Bench Africa Avis 

We had a fantastic adventure in Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana & South Africa. Everything was really well organised. Our safari guide Agapit (Abuu) from Leopard Tours in Tanzania went out of his way to be helpful & accommodating. He was friendly, knowledgeable, polite, very professional & a careful & courteous driver. Our safari guide Michael from Southern Cross Safaris in Kenya was professional, knowledgeable, friendly & a careful & courteous driver. The accommodation in each place was wonderful & varied, from plush hotels to glamping, which added to the experience. Similarly the staff in each of the accommodation were friendly and attentive. Thank you to Bench Africa for piecing together the places we wanted to see & for organising the most amazing experiences along the way. I would certainly recommend Bench to my friends.

We had a fantastic time in Kenya with Bench and Southern Cross Safaris. Our Guide Tom was exceptional and made the whole experience even better with his extensive knowledge and love of Kenya.

Everything was well organised and we saw the most incredible wildlife, we especially loved Tsavo East and Satao camp. The balloon Ride over the Maasai Mara was also a highlight

Fantastic adventure … well organised, great tour companies, knowledgeable drivers, brilliant accommodation … thank you Bench Africa, I will certainly be recommending you to my friends.

had a fantastic time in Africa organised by Gayle
We first did the mobile Safari in Botswana which was 8 Nights and such a wonderful experience
Then travelled to Zimbabwe and had two nights in Nantwich lodge a perfect place to relax after the mobile safari
Then Four nights in Victoria falls where we had plenty of time to complete al the activities that Gayle had booked for us which made our trip so easy
We finished with a Rovos rail trip back to Pretoria

Bench Africa organised travel for us to Cape Town, Makutsi Game Reserve (near Kruger), Victoria Falls, around the Okovango Delta through Botswana and Namibia and a few days R&R in Mauritius on the way home. We all had a fabulous time. The accommodation was great and all the transfers organised for us were spot on. It was very easy to deal with Gayle from Bench Africa.

Not long back from an amazing holiday booked with Katelyn at Bench Africa, Bench Africa came recommended to us and I have already recommended them to 2 people for future holiday planning. .
We had an amazing holiday, everything was seamless, not one issue , everything was planned to perfection and we loved every minute of our holiday,
In the planning stages with Katelyn, nothing was too much trouble, lots of recommendations and we finally had a full itinerary
We flew in to Johannesburg, then onto Simbavati Hilltop Lodge in the Timbavati reserve, it was amazing,
All our accommodations , hotels, lodges and Camps were terrific, and would stay in each again,
We moved onto Victoria Falls, Botswana, staying on the Chobe River and Okavango Delta, finishing up in Cape Town.
We had a terrific holiday, wish I was going again tomorrow, saw The Big Five on our first safari afternoon and from then on each safari was just terrific.
I would absolutely highly recommend Bench Africa if you are planning a holiday in SA, Zimbabwe and Botswana, they know their stuff and it was totally amazing.

We had the most amazing experience booking our South Africa trip with Bench and couldn’t recommend them highly enough!
A huge thank you to Maria, who was so helpful from start to finish. She was always quick to answer our questions, listened to exactly what we wanted, and created an itinerary that was completely tailored to us, meeting all our requests and going above and beyond.
Every location and accommodation she chose was beautiful and exceeded our expectations. Having everything organised for us, along with people we could contact in both Australia and South Africa whenever we needed anything, made the whole experience so easy and relaxing.
We had an incredible trip and are already wanting to plan our next African adventure! We would definitely recommend Bench to anyone travelling to Africa and will absolutely be using them again.

1. Food - It was very good in Tanzania. It was OK in Kenya.
2. Travel - It was long travel from one destination to another, so be prepared. This is not because the plan was not good. It is part of the nature of Safari.
3. Driver - It was not good in Tanzania. His name is Alfani. He said "we came together for fun and relaxing time, not for complaint. If anything you don't like put it in the rubbish bin. If you think I do bad, give me $10 a day tip, if you think I do good, give me more." Always pressured for shopping and all other events such as dancing etc. It was very unpleasant. The driver in Kenya was polite and no force on tips at all. Always said - You are not obligate to buy anything.
4. The period of late July and early August is great season, but it is not good for south part of Tanzania. The journey planned to visit south part of Serengeti, but the animals by then are almost at north part of the national park. We were disappointed. In Kenya was all good.
5. Accommodation - Good

When we asked Julie at Bench Africa to find us some isolated camps along the Luangwa river we couldn't have dreamed our safari would be so amazing. Bench had also organised our previous two memorable South Luangwa walking safaris. So this time we dreamed of being totally immersed in the bush and Julie found the perfect blend of comfort and nature at very close quarters. The isolation was perfect for us, and the wildlife encounters were next level. Magical camps, superb guides and the feeling of being a million miles away.

We booked the Kruger, Victoria Falls & Chobe Adventure through Bench Africa in Sydney. Bex was very helpful and responded promptly to our questions. The safari was amazing, small group with our guide Richard from Kiboko Tours who was knowledgeable, patient and had a great sense of humour. While one of the days was changed from the original itinerary, we were not disappointed. Everything was perfect. Thank you, memories for a lifetime.

We booked our transfers, Chobe Game Lodge in Botswana, and Ilala Lodge in Victoria Falls through Bench Africa, and the entire experience exceeded our expectations.

From the moment we arrived, every detail was seamlessly organised. All of our airport transfers ran perfectly, and the itinerary flowed effortlessly, allowing us to simply relax and enjoy our holiday without having to worry about a thing.

The accommodation at both lodges was absolutely exceptional. Each property offered a unique luxury experience, with beautiful rooms, outstanding facilities, and breathtaking locations. One of our favourite memories was sitting on our balcony watching wild elephants and hippos wandering past—it was an experience we'll never forget.

