Bench Africa

Bench Africa Bench Africa have been introducing Australians to the magic of Africa since 1969. Visit www.benchafrica.com.au Why Travel with Bench Africa?

We are so glad you wanted to learn a little bit more about us! Bench Africa is Australia's leading Africa travel company. Our passionate and knowledgeable team of experts are on hand to personally help design your ideal Africa experience, organising everything from the moment you call us until the moment you arrive safely back in Australia. 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 original and most prominent Africa safari specialist. We have over 51 years of providing stylish, unusual and utterly memorable Africa holidays. 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. 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 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. 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.

04/05/2026

From the Big Five to big vines. ✨🍷

A 4WD wine safari through the slopes of Klein Constantia is easily the most stylish way to decompress after time in the bush. We took to the steep foothills of Table Mountain, enjoying a vantage over Cape Town that’s nothing short of iconic.

We spent the morning exploring the estate’s 300-year history before sipping the legendary Vin de Constance.… a pour so esteemed that Napoleon famously insisted on a bottle a day. If it’s good enough for an emperor, it’s certainly the gold standard for any safari finale.

Pro-tip for your next trip: This is a sophisticated way to transition back to reality without losing the sense of adventure after a connoisseur safari in southern Africa.

26/04/2026

What an unforgettable afternoon at Black Elephant in stunning Franschhoek, for the Headline Act music pairing experience! 🎶🍷

It was such an honour to spend time with owner Kevin Swart, whose stories are as captivating as his wines. Listening to his hand-picked tracks, perfectly paired with each pour, made for something truly unique.

Our highlight was sharing the “Memory Maker,” Amazing Grace Cabernet Sauvignon, with Kevin as Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s “Amazing Grace” played in tribute to his late father. It was the only wine he joined us in drinking, and we all raised a glass together in his late father’s honour. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

A unique experience for anyone who loves wine, music, and great stories.

Meet the team who help bring your safaris in South Africa to life. This is Southern Cross Safaris, our sister company in...
26/04/2026

Meet the team who help bring your safaris in South Africa to life.

This is Southern Cross Safaris, our sister company in Cape Town, and while we don’t get to see them as often as we’d like, it never takes long for us to pick up right where we left off. We got to welcome some new faces to the tribe, and our MD, Glen, even made the journey over from our head office in Kenya so it felt pretty special to have all these smiling faces in the same room.

And yes, if you spotted our last post you already know the night was packed with a lot of laughter, great stories, a singalong and some very enthusiastic dance moves, especially when Jerusalema came on. The South African team absolutely put us to shame, but hey, we gave it our best shot! We just haven't had as much practice, ok?? 😆

Naturally, a little shop talk crept in, as it always does. Ultimately though, it’s these moments of connection that strengthen us as a team. We're grateful to work alongside this dedicated team of experts and look forward to all the adventures still to come.

25/04/2026

Behind every great safari is a team full of joy, warmth and soul and this is ours. 🌍🤍

Tonight, our local team in Cape Town whisked us straight off the plane to . Cape Malay feast, djembe drums, live jazz. And then the highlight of the night: Yomi, our newest member of the tribe, got up and sang for the entire restaurant.

These are the people helping to craft your safari in South Africa. And it’s nights like this that are why Africa gets under your skin. 🇿🇦✨

More to come from Cape Town… and we can’t wait to share it with you!

24/04/2026

Touchdown Jozi 🇿🇦

We arrived into Johannesburg last night, checked into and went straight to bed. Completely spent. The flight definitely caught up with us.

The Residence is everything you want after a long haul. Dark wood, velvet, big fireplaces. Champagne on arrival, a cheese platter, a little glass of sherry. It feels like a home but with all the touches that make you feel properly looked after from the moment you walk through the door.

Once you’re in a robe with a glass in hand, the journey that got you here fades away pretty quickly.

