Moroccan guide Khalid Lamlih takes gold while Antarctica and Nepal guides take silver and bronze

Wanderlust, the go-to magazine for independently minded travellers, has announced the winners of its annual World Guide Awards for 2017. This year saw Khalid Lamlih, a Moroccan guide who grew up in the Atlas Mountains, clinch first place at the ceremony at London's Royal Geographical Society on Thursday 5 October 2017, receiving his Gold Award from legendary travel writer Bill Bryson.

These awards, now in their 12th year, recognise the world's best tour guides and honour these far too often unsung heroes of the travel industry, as voted for by Wanderlust readers, intrepid explorers, and a range of knowledgeable and experienced judges.

Moroccan born Khalid Lamlih has had a passion for both travel and tour guiding since he was very young. Before he began his successful 10-year career as a tour guide, Khalid formed a symbiotic relationship with other tour-leaders; he would act as their sidekick, helping them out in any way he could, whilst gaining the knowledge, passion and enthusiasm he shares with his groups today.

New-Zealand born Hayley Shephard received the Silver Award. Her family moved to British Colombia, Canada when she was growing up and here she became an outdoors education teacher before she found her true calling – guiding in Antarctica. Meanwhile, Dinesh KC's desire and dedication to sharing his love for his native Nepal over the past decade has been rewarded with the Bronze Award.

Thousands of unforgettable and caring guides who went above and beyond for their travel clients were nominated this year, making it tough job for the winners to be chosen.  

The industry-experts who judged this year's awards include: Wanderlust co-founder and editor-in-chief Lyn Hughes; experienced wilderness and adventure guide Myles Farnbank; travel industry gurus Mandy Nickerson and Derek Moore, and Gill Russell from Craghoppers UK – this year's sponsor. At the ceremony, they were also joined by special guests and previous judges, legendary travel Writer Bill Bryson and author, photographer and TV wildlife expert, Mark Carwardine.

The winning guides all receive a generous bursary donated by Craghoppers to put towards community projects and charities of their choice. Swarovski Optik and Powertraveller also provided some additional prizes for the winners.

Wanderlust co-founder and judge, Lyn Hughes, stated, “Every time the judges and I come together, we spend hours smiling and being inspired by the bucket load of anecdotes and testimonials that have been sent in by readers.”

“It never gets any easier to narrow such an incredible list down to just three. And then, picking an overall winner is even trickier still! As always, though, these accolades only serve to utterly convince me of their importance in making your experience one that's extremely special.”

Many comments made by Wanderlust readers and Khalid's past clients which truly convinced the judges that he deserved this year's Gold Award. He was nominated for reasons such as “he went out of his way on several occasions to provide different options and activities. He was also a great storyteller and great fun” and “when I think of Morocco, I think of Khalid. He cared for us like a kind father cares for his family, creating life long memories”.

Details of the winners announced today are as follows:

Gold Award- Khalid Lamlih, Intrepid Travel

Khalid took to the stage to receive his well-earned Gold Award to a heavy round of applause.

Khalid thrives on helping visitors to Morocco learn as much about the culture and the country as possible, yet in a fun and friendly manner. He began his career by observing the actions, enthusiasm and knowledge from passing tour-guides and eventually, when he was old enough, he shadowed them around the world, amassing a font of information about travel and culture. He adores showing people his home of Morocco and has said that his stand-out moment whilst working a decade-long career at Intrepid Travel has been assisting a band of travellers in becoming immersed in a traditional Moroccan wedding party. He plans to invest his winning bursary into an educational programme for the nomads that he grew up with, which will contribute towards shelter and furniture for a 'mobile school', so that children can read, write and pass their skills onto future generations.

Mandy Nickerson was really impressed by Khalid and said, “through his anecdotes and knowledge, it's clear Khalid is hugely passionate about his home country, and that's what totally transforms a trip.”

Silver Award- Hayley Shephard, Polar Latitudes

While some guides may tire of pulling on their snow boots, watching penguins and floating past icebergs, Hayley still gets just as excited as her clients, showing a real enthusiasm about everything Antarctica has to offer. Her passion feeds into every group she leads, combining her experience as an outdoors education and environmental science teacher with 13-years of exploring Antarctica to transfer facts and knowledge to her group. Hayley, who works for Polar Latitudes, an Antarctica voyage specialist company, has a prominent level of expertise and is also fully dedicated to protecting the environment, so that future generations can enjoy the world just as much as she loves doing. She will spend her bursary to train as a paramedic and use her skills in communities such as Alert Bay and Churchill.  Hayley will be putting some of her bursary towards educating locals and fishermen in the Vancouver Island area to become more 'whale aware'.

