My Plans for 2019-A Time for Reflection

December 23, 2018 by Sonia Marsh 7 Comments

I love the end of the year as it’s a time for reflection and making plans for the year ahead.

In my case, I add travel to the mix, as this enables me to see life from a different perspective; something I always value as I get new insights into the direction I want my life to take.

This time, I’m off to London, Paris and Copenhagen, to spend time with family and childhood friends, and I plan to bounce my ideas off them.

2018 brought three major changes to my life.

A Place to Call Home

The biggest change was getting my own place to live. Since 2015, I’ve rented a room in a friend’s house. I then moved to my Peace Corps rondavel in Lesotho, and finally returned in January 2017, to stay with my friend, Heidi, once again.

Finding a home happened while I was trying to kill time. I walked into a real estate office in a 55+ community, not expecting to find anything, as most of the condos date from the 70’s and are in need of repairs.

“Do you have a two-bedroom, 2-bath completely renovated condo?” I asked the realtor.

“We have one that has just been listed. Would you like to see it?”

“Why not?” I said, not knowing that the minute I walked in, it would feel like “home” for the first time since my divorce.

From that moment on, I couldn’t stop dreaming about this condo and put in an offer. The timing was perfect as it was close to Christmas 2017, and no one else was looking at homes during the holidays.

I was the only one who put in an offer and I moved into my new condo in March 2018.

I love having my own place and being independent. I furnished it the way I’ve always wanted my place to be: clutter-free and modern.

I didn’t realize what I’d been missing and how important it was for me to have a place I could call “home.” When I traveled, I didn’t look forward to coming back as I didn’t have a place to call “home.” Now I do, and I feel more secure.

My Own Travel Club

The 2nd major change is starting my “Travel with a Purpose” Club in the 55+ community where I live.

The purpose of starting my club is to inspire people to travel with a purpose and to remove any fear of travel. We are now on our 4th meeting, and the club is growing in popularity. I run it once a month, and invite presentations from inspiring speakers who have traveled. You can view the dates and location of upcoming meetings here.

Our speaker on January 17th is going to explain: “How to Pack Efficiently-One Week/One Month/One Carry-On.”

Leading My First Trip to Africa

I led my first trip to Kenya in October, with a theme-focused Safari where we combined helping orphans, visiting their school, and giving back to the African Child Foundation. All 12 women bonded and we have become close friends, getting together once a month since our trip to Kenya.

I’m planning other Safaris with a theme such as elephant and rhino conservation-educational Safaris, writers’ retreats, quilting group Safaris and more.

Several people seem interested in river cruises in Europe. What are your travel dreams for the future? Please let me know.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and may your 2019 be the best you want it to be.

Arriving at Heathrow airport, London, December 2018

How Much Does A Safari Cost?

November 17, 2018 by Sonia Marsh 1 Comment

One of the first questions I get from people I meet is, “How much does a Safari cost?”

While this is a normal question, I feel like replying with another question: “How much does a car cost?”

Obviously this depends on the car. A Kia is not the same as a Porsche. I understand why some people may be shocked at the price of a Safari, but as my friend Judy said after she got back from her first trip to Kenya:

“The most amazing trip I’ve ever been on. I plan to be on the next one. I can’t recommend it enough. Luxury mixed with adventure! What a way to go.” Judy P.

Since returning from the Peace Corps, I now design custom Safaris for my “Travel with a Purpose” Club in Laguna Woods, with Jim Holden, as my expert on Africa.

The key word here is “Custom.” My Safaris are tailored to specific themes, (for example, a writers’ retreat, a culinary Safari experience, or an elephant conservation Safari.)

I think the main reason some people balk at the price, is that they compare a Safari to places they’re familiar with. Africa cannot be compared with a vacation in Hawaii, Paris or Tuscany.

Africa is an experience, not a typical vacation.

Let me explain. One of the main reasons people travel to Africa, is to see the wildlife, especially the BIG 5.

The Wildlife:

There are several components that make a wildlife experience spectacular: the guides, and in particular their knowledge, the vehicles they use, and where they take you. The knowledge of the guides can make or break your overall Safari experience. If you travel on a budget Safari with a large group of 16 or more people, you won’t get the same level of interaction with your “personal and professional” guide as when you’re on an exclusive Safari with no more than 6-travelers per vehicle. On my Safaris, you’re able to ask many questions about the wildlife, and learn facts you didn’t know about leopards, elephants, zebras, hippos, wildebeest and more.

The Accommodation:

I find that most people expect comfort while on Safari. They want a nice hot shower, a flushing toilet, electricity, delicious meals, and drinks. There is now way you can take an Uber to a restaurant or a fast food restaurant while in the National Parks or private concessions, so everything is included when you stay in a lodge. All the food and beverages have to be flown, or driven in, and kept refrigerated in the lodge. The local staff are trained to cook and plate the food by Chefs and serve meals that appeal to our western palate. They offer a variety of meats, fish, vegetables, desserts, and fresh baked items, on a daily basis. This, as well as the laundry, soft sheets and towels, and all the other amenities we’re used to, obviously adds to the cost. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the average cost of a Safari today is $1,000/person/day. This cost also includes all activities as well as flights between countries in Africa.

