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
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Email Karen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Incredible Attention to Detail!
Alex, with Extraordinary Africa did such a wonderful job planning my Zambia/Malawi trip! She listened carefully to all my questions, and was able to find the perfect lodges in both countries that didn’t require single supplements for solo travelers. I had to make several changes throughout the process, and Alex was always patient, professional, and flexible. What I love company, is that they have actually traveled to the places they represent. Her knowledge and attention to detail made this an enjoyable experience from start to finish. I spent 12 amazing days in rustic high end lodges, eating amazing food, experiencing 2 Safari drives daily, bush walking/camping, seeing more wildlife than I could have dreamed, snorkeling, kayaking, and relaxing on the shores of Lake Malawi. I’m already thinking of future travel, and will not hesitate to contact Alex for my next African Adventure! Five stars all around.
Email Sarah | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Super Safari Arranged by a Professional, Friendly and Caring Company
We have nothing but praise for Extraordinary Africa and the bottom line of this review is that we highly recommend the company. I spent ages looking for the right company and I can honestly say that if you are doing the same, you can stop looking and trust Alex and her team to handle your arrangements. From the initial contact with her, she was professional, friendly, super attentive to our needs, and full of fantastic advice. She listened carefully to what we (2 adults and a 13 year old) wanted and she helped us to chose what was right for our budget and expectations of what a safari would be. She was always honest about the prices provided and the types of accommodations available and she spent a lot of time helping us to get every bit right, from flights to accommodations to extras like ballooning. After considering options in Botswana and Tanzania, we opted for Northern Tanzania with a private driver. The final itinerary we fixed was to fly out with Qatar, stay a night at Rivertrees in Usa River, then begin our safari at Ndovu Tented Lodge in Tarangire, move to Lion's Paw at Ngorongoro, then finish in the Serengeti with Kubu Kubu (we weren't bothered about the migration in the north). We received our final bits of paperwork and a lovely itinerary (in print and on the Vamoos app) a week before departing. While Alex wanted everything to be perfect for us, it is probably the best measure of a company to know how they perform when things go a bit wrong and in this respect I can once again confirm that Extraordinary Africa is a company you can trust to take care of you if things don't end up going according to plan. When we arrived in Africa, the Tanzanian tour operator (Asilia) very apologetically broke the bad news to us that our private driver was sick (nobody's fault, just one of those unfortunate things) and that our itinerary would have to be changed. It was peak season and another private driver wouldn't be free until the final third of our planned safari. The Asilia rep very quickly pulled out all the stops to get us on safari to the places we had planned. They informed Alex that changes were needed and both Asilia and Alex worked extra hard for us. We were upgraded (at no extra cost) to a flying safari to get us to our first two camps and we switched to using the camp drivers in private vehicles until Asilia had a free driver to complete the final third of the safari. Our planned accommodation at Ngorongoro had no drivers spare, so Asilia also upgraded us to the 5* Melia Ngorongoro Lodge. All of this was done in a matter of hours while we relaxed, watching the monkeys play in the lush grounds at Rivertrees. We were so glad for the comfortable cottage and tasty menu here and we highly recommend having that first quiet day if, like us, you have arrived from very long flights (our Qatar flights from the UK via Doha took around 14 hours and we were grateful not to be out on safari straight away). The internal flights from Arusha to Tarangire the next day went smoothly and we were treated like VIPs. On arrival at Tarangire, we had snacks and drinks at the airstrip and met our fabulous driver (another Alex) from Ndovu. Alex was absolutely fantastic throughout our stay at the camp. He knew every animal from the tiniest birds to the secret places of leopards. He was passionate and enthusiastic about every creature and the landscape. As a keen photographer himself, he knew where to position the vehicle for us to get the best pictures and he was an encyclopaedia of knowledge and wildlife stories. Ndovu camp was lovely. The tents were well appointed and the decking was nice to sit out on in the morning with the hot drinks the staff brought to wake us up. The food was also delicious. As a family of vegetarians we were slightly disappointed that there was only one set option, but we couldn't fault the dishes for tastiness and presentation. The staff were friendly and although we didn't use the pool it offered a good place to relax, we also got to use the telescope one evening. Plenty of animals passed our tent, including zebra, elephant, warthog, dikdik, and hyena. We left Tarangire a little sad, as we would have liked an extra night there. Two nights is good, but in August