Makutsi Walking Safari

10/10! Thank you April for seamlessly weaving my Makutsi Springs Safari trip in October. I asked my usual travel agent in Perth WA who is the best for African Safari trips and she said "Bench Africa!". The price was excellent and no single supplement!! April Selby at Bench was clear, professional, and all of my questions were answered within 24 hours. My itinerary and supporting logistical/safety documents were sent on-time and were clear to read. I would highly recommend Bench Africa for their prpfessional service, knowledge of the subject of safari in South Africa and pricing!

So, *SO* amazing. Thank-you to Julia and to Bench Africa for the recommendation and then the assistance to get me and my family (wife and two teenage daughters) onto the Makutsi 7-day Safari. Julie was careful to understand what we were looking for in an African Safari and her recommendation far exceeded our expectations. Makutsi was nothing less than incredible for all of us: so welcoming, such an *amazing* variety of animals in close proximity (leopards, lions, elephants, giraffe, rhino, antelope, cheetah, hippo... even a honey-badger!), such knowledgeable and charismatic guides, such a genuine interest in the welfare of the wildlife and the bushland. The family rondavel was very clean and spacious, and the meals were wonderful. Very clearly a family-owned, family-loved and family-run experience. Thank you Makutsi for adopting my family into your family for the special time that we were able to share your world.

We visited Makutsi Safari Springs for 6 nights, commencing 14 March 2020. This was organised by Bench Africa as part of a cruise package, Prior to our departure, Bench Africa provided a comprehensive personalised booklet on what was in store at Makutsi. On arrival we were advised by our travel agent that our 27 night cruise from Capetown to Athens had been cancelled. After a warm welcome we settled into our comfortable rondavel and decided to make the most of this now very short holiday. It turned out to be a fantastic and unforgettable experience, even though 3 days into our stay we were advised that the Australian Govt. wanted all Australians to return home as soon as possible. We were treated to up close and personal experiences; on our first game drive our vehicle sat in the middle of a lion and lioness and two young lions feeding on their kill. More of the pride were sitting in the river bed just out of sight. Day two our guide found the pregnant female cheetah. He happened to be in charge of the cheetah breeding programme and after he alighted from our open safari vehicle, the cheetah got up and walked over to him .Less than an hour later in a different section of the park, three more cheetahs crossed the track a little ahead of our vehicle. We were told we would be unlikely to see elephants during our stay as they had migrated to the southern end of the park. However, we were told we would see several on our day trip to Kruger National Park. We enjoyed our day at Kruger and saw a wide variety and number of animals. Then on our last game drive at Makutsi, our guide followed elephant tracks, and we were treated to almost an hour among a herd of 19 elephants, a huge 30+ year old bull down to two babies. These were very up close and personal (and a bit scary but SO exhilarating.) There was no shortage of wild animals to be seen during our four game drives, including a night game drive. The guides were extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Another highlight was a day trip to Blyde River Canyon in the beautiful Drakensburg Mountains. Our stay was made very enjoyable by the friendly staff, beautiful meals, the indoor and outdoor natural thermal spring pools, and many of the animals grazing around the camp. Sadly, due to coronavirus and the travel restrictions, the camp was to temporarily close and most of the staff leave, shortly after our departure.

