed to know was provided on paper and via a very helpful app, this included all possible background, from what to pack and vaccination requirements through to thoughtful restaurant and activity suggestions, to driving directions.
She managed our expectations well, providing realistic ratings and descriptions of our accommodation choices and even gave updates prior to our departure e.g. on building work at an adjoining property (which we didn’t even notice when we were there).
On the holiday itself it felt that we were VIP’s, whether purely though great accommodation choices or through more direct influence it felt that we always got ‘the room with a view’, or some special feature that made it and us feel really special.
I don’t normally do reviews but in this case felt motivated to do so. I can’t recommend Extraordinary Africa and Alex specifically enough!
Email Rupert | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible !!!
Well.... What can I say!! The best Holiday we have ever had by a mile!! Alex planned our whole honeymoon from start to finish with not a single fault!! In fact ....every accomodation, trip & activity she recommended was exactly what we wanted ..... Just perfect!! The attention to detail which Alex gave was simply incredible ....she was always happy to help and if we were unsure on anything she would take the time to explain!! We went to both South Africa and Zimbabwe ....which was mind-blowing..... & Alex's knowledge of Africa is incredible, she listened to exactly what we wanted in each place, which made the whole trip perfectl!!
I have already recommended Alex to work colleagues and friends and will continue to do so .... !! Thank you once again for making are honeymoon such a memorable experience!!
Email Wasim | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Flying Serengeti Safari- Amazing experience!
I contacted Alex a few months before flying out to Tanzania. I had no prior knowledge of safaris having never been on one and Alex was very informative throughout the whole process. Despite working at short notice during the COVID pandemic she was able to plan and deliver a perfect experience!
The safari involved staying at 5 different lodges and Zanzibar extension with internal light aircraft flights between each one. However, the safari was so well planned by Alex that all of this was seamless.
The safari itself was a truly amazing experience. We saw the big 5 and witnessed the wilderbeest migration along with big cat action. The quality of the accommodation and service at Asilia was outstanding. Again, huge credit to Alex on this one as she recommended these lodges.
In the end, I decided to book my Zanzibar accommodation independently as I have several hotel points which I could use. Alex was accepting of this and was always very flexible.
Before booking my safari, I contacted around 25 safari companies which included those in the UK and local to Tanzania. I'm confident I chose the best as not did I have an amazing time but also Alex actually worked out to be one of the cost efficient. I felt some of the companies were heavily sales orientated but never with Alex- she is very passionate about safaris and I always felt she wanted me to have the best experience regardless of who I went with.
It's just a shame Alex only operates African tours as I would probably use her services for every holiday if I could!