
Susan Deslaurier
My joy is creating authentic and enriching experiences that go beyond “viewing” a faraway land, providing a cultural bridge with local people that leads to life-changing experiences for travelers. I offer extensive consultation and planning services to help you shape an escorted or independent journey of your dreams. With my personal introductions to local people and handling of every logistical detail, you can relax and immerse in the experience. Donations to local projects are part of every trip, providing a sense of purpose in every journey as you explore rich cultures and make new discoveries about yourself.
What places and activities do you specialize in?
"East Africa Wildlife safari, conservation, cultural and spiritual adventures, biking and trekking trips, family tours, off the beaten path and custom-made trips. Mixing driving, walking, boating and cycling to vary the perspective. "
How did you get involved in travel?
"My lifelong curiosity about the world, how people live in different ways, and generally soaking up the beauty of the Earth in any way possible, established a theme of travel throughout my life. It became a basic need through the years of raising my two daughters, alternating domestic and international trips each year to round out their education in a real-world classroom. I traveled to more than a dozen countries before my heart was captured by East Africa during a visit as a board member of an education Foundation. I then lived and worked alongside the people of Kenya and Tanzania during yearly visit, where I learned about local culture, challenges faced by the community, and their vision of the future. My relationships deepened within the Maasai community and exploration of the spiritual, cultural, and natural surroundings. Eventually, I left my American corporate job in executive coaching and communications, and established a travel business to share the experience with others. "
Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.
"In my early days living within a Maasai village, I woke in the middle of the night and roamed out to the compound fence, and perched on the small ladder that crosses it, dreamily ecstatic about being in such a beautiful place. In my little bubble of joy disregarded the ruckus of goat cries in the pen next to me, and the scurrying of the puppies as I finally returned to my mud hut to sleep. Some hours later, I hear commotion of people outside, and come out to see that a leopard has come and killed several goats, and dragged one off to eat elsewhere. I ask “How did he get in here?” I’m told “Over that fence ladder”. I caught my breath as I realized that it was all unfolding in the sounds I heard while sitting there, with a leopard likely waiting for me to get the heck off of his exit door. I learned to be more respectful of real-deal Africa after that. "
Featured trips & expertise

Kenya Safari & Beach Honeymoon - 7 Days
This weeklong romantic adventure in Kenya is perfect for couples seeking a mix of beach, culture, and wildlife. Kick off the trip in Nairobi, where you'll meet baby elephants and charming giraffes. Then head to a national park on the Tanzanian border to glimpse 'Big Five' wildlife from an open-top Landcruiser. Finish with three nights on a gorgeous white sand beach, close to sacred jungles and monkey sanctuaries.

Kenya Birdwatching Safari - 5 Days
Nature enthusiasts will love this 5-day adventure that visits four different Kenyan lakes known for birds and wildlife. A private driver will first take you to Lake Naivasha for a boat tour and island walk where you'll get up close to a range of bird species, as well as zebras and giraffes. Next is Lake Nakuru where you'll join a safari in a vast wildlife preserve. Finish the trip on Lake Baringo and Lake Bogoria for quality time to experience the Rift Valley by car, boat, foot, and bicycle.

Kenya Wildlife & Culture Adventure - 10 Days
Kenya offers a wealth of natural and cultural attractions, and you can experience them both on this 10-day tour. Have the chance to spot a huge range of wildlife by visiting the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, the unparalleled Maasai Mara, and beautiful Lake Naivasha. Spend time with the local Maasai people at a special camp, where you can learn about their lifestyle and camp out with them the traditional way. In 10 days you'll get an exciting taste of the best of Kenya.

Wildlife and Culture in Kenya: Nairobi, Maasai, Mara River - 5 Days
Perfect for those looking to combine cultural experiences with wildlife safaris, this trip starts in the bustling city of Nairobi where you'll visit a women's cooperative pottery factory, a giraffe conservation center, and an elephant rescue. Next you'll head out into the African bush and stay in luxury tents near the Mara River where you can witness the annual Great Migration under the guidance of the Maasai tribe. Enjoy daily safaris and game drives, viewing animals such as lion, cheetah, antelope, giraffe, hippo, and more.

Kenya Wildlife & Culture Tour - 5 Days
This exciting Kenyan adventure combines three key destinations known for wildlife and culture. From Nairobi, you'll transfer to Lake Naivasha to get friendly with non-predatory wildlife. Next, drive to a cultural camp and learn about the distinct Masai lifestyle. Then continue east to the Mara River, where you'll experience private safaris while searching for elephants, zebras, and lions, amongst others—best viewed during the Great Migration (July through September).

Kenya Family Safari: Nairobi, Nakuru, Maji Moto, Masai Mara - 8 Days
This eight-day safari tour of Kenya includes a range of wildlife and cultural activities that will appeal to both kids and adults. The itinerary fits a lot into a little more than a week, but you have enough time in each place to take it easy and not exhaust the younger members of the family (or the older ones!) Enjoy game drives in the unparalleled Maasai Mara Reserve, spend time with Maasai people in their villages to better understand their way of life, and have close encounters with a wide range of wildlife.
Recent trip reviews for Susan
Amazing experience! · Kenya - Dec 24 - Jan 4, 2020
Amazing experience!

Thanks Marcos, happy to hear that you enjoyed your trip!