Bench is the only way to travel Africa! From the beginning, right up to when we returned home, everything was perfect and the small personal touches were everywhere! I asked a thousand questions & my consultant had a answer for everything! I got a very special pack for my documentation approx. 2 weeks before I departed on our tour. Bench put together a day by day personalised itinerary to take on the trip with me. We were in Africa for about 10 days staying in the most spectacular properties. Our first stay was Camp Jabulani. This was beyond amazing! A great start to our trip! The personal touches & the food was something the lodge took great pride in. If you are going to South Africa, this property is a must!! After this we traveled to Makutsi for three nights. This is a beautiful, family-feel lodge! There was no Wi-Fi or TV's in the rooms, which was my favorite part! We would wake up and there would be Impala's at our front door, it was amazing! The staff were incredible & extremely helpful! It is in the perfect location & would be amazing for groups or families! After this we traveled to Thornybush Game Reserve and stayed at Shambulala & Thornybush Game Lodge. Both are spectacular! Shambulala was my favorite during the trip. Their attention to detail, and again the personal touches were everywhere! We first walked in the door and they already knew our names & never forgot them during our stay. We had a host for the time we were there. She was incredible and made our stay all the more special. The food, again, was absolutely amazing! They made a simple pear salad into the nicest meal I have ever eaten! It is the greatest place to relax as their pool faces out to the Game Park, you can just watch the animals walk by you! I cannot speak highly enough of this lodge or the staff, it was incredible! After this we headed out to Thornybush Game Lodge, this is another beautiful 5 star property in the reserve. We had a South African braai for dinner one night and it was beautiful! The staff couldn't be more helpful and the rooms were beautiful. When we first arrived, we were told there was a Leopard, that morning, sleeping on one of the decks! One thing you must know about South Africa is that you will forever be eating! All the food & fruit is just too good! Our final stop was The Palace in Sun City. This was a fantastic end to a once in a lifetime trip! There is so much to do & see here! It is quite literally like a small city! There is the 'Gary Player' gold course, which is one of the best, a man-made beach, maze, zipline - The list goes on! Again, another must do experience while you are in South Africa! It is only a 2.5hr drive! Well worth it! All in all, Bench is an incredible way to travel Africa! You can travel so many different ways to so many different places & do it however you would like! The reservation department were absolutely incredible, & honestly that was where the 5 star service began. They are the Africa experts!! They know every corner in Africa, so many of their experts have lived there. I cannot put it into words how incredible the whole experience was with Bench! I urge everyone who travels anywhere in Africa to speak to Bench about their trip! It is sure to be amazing!

I very recently travelled with Bench to South Africa for the very first time. From the moment the booking was made until returning home, Bench took care of everything and customer service was second to none. Upon returning home I even received a Welcome Home email. Any questions that were asked prior to travel were answered within a timely manner and addressed accordingly. Their travel documentation is so personalised and themed accordingly for the destination. It was truly exciting to receive the docs and you could smell Africa in the document wallet. Throughout travel in Africa everything ran smoothly. As we moved from place to place, all transfers were well organised and we effortlessly moved from one accommodation to another. Everything that was outlined in our itinerary, we did. Our first resting place was Camp Jabulani. Exceptional elegance & luxury. Have never been accommodated with such personal, intimate details. The chef even personally introduces himself to you and outlines the menu. Rooms and facilities were amazing. Guides very interesting. Makutsi Safari Springs is a perfect 3.5 star property well designed for all ages and very affordable. Their food was delicious and created daily. They provide plenty of tour and game drive options for a week long stay. Shumbalala, located in Thornybush Private Reserve was completely out of this world. Luxury, elegance, sophistication, 5 star +++, completely surrounded by the African bush. First impressions were flawless. Upon arrival receive a meet & greet by the manager with welcome drinks and warm refreshing towels. Little touches are perfected here. From the infinity pool to the paved sitting area, lounge area, indoor sitting area and fire place...there isn't a thing they haven't thought about. The food is first class and so is their service. And then there are the rooms...speechless!!! Their guides are superb. They asked what we wanted to see and they delivered. We were lucky, but they did their best to ensure we saw what we wanted. Very approachable and personality plus. Thornybush Game Lodge is a 5 star property that excels in luxury, bush living. The rooms and food here were also exquisite. Guides & trackers here are also fantastic. Highly recommend. The Palace at Sun City is incredible. Old World charm and elegance. Very family friendly and well catered. Very spacious rooms. Service second to none. Bench Africa certainly do go the extra mile to ensure they are delivering an exceptional product to their customers. And that they did!!! They know their product more than anybody else in the marketplace and this ensures if customers travel with Bench, they will experience a once in a lifetime holiday like I did. Thank-you Bench. This African experience has moved me forever.