I’ve done cost comparisons of hotels in my area, Laguna Beach, as well as in similar accommodations in Paris, London and Rome, and the cheapest room at one resort is $950/night. This does not include any meals or drinks, or activities, or shows, unlike what you would get on a Safari. Basically nothing other than the room and a 15% tax is included in my Laguna Beach area hotel.

Of course, just like a Motel 6, for $66/night, there are budget Safaris where you’ll be staying in cheap accommodations, like the tent below on the left. There’s nothing wrong with that, if you’re happy to stay in a tent with a bush toilet and a bucket shower. I’ve stayed at the Serengeti Bushtops camp on the right, and those are the smaller lodges that I like to offer to my “Travel with a Purpose” groups. Another advantage is that these smaller lodges hire and train people from the local villages and part of what you’re paying for goes towards supporting local communities, schools, books, teachers’ salaries and wildlife conservation efforts. Most tourists don’t realize that by going on Safari, they are actually contributing towards those sustainable causes, offering employment opportunities and education to the people in neighboring villages, including the Masai in Kenya.

The Food:

Most people who travel to Africa for the first time, like the women on my recent “Travel with a Purpose” trip to Kenya, have no idea what to expect. They are blown away by the quality and presentation of the food. We have a wonderful “Foods of Africa” trip to Madikwe, South Africa, with an award-winning Chef, Nico Verster, who will be cooking for us and showing us plating techniques. He is co-owner of the beautiful Jamala lodge.

Since I have way more to say, please check out next Sunday’s blog post. Your comments and shares, are always appreciated.

Also, I am proud to say that I was interviewed in the OC Register and so were some of the woman on my recent trip to Kenya. You can read the article by clicking here.

Continued in (Part 2) next week

Can You Create Your Ideal Life?

July 21, 2018 by Sonia Marsh 14 Comments

I found an old thumbstick in a purse I no longer use.

Curious to see its contents, I plugged it into my new laptop and found a one-page document I’d written 11 years ago. The title was: “My Passion.” I had no idea what to expect and realized that I had written it during a time in my life when I was searching for my own purpose. I did not have a career, my teenage sons were still living at home, and I wanted something concrete to look forward to. I knew what I liked to do, and what my strengths were, but how could I create a life that encompassed all my dreams?

This was a time when I read self-help books hoping for a solution. I didn’t really believe in visualization, and the ability to manifest dreams, but as I started re-reading “My Passion,” I shuddered: Was I reading a dream, or my life today?

Here’s what I wrote on March 13th, 2007.

My Passion

I love my job, it’s my passion, and I absolutely adore doing it. I wake up and feel happy that I can do what I love and what I’m best at on a daily basis. I control my own hours, and spend a good deal of time meeting people. I network with people of baby boomer age and older, and provide a service that is beneficial to my clients. I motivate them, one on one, and in small groups, to be positive and happy with their lives. I travel and experience new adventures.

People refer me to their friends and relatives and see the benefits of what I can do for them. It never feels like work, as it is giving part of what I already have and it is very natural for me to do this. I have one very good contact, the catalyst. The people I deal with are very well educated, interesting, and down to earth. It’s very easy. People request my services and soon I recruit others to help me. I select carefully to keep a good reputation going for my business, and to keep the “personal touch” with each one of my clients, whom I have grown to consider more than clients.

These clients offer me numerous opportunities to travel. I have a loving and peaceful job, and the answer is simply staring me in the face.

It is there, right in front of me, and I make it happen. This is what I see:

a service

word-of-mouth referrals

helping people

fulfilling a need for baby-boomers

writing articles

Now it’s 2018, and everything in this document has culminated in what I’m doing today. So who is the catalyst?

Gillian, the catalyst, far right and two ladies I met who are traveling with me on my first “Women Travel with a Purpose” trip to Kenya this October.

My hairdresser, and friend, Gillian, who mentioned that I was looking for a career and returning from Africa. I was fortunate to find a career in the Safari business through her.

Sometimes I think this is luck, and other times I believe we can create our ideal life.

The five goals that I wrote about in 2007 are now part of my life. I offer a service, I help people who want new travel experiences, I organize Safaris for Baby-boomers, I write blog posts, and I’m starting to get word-of-mouth referrals.

a service
word-of-mouth referrals
helping people
fulfilling a need for baby-boomers
writing articles

I’m leading my first group of women travelers on a purposeful Safari to Kenya this October. We’re visiting orphans and vulnerable children at a school in Nairobi, Kenya, and spending a day with them. We have ten ladies who are also passionate about visiting a school and helping. I plan to offer this trip again next year as well with my friend, Roz Berry, Director of the African Child Foundation. You can see the flyer for 2019, by clicking on the link below.

