I spent over a year planning my trip to Africa which included a 2 week safari experience in Kenya for myself and my two teenage sons. I used safari bookings to research many of the options available, and was able to get an idea of prices and where we wanted to go. However, none of the ready-made options was exactly what I was looking for and several companies indicated that they were prepared to tailor a safari experience. I picked 7 with 5 star reviews and wrote each of them a (long) email about my goals for the safari and what I wanted, as well as my (fairly low) budget. 2 responded indicating that they were unable to fit with my budget, 2 didn't respond at all, and 2 referred me back to their web page to see options. Denis of Africa Vacation Safaris was different however - he responded immediately to say he had received my email but needed time to respond properly. He then got back to me within a few days with a very detailed email, identifying all of my "wants" and making suggestions for various options. He also made the (excellent) suggestion that based on what I wanted that probably a group tour would not meet our needs and that we could use more budget accommodations and have a private driver/guide for the duration of the safari. This proved to be exactly the right choice. Denis was responsive to all my inquiries and we exchanged hundreds of emails to get all the details right. I arrived for the safari expecting quite a lot.... I was not disapppointed. In fact, the safari exceeded all of our expectations and was the experience of a lifetime. Denis and our drive/guide Joseph were both exceptional. They had clearly taken a lot of time to plan a route that made sense logistically, gave us a huge variety of experiences, and highlighted all of the key things we had wanted to see (including some involvement directly with the park rangers in tracking a lion, visiting conservation facilities, exploring the diversity of Kenya's landscapes, and combined hiking, history, culture, and lots of wildlife. Each day was better than the last, and Joseph was a wonderful guide for us, sharing his knowledge and adapting each day to our preferences. My son is very interested in photography and Joseph helped him get some fantastic photos, moving the vehicle for a better angle or better light, being patient when we stopped for ages to get the perfect shot, and seeking out opportunities to get interesting and unique photos. The cost of a safari