Pioneering Expedition To The Moa River, Sierra Leone
(TRAVPR.COM) BRISTOL - October 29th, 2013 - MEDIA RELEASE: 29 October 2013
‘Diamonds, crocs and coconuts’: Descend Sierra Leone’s unexplored Moa River with Secret Compass
In one of the first expeditions of its kind, Secret Compass will in February 2014 lead an international team across Sierra Leone to follow the Moa River from its inland border to the country’s Tribewanted eco-community on the Atlantic shore.
Tom Bodkin, co-founder of Secret Compass, said, “This exploratory expedition follows the Moa River on foot and in traditional canoes. We will see vibrant riverside communities, jungle stretches and the diverse wildlife of the Gola Rainforest and Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary. This is adventure travel at its very best.”
Bodkin concluded, “The team will then stay at the innovative Tribewanted community on the Atlantic shore at their journey’s end to see another side of this fascinating country.”
Testimony to Sierra Leone’s diversity, former team member Nikki Germany, said, “At the border I was offered diamonds. A few miles later, fresh coconuts were for sale. Next, a small boy offered to sell me a baby crocodile. What more could a girl want from a country?”
2014 Sierra Leone expedition highlights
§ Become one of a handful of outsiders to have journeyed down the Moa River
§ Experience a nation brimming with hope and optimism following years of war
§ Gain an insight into the lives of rural villagers, unchanged for centuries
§ Visit the Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary
§ Visit the Tribewanted eco-community on the paradisiacal Atlantic coast
Ben Keene, founder of Tribewanted, said, “Tribewanted is a small eco-tourism community living on about six acres of beach and lagoon-front land adjacent to the John Obey fishing village on the country’s Freetown peninsula.
“Our mission is to build a model sustainable community and provide an unforgettable West African beach holiday and help change the perception of Sierra Leone into one that reflects the reality – a beautiful, safe and captivating country.”
Kerry O’Neill, marketing manager with Secret Compass, said, “Adventure tourism is a growing market, and adventure travellers are more demanding and discerning than ever.
“Our river journey takes us through lands inhabited by Kamajors – the legendary hunters known in the West for their involvement in the recent civil war against the government. Locally they are believed to have supernatural powers such as being able to become invisible, to dodge bullets and to transform into animals and trees. If lucky, our team members might meet some!”
Secret Compass is expert in providing unique and often world-first adventure experiences in post-conflict and hard-to-access areas, helping fledgling tourism economies to flourish and encouraging visitation to areas perceived as unwelcoming.
O’Neill concluded, “Our Moa River descent is a small step in the larger process of putting Sierra Leone back on the adventure travel map.”
Ben Keene concluded, ‘Sierra Leone is a curious traveler’s paradise – epic beaches, jungles, rivers and lagoons. But what tops these is the openness of the people to welcome you to ‘Sweet Salone’, to share their way of life and remarkable history with you.”
· Find our Sierra Leone expedition detail here:
http://secretcompass.com/expeditions/sierra-leone-2014/
· For further press information, please contact Kerry@secretcompass.com
· Discover Tribewanted here: http://www.tribewanted.com/
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NOTES TO EDITORS
Secret Compass is a pioneering expedition company creating world-first experiences for teams of like-minded adventurers. Through group and bespoke adventures, Secret Compass helps each team member achieve the extraordinary in the world’s wildest places. Founded by ex-British Army Parachute Regiment officers, its expeditions reach the planet’s most remote regions in the spirit of exploration’s earliest pioneers. Its highly trained professionals deliver well-planned and safe experiences, while encouraging daring leaps out of comfort zones. Secret Compass is passionate about returning tourism to post-conflict zones and emerging economies to stimulate local development and challenge preconceptions.
Specialist Film and TV services
Secret Compass also takes film crews, journalists and photographers to remote and previously inaccessible areas thanks to its unrivalled location management expertise. Clients to date include the BBC, National Geographic, Animal Planet and Channel 4, in countries from Afghanistan to Uzbekistan.
www.secretcompass.com
press@secretcompass.com
Press enquiries: 0203 2398 038
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