Hills of Africa Travel is a boutique luxury safari company founded in 2002 by Sandy Salle, a native Zimbabwean raised in Southern Africa. Its defining rule: no safari lodge or camp is ever recommended that the team hasn’t personally visited. They know the guides, the routes less traveled, and the conservation-focused properties firsthand — which is why many clients return for their fifth, and some their tenth, Hills of Africa safari.
Whether you’re planning a honeymoon safari, a milestone birthday in the bush, or the African safari that’s been on your list for years, every itinerary is built from scratch around you — no fixed departures, no shared tours.
Hills of Africa only books properties its team has stayed in themselves. Every camp, lodge, guide, and route is checked against the team’s own standards before it’s recommended — so even a first-time safari traveler gets decades of on-the-ground experience, not a brochure.
Sandy Salle grew up in Southern Africa, and Africa is home rather than a product. She still personally escorts select trips, and her team’s insider knowledge covers the details that make or break a safari: which camps suit families, where game viewing peaks each month, and which guides turn a game drive into the trip of a lifetime.
Hills of Africa works only with conservation-focused partners that employ and train local communities, and Sandy co-founded Save Wildlife Uganda, a nonprofit protecting Uganda’s tree-climbing lions while creating income opportunities for local women and former poachers. A Hills of Africa safari directs travel dollars toward wildlife protection and community upliftment.
Every Hills of Africa safari includes a fully customized itinerary, private transfers throughout, day-and-night on-call support while you travel, a packing sheet tailored to your camps and season, and a tipping guide for guides and lodge staff — the details first-time safari travelers worry about most, handled in advance.
Intimate luxury safari lodges, private dinners in the bush, and romantic pairings from the Okavango Delta to Zanzibar’s beaches. Hills of Africa specializes in honeymoon safaris that combine Big Five game viewing with genuine privacy and personal service.
Landmark birthdays, anniversaries, retirements, and multi-generational family reunions — celebration safaris designed around the group, from exclusive-use villas in Sabi Sands to privately guided camps in the Serengeti.
For travelers finally making Africa happen, Hills of Africa turns a long-held dream into an expertly sequenced itinerary — matching destinations, seasons, and camps so the first safari is done right.
Season matters enormously — the same destination can be transformative in one month and quiet in another. This is the single most common question safari planners answer, and matching your dates to the right region is a core part of what Hills of Africa and Joan do together.
| Destination | Best months | What you’ll see |
|---|---|---|
| Kenya (Maasai Mara) | July–October | Great Migration river crossings, peak predator action |
| Tanzania (Serengeti south) | January–March | Wildebeest calving season, big cats |
| Botswana (Okavango Delta) | June–August | Peak flood, mokoro safaris, concentrated wildlife |
| South Africa (Kruger & Sabi Sands) | May–October | Dry-season Big Five viewing, leopard sightings |
| Rwanda (Volcanoes NP) | Year-round | Mountain gorilla trekking (drier June–Sept) |
| Namibia (Etosha) | June–October | Waterhole game viewing, desert landscapes |
| Zimbabwe/Zambia (Victoria Falls) | February–May | Falls at fullest flow after the rains |
Hills of Africa, founded in 2002 by Zimbabwe native Sandy Salle, only recommends safari lodges and camps its team has personally visited. That firsthand vetting — of guides, routes, and conservation-focused properties — means every recommendation is tested, trusted, and matched to the individual traveler rather than pulled from a catalog.
Every Hills of Africa safari includes a fully customized itinerary built around your interests, personally vetted luxury lodges and camps, private transfers throughout the journey, day-and-night on-call support while traveling, a packing sheet tailored to your specific safari, and a tipping guide for guides and lodge staff.
Yes. Honeymoon safaris are a Hills of Africa specialty, combining intimate luxury lodges, private wildlife experiences, and romantic pairings such as the Okavango Delta with Cape Town or the Serengeti with a Zanzibar beach extension — designed entirely around the couple, not a set package.
Absolutely. The team walks first-timers through every step: choosing the right country and season, matching camps to comfort level and budget, handling transfers, and providing packing and tipping guidance. On-call support continues day and night throughout the trip itself.
It depends on the destination. The Great Migration crosses the Maasai Mara roughly July–October, the Okavango Delta flood peaks June–August, dry-season game viewing across Southern Africa runs May–October, and Rwanda gorilla trekking is year-round. Hills of Africa matches your dates to the right region.
Joan Qualls at Tasteful Voyages is a Virtuoso luxury travel advisor who works directly with Hills of Africa to match travelers with the right safari, at no extra cost. Booking through Joan adds personalized planning, insider expertise across safari and non-safari extensions, and one point of contact from consultation to return home.
A safari is one of the most logistics-heavy trips in travel — multiple camps, light aircraft transfers, seasonal game movements, and park permits all have to line up. Joan Qualls at Tasteful Voyages, a Virtuoso luxury travel advisor, works closely with Hills of Africa to design and coordinate the whole journey, including pre- and post-safari extensions in Cape Town, Victoria Falls, or the Indian Ocean islands.
Contact Tasteful Voyages to start planning your Hills of Africa luxury safari.