Upcoming Trip · Kenya - Aug 17 - Sep 6, 2019
Oh my, what an amazing experience. Susan was just absolutely fabulous. Answered all my questions promptly and just truly arranged an amazing trip for my 50th birthday. Zanzibar was incredible, Stone Town a delight. The hotels we stayed in were to die for. Truly works of art. The highlight of my trip was climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. Our guides Sinaí and Amsi were amazing, kept my daughter and I entertained and safe. They were so knowledgeable of the área, plants, animals, everything. ... read more

Thanks for sharing your experience Kristin! It was a pleasure to plan this special journey for your birthday, and I'm so happy to hear that together we created a great mix of places and people to give you a feeling for the true and varied beauty of East Africa. I've passed along your kind words to your friends here, and we all hope we will see you again soon.
Asante sana, Ashe oleng, Many thanks.
The whole experience was great and everything worked like clockwork. Susan was helpful and very efficient in planning and organising the trip. She responded very quickly to all my requests and came up with some very useful suggestions. Daniel, our driver and guide was a carful driver and knowledgeable guide who was also friendly. I particularly rated him meeting me before our trip to introduce himself and go through arrangements. The lodge, the Lion's bluff , was superb, great location, good food and friendly, helpful staff. Thank you Kimkim.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on your trip Jenny. We really appreciate hearing that our local insights and best efforts to provide a great experience was successful in giving you a wonderful adventure. I've shared your kudos with the Daniel and the rest of our team, and hope that we can plan further East African travels for you in the future.
Ashe oleng (many thanks),
Susan
Kenya - Birding & Safari · Kenya - Oct 31 - Oct 31, 2018
Susan was very flexible and patient with numerous changes to our itinerary. She uses fabulous guides and booked wonderful lodges. Her expertise was invaluable in making our trip to Kenya fantastic!!!
Virginia

Thanks for your kind words Virginia, it was a pleasure to work together on creating a wonderful adventure, and to meet up with you in Kenya. All of us here "on the ground" take great pride in making sure your trip is exciting in all the right ways, and peacefully pleasant in all the right ways too. We look forward to welcoming you back soon. Ashe oleng, asante sana, many thanks.
Masai Mara Trip · Kenya - Oct 25 - Oct 27, 2018
Everything was wonderful! Joseph was our guide and his knowledge of the area and animals was amazing. Wilson and William, our waiter and security to and from our tent, where very welcoming and fun to talk to. The views from our Chalet was unforgettable. Sunrise and sunsets were always surrounded my giraffes at Mara West.

Hi Elizabeth,
I'm so happy that you had such a great time in Maasai Mara. It is an amazing and beautiful corner of the world, and it was a pleasure to arrange the experience for you. And it was great to meet up with you as you were passing through my Kenyan home town!
I’ll pass along your nice comments to the Mara West team, and look forward to welcoming you back to your Kenya home soon.
Ashe oleng, asante sana, many thanks,
Susan
Affordable Comfortable Authentic Masai Mara Safari Not Luxury · Kenya - Sep 16 - Sep 27, 2018
Hi Susan and Kimkim,
Re: star ratings above: Susan was very nice (five stars) and booking on your site is excellent (five stars). I put three stars because of value of trip to us.
My computer has been in repair but I’m up and running so here is our review.
Accommodations and Sites on Each Stop:
NAIROBI
Fairview Hotel: Wonderful. We would love to have rested up here for first day as you know.
Sites: Baby elephants and giraffe fun to see. Suspect in hindsight that a drive through the... read more

Hi Cheryl and William,
Thanks for your sharing your thoughts on your recent Kenya trip. I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed our working together and the use of the KimKim app, though of course I am sorry to hear that the value of the trip fell short of your expectations. Though it seems you overall had a good adventure and that you liked many of the lodgings and excursions, I appreciate your feedback on where things were not so good for you. Although you and William and I exchanged many... read more
Masai Mara Safari and Zanzibar beach vacation · Kenya - Aug 31 - Sep 13, 2018
So my wife and I decided to spend our honeymoon/1st year anniversary on an African safari in Kenya, then to Seychelles, and Dubai on the way back home (Los Angeles).
I could not have asked for a better travel agent. Communication was very simple using the kimkim chat room, even though she was on Kenya time and I was at home. She guided me through everything and made the whole experience very simple and enjoyable.
She arranged our driver, Richard to pick us up from the airport and took... read more

It was such a pleasure to plan this special trip with you David. With your first thoughts on where you wanted to go and what you wanted to experience, we really worked well together to create each day of this great adventure. I wish for many more beautiful travel experiences for you and your wife.
Ashe oleng, asante sana, many thanks.
Susan
Wildlife and adventure · Kenya - Aug 5 - Aug 17, 2018
Susan was wonderful with helping us plan our trip. She really listened to what type of experience we were looking for and made it possible. I’ve traveled to over 20 countries, but Kenya was by far one of the best experiences I’ve had. If you are going to Kenya, follow Susan’s recommendation, and go to Maji Moto! That was an experience of a lifetime. I will gladly recommend Susan for anyone looking to travel to Kenya.

So happy to know you had a great experience with us Yuruani. We had so much fun showing you the beauty of Kenya and especially sharing our Maasai community in Maji Moto. I hope you're all practicing your campfire singing and spear throwing skills! Hoping we'll see you back another day. Ashe oleng (many thanks)