Going on safari always feels a bit like magic. When you’re watching a pack of prowling lions or two cheetahs lazing in the shade, it seems unbelievable that you’re on the same planet as people stuck in traffic on their way to work. On my most recent trip to Kenya, I joined a group of friends for a private tour run by Micato Safaris, a top operator that works with our Travel Office. After meeting up in Nairobi, we flew to Tsavo near the base of Kilimanjaro, then on to the Maasai Mara and Mount Kenya, ending the trip at a remarkable private villa.

Having the same guide with us, from the moment we landed in Nairobi to the moment we said goodbye at the airport nine days later, took any potential stress out of the trip. Leaving the planning and logistics to him enabled us to relax and soak in the majesty of one of the most incredible destinations on earth. Our trip was full of delightful surprises, like a helicopter tour of Mount Kenya and a day spent tracking baby rhinos. Extraordinary moments like these are likely once-in-a-lifetime experiences, even for me! Taking a safari truly is a privilege, and I feel grateful every time I get to visit this part of the world.

Finch Hattons

After an early morning arrival in Nairobi, my traveling companions and I hopped on a chartered flight that swept us out of the city, past imposing Mount Kilimanjaro and across fields of lava-blackened rocks and skeletal trees. Then we spotted our destination: Finch Hattons, an oasis in the dusty landscape of Tsavo West National Park.