About Us

Chris, Sandie and their 3 adventurous kids just love Africa!

Based in Sydney, Australia, Chris and Sandie's love story began in 1996 when they met travelling in Africa. Since then, they've explored this amazing continent countless times. In 2013, during an epic 8-month family journey across southern Africa, the idea for Travel Africa was born, and the business was established the very next year.

Having visited all of the countries and most of the places that Travel Africa sells (often more than once and often for extended stays), they've got the insider knowledge and firsthand experience to make your African safari completely unforgettable.

In 2024, we were thrilled to welcome Jeff Vella to the Travel Africa family!

Jeff's love affair with Africa began over 20 years ago as a backpacker, and he's been hooked ever since. With years of experience leading tours across the continent, Jeff has become an expert in all things Africa.

Having worked with various African travel specialists, Jeff brings an extraordinary level of personal service, rich knowledge, and diverse experiences to our team at Travel Africa. We're excited for you to meet him and benefit from his passion and expertise!

Chris and and a wonderful white rhino in Hwange, Zimbabwe

About ... Chris

With over 20 years of experience in the travel industry, I've been dedicated to selling and managing travel adventures in Africa, Eastern Europe, and Russia. My first African adventure began in 1995, riding on the back of an overland truck with a group of like-minded explorers. We journeyed all the way from Europe to East Africa, and I loved it so much that I kept going south through Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia, finally reaching Cape Town after 14 incredible months.

After finishing this trip (and meeting Sandie!) I realised I'd been bitten by the ‘Africa bug.’ Ever since, I’ve returned countless times to discover new and exciting African destinations.

About ... Sandie

Born in South Africa, I spent my childhood holidays surrounded by the incredible wildlife of the Kruger National Park. Even after emigrating to Australia, my love for Africa and its amazing wildlife never faded. Many of my holidays were spent returning to South Africa’s game reserves or hiking the breathtaking Drakensberg Mountains.

During a gap year before university, I worked at a high school in Zimbabwe, where the call of Zimbabwe’s wildlife reserves was impossible to resist! With a doctorate in human geography, I’ve spent over 25 years working with Indigenous and local communities in Australia and southern Africa, witnessing firsthand how tourism can support people's dreams.

I’m also a passionate photographer and have taken most of the photos you see on this website.

Jeff at Angel Pools - Victoria Falls - 2024

Jeff with the gorillas at Volcanoes NP - 2007

About ... Jeff

Wild about Africa! How true this would become.

Let’s backtrack 20 years – leaving the comforts of Oz as a fresh-faced youth, I set off to follow the well-trodden paths of backpackers past. Many rites of passage were to be experienced. But someone forgot to tell me to stop!

Seemingly a ‘brief’ 3-year working holiday in the UK, evolved into a life-changing, decade-long adventure overseas. This was the turning point from my former life in hospitality; joining a group trip to West Africa ignited an unknown passion for the Travel Industry. “Do what you love, and you won’t work a day in your life” – Another cliché that rings true.

This began a nine-year stint as a Tour Leader across The Middle East, South America, and Africa. Before hanging up my boots, an intrepid Trans Africa Expedition circumnavigated the continent from the UK down Africa's west coast to southern Africa, and back up the east coast to the north - travelling through 29 countries over 11 months.

For me, Travel is more than racing around to tick off every guidebook bucket list. It’s also about exploring local life, customs, and traditions. Just as rewarding as experiencing the conventional 'must dos' is sitting back to take in the natural wonder of bush TV, joining a local cooking class, or navigating a bustling village market stall. A friendly smile is your currency for collecting personal and memorable souvenirs en masse.

There are as many Africa's as travel books on Africa – together, we can discover yours.

Chris, Jeff, and Sandie pride themselves on delivering personalised, top-quality service. We listen carefully to your needs and offer advice based on years of experience and excellent on-the-ground contacts. Our passion for African travel fuels our dedication to creating your dream African holiday.

Here’s a glimpse of our extensive experience traveling through southern Africa:

A year of independent travel through South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana in 2000.
An 8-month adventure in 2013 with our three kids (aged 4, 7, and 9) exploring South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Zambia.
A 3.5-month family journey through South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe in 2019-2020 (until COVID cut our trip short!).
Numerous 3 to 5-week family holidays to southern Africa, discovering new regions and game reserves each time (with Sandie pregnant and with our kids as babies).
Numerous 1 to 2-week research trips, focusing in-depth on key regions of southern Africa.

With all this amazing experience, including traveling with our kids, one of our specializations is Family Travel in Southern Africa. We're excited to share our passion and expertise with you!