Ilala Lodge HOTEL

On my first visit to Bench Africa I was asked where I wanted to go, how much was my budget and how long I had to do it. The itinerary offered with a few tweaks was perfect. We had 4 weeks and I particularly wanted to spend time in Capetown, Namibia and Botswana and of course to see Victoria Falls. We wanted to see the countryside, landscape and of course as many of the animals as we could. The accommodation was 3 - 4 star and excellent. It was diverse, no camp was alike, all were lovely and fitted into their environment in a suitable manner. The staff at the camps were knowledgable, friendly and wonderful ambassadors for their country. We felt privileged to be their guests. Our driver/guide on our 10day safari in Namibia was Peter who went above and beyond our expectations. We loved the”Magic Box” picnics and sundowners. He epitomized all that good and wonderful about Namibia. Thank you Ultimate Safaris and in particular Peter. Who could not be impressed by Victoria Falls in flood. Wow! Yes we did get drenched. Spectacular! Chobe Water Villas - take me back any time - a wonderful place to stay. Thank you Ephraim and Gilbert - our boat driver who took us back and forth across the river each day to visit Chobe NP. Culture - our guide - who made sure we saw the lions -thank you. Gunns Camp - each day the water was flowing into the delta channels - fantastic to see the water rising and understand its life giving properties. Thank you BT an amazing guide and his offsider Jonah. Finally Machaba - Khwai region of the delta and totally different. Game drives - leopards, wild dogs and more. A well run camp - thank you Richard and the team. Our guide each day BD, so knowledgeable, friendly and quite the rally driver. Thank you Karen - a never to be forgotten trip - you nailed it and we loved it!

Fantastically well organised and great places to go and stay....at very short notice. Very happy.

Best holiday ever, totally organized, guides were wonderful and accommodation above expectations,

I recently returned from a trip to Africa which included a Maasai Mara and Lake Nakuru safari, a visit to Victoria Falls and a self-drive along the South African Garden Route, from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town. When my wife and I decided to go to Africa we had no idea what we wanted to do and how we ever going to navigate the labyrinth of glossy brochures and travel agency flyers. We both decided to look on the internet for a company that could not only help us book our trip, but also give us some expert advice on what was available in Africa. This is how we came across Bench Africa. After sending a few emails to gauge their interest, we finally were introduced to Stephanie Osorio. From the beginning Steph was so helpful. She gave a full run down of the most popular things to see and do in Africa and was genuinely interested in providing information about what we wanted in a holiday. It was not long after firstly speaking with Steph that we had an idea of what we were interested in seeing and dong. It was then that Bench and Steph showed their true expertise. They put a package together for us and tailor made certain parts of the holiday taking in consideration our budget, time frame and most importantly the right time of the year to go. Throughout the process leading up to the holiday we were in constant communication with Steph and the Bench team. At no time were they to buy to discuss our concerns and were always extremely helpful in providing information and chasing airlines and hotel groups on our behalf. Another important factor for my wife and I was that we had never travelled to Africa and had certainly never been on a safari. At first we envisaged that we would be in a large group making the experience quite impersonal. The truth is that it was the exact opposite. Steph booked us in with a tour guide from Southern Cross Safaris who was an absolute delight. William was an amazing man with over 11 years of safari experience. Not only did he look after us on the safari drives, but he also was a wealth of knowledge when it came to the local customs and especially the wild animals. We were that pleased with the way in which William treated us both, that we asked for his personal email when we left Kenya. Since returning home we have been in contact with William and have sent him several emails with pictures of our great safari trip. If I was going back to Africa I would certainly try to re book with William again. I would recommend Bench and their wonderful staff if you are thinking about an African safari. My wife was so pleased that she has been in contact with Steph to enquire about a trip to spend time with the gorillas. Thankyou Bench for a great holiday and more to the point, thankyou Steph for your wonderful service. Cheers