Come Visit Us At The Seattle Travel & Adventure Show As Our Guest!

When I first traveled to Africa in 2000, I had no idea that one safari would change the direction of my life. The giraffes had me at “Jambo,” and I have been returning ever since. Over the years, I have answered thousands of questions from travelers planning their first safari: Where should I go? When is the best time to travel? Is it safe? What should I pack? What are the camps really like? And, of course, what happens when…

People always ask me how close you get to the animals and whether or not you will need binoculars or a zoom lens. While you do sometimes, other times you can also almost (but don’t) reach out and touch them. Such was the case the other day during a game drive with clients in Nairobi National Park (a wonderful wildlife park that sits right up against Nairobi). We came across a mother rhino and her baby casually grazing on the…

When new safari travelers ask me where they will be staying and I reply: “tented camps!” you can see their faces fall. You can tell they see themselves sitting on a bedroll on the hard ground, eating s’mores in the dark with the monkeys and mosquitoes. I quickly explain that in Africa, “tent” is not a 4-letter word. On our safaris, tents have comfy beds, hot showers, toilets that flush and wonderful camp staffers who come running with coffee or hot…

Rwanda is an amazing country. The first to ban single-use plastic bags. A spotless nation where, on the last Saturday of every month, citizens take part in Umuganda Day, or National Service Day, when everyone is responsible for taking care of their neighborhood. It has been a few years since I have been back, and it has been a wonderful return. Rwanda is still progressing. While there has been an explosion of moto bikes, the government has now mandated that…