Judge, Myles Farnbank, commented, “Hayley really brings the landscapes to life, and that makes for an unforgettable experience. She never gets tired of the places she guides in, either, which really rubs off on you and your desire to travel.”

Bronze Award- Dinesh KC, Intrepid Travel

After 10-years guiding for Intrepid Travel, Dinesh holds an impressive amount of facts and knowledge that most tour-guides would struggle to remember. One client had likened Dinesh to a second father due to his wonderful and caring dynamic making his trip extra special. He combines his hard-working and helpful nature with a love of travel to guide tourists through hidden treasures of Nepal. He plans to spend his bursary renovating homes after the devastating 2015 earthquake that affected Nepal. Some will also be spent on helping an agricultural based education programme at his village's secondary school and an NGO called Seven Women, which empowers people through literacy and training.

Derek Moore, one of the judges, commented, “Generating a family atmosphere among strangers is hard to do, but Dinesh does it time and time again, and those who travel with him reap the rewards.”

The full results of the World Guide Awards 2017 will appear in the November issue of Wanderlust magazine, which will be on sale from October 12, 2017 priced £4.50. For more details on the above, please visit www.wanderlust.co.uk and www.worldguideawards.com.

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For further information, or to set up media interviews, please contact Fiona Reece PR on

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Notes to Editors:

If you would like to book a trip with one of Wanderlust's award-winning guides, details are below:

• Khalid Lamlih – Intrepid Travel is offering a 15-day Best of Morocco trip (departs 7 January 2018) with Khalid, travelling through the magical Moroccan landscape, from Casablanca to Marrakech. Trip highlights include enjoying a traditional Berber homestay in the remote village of Aroumd, visiting the film-maker's heaven in the fortified red city of Ait Benhaddou, exploring the iconic medina of Fes, and relaxing in the charming coastal town of Essaouira. Priced from £840 per person including accommodation, selected meals, activities and transport. To book, visit intrepidtravel.com/uk or call 0808 274 5111.
• Hayley Shephard – Hayley guides on a range of Polar Latitude trips throughout Antarctica including the Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica voyage. The 22-day adventure begins in Puerto Madryn and guests can expect to wildlife watch in the Scotia Sea and learn from a range of engaging yet educational presentations that tour-guides have set up. Prices start from £14,295pp (based on a triple room) for the dates 3-24 November 2018. Hayley's schedule cannot be guaranteed and it best to double check at the time of booking. To book through a recommended Polar Latitude agent, go to https://polar-latitudes.com/travel-with-us or search your web browser for 'Hebridean Sky'.
• Dinesh KC – Intrepid Travel is offering a 15-day Everest Base Camp trip (departs 26 May 2018) with Dinesh. The journey explores the streets of Kathmandu, learning about the traditions and cultures of the famous Sherpa, stays in local Nepalese teahouses and discovers the incredible natural beauty of the Himalayas both on foot, and by plane. Priced from £1,130 per person including accommodation, selected activities and transport. To book, visit intrepidtravel.com/uk or call 0808 274 5111.

Congratulations to the 2017 Highly Commended Guides:

• George Pu, Wendy Wu Tours, China
• Aye Moh Moh Myint, Kuoni, Burma
• Harry Rakotosalama, Rainbow Tours, Madagascar
  
  
• Jacob Shawa, Robin Pope Safaris, Zambia
  
  
• Fernando Silva, Aracari, Peru

About Wanderlust magazine and the World Guide Awards:

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 would be no other name for it but Wanderlust. Over the past 24 years, the magazine has established itself as the bible for independent-minded travellers.

After Paul sadly 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 recognising 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.

About the sponsors

Craghoppers – Craghoppers have established themselves as a global outdoor and adventure clothing specialist. They have aimed to create comfortable and practical kit since their debut in 1965. They are now the world leader in outdoor and adventure trousers and have their greatest success of NosiLife – a complete lightweight adventure collect that provides permanent and safe protection against biting insects and their diseases. www.craghoppers.com

Swarovski Optik – Swarovski Optik began producing their products in 1949, manufacturing high-quality binoculars and scopes for explorers. They want to encourage people to experience nature and appreciate its value. Their definite commitment to the company's location in Absam, Austria means that they are making a major contribution to the region's strong development. www.swarovskioptik.com

Powertraveller – Powertraveller are an award-winning manufacturer of portable power and solar chargers for electronic devices. The British brand tests their designs and products in some of the world's most inhospitable environments. They can charge anything from an iPhone to laptops and GPS systems. www.powertraveller.com