Extraordinary Travel Guides Honoured in Paul Morrison/Wanderlust Award - Romania and South Africa Share Title

(PRWEB) October 9, 2007 -- Wanderlust magazine has announced the winners of the 2007 Paul Morrison Guide Award, recognizing the true unsung heroes of travel. The awards were presented by judge Bill Bryson at London's Royal Geographical Society on the evening of 4th October 2007.

The top accolade is shared between Selwyn Davidowitz, who guides in the Western Cape area of South Africa, and Danut Marin, a guide from Romania who specializes in the Carpathian Mountains area. The runner-up is Goyotsetseg Radnaabazar who is based in Mongolia and is the first female guide to reach the finals.

Set up to recognize the difference that a great guide, whether a naturalist, a sherpa, or a tour leader, can make to your travel experience, a shortlist of six was whittled down from more than 160 guides from around the world who were nominated for this year's award.

The judging panel was led by Bill Bryson and included Lyn Hughes of Wanderlust, top naturalist Mark Carwardine, and Mark Ellingham, founder of Rough Guides. In addition, the panel was thrilled to be joined this year by Michael Palin.

Both winning guides have fascinating stories to tell and have been recognised, not only for their outstanding contribution to tourism and making a true difference to people's travel experiences, but also for their own tireless work within their local communities and ensuring the interaction of the two.

Selwyn has been an independent guide for the past eight years, realising his passion for the profession from many enjoyable trips showing visiting friends around his native Cape Town. A former owner of a clothes factory, he creates personalized itineraries for his guests and combines these experiences with trips to the township of Kayamandi. Here his foundation funds two crèches and runs projects such as 'fruit for trash', encouraging up to 250 children to clear up rubbish in return for fresh fruit.

Danut has lived in Romania's Zarnesti all his life. He left school at 14 to work in an ammunitions factory. However he strove to make more of his life and after studying for a wildlife guiding course, he now works in the Piatra Craiului National Park and the Danube Delta. For the last four years he has been heavily involved in the Rowan Romanian Foundation where he carries out cultural and social programs for psychiatric hospital patients, as well as the gypsy communities. He helps to open visitors' eyes to the real history of Romania, the ethnic tensions, the hidden orphanages, at the same time as showing the country's mostly undiscovered wildlife gems and supporting eco-tourism projects.

In addition to cash awards and equipment, Selwyn and Danut will both receive a bursary* of £5,000 to spend on community or self development projects.

The annual award was created in 2006 as a tribute to Paul Morrison, Wanderlust's co-founder, who died in 2004. Lyn Hughes, Paul's widow and co-founder and editor of Wanderlust, says: "I am thrilled we have had such a great response to the awards. A travel guide is the one person who can inspire you to climb that mountain or get as excited about spotting an elephant shrew as an elephant. More importantly they can often be an important bridge between your travel experience and an understanding of the local community."

Judge Bill Bryson says: "We have heard some amazing stories about our guides from their many testimonials. It is these individuals who create life changing experiences for us all as we travel, which is why these awards are so precious."

The full results of The Paul Morrison Guide Award 2007 will appear in the November issue of Wanderlust, on sale from 12 October, priced £3.80. More details are online at www.wanderlust.co.uk.

October 8, 2006

For further information or photography please contact Fiona Reece at Fiona Reece Public Relations, fiona @ fionareece.com; 07702 684 682.

Notes to Editors:

If you would like to book a trip with one of Wanderlust's award winning guides please contact:

Selwyn Davidowitz - South Africa, Western Cape

Independent bookings via www.ilovecapetown.com

Danut Dan Marin - Carpathian Mountain, Romania,

Escorted group trips with www.exodus.co.uk - the eight- day Carpathian Conservation, Culture and Wildlife trip

Goyotsetseg Radnaabazar - Mongolia

Tailormade travel itineraries with Mongolia specialist Panoramic Journeys www.panoramicjourneys.co.uk

* The £5000 bursary has been donated by Wanderlust magazine and a further £5000 has been kindly given by the U Foundation, to be spent on local development projects, further education or overseas travel by the winning guides.

About Wanderlust magazine:

Wanderlust was launched by Paul Morrison and Lyn Hughes in 1993. The couple were bored on a long flight from South America and decided to sketch out their dream travel magazine on the back of a sick bag. They soon decided that they could it do themselves and there was no other name for it than Wanderlust - as Paul said "Once you have the wanderlust in your blood you have it for life." Over the last fourteen years the magazine has established itself as the monthly bible for independent-minded travelers.

After Paul lost a long battle with cancer in 2004, Lyn continued the magazine as a testament to Paul's love of travel. However she wanted to do more and felt that recognizing the unsung heroes of travel in this way was a perfect tribute to someone who always sought out the very best guides to bring his travel experiences to life.

Go to www.wanderlust.co.uk to find out more about the magazine and how you can vote for your favorite travel guide for 2008.

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