And that’s exactly the point. When we put together an itinerary, this is the kind of place we look for at the start of a safari. A soft landing. Somewhere warm and
comfortable with just enough luxury to ease you in gently before the real adventure begins. Africa is big and wild and extraordinary and we want our guests to meet it feeling their best... ready for everything that lies ahead.

Eight hours’ sleep later, so are we!

Johannesburg, it’s good to be back.

Julie and Lara 🤍

Africa, we're coming for you. 🐘✨Our bags are packed and the countdown is on. For the first time in years, the two of us ...
19/04/2026

Africa, we're coming for you. 🐘✨

Our bags are packed and the countdown is on. For the first time in years, the two of us are heading back to Mama Africa together... and honestly, it feels long overdue.

Meet Julie and Lara, the two women at the helm of Bench Africa. Between us, decades of experience and a deep love for this continent. This month we're on the ground in South Africa and Zambia because knowing what's right for our guests means seeing it for ourselves.

And, we're on a mission:

✔️ Tracking down any new experiences worth getting excited about
✔️ Reconnecting with the teams who make your safaris possible
✔️ Paying a visit to our Cape Town office
✔️ Finding the stories we can’t wait to share with you

Follow along for some "behind the scenes" action. 👣📸

AFRICA. YOUR WAY. 🐘👣Some travellers want a private plunge pool and a vintage Shiraz. Others want the smell of rain on re...
13/04/2026

AFRICA. YOUR WAY. 🐘👣

Some travellers want a private plunge pool and a vintage Shiraz. Others want the smell of rain on red dust and the thrill of a mobile camp moving with the herds.

The truth is, there's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all safari. At Bench Africa, our expertise lies in the art of the tailor-made safari.

Bench Africa is Australia's original Africa specialists. Not simply booking cookie-cutter itineraries, but handcrafting journeys shaped around your pace, your passions, and your definition of adventure.

🥂 Drawn to the luxurious? We know the continent's most exclusive lodges.
⛺ Craving something raw and untamed? We'll take you deep into the wild with authentic tented camps.
🧭 A little of both? We've got you!

Ready to stop dreaming and start designing? Let's craft your perfect safari. 🌍🦁

📸 AFRICA IS BETTER SHARED 📸Don't let your pride-worthy lion sightings or dazzling zebra shots gather digital dust. If yo...
11/04/2026

📸 AFRICA IS BETTER SHARED 📸

Don't let your pride-worthy lion sightings or dazzling zebra shots gather digital dust.

If you’ve travelled with Bench, we're dying to see the photos you’re still obsessing over.

Drop your best safari snaps in the comments—don't be shy! 🦒✨

We need to talk about the Okavango. 👇Because the Okavango Delta hasn't seen a flood like this in recent history. Normall...
10/04/2026

We need to talk about the Okavango. 👇

Because the Okavango Delta hasn't seen a flood like this in recent history.

Normally, the Delta gets around 450mm of rain in a season. This year? Over 1,000mm. More than DOUBLE. The Delta is already flooded beyond anything we've seen in a decade.

And that's not even the big news.

Because here's the thing. Every year, rainfall from the Angolan highlands sends a massive pulse of water thousands of kilometres south into the Okavango. It's one of nature's great spectacles. But this year, the Delta is already brimming, and those floodwaters have nowhere to go but OUT. Spreading. Spilling. Covering the landscape in every direction.

The result? Water levels across the northern and eastern Delta that locals have never seen in their lifetimes. Floodplains that are normally accessible by vehicle are now a shimmering inland sea.

And what does water mean in the Okavango? It means LIFE.

Elephants. Lions. Wild dogs. Leopards. Hippos. All congregating on the islands. All extraordinary.

The flood is phenomenal already, and the best is still to come. If you've ever wanted to experience the Okavango at its peak, this is the year. 🐘✨🌊

Address

Sydney, NSW
2000

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 9am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 5:30pm
Thursday 9am - 5:30pm
Friday 9am - 5:30pm

Telephone

+61292902877

Website

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