Thursday, March 15, 2012

The Easter bunny is about to stop by and say Hello!

Days seem to be moving faster than you anticipated and it seems like just the other day you were celebrating love on Valentine’s Day and now there’s a bunny and eggs in every mall, shop or street you happen to pass by! You must be thinking to yourself, “Is it Easter time already?”  

Easter is a period where you recollect your faith as a Christian and embark on your religious journey; however it is also time to spend with your loved ones as you enjoy the festivities and indulge yourselves to the tasty food treats! But more importantly...it is time to take a break and relax. 


However, to enjoy the break and get involved in the relaxing, it means you could choose to stay home and enjoy peace and quiet in your own serenity or it’s a great excuse to dial up your favourite travel agent (us) and take a short trip to one of the many destinations that we can offer!

Of course you must be thinking ... “Now they want me to break a bank?!” but the truth is, we work within your budget, so no need to stress yourself about the finances, plus we currently know the places that are already fully booked and places that still have availability, thus saving you time and energy and that annoying response from travel/tour co-ordinators “I am sorry sir, the hotel is fully booked..”

So try not to get caught up in the last minute Easter travel rush and book as early as yesterday, and give your loved ones that worthwhile, pocket friendly holiday that they have been dying to go for ever since the year took off.

Remember we have a list of over 600 hotels and lodges, plusover 300 safari itineraries and lots of specials that you could choose from! Take advantage now! And smile back at the Easter Bunny as he says hello, while you sip your cocktails by that resort’s pool or while on that trek in that much deserved safari.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Team Building in Malewa...

It is always good to take a break from your busy office schedule and loosen up a little, but in a leading tours and travel firm that is almost next to impossible. In the 24 hours of the 365 days on a calendar year, we are on call through out, making sure that our clients are catered for.

Unlike other business sectors, tourism and travel is a continuous process regardless the time zone difference, race, colour, country or language. This in-turn means for us to make sure that our clients are happy and satisfied with our services we need not only to do what they ask of us, but we also need to be able to work in a free-flowing atmosphere where the inner cohesion amongst ourselves as staff of Uniglobe Lets Go Travel reciprocate great service to our clients.

It is in line with these thoughts that our management felt that it was necessary for the team to have a team building weekend at MalewaBush Ventures and also to have a bit of fun and adventure!


About Malewa Bush Ventures:
Located in Gilgil, Malewa offers a completely unique destination in Kenya specialising in leadership and teambuilding for all ages but also providing for environmental education and supporting ‘corporate social responsibility’ through a variety of programmes for clients from schools to large corporations. 


MalewaBush Ventures can easily accommodate, an action packed programme that will see everyone challenged, engaged and absolutely loving it! All packages can be tailor made to meet specific requirements. They even provided trainers who will lead you through the process.

It is important to note that we can organise such trips for organisations or simply friends who are willing to test their team capability both mental and physical while at the same time have fun and enjoy the adventure. It is also important to know that whoever said all work and no play made Jack a dull boy, was not wrong.


Friday, March 2, 2012

Responsible Travel: Part 3

Hopefully we have made a responsible traveler out of you, thereafter we spelled out the differences between a genuine green destination and a green washed one. In the third part of our responsible travel series, we take you through what you should look for in a green tour operator as a continuation from our part 1 and part 2. A green tour operator is really where it all begins and to prove that, here are some pointers in what you should look for in a green tour operator:


1.      Find out about the carbon profile of your business, sometimes a less-obvious area of inquiry than ecotourism practices. Make an effort to reduce your carbon footprint by adopting energy-efficient initiatives and using less carbon-intensive modes of transport. If you provide accommodation and food for your guests, research the carbon footprint of those areas of the business. For example, locally sourced and seasonal ingredients incur far less of an emissions burden than those hailing from far away, imported for an ecologically-disconnected menu
Work with the camps and lodges to create alternatives to flying and driving safaris by suggesting nature walks, cultural talks and tours, cycling safaris, boat safaris etc

2.      Do you have a relationship with the local community you explore? A less-sustainable tours and travel agency may not funnel much or any of its proceeds toward social issues in its region, while a more conscientious one incorporates locals into its operations and takes the time to give back to the community that draws in its patrons. This touches on sustainability in more ways than one. Locals that feel involved and respected in a tourism venture structured around its familiar landscapes, wildlife and cultural heritage are more likely to value those components and make responsible decisions regarding the preservation of natural resources.
Give some of your net profit back to the local community and wildlife projects.
Choose a project that interests your company, such as rhino conservation or village water supplies, and set yourself a goal. Create the timeline with your staff and then inform your clients of your goal. Update everyone involved on your progress throughout the year.


3.      Specialize in tours of natural areas. Strike a balance between exposing outsiders to the wonders of a particular ecosystem and protecting that very ecosystem against excessive use and disruption. For example, tours that use baiting to attract animals may be unsustainable. Such activity habituates creatures to human presence and accustoms them to handouts, which alters their normal behavior; thereby decreasing their chances of long-term survival while increasing the likelihood of an antagonistic encounter that could lead to an animal's destruction
4.      Read through comments from other travelers, which may give a fuller picture of the tour company's attitude and practices.
5.      Give your clients tips on what to purchase i.e. refer your client to a local handicraft shop in the area they will be visiting. When buying gifts for your clients, purchase locally made items.
Set a policy on waste reduction and recycling. Ensure your staff is aware of it. Perhaps you can create a competition for the office staff that uses the least amount of paper or recycles the most paper.
6.      What pre-departure environmental information do you provide the traveler?
Create pre-departure information that provides helpful hints on wildlife conservation information and what natural products to buy or not buy when visiting East Africa
7.      Encourage your staff to write on eco- travel for magazines, websites and ezines? That’s free publicity for you while educating travelers at the same time!


8.      Train your staff to be eco-friendly. Have an eco-policy briefing for your staff.
9.      Get involved in regional initiatives to conserve the environment. Start looking for partners that will help you, help themselves and protect the wilderness areas at the same time!