Having never been to Africa before i was definitely nervous. Turns out I didn't need to be nervous at all considering I was in the care of Bench. From start to finish Bench were so easy to get into contact with, always were able to preempt the questions I wanted to ask, and I always felt connected to them throughout the entire process from the flights to the itinerary, even to where we would all meet up together in the airport before our international flight! The trip truly was seamless. We stayed in multiple accommodations and as an agent it was so fantastic to be able to see the difference in star quality and what each place had to offer. Camp Jabulani: What a perfect beginning to this trip. Everything was so meticulously personal and luxurious and I could not have asked for a better way to kick off Africa. Nungu Camp: Lovely homey shared feel to this camp. Very basic accommodation, shared bathroom/showers and eating/cooking spaces but everything was kept so incredibly clean. Due to the nature of the camp definitely be aware of bugs and insects and creepy crawlies and have the Rid handy! Ruan and Tina who run the program are so passionate about what they do that you can't help being passionate about it as well, the atmosphere they created was warm and inviting and the food they made for us while we were there was delicious! Makutsi Safari Springs: A good 3 star property for families that want to have the experience of Africa on a controlled budget. Family rooms were lovely and clean and spacious, with traditional south African cuisine being cooked and served up in a relaxed atmosphere in the combined dining area. Absolutely gorgeous outdoor bar and viewing area. Just be aware that if you are expecting a lot of amenities and wifi in the rooms that this is potentially not the place for you, and this is not what Makutsi are trying to market themselves as either. They want everyone who comes to their lodge to swim in the incredible springs, to play some outdoor tennis, and to spend their days socialising off their phones. Shumbalala: Probably my favourite place that we stayed. The villas were perfectly appointed, the staff were so welcoming and remembered your name and drink order. They were a 5-star with such a laid back feel, lounging by the infinity pool after the morning game drive was an experience I will never forget that's for sure! The food was incredible and so generous in the portions, and the beverages and beautiful souvenirs were incredible well priced. Main Lodge at Thornybush: Rooms are newly renovated and absolutely beautiful. Food is buffet style and so very tasty and well prepared. the grounds are gorgeous and the room I was in had an amazing deck with a lovely view. The Palace Sun City: Rooms are lovely however this property is definitely about what to do on the property rather than spending time in your room. From the man-made beach, adults only pool area, children’s pools and waterslides, day spa, two golf courses and a labyrinth that leads in to a bar - you will never get bored! So many choices of restaurants and the breakfast buffet was phenomenal! I honestly don't think it would have been the experience that it was without Bench. Travelling with Lara our host was like travelling with a bestie, and Bench had us organised with tips and meals and what to do and what to pack from the very beginning and it was a totally stress free trip - one that I would repeat in a heartbeat so long as I could go with the same people and have Lara as our host again. Loved it!

Going to Africa for the first time can be a little daunting. Though Bench were so easy to deal with and happy to answer all of the silly little questions. We were always kept well informed throughout the whole process - the flights that would work out best for us, when to expect documents etc etc. The whole trip came together magically.. We stayed in a great range of accommodation and loved how we were able to see what the different star ratings had to offer. Camp Jabulani: such a great start to the trip! the food, rangers, accommodation, can not fault a thing! All staff were so welcoming and attentive, such an amazing experience. Nungu Camp: Really good feel to the camp, loved how we were able to sit around the fire every night and socialise. Ruan and Tina were such an asset to the camp, the food they cooked was amazing! The accommodation was very basic, rondavels were roomy and beds were comfortable though lots of insects around. Showers had good pressure, though once again lots of insects. Makutsi Safari Springs: The rondavels were very comfortable and lots of space. Love how they were able to do our washing at such a good price. Great areas for socialising and viewing. Food was perfect! Loved how they cooked traditional South African food. Most staff were friendly. Shumbalala: Amazing!! Such a personal experience. Love how the décor had a ‘safari’ feel to it. Love how they can prepare an amazing meal at the drop of a hat. Dinner experience was so special and one to never forget. Game Lodge: Rooms were just gorgeous, the best décor yet. It had a massive balcony and a great bath with a view. Food was incredible and the staff were very accommodation. The Palace Sun City: Huge variety of things to do here to keep the family entertained, also lots for those who want to get away from it all and have couple time. Love the man-made beach, adults only pool area, children’s pools, spa’s and wide variety of activities. Lots of choices of restaurants. Rooms had lots of space, very clean and comfortable and had amazing beds! Bench made the experience what it was, Lara was the perfect host and I felt like I was travelling with a friend! This makes a trip go from amazing to absolutely perfect!!

I visited South Africa with Bench from 1-10 March 2017. The trip was fantastic planned to perfection. The accommodation and experiences booked were perfect. They no South Africa. Cannot speak highly enough of service levels, quality of the accommodation. The knowledge of the guides and trackers were first class, can thoroughly recommend this trip. Bench your the best!!!