Extraordinary Africa was born of a desire to share our passion for Africa. We don’t set out to do a safari and beach trip (anyone with an atlas and a guidebook can do that), but to deliver the sort of life-changing, heart-stopping, soul-restoring adventures we’ve enjoyed ourselves.
ABOUT OUR FOUNDER:
Alexandra Matts
Growing up on a farm in the Northamptonshire countryside, Alex fell in love with the great outdoors, so it’s no surprise she ended up in Africa. These days, when it comes to Africa, it’s easier to ask where Alex hasn’t been, than where she has. She’s driven across the Sahara, microlighted over the South Luangwa in Zambia, canoed down the Zambezi (that’s her photo at the top), drunk cocktails in Cape Town and swum off tiny Madagascan islands. She’d also like to claim that she’s seen the sun rise from the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, but it’s fair to say that by the time she made the peak, sunrise was a distant memory.
Over the years Alex has picked up an impressive knowledge of African wildlife. Her proudest moment is spotting a pangolin in Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools National Park, and should the need arise, she can tell you the sex of a giraffe just by looking at its head. A stint living in Tanzania has given Alex a smattering of Swahili- favourite word- keepilefti (roundabout). She’s developed a discerning eye for some of Africa’s finest lodges, and an enviable contact book that she deploys on behalf of her clients. Most importantly of all, she takes a huge pleasure in getting to know her clients and is at her happiest when she’s on the phone, transported by your tales of yet another successful African adventure, or reading emails like this:
“We were spoilt rotten from the moment we arrived. It is the first holiday I have ever cried at leaving!”- Christine
Read a personal letter from Alex about why she loves Africa (and Extraordinary Africa!).
Alex’s passion is personal service, call her directly on + 44 207 097 1801 or email Alex.
Read independent reviews of Extraordinary Africa.
Alex is Tripadvisor’s Destination Expert for Uganda and Kenya, and one of Conde Nast Traveler’s Top Specialists 2023, 2022 and 2021.
ABOUT OUR OPERATIONS COORDINATOR:
Clare McPherson
Clare is Extraordinary Africa’s resident food and wine buff. Years spent on yachts exploring the world’s oceans (and the rather chilly west coast of Scotland) make her one of the best travelled members of our team and she remains an enthusiastic sailor as well as a qualified PADI diver.
Highlights of her African adventures include whale watching over breakfast at Morukuru, exploring the food markets of Cape Town, diving off the coast of Zanzibar, and spotting a pangolin on safari- an animal that even many guides have never seen. She’s the logistical coordinator, calm voice of reason and a mine of information on all things South African.
INTRODUCING THE OFFICE MANAGER:
Bob is the manager of the Extraordinary Africa office, supervising operations from his bed beside the filing cabinet. Callers to EA HQ might hear him trying to join the conversation in the background and he’s a friendly companion at our business meetings.
While he hasn’t been on safari yet, he’s fairly sure he’d fit in pretty easily with the black-backed jackals, and is particularly good at posing for photographs. Till then, his main job is keeping up morale in the Extraordinary Africa office, occasionally supervising our social media output and stealing the best chair in the office whenever he can.
Alternatively, if you just have a question
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