This is the biggest trip I’ve ever done, and it was incredible.
When Matthew and Sue Rayner decided to start travelling the world, Africa was the first place on their list.
Matthew Rayner retired a couple of years ago, and he and his wife, Sue decided it was time to start doing some serious travelling.
“Africa had been on my list for a while, mainly because of friends who had told us about their amazing experiences there,” says Matthew. “And now that we’ve been, I 100% understand why!”
The couple got back to Australia in November 2025 after a month’s holiday.
“We had a few days in Perth and then flew from there to Johannesburg,” says Matthew. “It’s a big and busy airport, and Sue was very nervous about going to Africa in general, but right from the start, there was someone there to meet us, help us with our bags, and take us through security and immigration. It just made everything so easy. And this happened everywhere we went – there was always someone to help us, and we didn’t have a single problem during our entire holiday. The whole trip was seamless.”
Indeed, Sue enjoyed the entire adventure without feeling scared or worried even once. She was even able to overcome her fear of heights and take multiple flights in small aircraft, which was a good thing, considering that 11 days of their holiday were spent with Air Adventure, flying from camp to camp in small planes throughout Kenya and Tanzania.
“It was actually John at Air Adventure who introduced us to Encompass Africa,” explains Matthew. “We booked Wings over Tanzania (editors note: that Encompass Africa curated for Air Adventure), and wanted to make the most of being in Africa while we were there. So John hooked us up with Danica and Jono from Encompass Africa, and they planned the rest of our trip.”
Kicks off in Cape Town, cooking class caught us by surprise!
After arriving in Johannesburg, the couple flew straight to Cape Town, where they spent a few days exploring the city before heading to the nearby wine region. “Table Mountain was a real highlight,” says Matthew, “and we also loved a special day tour arranged for us by Encompass Africa. It was unlike anything we’d ever done before.”
The tour combined several experiences into one unforgettable day. It began with a cooking class hosted by celebrity chef Nicky Gibbs at Crofter’s Kitchen, where Matthew and Sue helped prepare a meal using local fish and fresh herbs from her garden.
“I never would have thought of doing a cooking class,” Matthew admits. “But Nicky was incredible – she’s cooked for the Rolling Stones and so many other famous people, and she had a real connection with the local community. We learned a lot, had a lot of laughs, and then got to eat the meal we’d helped prepare. It was fascinating, and completely outside the usual tourist experience.”
In the afternoon, the adventure continued with a scenic sidecar motorcycle ride along the coast from Noordhoek Farm Village. Kitted out in helmets and leather jackets, the couple stopped at stunning viewpoints like Chapman’s Peak to take in the scenery and enjoy a drink.
The couple then headed to the wine region, where they were utterly blown away by Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. “It’s just so beautiful – I think if we’d known in advance how much we were going to love it, we would have stayed a few days,” says Matthew.
Trip of a lifetime to Africa: safari time!
They then flew to Zimbabwe for three nights at Mpala Jena Camp, an intimate, eco-luxury safari camp in a private concession within the Zambezi National Park, near Victoria Falls.
“We were picked up by a speedboat and, after about half an hour navigating the rapids on the Zambezi River, we reached the camp,” says Sue. “It was a really exciting place to stay, with elephants that came through the camp, right up to our tent.”
This was Matthew and Sue’s first proper safari experience, and it did not disappoint.
“I would rank our stay there as one of the best we had in Africa,” says Matthew. “The wildlife spotting was incredible. Hippos were probably the number one animal, followed by elephants – we would have seen more than 100 over the three days. There were also lots of giraffes, monkeys and incredible bird life. And the food was unbelievable. I’d honestly put it up there with the best dining experiences anywhere in the world.”
Their guide at Mpala Jena Camp also took Matthew and Sue to Victoria Falls, about 30 kilometres away.
Number one thing on our list
“When we first spoke to Danica and Jono about this trip, we had a few ideas about things we wanted to do and places we wanted to go – and Victoria Falls was the number one thing on our list,” says Sue.
“I did the helicopter flight over the Falls, so I really got to appreciate the sheer magnitude of this natural wonder,” says Matthew. “I don’t think you can truly appreciate how big it is from the ground. The experience of being up there and seeing the full scale of the Falls was so special.”
The couple then embarked on their 11-day Air Adventure odyssey in Tanzania.
“I was actually pretty good with all the flights in small planes. I just made sure I looked ahead and not down!” laughs Sue.
Being brave definitely helped them reap rewards.
“We stayed at the most fantastic places – our first stop, Olmara Camp in the Serengeti, was probably the highlight,” says Matthew. “What made it so special was the amazing wildlife and guides. They were local Maasai, and their spotting and tracking skills were unbelievable. They’d see the tip of a tail wag once above grass 300 metres away, and the next thing you know, we’re up close with leopards!”
It was an embarrassment of wildlife riches.
“Except for rhino, we saw just about every animal; it was unbelievable,” says Sue. “There were lions, cheetahs, and an elephant that even mock-charged our car, which was scary but exciting! We flew in a hot air balloon and at one point dropped down so low that we were floating only about 30 metres above a pride of about 30 lions. It was a beautiful experience – even for someone like me who’s afraid of heights! Afterwards, we shared a beautiful breakfast, with white linen and china, all in the middle of nowhere. It was just amazing.”
Down time on a spice island
After their Air Adventure, the couple rounded off their holiday with a beach stay in Zanzibar, dividing their time between two resorts. They took a fascinating and eye-opening tour of the slave trade area in Stone Town, and savoured the island’s laid-back pace and beautiful surroundings.
“A safari holiday is amazing, but you’re up really early every morning and finish quite late, so it can get quite tiring,” says Matthew. “Danica had recommended Zanzibar as a great way to end a safari holiday, and she was right. We wanted to come home relaxed and refreshed, and that’s exactly what we did.”
Back home…
The memories of Sue and Matthew’s African adventure are still fresh.
“This is the biggest trip I’ve ever done, and it was incredible,” Sue raves. “We felt safe everywhere we went, and there was always someone to help us get from one place to the next. But the things that have really stuck in my mind are the people and just how lovely they are, and the vastness of the continent. I loved the landscapes, with the flat acacia trees and incredible sunsets, and of course, all the animals. We had a fabulous trip, and I’d recommend it to anyone.”
Matthew agrees and says they’d love to go back to Africa one day. “If Danica rang up and said she had something really good for us, we’d be very tempted!”
“But I would find it very hard to top the experience that we had,” says Sue. “Everything we did was amazing. It really was the trip of a lifetime – to Africa.”
