Uwin Iwin arranged a Rovos Rail and Haywards Grand Safari Luxury Tented Camp experience during the month of October 2021.
To stay aligned with all covid-19 protocols, the entire group was divided into 3 smaller groups to cater to a more boutique experience. This incredible journey started aboard the most luxurious train in the world, complemented by the unique presidential style tented camp experience in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park of KwaZulu-Natal.
This offered a unique safari experience in that it combined inland estuaries and lakes as well as a marine park along the Indian Ocean within the world’s biggest wetland reserve. And what better way to arrive there, than to travel in 5-star exclusivity?
Objective:
To provide Sanlam with a local incentive trip that meets the standard of all previous international incentive trips completed.
Due to the global travel restrictions enforced as a result of Covid-19; the client requested that Uwin Iwin develop and facilitate a one of a kind local travel incentive; worthy of rewarding their staff after 2 years of cancelling international travel.
Uwin Iwin (together with Walters as the local DMC); had to come up with various concepts and ideas to work within the restrictions; maintaining safety protocols and not compromising on the standard and quality that the client is used to.
Solution:
An incentive trip that has never been done before! Combining both a luxurious and unique experience within South Africa and its surroundings. We charted the Rovos Rail from Nelspruit through the Hluhluwe via Swaziland…then set up camp in iSimangaloso Wetland Park.
This was not a trip that anyone could book for themselves or their families; in fact, the site used by Haywards has now been removed and left in its original condition.
The views were breathtaking and we could guarantee that none of the participants could say that they already did this type of trip. Maybe a hand few were on the Rovos Rail before, but even the train route taken was designed especially for this group.
The campsite was erected at “Hells Gate” on the northern tip of the Nhlozi “hlozi” Peninsula in a location that has never been used for any form of recreational camping. The area, prior to 1995 was a designated military site and hence no civilians were allowed there. In fact, this SanlamConnect International Convention was the first and only time a park permit has ever been issued for overnight at this location. “Hells Gate” was a former SANDF missile launching and training site in the 1970s and 1980s. It was handed over to conservation authorities in 1992.
The area was cleared by SANDF following the handover but was also checked and signed off by an ordinance expert just to be safe, a few weeks before the group arrived, specifically for this Sanlam programme. The fact that almost no reference to this area or the name “Hells Gate” can be found on Google shows how privileged we were to be there!
Results:
A successful incentive event; maintaining the overall objection for Sanlam to thank their staff and sustain/increase the drive and motivation in their workforce.
Pulling off a once in a lifetime incentive trip and personally, pushing the boundaries for what Uwin Iwin can achieve as a company…setting us apart from the rest!