Women Travel with a Purpose flyer 2019

Women Travel with a Purpose flyer 2019

Have you had a similar experience where you’ve written down your ideal career or life and checked back to see if it materialized?

Please share your story in the comments section below.

The Elephants That Came to Dinner

July 12, 2018 by Sonia Marsh 1 Comment

How would you like to meet the elephants that came to dinner? It only happens once a year, in November, at Mfuwe Lodge in Zambia.

Wonky Tusk and her baby, Wellington, stroll through reception to feast on the fallen fruits from the large Wild Mango(Cordyla africana) tree in the lodge grounds. The fact that a large safari lodge is built around this delicious food store is of no concern to them. Why not take the shortcut up the stairs, through the tiled reception lobby, and into the garden? (Watch the video below)

This year, I’ve put together a Safari to experience, not only the elephants at Mfuwe, but also the largest mammal migration which happens to be the 4 foot wing-span bats in Kasanka, Zambia.

Here is the digital itinerary for 2018 “Iconic Zambia: Flying Foxes and Homecoming Elephants.” I plan to offer this Safari, which also includes Victoria Falls, in November 2019 for a small group of 10 people. Please watch the video below which shows the elephants and baby Wellington when he was just two weeks old. Incredible video that shows the level of trust between the camera crew, and the elephants.

Any interest in joining this amazing trip?

Please let me know.

Why I’m Starting Women Travel with a Purpose

May 30, 2018 by Sonia Marsh 8 Comments

It’s funny how situations in life can eventually lead to finding your purpose. Had my marriage not fizzled in 2015, I would not have joined the Peace Corps, and I certainly wouldn’t have thought about starting “Women Travel with a Purpose.”

I decided to start “Women Travel with a Purpose,” and lead trips to Africa with various themes such as “local culture, schools and village life,” “elephant and rhino conservation,” “culinary tasting tours in Africa,” and the latest theme is “Botanical Safaris” along the “Garden Route of South Africa.

How did I get the idea to start “Women Travel with a Purpose?”

During my service in Lesotho, women reached out to me and wanted to help the school and orphans in my village with books and clothing. I shared photos depicting children with holes in their sweaters and wearing shoes where the tips were cut off so feet could continue growing. The outpouring of kindness from so many women was overwhelming.

Women wanted to make a difference and to feel connected to the orphans at my school. I took photos of the children wearing their “new” clothes and shoes, and realized that women want to travel, experience something unique, and have a purpose attached to their trip.

When I returned to the U.S. last year, I had no idea what I would end up doing. Writing another memoir was the obvious answer, however, I also needed to support myself. Serendipity offered a career where I could do what I love: motivate women, inspire them to travel, take away their fear, and take them back to where we all originate from: Africa!

I’ve recently moved to a community in Laguna Woods, California with 18,000 residents 55 and over. I love it here, and feel that I can motivate women to follow me on themed trips to Africa.

I’ve designed a culinary-Safari for a small group of women to the pristine, Madikwe Game Reserve for the ultimate Safari and culinary experience at Jamala. There we will meet the award- winning chef Nico Verster, awarded the Best Safari cuisine in Africa 2014/2015. I tasted his exquisite cuisine and dined alfresco, beneath the brilliance of a million stars. Lions were lapping water on the other side of the water hole. Chef Nico will explain his Safaris and Spices cookbook where he offers cuisines from different countries in Africa.

Elephants at the water hole right in front of Jamala Lodge where we meet Chef Nico

Award-winning Chef, Nico Verster at Jamala Lodge in South Africa

“Food aficionados can indulge in modern gastronomic treats served with the chic colonial charm and grace that is unique to Jamala Madikwe. ” Cookbook, Savannah to Sea by Nico Verster.

I’m leading a themed trip together with Roz Berry, Director of the African Child Foundation, in Newport Beach, on September 30^th– October 7^th, 2018. Part of the proceeds will go back to helping the school in Nairobi, Kenya.

African Child Foundation in Nairobi, Kenya

We still have room for two ladies to join this trip. Please e-mail me at Sonia@SoniaMarsh.com if you’re interested in joining our small group on Safari. It will be a ton of fun while doing good at the same time. This is a trip with so many activities you’ll love. Check out the flyer on this post.

Lisa Hart producer of “This Day” TV show in Laguna Woods, California

I look forward to my interview with Lisa Hart tomorrow morning, May 31st, on the Laguna Woods TV show called, “This Day” at 8:30 a.m. Please watch as I talk about the Club I’m starting at Laguna Woods called, “Women Travel with a Purpose.” We are having our first meeting at 5 p.m. on June 11th, Club House #2 in the “Los Olivos” Room. The address is:

Get directions

Clubhouse 2, 24112 Moulton Pkwy, Laguna Woods, CA 92637

I’m going to share what “Travel with a Purpose” means, and your ideas are welcome. South African wine and cheese will be served, and some great slides from my recent trip to South Africa. Please e-mail me and come over and have some FUN!!! E-mail: (Sonia@SoniaMarsh.com)