The food and wine at both lodges were of the highest standard, and the service was impeccable. Every member of staff made us feel genuinely welcome, and their warmth and attention to detail made our stay even more special.

Bench Africa created an unforgettable holiday for our family. Their recommendations were outstanding, their organisation was flawless, and every aspect of our trip was thoughtfully planned. If you're looking for a luxury African safari or Victoria Falls experience, we wouldn't hesitate to recommend Bench Africa. They truly delivered a five-star experience from start to finish.

Makutsi came highly recommended to us by our friend. We weren't disappointed. The huts were comfortable and cute and the staff couldn't do enough to help us to have an amazing experience. We saw our first lion after visiting two other parks, as well as a wonderful mother & baby rhino. Thank you Makutsi, it was a fabulous experience.

Bench was suggested to Us by friends. Reading thru many Africa tour mags. We decided to select 3 of Benches safari tours. Rebecca G from Bench listened to what we wanted to do and our expenditure. Bex overnight join the selected 3 and provided us with a Fantastic Amazing African Safari experience. We totally recommend Rebecca for everything she did for us. Making our experience a unforgettable memory. Thankyou

Maria from the bench was amazing. She was very patient with us when we changed our minds many times. She also followed up and advised hotels of special requirements we had. Then when things went a little crazy in the Middle East she was so helpful rearranging everything for us to fit in with new flights. She even was in Touch whilst we were away on email with changes in itinerary and giving advice in changes of circumstances in the areas of Africa were in. Overall we worked her really hard but I know other agents haven’t been so good. Would not hesitate to use the services from the Bench in the future

Bench have curated the most wonderful experience in Zambia; the Valley Safari. We saw all the animals we were hoping to see (e.g., South Luangwa: hippos, leopards, giraffe, hyenas, elephants, lions, zebras, warthogs, small nocturnal mammals, crocodiles, frogs, many monkeys and antelope, interesting bird life; Lower Zambezi: wild dogs [hunting and eating], buffalo, hippos, leopards, hyenas, elephants, lions, zebras, warthogs, small nocturnal mammals, crocodiles, frogs, many monkeys and antelope, interesting bird life ... we went fishing and caught many fish, and canoeing which was amazing!).

The accommodation, food, lodge staff and safari guides were fabulous at both Kafunta Lodge and Royal Zambezi Lodge. The included flights were great. The weather was perfect (not a drop of rain, warm days, slightly cooler mornings and evenings).

We recently took the Deluxe South Africa tour with Bench and it was wonderful. The accommodation was first class and the organisation of transfers and day trips was seamless. Eric, the main point of contact was helpful in answering all our questions preceding the tour. We felt like we were in very safe hands and would recommend this trip to others.

Constant communication and no question was regarded as trite. Being first time adventurers, Stephanie was helpful, accommodating and made me feel confident and comfortable organising our family holiday.
The Bakubung Lodge was perfect and we had a marvellous family holiday including little children who were welcomed and accommodated.

We recently undertook our third adventure using Bench Africa. We cannot fault them; from regular communication to suggesting ideas and ways to do things. We never had any concern about being met at airports or at Safari camps. The attention to detail was extraordinary. Our bench Africa person Maria was exceptional so friendly, so caring and so efficient. We travelled to Johannesburg and Zimbabwe, felt safe all the time and had a great time due to Bench and their efficiency. We would not use any other travel company when considering another trip to Africa.See you next time.

We have just come back from a tailor made 16 day Uganda (Gorillas), Tanzania and Zanzibar with Bench. Everything was absolutely fantastic, from the communications, information, accommodation as well as all the great places we went and the things we saw. Even when our flight was delayed by 7 hours until 2.00 in the morning, the driver who met us was cheerful and conversational, as were the staff at the hotel. Gayle from Bench was also extremely helpful and kept in touch to make sure things still ran smoothly. Everywhere we went the staff were excellent and keen to please, especially our guide from Leopard Tours (Charles) who was absolutely brilliant. I cannot recommend Bench or the itinerary highly enough, we would go again tomorrow!

We were on the highlights of East Africa tour with some add ons for Johannesburg and Cape Town. There were only 4 of us so it was a great experience without being lost in a big group. The guides in the East Africa tour were fantastic. Moses and James were knowledgeable and flexible. They also had a sense of humour and kept us safe. The border crossings were made much easier with the guides walking us through the formalities.
It is hard to say which parts of the tour were highlights.
Firstly the accommodation was great. From upmarket hotels to tented camps made it special. Your choice of accommodation is first rate. My wife is allergic to onion and garlic and the hotel chefs were very accommodating.
We were able to see so many animals up close and our photo collection is bursting. We really loved Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti , Maasai Mara (including the balloon ride) and the sometimes confronting town tours.
We have some suggestions for improving the tour in the future. A rest day option between Tanzania and Kenya would have been good for us. Somewhere like Amboseli or Lake Naivasha perhaps. Travelling on rough roads in the land cruisers with limited A/C is challenging. The excellent Insika Lodge and Victoria Falls were welcome wind down times.
We had several hours at Dar es Salam airport. Advising people that once you get in to the airport there is nothing there before check in time would have prompted us to use the cafe opposite the departure hall. A pick up time of 3.30am to get a 7.30am flight from Nairobi to Zambia is way too early. The airport was not really open. While we enjoyed the Maasai village tour it was unexpected and confronting to have to bargain to purchase so-called 'local' artefacts that we then saw available in many places.
We were travelling as a group of 4 so expected that to be the case for the whole tour. In Cape Town we were with a number of other people (who were fine) for the Cape of Good Hope tour, Table Mountain and the city tour. We were not aware of this. These were minor irritations on an otherwise fantastic tour and we will recommend Bench Africa to our friends without hesitation.