TW
AT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent tour, worth recommending
We made Great Southern Tour in August, we are very satisfied. The tour - well structured, organised and carried out. The communication prior to the tour - good, all information/explanations/answers provided without delay
- our driver - guide very friendly, helpful, familiar with wildlife, dedicated, excellent driving skills and sense of humour
- accomodation modest but clean and comfortable enough (Hippo Camp - extremely nice)
- food tasty and well prepared - no stomach problems expiereinced
- a few minor obstacles/shortcomings during the tour well handled/solved.
- distances between the parks are huge and travelling might be exhaustive, but our kids survived without complaining
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best vacation ever!!!
The ladies at Extraordinary journeys are amazing!!!! We had the most wonderful, amazing, awesome honeymoon and all thanks to them. We did not have to do one stitch of planning aside from booking our international flights. The in-country guides and companies that they use are fantastic and the itinerary was perfect. Thank you to Extraordinary Journeys for sending us the very handy itinerary book and travel documents holder. We had the best time ever and highly recommend them and their services! All communications were prompt and most of the time they emailed us before we could email them with questions. The entire planning process was professional, prompt and so EASY to do. We worked the same two ladies and they took care of us before our trip and were in contact with us during the trip as well. We did Devil's pool in Zambia, safari in Zimbabwe, a day in Johannesburg and 4 days in Seychelles. The team is professional, courteous and the best travel agency that I have worked with.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent safari experience in northern Tanzania
DUMA provided an excellent safari which we will remember for a very long time.
We are a family of four with two teenage boys who visited Tanzania at short notice in August 2018. I did a fair bit of research on safari companies in Arusha and emailed a few ahead of our trip. DUMA stood out because of the promptness of replies, their willingness to put together an excellent itinerary based on the budget I told them I had; and the excellent communications throughout. Miriam patiently answered the many questions I had very promptly. Everything worked like clockwork.
They put together an excellent schedule for our 5 day trip at short notice. We visited Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater. We stayed 2 nights in Karatu at two excellent lodges (Marera Valley Lodge and Country Lodge) and 2 nights in the Serengeti at Kati Kati Tented Camp. All the accommodation surpassed our expectations. Fantastic places to stay with great food.
A special mention should go to our excellent guide, Ebeneezer, who accompanied us throughout. He was a really careful driver and also had an amazing knowledge of the wildlife. He had an uncanny ability of finding the most spectacular animals. We saw the big 5 and then the big 9, amazingly close up! Highlights were the elephants, cheetahs, leopards, lions, hippos, hyenas, jackals, giraffes and, amazingly, a rhino in the middle of the Serengeti, but we saw every animal we could possibly imagine plus lots more. The bird life was another revelation and Ebeneezer identified every bird we pointed out. He gave us really interesting information throughout the trip.
Ebeneezer also went out of his way to make the trip work to our requests. He offered to drive us to the north of the Serengeti to try to find the mass migration (we opted not in the end, because of the length of the drive, but ended up seeing the rhino instead!) He also put in an unscheduled stop for us at the Olduvai Gorge on the way out of the Serengeti, at our request. Finally, aware that our safari was relatively short, he took us out every day from 6am until twilight so we could maximise our wildlife viewing.
Safaris can be quite full-on and 5 days actually worked well for us. DUMA gave good tips ahead of the safari, such as suggesting bringing a buff to help keep dust intake to a minimum on the bumpy, dry roads of the Serengeti (we definitely recommend doing this, or even a proper dust mask!) Our boys absolutely loved the trip, as did we adults. Safaris are never cheap but DUMA seemed to offer good value in comparison to other companies. Finally, there were nice touches like the replica of the land cruiser made out of recycled material given to us at the end of the trip, by which we'll remember it; plus unlimited bottled water throughout. We had a great time. Thank you.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Our Botswana Adventure-Perfection!
Along with a group of Asheville folks, my husband Graham and I travelled to Botswana for what was truly an Extraordinary Journey!! John Moody planned this trip, as he did our previous trip to South Africa, to perfection! Such beautiful camps, absolutely stunning wildlife-we saw everything!! It was a magical trip, memories that all of us will treasure for a lifetime.
US
Amazing and responsive
We used EJ for our trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar earlier this year. We travel a lot as a family and normally plan things ourselves. It became clear pretty early on that we'd need help with planning a safari. It also became clear that EJ was the company best suited to us. It was't just the level of service or degrees of expertise provided (at this price point, I think there any number of companies that are at least comparable in that regard), it was the way they listened. Pearl and her partners spent so much time really trying to figure out what kind of experience we wanted, and then designed a trip which satisfied all our desires, including a few we would never have known to ask for. The end result was truly unforgettable; not just a dream safari, but OUR dream safari! Not only would we recommend them to anyone (and have done so many times already), but we wouldn't think of going back on safari without their help. Extraordinary indeed!
AE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great
It was great, i would fly to masai mara next time. The drive was too long. Lake nakuru is georgous and the accommodations were amazing.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best Safari in Uganda
Everything about this safari exceeded our expectations! Jolie was easy to work with, scheduled everything for us, and was great! Once we got to the airport things got even better. Our guide, John, was the absolute best! He knew so much about Uganda, the history, the wildlife, the environment, and different cultures in the country. John did everything to make our experience as perfect as possible. He was so thoughtful and went above and beyond. He recommended great local food that we loved, took us to the best craft markets when we told him we wanted to get traditional wood carved masks to bring home, and was really fun to be around. We feel very lucky to have had such a wonderful experience. John saw to our every need and we are extremely grateful for everything he and achieve did for us!
PT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unbelievable
The all tour was Top. We had since the begining till the last minute a complete escort by the tour guide - Rafael . It was very professional and exceded all of our expectations. He arrange us to see all the big five, and much more in a complete safe and in great respect for the animals and enviorement.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible Honeymoon Safari In Tarangire NP
Both my husband and I were blown away with the professionalism, organization, warmth and friendliness, quality, knowledge, and overall every aspect of our safari. We can't stop gushing about it to everybody we talk to, and can't wait to go again! The staff at the Kichuguu greeted us with juice, warm towels, and never let us carry our bags. They were kind, courteous, attentive to our needs, and respectful of our space. Their attention to detail in the room was evident - that is the swankiest lodging in which we have ever stayed! On our last night, they made our honeymoon extra special, giving us our own table under the starts and offering us a bottle of Champagne on the camp! The food was outstanding, the amenities first rate, and we definitely felt like we were part of the family. They were also super enthusiastic to be there and share their knowledge of wildlife calls with us around "Bush TV" and in the morning they greeted with a cheerfulness that really kickstarted our day. We definitely felt like VIPs. At EJ, Alli and Kim were hyper-attentive and helpful and prompt with their correspondence, easing us through packing, payments, and letting us know what to expect upon pick-up. The pre-trip document had itineraries, great tips, guidelines, suggestions, etc. It was a convenient, first-rate resource both before and while in Tanzania, and we referenced it several times. All of the pre-travel docs were easy and convenient to fill out. Overall, Kim and Alli did not pressure us into something that we did not want or need. We told them what we wanted to see/experience and they came up with a tailored itinerary that checked off every box we gave them. It is evident that they have a strong and professional grasp of the products that they offer.