Dori Kaufman started planning what she hoped would be a trip of a lifetime – an African safari – nine months in advance. She worked with a travel agent well-versed in safaris to craft the perfect itinerary for her family.

“I was really excited, until about one month prior to leaving,” said Kaufman, who, with husband Charles, owns San Diego's Bread & Cie bakery. “Then I looked at a map and saw that one place we were staying in Zambia was right across the river from Zimbabwe.”

Zimbabwe's acute economic unrest was just the first item on what became a laundry list of concerns. “I began to worry about cleanliness, whether I'd find scorpions in my shoes or be trampled by wild elephants, what we would eat and drink.”

Kaufman and her husband also became apprehensive for their 14-year-old daughter's safety, leading to a last-minute rush to draft wills. “I felt we were headed for something worse than a Third World experience. I arrived at the airport with a suitcase filled entirely with medication – I looked like a representative for a pharmaceutical company.”