Hi Marcie,
The Canon S2 IS took wonderful pictures. The S3 IS is the new version of it and I would highly recommend it. You can use it in point and shoot mode - it's not at all complicated. If you feel like trying out some of the more advanced controls they are pretty easy to use too.

If you choose a camera with a high optical zoom make sure to get one with image stabilization (that's what IS stands for) - otherwise you'll be challenged to get a non-blurry picture when using the zoom. I would go with either Canon or Nikon. I am more used to the Canon controls so I tend to keep upgrading within the Canon line, but you can't go wrong either way.

Be sure to shop around for best pricing. I generally have found B&H Photo to have the best prices once you consider shipping and reputation. You can find them here: B&H

We also had our 3 year old Canon Elph with us - we used it for a lot of the people pictures and as a back up camera. I always have the baby camera with me pretty much wherever I go. We like the flexibility of having a small pocket sized camera along with our larger one. One of these days I'll take the step up to a digital SLR, but I just don't have the time to invest in learning how to use one well now, so I am sticking with advanced point and shoot ones for now.

We'll be looking forward to your safari pictures (actually to all of your pictures) during next year's grand world cruise adventure.

Mary Ellen