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About Us

We are so glad you wanted to learn a little bit more about us!

Award winning Africa travel specialist Bench Africa is Australia's leading Africa travel company. Our passionate and knowledgeable team of Africa experts are on hand to personally help design your ideal Africa safari experience - organising everything from the moment you call us until the moment you arrive safely back in Australia.

Bench Africa is committed to CATO Covid-Safe Protocols based on guidelines published by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). These new protocols, put forward by the Council of Australian Tour Operators are supported by medical evidence and have been developed with the help of governments and public health authorities, along with leading tour operators from around the world to help with safe travel throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. The protocols focus on three key areas: operational and staff preparedness, delivering a safe experience, and rebuilding trust and confidence. Recommendations include signage, staff training and sanitation, health and hygiene, social distancing, contactless payment, contact tracing, and communication.

Bench Africa is committed to CATO Covid-Safe Protocols based on guidelines published by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

These new protocols, put forward by the Council of Australian Tour Operators are supported by medical evidence and have been developed with the help of governments and public health authorities, along with leading tour operators from around the world to help with safe travel throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. The protocols focus on three key areas: operational and staff preparedness, delivering a safe experience, and rebuilding trust and confidence. Recommendations include signage, staff training and sanitation, health and hygiene, social distancing, contactless payment, contact tracing, and communication.

Why Travel with Bench Africa?

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TAILORED TO YOU

We take the time to understand what you enjoy so we can create the perfect holiday for you.

RENOWNED SERVICE

Established in 1969, Bench Africa is Australia’s oldest and most trusted Africa safari specialist. In 2019 Bench celebrated 50 years of providing stylish, unusual and utterly memorable Africa holidays. That means we have more than half a century's worth of safari planning experience under our belts. And what's more, in July 2018 Bench Africa were proud to be named 'Best Specialty Wholesaler' determined by a panel of industry experts at the National Travel Industry Awards.

FIRST-HAND KNOWLEDGE

Every member of the Bench family has a true passion for Africa and has travelled extensively throughout the continent, with many having lived and worked there.

CREATING POSITIVE CHANGE

We see tourism as a vital tool for protecting Africa's remarkable wildlife and culture and at Bench Africa we pride ourselves on our approach to ethical tourism, upholding these values across our 'Big Five' pillars. With these pillars in place, you can be safe in the knowledge that you are visiting these extraordinary countries in Africa with the utmost respect, leaving the picturesque places as you might like to find them and ensuring that local communities benefit from your visit.

WE BELIEVE IN VALUE

Our advice comes from first-hand experience and we work hard so that our clients can make well-informed decisions and book their perfect holiday. Our quality of service and expertise makes our value for money very hard to beat.

 

OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU

Bench Africa has the experience and knowledge of Africa to ensure that any holiday booked with us exceeds your expectations! We have designed tailor-made itineraries for thousands of very happy guests over the years because we understand that this may be your ‘once in a lifetime’ dream to travel to Africa. It is our job to make sure that it is everything that you dreamed it could be... and more.

Don't just take our word for it... make sure you take a peek at our independent customer reviews on Trustpilot.

We look forward to helping you choose the African experience that suits you, whether you've been before or are going for the very first time.

All Part of the Bench Africa Service

Expert Africa Travel Consultation

Expert Consultation

Bench Africa offers a no obligation fully personalised, valuable and friendly consultation with one of our Africa experts who will tailor-make a special itinerary to suit you and your requirements.

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Booking

From flights to accommodation, tours and transfers to a varied range of exciting activities we offer a one-stop-shop for booking your Africa adventures. Our aim is to exceed every expectation.


Documentation

We send out your personalised safari documentation for you to take on your travels. These little touches make your safari experience even more special and your documents are the perfect keepsake!


24/7 Support While Travelling

We have offices in South Africa & Kenya, as well as a 24-hour Bench Africa Emergency Support Desk in Australia. We are with you every step of the way, until you land safely back in your home country.

