My life long dream finally became reality when Dave and I boarded a flight bound for Kenya in late February 2026. The two were gone nearly two weeks, and by the time they returned home to Cary, they had accumulated somewhere between 550 and 600 photographs. Africa had been on my mind since childhood, and as a travel agent herself, I understood exactly what kind of planning a trip like this requires. Starting the process at least a year out, is essential. The safari company you choose will shape the entire experience, and for us, that choice paid off in every way. The days followed a rhythm that felt be structured and wonderfully spontaneous. Early-morning and late-afternoon game drives are scheduled each day, with midday hours free for relaxing, swimming, or browsing roadside markets. The cultural stops were just as memorable as the wildlife encounters. A visit to a village, a tour of a Kenyan tea farm, and a stop at a bead-making business introduced them to communities where, as one local vendor told me, all the money from sales goes back to the community as a whole. Prices were negotiated with warmth rather than pressure, and the friendliness of everyone they met left a lasting impression. The wildlife encounters ranged from breathtaking to quietly astonishing. A hot air balloon ride offered a view of Kilimanjaro’s peak. A private boat tour on Lake Naivasha and Crescent Island brought me face to face with a grazing hippo from close range., so cool!!! And a visit to Ol Pejeta Conservancy, home to the only two remaining northern white rhinos and Kenya’s sole chimpanzee sanctuary, was nothing short of humbling. Even the first game drive set the tone, when a parked crowd along a bridge turned out to be watching a large Nile crocodile slip silently beneath the surface of a stream. “Kenya was just so different; we are grateful we had the opportunity to experience some of it,” “Seeing all the wildlife in its natural (and beautiful) habitats? You don’t want to miss that!”

As a travel agent I will help you every step of the way. That trip you thought may be out of reach because of COST is really not!!! The company I worked with provides trips for a nice range of budgets. The same company also runs safaris in Tanzania and Uganda, South Africa and the Serengeti!

I have already set sights in the future on spending time with a family of silverback gorillas in Uganda