there is so much to see, so if we ever go back we would probably try to stretch to 3 nights. The day we left, we managed a game drive on the way to the airstrip and then Asilia flew us to Lake Manyara, where Vincent, the driver from Melia Ngongoro Lodge came to collect us. Because we were flying and we arrived earlier than we would have done with our original (road) itinerary, Extraordinary Africa and Asilia arranged for us to have an additional afternoon game drive at the Ngorongoro Crater (free of charge). This upgrade and the upgrade to Melia itself was incredibly generous and we really felt looked after. The following day we had an amazing day in the crater, luck was on our side and we saw five rhino, including a mother and baby, and several lion hunts. Again, our driver was excellent. He knew the crater well, was mindful of the best angles for pictures, and he knew the value of patience to see the best things. Melia itself was a stunning property. Perched on the edge of the crater the views are unsurpassed. Absolutely jawdropping. The accommodation was very comfortable and it had a number of luxuries that we didn't get chance to use (sauna, steamroll, infinity pool). Food was good, though the staff struggled to remember we were vegetarian. Of the three places we stayed this had the least authentically African feel, but the grandeur and views will stay with us forever. That evening our new driver from Asilia, Francis, arrived and the next day we set out for the Serengeti via Olduvai Gorge. The new museum at Olduvai is brilliant. The view point gives spectacular vistas over the gorge and we were treated to an informative lecture about the history of the site and the evidence of human evolution found there. It is a great stopping point for anyone travelling from the crater to the Serengeti (or vice versa). There are four exhibition rooms corresponding to each of the archaeological layers at the gorge. Allow around 1.5 to 2 hours for the full experience. Back on the road, Francis was a skilled driver, who managed the challenging Tanzanian roads well. We saw so many wonderful things in the Serengeti, including leopard, cheetah, lions, servals, crocodiles, hippo, hyena, zebra, wildebeest, warthog and many more. Kubu Kubu was stunning. The views over the Serengeti were breathtaking and we enjoyed them not only from our generous tent balcony, but also from the large infinity pool, which we had to ourselves. The staff were incredibly friendly and the food was good. My son loved the outdoor shower and I liked the big bath with lovely views. It was our personal favourite of all the wonderful places we stayed and I wish we'd had an extra night there. We can also highly recommend Serengeti Balloon Safaris. We did the balloon on our first full day in the Serengeti and it was perfect. We didn't think we could stretch to the cost when we initially booked, but we managed to save enough to add it in before we left the UK. Extraordinary Africa made the arrangements for us and everything went well and to time. If you can stretch to it, do it! Overall, our safari turned out brilliantly. We have so many special memories and this is largely because of how brilliant Extraordinary Africa and Asilia were with their fast action, generous upgrades, and genuine customer care when things didn't go exactly to plan. Africa is an incredible continent and if you travel with an open mind and a company you can trust you will have a great time. We cannot recommend Extraordinary Africa highly enough and we will definitely use them again.
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Email Sutton Faller | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Took the time to listen to what we wanted and crafted the perfect safari experience for us!
I would recommend Alex to anyone considering a safari in Africa. Before planning our adventure, she interviewed me, asking about my family's "travel style" and she immediately understood what type of safari would be best for us. She expertly advised on which parks to go to, and gave us great options for lodges. The trip was absolutely flawless, and she was incredibly responsive when we had a question during the trip itself. We could not be happier.
Email Adam | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
So Glad I Chose Extraordinary Africa
I’ve been to Africa half a dozen times prior to this trip (including Uganda 6m prior) but never to Southern Africa, I’d heard good things about Alex Matts at Extraordinary Africa so I reached out and it turned out to be one of best choices I’ve made. I gave Alex a broad remit on where to go (SA, Zim, Zam, Botswana, Namibia), my budget, how many days and dates of travel and she came up with brilliant options. Her communications were both by email and telephone and we soon narrowed down to the final itinerary. She gave me total confidence that she’d listened to my wants.
She chose Zambia, as I’d asked for the best chance for Wild Dogs in October, she chose 2 great lodges as I’d asked her to limit the travel days, both lodges more than hit the mark with my requests. More importantly, Alex suggested I visit the Lower Zambezi National Park, staying at Anabezi Camp (camp is misleading, it’s more 5-6 star hotel in the bush! I’m so grateful to Alex for this choice as it wasn’t on my list and hadn’t considered LZNP, this to me encapsulates the reason for putting for faith in an expert and Alex at Extraordinary Africa certainly qualifies as this!
