CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Masai Mara National Reserve by Adele Blanchette
just loved the mara. thousands of wildabeast and zebra. Saw the legendary scarface ond orher lion groups. Cheetah hippos elephants secretary birds puma witnessed lions chassing wild boar, ballon tide
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing self drive Namibian Adventure!
First off just want to give a big thank you to Extraordinary Africa and Alex in particular. Our trip more than exceeded our expectations. All We knew was that we wanted to go to Africa and our time line, that was it... From the very beginning Alex bent over backwards to help us figure out what country was best to visit during March/April. Being the wet season she suggested Namibia, not the most traditional first safari destination, and it ended up being the best possible introduction to Africa. Not very many Americans travel to Africa, so there is a lot of misinformation, and trepidation about traveling to Africa, especially off the beaten path. The Extraordinary Africa staff quickly answered all of our questions (even the ridiculous ones, without making us feel silly for asking) and made the planning process smooth. Our itinerary was tailored specifically to our needs and we left the planning process feeling like we got exactly what we wanted. Once on the ground in Windhoek, Extraordinary Africa arranged seamless transport to our hotel and coordinated our link up with local staff and for the delivery of our vehicle. Throughout the trip Extraordinary Africa, or their local representative, were accessible 24/7 to add tour and game drives to our booking. One day they were able to book us a Quad Bike trip less than two hours after we called. Namibia was an amazing country, the stark beauty of the desert was best experienced from the self drive safari we booked. It gave us the freedom to go at our own pace, stopping and climbing any interesting mountain or rock formation along the way. We ended up spending nearly a month driving around Namibia, experiencing many different environments and biotypes. From the deserts of Soussusvlei, to the Big Five sightings in Etosha National Park, and the lush river valley of the Okovango, to the urban environs of Swakopmund and Windhoek, Namibia was an amazing country. I will definitely be back in African and will definitely be booking with Extraordinary Africa again.
Eric
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Amboseli National Park by Adele Blanchette
Scenic beauty... Killy what more csn i say... elephants in huge groups ‘ hippos. lions ostrich flamingo. just winderful
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Greater Kruger by Roger Birch
Wildlife was abundant, but when we did our safari at the end of winter, the bush was very dry.
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A wonderful trip with a great guide and driver
Tanzania is maybe not the best country to take on a self drive Safari which is our normal method. Instead we used the services of Ernest of Chabo who provided us with safety, security, and fantastic game experiences in the southern park areas. We rounded off with a few days at the beach on the mainland, again first class.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A true and unique wildlife experience!
I have had the best time on this bush trip/ranger experience organised by Elela Africa. Sandra is a true professional in every sense of the word: she promptly replies to emails, is knowledgeable, delivers great personal service, and is above all passionate about Africa and wildlife conservation. The entire trip was perfectly organised from A-Z!
Our one week bush trip was filled with game drives, walking safaris, sleep outs, but also talks and discussions on wildlife conservation for those who were interested. The locations were simply stunning and it was great to stay in two places with such different and diverse landscapes. A sleep out on a hilltop, sundowners at a baobab tree high up on a rock whilst watching wildlife passing below, a super close encounter with a young male elephant, sing-alongs around the campfire on a dry riverbed, hearing all kinds of animal sounds/calls at night...this trip was filled with highlights. Being out there in the bush, back to basics really intensified the experience. A real treat for the senses!
So if you’re looking to spend some time in the bush and have a true and unique wildlife (conservation) experience , I can highly recommend it.
AE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
I totally made the right choice with Cul Tours & Safaris; a wonderful adventure and experience.
I am not a tour guide kind of traveller so I was hesitant to sign on with a tour company, but I am very happy that I used Cul Tours for this trip to Murchison Falls National Park. Stephen was prompt in all our correspondence and tried always to do what he could to arrange my trip to meet my desires. He arranged for me to see and do every single thing I wanted during my very limited time. Solomon, my guide and driver from Cul Tours, was a safe and courteous driver (to pedestrians and other drivers) which was very important to me. He's a wealth of information about his country, which made the drive-time additionally interesting. He truly seems to enjoy his career as a travel guide. Because Cul Tours & Safaris is a small, locally owned company, I received exceptional service, and my comfort and satisfaction was clearly a priority for them. Highly recommended, without reservation.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tailor made holiday in beautiful Zimbabwe
Nyati made our holiday (honeymoon) in Zimbabwe very special. Everything was tailor made. So we could see the very best of Zimbabwe. Very friendly people, beautiful country, amazing wildlife.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A once in a lifetime experience, thank you Extraordinary Africa
Alex organised an amazing trip for us gorilla trekking in Rwanda, probably one of the most emotional experience of our lives. The highlight was obviously coming face to face with a silver back whilst his babies scampered around us but the golden monkey trek did not disappoint either. Our guide was also wonderful, he was a wealth of knowledge and keen for us to see and learn as much as we could during our time in Rwanda. Our trip was everything and more than we expected we only wish could have stayed longer. We would not hesitate to recommend Alex, in fact we have already discussed a future trip to Africa and will be using Alex for that too
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Phinda must offer one of the finest guided game viewing experiences available in South Africa.
Our stay at Phinda in one of the beautiful game lodges in the Sand Forest section was an amazing experience. Phinda has a fascinating variety of attractive bushveld landscapes including mountains, forest, vlei and open grassland. There is an abundance of wildlife, including the Big Five and many rarer and less easily spotted species, such as cheetah and rhino. The bird life is also a big draw card.
The accommodation is of five star quality and unique. Each couple had their own secluded lodge in the forest a short walk from other lodges, the swimming pool and restaurant but hidden from them. The on-suite bathroom had windows looking out on the forest allowing you to leave the blinds open while taking a bath or shower watching Impala browsing in the forest outside.
Our stay included all meals, two professionally guided game drives each day with a separate vehicle, ranger and tracker allocated for our group of 6 guests. Apart from the first day, the same ranger and tracker handled all our game viewing trips. On several occasions our ranger and tracker joined our group for the evening meal, which provided the opportunity to discuss the days viewing experiences with very knowledgeable experts. It also allowed them to get to know us and helped in planning and personalising the next days outings to suit our particular interests.
The quality of the food was excellent. Apart from the three main meals, snacks and drinks were provided in the bush during game drives and during the afternoon break between lunch and the late afternoon and evening game drive. On two nights the evening meal after the game drive was in the form of a barbecue in an open-to-the sky boma. A highlight was the champagne breakfast in the bush organised for us on our last day.
Weather during our stay was superb. During the early morning game drive it was crisply cool and sometimes misty making the mid-drive coffee break very welcome. You must try Amarula Cream in your coffee instead of milk. The misty landscapes were a photographers delight. The days were warm and very comfortable. We had a few short showers, which added to rather than dampened the experience.
All the staff are very professional, knowledgeable and friendly. They interact with you throughout your stay giving a new meaning to the word hospitality. If it fits within your budget, Phinda is an experience no one should miss.