From Dream to Reality: How Points and Miles Made Our Kenya Safari Possible

Denise shared this reader success story about how she used points and miles to take her family to Kenya for a safari. Here is her story:

As an animal lover, I’d always harbored dreams of experiencing an African safari. My children share this same passion for wildlife, making it feel like a family destiny waiting to unfold. Like many parents, I assumed this adventure would require decades of saving—perhaps something to consider after retirement.

Everything changed when I discovered Points Talk Squad on TikTok around 2022. That discovery sparked my journey into the world of points and miles, starting with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. The moment I earned my first 60,000-point welcome bonus, I was completely captivated by the possibilities.

After testing the waters with domestic trips and a Costa Rica adventure, our African dream remained very much alive. When my son’s 10th birthday approached, and he wished for a safari, we knew it was time to make it happen. We strategically chose Thanksgiving break for our departure. (Here’s an insider tip: traveling internationally during American holidays often means significantly lower costs since fewer Americans are competing for the same flights.)

 

The Points Strategy That Made It Possible

KLM emerged as our ideal carrier because we could transfer points to Flying Blue from multiple credit cards. By pooling our accumulated rewards from the American Express® Gold Card, Citi Strata Premier℠ Card, and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, we gathered 245,000 points total. This covered four round-trip flights from Houston (IAH) to Nairobi (NBO), departing November 26th and returning December 2nd, 2024, with a layover in Amsterdam.

While we would have loved to explore Amsterdam during our stopover, time constraints and our primary focus on Kenya kept us moving forward.

 

Accommodations and Unexpected Upgrades

For lodging, we transferred our Chase Ultimate Rewards® to World of Hyatt and booked three nights at the Hyatt Regency Nairobi—one night before our safari and two nights after it. Despite lacking Globalist status, we received an incredible surprise upgrade to a suite. This upgrade granted us lounge access and complimentary breakfast, luxuries we’d never experienced before.

The suite itself was extraordinary: 1.5 bathrooms, a separate dining room, and a spacious living area. For our family, this felt like stepping into a completely different world of travel comfort.

 

The Safari Experience

For our five-day safari, we chose Jocky Tours, a local Kenyan company. This decision proved brilliant both financially and experientially—local operators offer dramatically lower prices compared to American or European tour companies. We paid $2,800 for all four family members, which included our guide, transportation, park entry fees, meals, and accommodations.

Our guide David exceeded every expectation. His expertise, warmth, and dedication to creating special moments made us feel safe and valued throughout our journey. We witnessed all of the Big Five animals, visited a Maasai village, took a boat trip among swimming hippos, and experienced countless other magical encounters.

 

 

The Gratitude of Dreams Realized

The entire experience felt surreal—those “pinch me” moments that remind you life can be extraordinary. But beyond the wildlife and adventure, the greatest joy came from watching my children experience something I’d only dreamed about. The gratitude I feel for being able to give them this experience, and for discovering that such dreams are actually achievable, continues to overwhelm me.

Sometimes the most ambitious dreams are closer than we think—they just require learning new strategies and having the courage to take that first step.

Thanks, Denise for sharing your points and miles trip to Kenya with us!

 

Related Posts

Epic Adventure in South Africa on Points and Miles

Africa Adventure on Credit Card Points and Miles

Saving on an African Safari with Points and Miles