Italian Luca Alfatti from Dragoman, Burmese Nyi Nyi 'Frankie' Naing who guides for Panoramic Journeys, G Adventures guide Bhupendra Sharma from India/Nepal and Alaskan guide Simyra Taback-Hlebechuk from Hallo Bay Wilderness Camp, were officially named as the world's greatest travel guides for 2012.
Wanderlust magazine, the bible for independent-minded travellers, has announced the four winners in its annual World Guide Awards, which honour the very best tour leaders from across the globe.
In a ceremony at London’s Royal Geographical Society (4th October), Italian Luca Alfatti from Dragoman, Burmese Nyi Nyi ‘Frankie’ Naing who guides for Panoramic Journeys, G Adventures guide Bhupendra Sharma from India/Nepal and Alaskan guide Simyra Taback-Hlebechuk from Hallo Bay Wilderness Camp, were officially named as the world’s greatest travel guides for 2012. Presenting the awards were writer Bill Bryson and Zoologist and wildlife presenter, Mark Carwardine.
The final four all won binoculars from Swarovski Optik, plus equipment from Nomad Travel Stores and Power Traveller, as well as bursaries to spend on community projects or furthering their own education.
Gold Award
The Gold Award has gone to Italian guide Luca Alfatti, who guides worldwide for Dragoman. As an overlanding driver, Luca has been with Dragoman for six years and has driven the length and breadth of South America, Africa and India as well as from London to Beijing and back again – he even inspired one of his own clients to go on to become a Dragoman driver.
A fluent linguist in at least three languages, one supporter says how Luca is “always extremely modest and even describes himself as ‘average’, when he is truly anything but”. Another says, “he devours reference/guide books in his sleep so no need to pack yours, I would feel confident to travel anywhere with him”.
Luca wins a £5,000 bursary and plans to support a community in rural Guatemala as he returns to Central America with Dragoman in 2013. He says, “I used to work in Guatemala and I know the country fairly well. I will be looking at a community where there is a project for orphans and abandoned mums”. Luca also plans to spend part of the bursary to gain some qualification to better himself at his job.
Bill Bryson commented “Luca is an awesome all rounder, knowledgeable with great people skills and a mechanic. Is there anything he can’t do?!”
The standard of the shortlisted guides this year has been exceptionally high. Wanderlust Editor in Chief Lyn Hughes said “we were intending to get from ten guides down to three for the final, but eventually let four go through to the final stage”.
Now in their seventh year, the awards are the only ones of their kind to recognise the individuals who are at the frontline of so many of our travel experiences. Wanderlust invited its readers to nominate and vote for guides, with a shortlist from over 1,000 nominations, which were then judged by the team of experts who chose just four overall winners.
Silver Award
Coming in a close second with the Silver Award is Alaskan brown bear guide Simyra Taback-Hlebechuk from Hallo Bay Wilderness Camp. Simrya, who has been a bear guide for over ten years, is described by a client to be “what the ‘best of the best’ are made of”. Testimonials salute Simyra as a “delightful person who is utterly genuine but also brilliant at what she does”.
She plans to donate her £2,500 prize money to a selection of non-profit organisations including Friends of Katmai who bring awareness to brown bear conservation and The Homer Animals, an animal shelter in Simyra’s hometown.
Bronze Award
The Bronze Award goes to both Bhupendra Sharma and Nyi Nyi ‘Frankie’ Naing who will both receive £1000. Bhupendra, who guides in India and Nepal for G Adventures, is described by testimonials as “knowledgeable, patient, helpful, considerate and good fun – everything a guide needs to be”. He will spend his bursary on education expenses for a few less privileged local children and the remaining will be donated to a monastery.
Burma/Myanmar guide Frankie from Panoramic Journeys is an ex-teacher and translator, who now gives clients every opportunity to engage with local culture and people. Praised by a supporter as “a truly extraordinary human being”, he also started the Myanmar Tourism Group.
Frankie has been involved in some of the communities that he helped out during Cyclone Nargis and wishes to use his bursary for further support.
Judging the awards were TV wildlife presenter Mark Carwardine, legendary travel writer Bill Bryson and Lyn Hughes, Editor-in-Chief at Wanderlust.
Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