The History of Bench Africa - The Experts in Africa Travel

Africa travel experts historyThe story began when Charles Bench initially arrived in Australia in 1969 to play tennis from one continent to the other, while taking a break from his duties as Sales Manager for South African Airways in London. Making many friends along the way, he discovered that holidays to South Africa from Australia were almost non-existent. What a golden opportunity! With his love of the safari life and encouraged at being a pioneer, Charles migrated to Australia in March 1969 and opened his doors for business. Bench Africa was established.

Interest in South Africa exploded in the 70's and for the next 38 years the safari company grew from strength to strength with Charles at the helm surrounding himself with a team of Africa travel specialists sharing his passion for Africa and cementing Bench's reputation for being the "Africa Experts". When Charles retired in 2007, the company was sold to his ground operator in East Africa - Southern Cross Safaris - a Kenya based company with an even longer history of taking clients on quality safaris. Since then, Bench Africa has gone again from strength to strength, increasing their portfolio of destinations and variety of experiences offered throughout Africa and the Indian Ocean.

Charles' principles of 'an in-depth knowledge and passion for Africa' will never change at Bench, so you will always find an enthusiastic and knowledgeable reservations team to assist with any enquiry.

The Bench Africa Travel Specialist Team

We believe we have the best team of Africa experts in the industry who are passionate about the destination and specialise solely in holidays to Africa. With their knowledge and personal experiences, they will happily assist in planning your ideal safari holiday. There are also several other behind-the-scenes members of the Bench staff that assist with marketing, operations and accounts, and are vital in the success of the company. Please read more about our fantastic team of experts in the right hand section of the page and when you're ready, download a digital Africa travel brochure or alternatively we can send you one in the post.

See what our customers say on Trustpilot.

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Meet the Team

Julie is one of our longest serving members, having worked for Bench for nearly 20 years. Julies love for Africa first began when she experienced her first safari to South Africa and Botswana.“Words cannot express what it felt like – it’s not only about the animals, that is a bonus. It is about the people, the landscape, the simplicity of life and how you realise the simple things in life are what ground us and how we forget that. Once you have gone there, you come back with a little piece of the magic that stays with you and makes you want to go back.

Julie De Palo

Operations and Groups Director / Africa Expert
It had always been Maria’s dream to travel to Africa on a safari, and after her first trip she knew she would just have to keep going back. Maria’s first African experience was joining a 7 week tour through Africa. Visiting East Africa, Maria was lucky enough to experience her first ‘Big 5’ safari in Tanzania which included a visit to the Ngorongoro Crater. More recently Maria visited Namibia for the first time, self driving around this huge country with its amazing landscapes, game viewing in the mind blowing Etosha National Park, but the biggest achievement of the trip was summiting Namibia’s highest sand dune “Big Daddy” – as Maria says “it was a killer, but definitely worth it”.

Maria Hindson

Africa Expert
Lara Behrens was born and raised in Kenya and spent several years living in Ireland and England before migrating to Australia. Lara has worked at Bench Africa for over six years and previously ran an events company bringing with her a fantastic new insight and a wealth of marketing skills to Bench. Lara's family owns and operates safari camps in Kenya so she grew up on safari and has travelled extensively around Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and South Africa.

Lara Behrens

Marketing & Communications Director
Lyndal first travelled to East Africa in 1997. Setting off on a basic camping safari, nervous and excited to be sleeping under canvas, she headed into the unknown. On Lyndal’s first day on safari, in the Masai Mara she spotted so much game that she said that she could have gone home happy! Nevertheless, she continued her trip, through Tanzania and on to Rwanda, where she had her most memorable travel experience, coming face to face with a silverback! She has now visited 26 of the 54 countries in Africa!

Lyndal

Africa Expert
Eric grew up in Cape Town, in South Africa and moved to Australia in 2011. Since then he has been back to Africa over 15 times, mostly on safari. He has been with the Bench team for over 2 years and promoting Africa as a destination for 20 years. Nothing compares to being on a safari and once Coronavirus is over and it is safe to travel he just can’t wait to head out to Africa. Doesn’t matter where – just somewhere out in the African bush.

Eric Vos

Africa Expert
Brett has been working at Bench for 4 years and within the travel and tourism industry for over 30 years in various capacities of a support nature. He is our guy behind the scenes keeping our reservations system ticking over nicely and making our lives so much easier; ensuring our Africa experts have all the support they need.

Brett Palser