Tourism highflyers

The staff of Sarova Whitesands celebrate winning the Best Accomodation Facility Award. (Photo:Martin Mukangu/Standard)

There was pomp and glamour at the second Kenya Tourism Awards, as various tourism players got a deserving recognition, writes ALLAN OLINGO

The high-profile event, held at Carnivore Nairobi, recognized and celebrated tourism industry players who have made significant social, economic as well as developmental impact through their ventures.

Here is a profile of some of the winners:

Best Accommodation Facility Award

City Hotel: Intercontinental Hotel

Hotel Intercontinental Nairobi, that overlooks the city, is a mere five minutes from the city centre and 25 minutes drive from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Intercon, as it is popularly referred to maintains the same international standards as its sister hotels around the world. The hotel boasts of a gym, jogging track, cycling, tennis courts and is a favourite for corporate travellers as well as holidaymakers.

Beach Hotel: Sarova Whitesands

Located on one of the longest beachfronts at the Kenyan Coast, Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort is one of the popular of the Sarova hotels. All the rooms and suites have been tastefully furnished by leading interior designers offering spectacular ocean, pool and garden views.

Inland Lodge: Large—Sarova Mara Game Camp

Famed for nature’s most breath-taking show, the wildebeest migration in the Masai Mara, the Sarova Mara Game Camp is well positioned to enjoy this unique phenomenon. The rolling plains around the Camp teem with wildebeests, gazelles and zebras, during the migration months and the camp is situated right in the centre of their migration path.

Inland Lodge: Medium— Tortillis Camp

A 2008 Condé Nast award winning tented camp, Tortillis Camp is named after the flat-topped, umbrella thorn tree, the Acacia Tortillis. Situated in one of Amboseli’s areas of Acacia Tortillis woodland, this camp has a majestic view of the backdrop of Africa’s highest mountain, and the world’s highest freestanding mountain, Kilimanjaro.

Best Entertainment Facility Award:

Carnivore Simba Saloon

The Carnivore Simba Saloon is a vibrant informal restaurant that incorporates a children’s playground and a lively nightclub that operates from Wednesday to Sunday and has themed nights to cater for fans of contemporary African music, rock, soul, jazz, old skool, and the latest hits.

Air Operator:

AirKenya Express

AirKenya Express, which commenced operations in 1987, is a Kenyan airline based at Wilson Airport, Nairobi. The carrier operates scheduled and chartered domestic services within Kenya. Its popular routes are Malindi, Masai Mara, Lewa, Lamu and Diani.

Large Operator:

Cheli and Peacock

Owned and operated by Stefano Cheli and Liz Peacock, Cheli and Peacock operate the up-market, exclusive and bespoke safaris for clients that still want the real safari experience.

Small Operator:

Exotic Golf Safaris

Exotic Golf Safaris’ speciality is designing tours to fit every type of golfer tourist therefore providing a unique opportunity to combine golf with East Africa’s spectacular scenery. Exotic Golf Safaris provides hassle free travel, allowing you to enjoy the best of both worlds — great golf and amazing wildlife in its natural habitat — the ultimate African offering. The packages include golf and safaris, golf and business, golf and culture, golf and beach, golf and adventure and golf and wildlife.

Best Tourism Attraction:

Tamarind Management

Founded in Mombasa in 1972, The Tamarind Group owns and operates some of the most successful restaurants and leisure operations in Africa. They include Carnivore in Nairobi, Simba Saloon, Tamarind Dhow, Tamambo Karen, Tamambo, Tamarind Nairobi and Tamarind Mombasa.

Support and Integration with Local Community Award:

Porini Camps

Porini camps are small and authentic with rustic charm combined with creature comforts, such as private bathrooms with flush toilets.   Each of these camps is situated within a private wildlife conservancy for an intimate safari experience away from hordes of minibuses and crowds of tourists. There is the Porini Amboseli within the Selenkay Conservancy, the Porini Mara in the Masai Mara ecosytem, the Porini Rhino within Ol Pejeta and Porini Lion camp in Masai Mara.

Travel Agency:

Express Travel Group

The Express Travel Group is one of the East Africa’s largest and most sophisticated travel institutions, a one stop travel shop handling everything from air travel and car hire to holiday packages, hotel reservations and travellers cheques. The company runs the Hemingways Expeditions and Europcar Kenya. Express Travel Group has been operating in East Africa since 1955.

Print media

Peter Muiruri— Standard Newspapers

Last but by no means the least to climb the podium was your reliable magazine Home & Away/Travel & Destinations. We dominated this category with a contingent of five entrants —pretty much the same way Kenyans do in long distance running. They included Ferdinand Mwongela, Allan Olingo, Peter Muiruri, Jeckonia Otieno and Jacqueline Kandagor.