An African safari is the holy grail of wildlife trips, and an absolutely life altering experience.  The thrill of seeing animals in nature doing what they do is simply incredible.  On safari in Kenya I even had the experience of watching as a baby zebra was born.  We were out on a game drive and came upon a zebra on the ground.  We assumed she was hurt - but our tracker knew better.  He stopped the vehicle and within a few moments we watched as the baby was born and stood right up to shake himself off.  Simply amazing!  On another safari in South Africa a leopard walked so close to our open air Land Rover that if I had put my hand out I would have touched him.  I obviously did not -- but the experience made every hair on my body stand up!

There are many, many ways to experience wildlife on vacation.  Without leaving the country you might find bald eagles, moose, buffalo, black and grizzly bears and several species of deer.   A wildlife safari is a great tour option when visiting many of our national parks and a great way to spend a morning or afternoon.  Alaska offers many of these opportunities as well.  Great guides and naturalists only enhance the experience by providing explanations and insights into the behavior of the animals.

Galapagos is also a wildlife lovers dream -- and here you can see many species not found elsewhere in the world.  I haven't been yet - but the Biology major in me is eager to visit Darwin's playground.

Australia offers a unique opportunity to see wildlife.  I even ran into a wallaby (essentially a smaller kangaroo) while hiking in Wineglass Bay in Tasmania!  Snorkeling in The Great Barrier Reef was also an incredible way to see all of the amazing sea life this part of the world has to offer.  And who doesn't want to see a real life Tazmanian Devil?

Even if your entire vacation isn't focused on wildlife, you can still enjoy an activity or two that will get you up close with animals in their natural habitats.  Whale watching in Hawaii, California and even New England is a great way to observe these magnificent creatures.

The number one trip on my bucket list is a gorilla trek in Rwanda.  I have always been fascinated by primates and primate behavior -- and for me this would be the ultimate.  I am determined to make it a reality in the near future!

Interested in safari and wildlife?  I can get you up close and personal.....