Email Michele Davies | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Exceptional experience with Extraordinary Africa for our Kenyan Holiday.
Alex from Extraordinary Africa arranged a fabulous 13 night trip for us to Kenya - on safari and the beach. Her knowledge of different areas/camps was excellent but what made the experience exceptional was the time and effort she put into ensuring that the trip was perfect for us. She spent a considerable amount of time establishing what our preferences and priorities were and then suggested a couple of different itineraries which we then tweaked together to finalise the trip. Her patience was very much appreciated and all three lodges we visited were exactly as she described. Every transfer we took and representative we met was carefully co-ordinated and we were assisted at all times by reliable and professional staff and drivers. The whole trip ran like clockwork. We are experienced safari goers but this was the best trip we have made and I wouldn't hesitate in recommending Extraordinary Africa for your travels.
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Email Casey | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceptional experience working with Alex from Extraordinary Africa
I had a vision for what a family trip to South Africa could be and Alex from Extraordinary Africa managed to exceed every possible expectation. She went to great lengths to understand our budget, desired locations, trip timing and "must haves" including avoiding small planes while traveling to a luxury Safari location (my wife is afraid to fly!). This trip checked every box imaginable and I couldn't be happier with the service level and attention to detail from Alex. The absolute highlight of the trip was our stay at Rockfig Safari Lodge. Alex recommended them for a high end Safari experience and every possible detail was managed for us. We traveled to Cape Town, the Timbavalti area of the Kruger National Park and Johannesburg. All three legs of the trip felt like mini-vacations; each with their own highlights. I could not be happier with the experience. Not only would I use Alex again my family and I would return to Rockfig in a heartbeat. Love everyone there!
Email Ben | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
I can't imagine what a better tour operator would be than Extraordinary Africa
Extraordinary Africa totally understood the brief and then delivered on it, flawlessly. They brought their extensive knowledge to the game to improve our original ideas. They gave us plenty of options around the plan we devised. They put up with my prevaricating and questions without hesitation. Finally, when it came to delivery it was perfect, the whole holiday went without a hitch. We got great service everywhere and I felt we could not have been in better hands. What a better holiday operator would be I cannot imagine because Extraordinary Africa delivered 100% at every stage. The holiday itself was a visit to South Africa first the wine lands and then on to safari.
Email Emily | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfection. Highly recommend.
Alex offers a phenomenal service. Honestly - completely faultless. From our very first call to millions of other calls, queries and emails. Just amazing service - professional, thoughtful, a pleasure to deal with and exceptionally helpful at every stage. Not to mention the actual safari itself being the most magical holiday ever. As first time safari goers she completely put us as ease and made sure we had the most special experience. Answering all our stupid questions, responding immediately, and one unforgettable moment when - upon arrival in Amboseli - the guide already knew I was keen to see the flamingos. Epic communication. She really went above and beyond. Do not hesitate to book with EA.
Email Judith | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Just wonderful!
I had approached several companies before encountering Alex at Extraordinary Africa. She listened to our preferences carefully, made us feel as if our trip was the most important thing on her mind, cross checked all suggestions, providing alternatives, until perfection was reached. Following discussions about weather and animal migrations at different times of the year, our trip included Victoria Falls, two game lodges in Botswana and concluded in Cape Town. All accommodation was even better than expected with helpful and charming staff and the game drives themselves were just wonderful, led by experienced and knowledgeable guides. Transfers were guided and smooth and we always felt safe and well cared for. Safari trips are not cheap and Botswana is one of the more expensive destinations, but there were no nasty surprises and our trip was one of the most memorable and rewarding travel experiences of my life. Thank you Alex!
Email Bruno&Becky | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Superb
We used Alex/EA for our honeymoon. Originally booked for November 2020, we finally managed to go at rather short notice in November 2021. Even without COVID, our trip was beset with (enitrely blameless) rotten luck, including a last minute safari lodge change, the Blue Train literally derailing and a red list change meaning we had to get home urgently. Throughout all of this Alex was sensational, ensuring that we had the best possible time. Judging by the way we were treated, we are convinced Alex's hidden hand was there to make sure we were especially looked after.
Alex was a certain 5* across communication, service, value for money and reliability. The trip itself was magnificient and one we will remember for the rest of our lives.
We have had no hesitation in recommending Alex to friends and using her again. Indeed, our trip was so fantastic we fully intend on going back, and will be using her again for sure!