Cytraveler
Level 2 Member
We (my husband, 16 yo and me, and possibly another pseudo-adult son or daughter) are planning to go to Kenya this August. Never been to Africa; first time outside North America was to Nepal last summer. So although we're pretty game for stuff, and not overly fastidious, I'm a little new to international travel. Trying to rectify that now that I'm in the miles game. 
The Africa trip started because my husband and I got the Fairmont card right before it disappeared, so we just got our certificates, for a total of 4 nights. I researched interesting Fairmonts, and came up with the Masai Mara. Wow.
We can't leave before Aug. 12 because my daughter is taking a summer class. We'll have a max of 2 weeks.
I'm looking for recommendations for where to go, where to stay, guides, day hikes (a friend recommended Mt. Longonot), etc. I'd be interested in a local guest house, both in Nairobi as well as other places. Oh, and if anyone has attended a local Catholic Church there they'd recommend, I'd like to know. We'll do a safari from the Fairmont Masai Mara when we're there.
I thought about stopping in Addis Ababa, and scooting up to Lalibela - I've always wanted to see the underground churches there carved out of rock. But maybe with no more than 2 weeks, we're better off just exploring Kenya?
And finally, if anyone has any particular recommendations for air travel I haven't thought of. I have plenty of MR and UR, a reasonable amount of AA (thanks to recent no-24 month Citi offers). And although my SPG just got depleted getting the Marriott hotel+airfare deal for Southwest, I accumulate about 10k/month, so I can use that in smallish doses. Thinking UA or Air Canada partnering with Ethiopian, or AA partnering with Etihad or Qatar.
The Africa trip started because my husband and I got the Fairmont card right before it disappeared, so we just got our certificates, for a total of 4 nights. I researched interesting Fairmonts, and came up with the Masai Mara. Wow.
We can't leave before Aug. 12 because my daughter is taking a summer class. We'll have a max of 2 weeks.
I'm looking for recommendations for where to go, where to stay, guides, day hikes (a friend recommended Mt. Longonot), etc. I'd be interested in a local guest house, both in Nairobi as well as other places. Oh, and if anyone has attended a local Catholic Church there they'd recommend, I'd like to know. We'll do a safari from the Fairmont Masai Mara when we're there.
I thought about stopping in Addis Ababa, and scooting up to Lalibela - I've always wanted to see the underground churches there carved out of rock. But maybe with no more than 2 weeks, we're better off just exploring Kenya?
And finally, if anyone has any particular recommendations for air travel I haven't thought of. I have plenty of MR and UR, a reasonable amount of AA (thanks to recent no-24 month Citi offers). And although my SPG just got depleted getting the Marriott hotel+airfare deal for Southwest, I accumulate about 10k/month, so I can use that in smallish doses. Thinking UA or Air Canada partnering with Ethiopian, or AA partnering with Etihad or Qatar.