Happy Valentine's Day, travel lovers! What's been melting my heart for days is seeing spectacular photos and videos posted by friends on their honeymoon safari in Kenya. He is one of my oldest friends, and she is a professional photographer (who also took my business head shots). I always feel proud of the vacations I help craft for my clients, but it's extra meaningful for me seeing them so happy, relaxed and overcome by breathtaking animal encounters at Masai Mara National Reserve and knowing I helped bring these lifelong memories to people I care so much about. They even have a new foster baby - a rescued elephant named Musiara, who they visited at Sheldrick Wildlife Trust right after landing in Nairobi. And today they visit a Maasai village with an English-speaking guide and have the opportunity to browse the Maasai Craft Centre and purchase artifacts and souvenirs made in the village, with all proceeds given back to the community. What a magical job I have - bringing joy and wonder to people through travel and cultural experiences. Where are you dreaming of bringing your loved ones?
As my friends in Kenya are discovering daily, this is a majestic and indescribably beautiful destination that can change your life. Who wouldn't want to rise quietly over animals you've only seen in zoos as they roam and graze during an unforgettable wildlife safari above the great Mara River and African Savannah? I work with respected travel suppliers around the world who are committed to responsible, sustainable tourism committed to social good and animal conservation, and I would love to help you too write your love story with Africa, beginning with these ideas for Kenya.
Article below originally appeared in Virtuoso Best of the Best: 2014 Guide to the World's Best Hotel Experiences
Saving the Herd Get up close and personal with elephants and black rhinos at a nursery in Nairobi. You’ll meet orphaned animals that Kenya native Dame Daphne Sheldrick, an international authority on the rearing of wild animals, has rescued and rehabilitated. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, named after her late husband, runs the nursery where the orphans are raised before they are returned to Tsavo. You’ll even have the opportunity to foster one of these magnificent creatures. Artful Outing on Mount Kenya
Take a mesmerizing helicopter ride over the majestic wilderness of Mount Kenya, the second highest peak in Africa. After a picnic breakfast on the shores of a remote alpine lake, you’ll have a chance to fish for rainbow trout. Then you can visit the rustic Rutundu Log Cabins on Lake Rutundu where Prince William proposed to Kate. Here you’ll share lunch with accomplished wildlife artist Peter Blackwell, whose work has been described as “fresh and innovative with an unconventional flavor.”
Incredible Lakes
A helicopter carries you over the breathtaking Rift Valley and through the multihued Suguta Valley, where you’ll spy countless flamingos on Lake Logipi. Turquoise-colored Turkana, the world’s largest permanent desert lake, soon comes into view; you’ll land for a short water crossing to the South Island. Anglers may obtain permission to fish for giant Nile Perch from the shores. Wild in character, with parched volcanic beaches and granite outcrops, Lake Turkana is home to a huge population of Nile crocodiles, as well as hippos and hundreds of species of birds and fish. Get more Kenya travel ideas by clicking here.
Contact me to get wonderfully wild in Kenya!