Of all the animals we saw on our family safari in Africa … guess what interested our 8-year-old the most? Believe it or not, it wasn’t the lions — even when we were lucky enough to see a kill in action.

Birds!

Surprise, surprise. Birds are extraordinary in Africa and come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. This is part of what captured his interest, but the other factor was …

There was one piece of consistent advice when I was planning our family safari to Africa. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania is an absolute must-experience destination. We ended up adding it to our itinerary at the very last minute. Indeed, this is a very, very special place and I’m thrilled we were able to see it.

The star of the show in this area is the main Ngorongoro crater, a massive, unbroken volcanic caldera …

I took 1,300 photos on our recent family safari vacation in Kenya and Tanzania. Enough fodder for Photo Friday for the next few years!

I’ll be judicious, however, and just feature the photos of moments that really wowed us. I’m going to start with a biggie — photos of a kill from start to finish. Witnessing one of Africa’s great cats hunt is absolutely fascinating and elicits a range of emotions: excitement, joy, sadness …

My dream of taking a family safari in Africa was fulfilled last week; we just returned from a 9-day vacation in Kenya and Tanzania. We visited the Masai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Lake Manyara national parks. I learned so much during the planning and execution of this trip — my head is spinning with all the details and tips I want to share.

Our trip was absolutely phenomenal in every way — a true experience of a lifetime.