Friends assume because I work for a travel magazine, Global Traveler, that I am an expert on where they should go on their next vacation. I’m no expert, but I have my opinions and am always willing to give advice. I have several destinations that I tell them are must-sees.

Three of my favorite trips have been viewing the tombs and monuments in Egypt, exploring the Cro-Magnon cave paintings in the Dordogne and a three week safari in Kenya.

I think the safari in Kenya is still my favorite trip.  A group of us, nine to be exact, spent three weeks in Kenya to see the October migration moving up from the Serengeti to the Masai Mara because of the short rains monsoon.

During the first part of the trip we visited Mt. Kenya, the Aberdares and the Shaba National Reserve where we saw our first truly wild animals. You have no idea how large a bull elephant is until you see one out next to a tree in the Aberdares……they are BIG! The first time you see African wildlife in their natural habitat is, to use an overworked word, AWESOME! The poor creatures one sees in zoos are a pathetic imitation of their vigorous and fit counterparts in the wild.

The awe of seeing the real thing only increased when we switched from getting around by Landrover to traveling by horseback. We spent five days on horseback moving from campsite to campsite just outside the Masai Mara National Park. Horses are not allowed into the park, but luckily the wildlife do not honor the park’s boundaries and we saw a large number of animals from the back of a horse. It is from the back of the horse that you really get close to the animals. The herd animals are not quite sure what to make of the two-headed animals in their midst. We could get very close to them because eau-de-horse masked the scent of humans. It’s amazing to be cantering along with zebras and giraffes.

That all being said, my favorite close experience with wildlife was from the vantage point, and safety, of a Landrover. The safari guide had stopped our vehicle close to a cheetah in the midst of stalking an impala. Our presence distracted the cheetah just enough to make the cat’s attack half-hearted - and the impala lived for another day. After the cheetah aborted its attack, it sauntered over to our vehicle and walked around it looking straight at us as we leaned out the windows to take pictures. I hate anthropomorphizing animals, but I swear this cheetah was thinking, “You owe me a meal!” I must admit, as exciting as this close encounter was, there was a moment when I realized my window was open and this hungry cat was only several feet away from me. I rolled my window up as fast as I could. As for life experiences, it doesn’t get better than this.

- Dick Evans, Vice President