Where should I travel in Africa?

I want to travel to Africa! I have always dreamt of travelling to Africa, even more so after binge watching David Attenborough. I have been a follower for so long, I feel like I know him personally and have downloaded Nat Geo on every device possible!

Where should I travel in Africa?

Enough is enough, I need to go and investigate Africa travel and see what all this fuss is about. I want to find out for myself! What makes this Africa place so majestic? I have Toto’s Africa on repeat whilst I study my Africa brochure from page to page, even backwards at times. I am so confused… so many amazing destinations on offer. With my hands in my hair I stare at all the possibilities of Africa travel, I am lost, and I have not even left home.

Where should I travel to in Africa?

I want to travel to Africa but Africa is the second largest continent on Earth so where do I even start?

The following questions might be able to narrow my choices:

Do I want to spend most of my time on safaris, tracking the ‘Big Five’ alongside other interesting African animals?

Would I prefer a more diverse holiday? Perhaps I’d like some time on the beach, some amazing cuisine and wine, a ‘Big Five’ safari and some good shopping?

Perhaps I’d like to experience something much more cultural and historical?

East Africa is the ultimate safari destination, where you can expect the most authentic safari experience. Kenya and Tanzania are best placed to offer you the most varied and fruitful safari experience but Uganda and Rwanda also offer ample unfenced national parks so that you can experience an authentic African safari. The landscapes boast of extraordinary savannas, which provide the visitor the opportunity to view large herds of animals from miles away.

Uganda and Rwanda is home to lush mountains, where you can get up close and personal with the mountain gorillas (definitely a life-changer – enough said!)

Mount Kilimanjaro offers several routes to climb the highest freestanding mountain in Africa. And to end the most exhilarating experience, a few days on a beautiful, white sandy beach either in Zanzibar or Mombasa is truly welcome prior to the journey home.

Travel to Africa doesn’t need to only mean safaris though. Southern Africa offers a bit more of a diverse range of experiences.

Head to South Africa and you can spend days exploring the cosmopolitan city of Cape Town, followed by a visit to the nearby Cape Winelands. Cape Town offers great accommodation, restaurants, historic sites and shopping. The Cape Winelands region is surprisingly similar to Europe actually, with its majestic mountains and jaw-dropping valleys, filled with endless wineries. The wine and cuisine here is impeccable and numerous award-winning wines have been birthed here.

When you're done exploring the Cape, you can head out on a ‘Big Five’ safari in one of the many national parks on offer. The bushveld here is dense and the national parks are fenced in. This means that often you can get closer to the animals but you just don’t have the classic safari backdrop that you do on safari in Kenya or Tanzania. The Kruger Park region, which is the size of Israel, is home to countless safari lodges, from budget to super luxurious. What is wonderful about South Africa is that it's really great value for money, and even luxury options are still affordable.

And if you're still on the fence then read our blog post on East Africa Vs South Africa Safari.

In other countries in southern Africa such as Botswana and Zambia, animals roam freely which offers up incredible wildlife viewing. The desert country of Namibia boasts some of the highest sand dunes on earth. Botswana has the largest inland delta system in the world – the Okavango Delta. Zimbabwe looks on to the largest curtain of water in the world - Victoria Falls, easily accessible from either Zimbabwe or Zambia. Not sure which side of Victoria Falls is better?

North Africa is a historic, religious, cultural and adventure mecca!

Countries like Morocco, Oman, Jordan and Egypt offer up a mixed bag of extraordinary Arabian experiences, fascinating cultures, souks, river cruising, history, adventure sports and shopping. North Africa is not only home to the world’s largest desert (Sahara Desert), it is also home to one of Africa’s highest mountain ranges (Atlas Mountains in Morocco). Some of the most intriguing ruins (the Pyramids in Egypt), greatest museums and historic sites, including history dating back to the origins of humanity are located within the Northern parts of Africa.

Lastly, no matter where you travel to in Africa you can expect to meet welcoming, humble and friendly locals. Here you can make some life long friendships and form some exceptional memories that we assure you will treasure for a lifetime.

Now that I have a better indication of where I want to travel to in Africa, here I am again, sitting with my hands in my hair… how long do I go for?

Don’t forget that you can always contact Bench Africa and speak to one of our experts if you would like any more advice on Africa travel. That’s what we’re here for, after all!

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. This year we are celebrating 48 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 travel 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,