68 ON LOCATION
Blowing hot & cold
KENYA IS A COUNTRY FAMOUS FOR ITS SAFARIS, NOT SO MUCH FOR ITS BEACH. BUT IT'S THE COMBINATION OF THESE TWO WHICH MAKE IT AN INTRIGUING OPTION FOR MANY TRAVELLERS. TUI TOOK 23 AGENTS OUT THERE TO FIND OUT WHY.
FAM DETAILS WHEN: DECEMBER, 2013 WHO: TUI AGENTS FROM THE UK WHERE: KENYA'S INDIAN OCEAN COAST AND TSAVO EAST NATIONAL PARK WHY: LEARN HOW TO SELL KENYA'S BUSH AND BEACH
Advise customers to take the Kenyan Shilling as well as American Dollars as not everywhere accepts the latter.
Malindi is a lovely little town and
very accessible from the Mnarani Beach Club Hotel.
T
our operator TUI took a group of 23 agents from across the UK to Kenya's Indian Ocean
Coast and the nearby Tsavo East National Park. The group visited 11 different amazing hotels, resorts and lodges during their stay, which included Turtle Bay in Watamu, north of Mombasa, Leopard Beach Resort & Spa and Amani Tiwi Beach Resort on the south coast, with Voi Safari Lodge in Tsavo East National Park providing the all-important safari. Showcasing this area's twin centre options was the mission of this fam trip. While Kenya is well known for its safari offering, fewer people are aware that the coast has national parks of its own and a host of underwater wildlife to complement
the sought-after Big Five. Tsavo West and Tsavo East National
Parks form one of the largest national parks in the world, covering a massive 4% of Kenya’s total land area. Tsavo East is the larger of the two and handily equidistant between Nairobi and Mombasa. It offers a vast and untapped arena of arid bush punctuated by the Galana River and is patrolled by some of the largest elephant herds in Kenya. The Park is home to rhino, buffalo,
lion, leopard and pods of hippo and other attractions include the Yatta Plateau which consists of the longest lava flow in the world and Lugards Falls which creates a series of foaming rapids and pools that are home to crocodiles. Agents from Newbury, Worthing,
Skegness, Coventry and Exeter had plenty of time to relax on the beach but a host of activities gave them a feel for Kenyan culture. The group visited the residents of Footprints Orphanage in the Shimba Hills in what was described as a "life changing and humbling experience." They also got to experience a traditional dhow boat on a sunset cruise from Turtle Bay, saw dolphins swimming in the wild, hand-fed giraffes at Haller Park, and went snorkelling in the vivid Indian Ocean. Overall the group returned to the UK with powerful memories of Kenya and a newfound confidence in selling the destination. One agent said: "It really was the trip of a lifetime! It really changed my opinion of the area and I cannot wait to send my customers there."
Québec wows with its winter wonders
THERE'S more to winter than skiing and perhaps nowhere showcases the joys of the snow beyond the piste better than Québec. That was the conclusion of four
operators after a winter wonders trip with Destination Québec UK.
Dog-sledding, snow-mobiling, snow- tubing and ski-hok (a new sport), gave
them all a hearty appetite for the superb Québec dining they enjoyed; while
helicopter sightseeing and a trip to the Ice Hotel gave them new perspectives on the wonders of ice and snow.
The event coincided with the annual Québec Winter Carnival which sees the city transformed with ice castles and ice sculptures, ice bars, slides and fun activities to suit all the family. Pictured here are Amy Walkington-Gray of
Activities Abroad, Terhi Millar of
Wexas, Marie Coyle of Destination Québec UK, Julie McNicholas, of North America Travel Service and Charlene Everest of Discover the World.
THE VERDICT "Québec was just a succession of highlights. It was amazing. I had no idea the province had so much to offer and will now definitely be recommend- ing it and even cross selling those who usu- ally ask for Scandinavia. I really loved the snowmobiling and dog-sledding." Charlene Everest, Tailor Made Sales Specialist, Discover the World
The best time for safari in Kenya is August because it's not too humid and it's before the rainy reason so there is plenty of wildlife viewing at water holes.
The dine around choices at the Baobab
Beach Resort are a great selling tool. It doesn't matter if you're staying there, or at the Kole Hole or the Maridadi, you can eat in any of the buffet restaurants.
Kenya is an amazing place with so-
meething to offer everyone and the safari element really enhances a beach holiday.
The standard of the hotels was much higher and more luxurious than I expected.
What they said...
www.sellinglonghaul.com
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