We have been working across Africa for over 20 years, developing a network of failsafe contacts and creating the neatest and most effective itineraries to suit your interests and requirements.
Over 20 years experience
We have been crafting unforgettable tailor-made trips to Africa since 1998! In fact, we were the first ever online UK tour operator to do so... Our experience really does speak for itself!
Transparent pricing
Want to see a breakdown? Just ask! We will never be more expensive than booking direct with the lodges, and often we are cheaper. Our long-established relationships with safari lodges in Africa mean we can negotiate excellent rates, resulting in savings for you.
Owner run & 100% independent
We are not driven by high targets or commission based sales which other bigger companies could be beholden to, so we only send you to lodges which we think you'd love. We are proudly 100% tailor-made.
Expert knowledge
We will never send you to a lodge which we have not been to. Our small team are some of the UK’s leading Africa safari and beach experts, and we send them back year after year to ensure their knowledge is still exceptional and fully up to date.
24/7 assistance
Help is available around the clock on an Odyssey trip. So if there is an emergency on the ground in Tanzania then we are only a call away.
Financial protection
We are ATOL bonded. This means that if in the unlikely event that something happens to us, your money is safe.How it all works
Speak to an expert
When you are ready to begin planning, please do pick up the phone and chat to one of our expert team. Every Odyssey consultant has travelled throughout Africa extensively or lived there, and we have personally vetted every single property we recommend.
We begin crafting and eventually finalise your itinerary
Once we know a little more about you, we will get to work on some sample itineraries. Then, it is simply a case of tweaking and tweaking (or completely changing!) your trip until you are 100% happy. To confirm the space at the lodges, we require a 20% deposit, with the final balance due 12 weeks before you travel.
Preparing for your trip
Once you have paid your deposit, we will be with you every step of the way until your departure. We will send you a link to our App which has maps, locations, pre-departure information (including packing lists) a countdown to your trip and even the weather forecast. We are always at the end of the phone or on emails to help answer any questions you have in the run up to your trip.
Enjoy!
In the unlikely event that you encounter any problems on your travels, then simply call our emergency 24/7 number and one of our team will be on hand to help. On your return, please do get in touch and let us know how everything went – we love hearing about your experience and staying in touch.
Ted Archdale
Managing Director
Exploring the world’s wild places has always been part of Ted’s DNA. From the age of 16, Ted was undertaking self-sufficient treks in the Andes to the Cordillera Blanca region as well as ticking off bucket-list locations like Machu Picchu.
In between university semesters, where primates were the source of study, Ted worked as a builder’s apprentice to save enough money for a plane ticket to Africa. He self-drove across South Africa and through Botswana, swimming in the Okavango’s waterways, fishing and camping under the stars on the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. Since meeting Marc and joining Africa Odyssey in 2010, Ted has uncovered some of the most remote regions of Africa where a love for walking safaris was born. Other highlights include micro-light flights over the Luangwa Valley and witnessing Great Wildebeest Migration (make sure you check out his Instagram for some amazing content!).
Explore Ted's favourite itinerary here >
Contact Ted Archdale >
In between university semesters, where primates were the source of study, Ted worked as a builder’s apprentice to save enough money for a plane ticket to Africa. He self-drove across South Africa and through Botswana, swimming in the Okavango’s waterways, fishing and camping under the stars on the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. Since meeting Marc and joining Africa Odyssey in 2010, Ted has uncovered some of the most remote regions of Africa where a love for walking safaris was born. Other highlights include micro-light flights over the Luangwa Valley and witnessing Great Wildebeest Migration (make sure you check out his Instagram for some amazing content!).
Explore Ted's favourite itinerary here >
Contact Ted Archdale >
My favourites
Marc Harris
Director
Following years of travelling and exploring, Marc started organising safaris for clients in the mid 1990s. Specialising in the then lesser-known safari regions, he set up Tanzania Odyssey; providing the very best itineraries and safari support in Tanzania.
Marc has a flair and love for the finest safari and beach experiences, all of which he continues to test assiduously, whenever possible. A natural perfectionist, his unrivalled zest for world experiences makes him a sturdy helmsman for all of your African Odysseys.
His knowledge is also decades in the making: Marc is a judge of The Good Safari Guide and a director of the African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA), he is one of the most respected safari consultants in the world.
Contact Marc Harris >
Marc has a flair and love for the finest safari and beach experiences, all of which he continues to test assiduously, whenever possible. A natural perfectionist, his unrivalled zest for world experiences makes him a sturdy helmsman for all of your African Odysseys.
His knowledge is also decades in the making: Marc is a judge of The Good Safari Guide and a director of the African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA), he is one of the most respected safari consultants in the world.
Contact Marc Harris >
My favourites
Dave Fuller
Senior Consultant
Dave's love of travel and exploration was always with him; through his twenties he explored the majority of Asia and Latin America, and Africa was next.
