Winner of Real Africa's 15th Anniversary Conservation Safari Competition Announced

For Emily Bruce-Watt from London, this year's Valentine's Day was a memorable day indeed. Emily was announced the winner of safari specialist Real Africa's 'win a safari' competition. The competition which marked the award-winning tour operator's 15th Anniversary was launched back in October 2015 with a sold-out event at the Royal Geographical Society in London with guest-speaker, film-maker and conservationist Saba Douglas-Hamilton.

The prize, which offers the winner and their guest an encounter with Samburu's wonderful elephants, includes return flights with Kenya Airways, transfers and domestic flights to Samburu, Kenya and three nights at Saba Douglas-Hamilton's luxury eco-camp, Elephant Watch, the focus of recent BBC2 series This Wild Life. The stay at the camp also includes a visit to the Save the Elephants research centre, a charity Real Africa has been working closely with since October. To date the tour operator has raised over £12,000 for Save the Elephants and raised awareness about the plight of the African Elephant by distributing information at travel shows and events.

Bruce-Watt was overwhelmed to discover she had won the prize, "I am completely over the moon to have been picked as the winner! I have wanted to go to Elephant Watch Camp ever since I went to Saba's amazing talk for Real Africa's 15th Anniversary at the Royal Geographical Society and watched the documentary about life in Elephant Watch Camp on the BBC. To now be going and be able to see the wonderful work Save The Elephants do, a cause I am very passionate about, is beyond exciting! To top it all, Kenya is my favourite country in the world and one which holds a very special place in my heart. My first ever prize in a competition...Asante Sana Real Africa...I literally cannot wait!".

Real Africa, a tailormade safari specialist, offers a number of journeys which include opportunities to visit conservation and community projects. Their 'Elephant Conservation Safaris' visit Samburu's Elephant Watch Camp or combine Samburu and the Masai Mara. It is also possible to visit the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) elephant orphanage in Nairobi, or the DSWT Voi stockades in Tsavo.

For those looking for a deep and meaningful experience with African elephants, Elephant Watch Camp in Samburu stands out. Not only are all the Samburu guides trained to be able to identify the elephants on the reserve, but the camp has close links with Save the Elephants (STE) a charity founded by Saba Douglas-Hamilton's father, Dr Iain Douglas-Hamilton, an authority on African elephants. STE conduct vital research on elephant behaviour and ecology and have pioneered GPS radio tracking in Africa to provide fresh insight into the life of elephants. Cutting-edge scientific insight is ammunition in the battle against the current surge in ivory poaching. STE's Elephant Crisis Fund is supporting the most effective global partners to stop poaching, thwart traffickers and end demand for ivory.

Real Africa is currently offering a special 'Stay 4 nights, pay 3' offer for those wishing to experience Elephant Watch Camp for themselves. In addition, the Real Africa Trust makes a donation of £100 per booking to Save the Elephants.

Further details:

http://www.realafrica.co.uk/Kenya/Samburu_Elephant_Conservation_Safari/

ENDS.