31 It was the beginning of February 2018 and the cold weather of Europe had started, so it was time for us to make our way to the Equator and go on safari in Kenya with Enchanting Travels. Our ultimate wish was to experience rhinos living in the wild and visit the different national parks. The arrangements by our personal Enchanting Travels’ consultant - partly by phone and partly by e-mail, were straightforward and we took their advice and recommendations. Our first stop was Nairobi, a sprawling metropolis of millions that is full of excitement and contrast. After a relaxing first night in a cozy hotel, we took to the road, driving past the snowcapped peaks of Mount Kenya, a mountain with an impressive height of over 5,000 meters and sacred to the Maasai people. Ourdriver,whogrewupinLaikipia,provedtobeextremelyknowledgeable as we visited the community reserves of Laikipia, including a reserve especially for rhinos on the edge of Aberdare National Park. Our first stay was at Sandai Farmhouse, which was both relaxing and stimulating as we enjoyed evening discussions with other travelers at the large dining table. Some guests reported their five-day ascent of Mount Kenya, while others contributed their newly acquired knowledge of the common hunting behavior of lions! After three days, we ventured further into the dry savanna where the red soil and dried riverbeds shimmered in the heat. We headed to Samburu Reserve, where we stayed in a comfortable tent camp, the aptly named Elephant Bedroom. We took several jeep safari rides which, due to the excellent tracking skills of our guide, always brought new surprises. We discovered a rare striped hyena and a lion pride with its 6-week-old offspring! It was incredible that in the middle of these barren steppe landscapes that we were spoiled with excellent cuisine. After two nights in the wilderness we continued our journey of discovery and headed to Ikweta Safari Camp, conveniently located at the entrance of Meru National Park. We particularly enjoyed this park due to both its sheer size and the silence. The volcanic landscape included branched rivers and dense forests, where we could observe oryx, wildebeest, Grevy zebras, elephants, giraffes and a variety of birds. Meru National Park is rarely visited yet it is rich in wildlife! Our ultimate highlight was travelling to our next destination, Masai Mara National Park, which we did in a small propeller aircraft. We took this two hour flight over the Rift Valley, with its indescribably imposing landscapes that conveyed the sheer size and vastness of the country. We reached Entim Camp in the Masai Mara, the land of the Maasai, a semi-nomadic people still very much connected to its traditions. We were able to discover Kenya’s most wildlife- rich reserve, which extends further south to Tanzania and becomes the Serengeti National Park. Our small but beautiful bush camp was paraded on the Mara River and offered fantastic views. Our African safari has left us with so many wonderful impressions, and it is going to take us some time to file away our memories, including the numerous photographs of extraordinary wildlife and landscapes. Yet once we have, we will be ready to reach for the phone so that Enchanting Travels can support us with another vacation of a lifetime! "We never felt rushed, nor were we ever disturbed by other park visitors; if we wanted to, we could easily stop for 30 minutes and observe the wildlife on our own." " The evenings around the campfire were simply unforgettable, beginning with a cooling sundowner as we witnessed indescribably intense, dark red skies."