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Staff
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PAOLA
Paola’s story
Graduated in 1982 in foreign languages and literature, with a specialization in German philology, my only desire was to be able to travel and discover the underwater world.
I spent a particularly intense period of my life working for Club Vacanze between Maldives, Seychelles, the Red Sea and the Egadi islands, in Sicily, as a diving instructor, guiding so many people to whom I was able to transmit my love for the big blue. Many of them have later become expert divers and even today they follow me in my adventures. From December 1987 to August 2000, I was in charge as assistant manager of the correspondent office in Kenya for Francorosso International, one of the major Italian Tour Operators; responsible for FITs & Incentive operations department and developing travel programs for the most important international companies.
Within this long period in African lands, I have also spent two years, from late 1993 to early 1996, in Morocco – Marrakech – as field manager, the 1993 summer in Turkey in charge of Antalya centre, and from August 2000 till end of January 2001, in Dubai – United Arab Emirates.
Other than a beautiful experience, this last one was the key for a turnover in my professional life, as it taught me to handle massive passengers traffic, to coordinate large figures, and to live within a cosmopolitan reality of races, culture, mentality, and different experiences. This was a real “challenge” which made me grow and gave me the strength to go to the other side of the fence and become the manager of Paola Safaris.
From that month of December 1987, eighteen years have gone by, during which I have lived and worked in this fantastic country. When I arrived in Kenya I couldn’t imagine that there could be anything more exciting and fascinating than the sea, but many things have happened since that day: a partner, a son, and an infinite devotion for this job that I have grown to love through perfecting techniques and know-how, harvesting the esteem of my colleagues and of the people who has followed me in this fantastic adventure.
I look back and it seems that all of these years have flown, and that only yesterday I was plunging, laughing happily in the blue seas of Maldives... only yesterday I had a son, Federico, who lives and studies in Kenya with me... and like me, he loves the sea, the nature and the open spaces of Africa. In these lands of Africa, time has stopped... time doesn’t exist, limits don’t exist; barriers don’t exist. It’s only the colours, the intense perfumes and aromas, only the flaming red in the sunset sky, or the golden yellow of the rising sun in the mornings, only the distant sound of the sea breaking against the reef, which appears and disappears with the rhythm of the tides, the silence filled up with a thousand noises and the sound of the African night in the savannah, the fresh and crisp morning air in the bush walking along the shores of the Galana river, discovering a world where the first human being was born. It’s in this circle that the cycle of a whole life renews itself. |
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LUCA
Luca’s story
After a long experience from 14 till 20 years old as off road bike rider and rowing athlete attending to National and International rowing competitions with good performances within the Italian team and a University degree in physical education and training sports in Turin, on 1989 Luca is starting his cooperation with one of the major Italian Tour Operator, Francorosso International, in the Maldives Islands of Veligandu and Thudufushi till the end of 1991 winter season as sports animator becoming expert in marine biology and as a diver. On 1991 summer Luca is moving to Sharm el Sheick on the Red Sea coast as tour leader and sports animator. There, together with his colleague and friend – Paolo – sharing with him the same passion for the adventure, he is organizing 4X4 excursions in the Egyptian desert next Sinai crossing and running along the tracks used during the last Six days war. After a short break in South Africa and then again in Hurghada (Red Sea), Luca is arriving in the spectacular Botswana and Namib deserts; there he is responsible for the organization of some special motorbike itineraries. In 1993 always cooperating with Francorosso is working in Tunisia – Djerba – for few months till the end of the year and also there he is organizing some special and adventurous excursions in the Sahara desert. At the beginning of 1994, back to Italy in Turin, Luca is opening a Real Estate Agency and for the following three years he is working in this sector, still sometimes traveling as tour leader escorting Incentive groups around the world; his past experience and his free attitude are pushing Luca in May 1997 to start again to travel and he’s landing another time in Maldives Islands and from there in Bali for a short period and in Lombok Island (Indonesia) till the end of 1998. The 1999 is the Kenya year: the East Africa discover and the meeting with Paola. In Kenya Luca is working at the beginning as tour leader escorting long safari itineraries and discovering at the same time all the secrets of this magical land. After a short period of two months in Egypt again (October/November 1999), in year 2000 Luca is back to Kenya till August 2000. Together with Paola he’s starting a new adventure in Dubai, United Arab Emirates: six months from September 2000 working for one of the major Inbound Tour Operators – Net Tours. Other than a beautiful experience, this last one was the key for a turnover in his professional life, as it taught Luca to handle massive passengers FITs and Incentive traffic, to coordinate large figures and to “challenge” himself. On the return from UAE, in February/March 2001 the dream to realize something together in East Africa is becoming true: the choice is unavoidably on Kenya destination.
Paolasafaris is born. |
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