Drumroll please… We are over the moon to announce that two of our incredible leaders have taken out Gold and Bronze at the coveted Wanderlust World Guide Awards – think of it as the Oscars for tour guides.
Khalid Lamlih won first place at the ceremony, held at London’s Royal Geographical Society on the 5th of October, receiving his Gold Award from legendary travel writer Bill Bryson. Khalid, who grew up in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains, has been a leader with us for over three years; one of his favourite things about his job is sharing stories about Morocco, its culture and history with his passengers.
Khalid leads a group in an impromptu desert dance
“I love showing people around my country and I am grateful that so many of my clients took the time to nominate me.”
‘TRAVELLERS CHANGE MY LIFE AND I CHANGE THEIRS’ – MEET MOROCCAN LOCAL LEADER KHALID
Meanwhile, Dinesh KC, a native of Nepal’s Everest region, was rewarded with the Bronze Award. Dinesh started with Intrepid as a porter, before stepping up as a leader, which he’s been doing for the past 11 years. His ability to create strong bonds and a feeling of togetherness in his groups is one of Dinesh’s greatest attributes.
“I work really hard to make sure my groups have the best time when they are visiting Nepal and I’m incredibly proud that they value their time with me, but also with my country, and with Intrepid. It is knowing I’m supporting the local communities that helps me to stay passionate about what I do every day,” he said, after accepting his award.
Intrepid local leader Dinesh KC
The Wanderlust World Guide Awards recognise the crème de la crème of the world’s tour guides – often the unsung heroes of the travel industry – and are voted for by Wanderlust Magazine readers and a panel of judges. Thousands of tour guides from around the world are nominated each year by their passengers, so it’s a tough job choosing a winner.
WHAT HAPPENS ON TOUR, STAYS ON TOUR: OUR LOCAL LEADERS SPILL THE BEANS
Intrepid’s local leaders have now been recognised with three Gold, one Silver and three Bronze awards, as well as a one-off award for Outstanding Contribution. We are immensely proud of our leaders; we have more than 1000 guides leading trips around the world, with an average feedback score of 4.78 out of 5 from our passengers.
Our CEO, James Thornton, had this to say. “Being a tour leader is not just a job, it’s a vocation. It takes a pretty special person to not only bring a place to life, but to also bring a diverse group of people together. That’s why we’re thrilled that Khalid and Dinesh have been recognised not only by the judges, but by travellers.”
Couldn’t agree more, boss!
Want to experience the benefits of having an incredible local leader for yourself? Jump on a small group adventure with Intrepid now.
