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Follow Along as I Head to Africa This Week!

June 21, 2016
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3 min read
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Follow Along as I Head to Africa This Week!
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I don't like to play favorites, but I have to say that I get most excited traveling to Africa. I fell in love with the continent when I first went to South Africa several years ago on safari, seeing the Sabi Sands in Kruger National Park and staying at the Savanna Lodge. The whole experience was eye opening. Since then, I've returned to Africa twice, including my last trip working with PeaceJam in Ghana and a visit to Rwanda, as well. Every place I've visited in Africa has been insanely beautiful.

Needless to say, I'm excited to return for another trip this week. What makes this trip different and so exciting for me is that I'm bringing my parents along with me who have never been to Africa. Honestly, it can be hard for me to get excited about travel sometimes because I do it so much. But for this trip, I am completely beside myself, smiling ear to ear every single day thinking about taking my parents. To get to Ghana this time around, I'm going to be flying JFK to Accra (ACC) on Delta. I used 70,000 miles and $5.60 to fly on Delta's nonstop route, which I reviewed in an episode of TPGtv, but stay tuned for a full flight review, coming soon on the blog.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee is once again leading a PeaceJam conference.

Last year after visiting Ghana, we decided to launch Points for Peace to support PeaceJam. So, the first stop of this trip will be in Accra, Ghana, for this year's PeaceJam conference with Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee. The Nobel laureate will lead the conference with several PeaceJam team members and will teach the 350 PeaceJammers in attendance how to bring positive change to their communities by promoting peace.

Last year in Ghana, I didn't get the chance to explore, to go to the coast and do some of the more touristy things, so I'm going to spend some time traveling the country — with my parents by my side. In fact, the head of PeaceJam in West Africa is named Wisdom Addo, and he invited us to the village where he grew up; we'll even meet his village elders. We're going to be bringing six bottles of Scotch that we'll get in duty free as our gift to them for inviting us. If you had told me five years ago, or even a year ago, that I'd be going to visit village elders in rural Ghana with my parents by my side, I wouldn't have believed you.

I'll never forget singing and dancing with PeaceJammers at last year's Accra conference.

After Ghana, I'll be taking my parents to Ethiopia and Tanzania. In Tanzania, we'll be going on a safari for three nights where we'll be staying in a tented camp. Hopefully, we'll get to witness the Great Migration, which is one of the most incredible wildlife natural occurrences in the world.

Stay tuned for lots of flight and hotel reviews from our entire trip to Africa (in Ghana, I should have good reception, but in the middle of the Serengeti I can't guarantee it). Be sure to follow along on Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for what will truly be the trip of a lifetime.

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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.