With nothing but a one way ticket Dave made his way to South Africa, through Mozambique, into Zimbabwe and ending up on the shores of Lake Malawi. Dave’s passion for Africa started here and his travels later took him to Tanzania - where he fell in love with the wild parks of the South - and extensively through Botswana and Zambia.
As well as being a Tanzania, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia specialist, Dave heads up our Asia department, having spent months exploring India, China and South East Asia. 20 years in the travel industry have helped Dave turn itinerary planning into an art form.
Explore Dave's favourite itinerary here >
Contact Dave Fuller >
With nothing but a one way ticket Dave made his way to South Africa, through Mozambique, into Zimbabwe and ending up on the shores of Lake Malawi. Dave’s passion for Africa started here and his travels later took him to Tanzania - where he fell in love with the wild parks of the South - and extensively through Botswana and Zambia.
As well as being a Tanzania, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia specialist, Dave heads up our Asia department, having spent months exploring India, China and South East Asia. 20 years in the travel industry have helped Dave turn itinerary planning into an art form.
Explore Dave's favourite itinerary here >
Contact Dave Fuller >
My favourites
Sam Hankss
Senior Consultant
After travelling to the continent of dreams with his family, Sam decided one holiday was not enough. After finishing his studies, he became a safari guide in the Greater Kruger where he led and educated guests in a variety of lodges.
A love for wildlife photography also grew during this time and has resulted in him exploring more of the world. Now leading our photographic groups across Africa, he is well versed in the art of building the finest itineraries for those photographically minded.
All Sam's adventures have culminated into his photographic website, which is worth a visit for some safari swooning. Sam is the most wildlife-obsessed tour operator you will likely ever meet, so he's a go-to if you're into specific safari experiences in Africa.
Explore Sam's favourite itinerary here >
Contact Sam Hankss >
A love for wildlife photography also grew during this time and has resulted in him exploring more of the world. Now leading our photographic groups across Africa, he is well versed in the art of building the finest itineraries for those photographically minded.
All Sam's adventures have culminated into his photographic website, which is worth a visit for some safari swooning. Sam is the most wildlife-obsessed tour operator you will likely ever meet, so he's a go-to if you're into specific safari experiences in Africa.
Explore Sam's favourite itinerary here >
Contact Sam Hankss >
My favourites
Amelia Binns
Consultant
Born and raised in the rolling hills of the Cotswolds, Amelia’s love for the outdoors and wildlife began at an early age. Summers spent exploring northern Europe with her family sparked a deep curiosity for the world beyond, and as soon as she finished school, she set off on a three-month backpacking adventure through South East Asia.
Since then, her travels have taken her further afield, to Latin America - climbing active volcanoes in Guatemala, living off-grid on a permaculture farm atop El Salvador’s highest peak, and swimming with sharks off the coast of Belize.
Joining the team in 2024, Amelia’s most recent adventure to some of Africa’s most remote and spectacular wildernesses in Tanzania. Whether tracking a cheetah mother and her new-born cub across a dry riverbed or witnessing the greeting ceremony of a wild dog pack, Amelia is always in search of extraordinary wildlife encounters - and, of course, the perfect sundowner spot.
Explore Amelia's favourite itinerary here >
Contact Amelia Binns >
Since then, her travels have taken her further afield, to Latin America - climbing active volcanoes in Guatemala, living off-grid on a permaculture farm atop El Salvador’s highest peak, and swimming with sharks off the coast of Belize.
Joining the team in 2024, Amelia’s most recent adventure to some of Africa’s most remote and spectacular wildernesses in Tanzania. Whether tracking a cheetah mother and her new-born cub across a dry riverbed or witnessing the greeting ceremony of a wild dog pack, Amelia is always in search of extraordinary wildlife encounters - and, of course, the perfect sundowner spot.
Explore Amelia's favourite itinerary here >
Contact Amelia Binns >
My favourites
George Hannan
Operations and Accounts
George has packed in an awful lot of travel! He has explored much of Asia, Africa, North America and recently has enjoyed an action packed South America adventure. But it's Tanzania which he has returned to again and again, through the action-packed northern parks to the wilds of the South.
Having worked in travel since leaving university, George knows a fair few secret spots around the world he'd rather keep to himself. He's happiest with a day of adventure ahead and a nice sundowner waiting for him back at camp.
A true Serengeti specialist, we’re fairly sure George knows several of the Great Migration’s wildebeest by name. Happy with luxury but at home in a tented camp, George is all about exploring wild places and having a chuckle along the way.
Contact George Hannan >
Having worked in travel since leaving university, George knows a fair few secret spots around the world he'd rather keep to himself. He's happiest with a day of adventure ahead and a nice sundowner waiting for him back at camp.
A true Serengeti specialist, we’re fairly sure George knows several of the Great Migration’s wildebeest by name. Happy with luxury but at home in a tented camp, George is all about exploring wild places and having a chuckle along the way.
Contact George Hannan >
