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And win an amazing trip of a lifetime to keep up with the Jones’!

 

An exotic travel adventure abroad isn’t out of your grasp. Staying with local villagers in a beautiful African village; making new friends across the world and taking home experiences you will never forget, doesn’t have to be something that other people have done. Taking your family monkey-spotting through the east African jungle may not just be a pipe dream…

And win an amazing trip of a lifetime to keep up with the Jones’!

 

An exotic travel adventure abroad isn’t out of your grasp. Staying with local villagers in a beautiful African village; making new friends across the world and taking home experiences you will never forget, doesn’t have to be something that other people have done. Taking your family monkey-spotting through the east African jungle may not just be a pipe dream…

 

Anne Jones from Denby, North Wales got to do all of this – she took her family on an amazing holiday worth over £8,000 to Tanzania in east Africa. It something she never dreamt of doing, as it was not something that the family could afford. But then she won the amazing prize from a simple prize draw competition on the Internet – that didn’t cost her a penny to enter!

 

The competition was on the Café Direct website. There were approximately 16,000 entries to win the week’s safari holiday in Tanzania. This included a special driver and vehicle for the week (something that is normally only for the very wealthy) to take you on a National Game Park safari, stay with you on a fabulous jungle trek and drive you to the local mountain villages near Kilimanjaro, to stay in the village banana–leaf huts, enjoying the hospitality of the local women.

 

Anne saw the prize draw on the website and thought why not enter? She never imagined she would win! It’s the kind of trip you only imagine other people going on, only this would actually be her and her family’s experience!

 

Anne won the prize in April and the terms and conditions stated the trip had to be taken within a year. The promoters were great about this. Due to family circumstances she wasn’t able to take the holiday until the in the following February half term, but the team at Café Direct completely understood – we can’t always drop everything to take a holiday, so it is great to know that promoters accommodate this.  

 

Anne had happily agreed to be part of any publicity material when she entered the competition (ticking the box online that agreed to the terms and conditions). But, she thinks, because of the time between accepting the prize and going on the holiday, no publicity material was ever written. Of course she wrote back after the holiday to thank the promoters for such an amazing experience.

 

But this didn’t stop the marketing team from organising an amazing trip for them. The prize was actually for two people but Anne and husband wanted to take their three kids (Katy-10, Gareth -7 and Iwan-2) with them, which Café Direct agreed to. They paid a supplement, but that was all relative to the amazing prize – worth over £8,000 on its own.

 

Out in Tanzania, the family had the most amazing adventure of their lives. The kids are still talking about it to their friends at school, and it has given them all experiences they will never forget.

 

“Getting to see Africa’s amazing wildlife and spend time with the wonderful locals living in the mountain villages totally changes you as a person,” says Anne

 

The whole week was carefully organised for them, with a fantastic itinery that enabled them to experience the most of Tanzania while they were there.

 

They stayed in a hotel on the first night and then were driven out to Arusha, one of the mountain villages near Kilimanjaro. They stayed in local huts in the village – that were made out of banana leaves – a project funded by Café-Direct to supplement the fair-trade coffee growers working there.

 

It was more like ‘back to basics’ than a luxury 5-star holiday, but this made it even more of an amazing adventure and the children loved it. Katy, Gareth and Iwan were there first kids ever to stay in the banana huts!

 

The villagers were so friendly and welcoming, with such a wonderfully different way of life. They were hosted by the local ladies who treated them like royalty.

 

The children in the villages had probably never seen white children before, though it wasn’t long before Anne’s kids were swapping their British toys and books and making friends from across the world.

 

Next, they went on safari at a National Game Park near Lake Magaro. It was amazing being able to get that close to elephants, giraffes, zebras and hippos.

 

They then went on their jungle trek, discovering fresh water pools and gentle waterfalls to wash under. They even spotted some jungle monkeys.

 

The sunsets were absolutely breath-taking, and all week the family stopped what they were doing to take in the fabulous golden glow that stretched across the landscape.

 

Throughout the week the Jones’ Tanzanian driver and guide stayed with them, which was a real treat – in fact he became a family friend! It was great to be able to experience the adventure as a family and I something that they will share forever.

 

“The lady at the travel agents said the prize was worth over £8,000,” says Anne. “But, to us, it was priceless - and free!”

 

Now everyone at home is so excited is so excited about comping, and all run to the letter box to see if they have won any more prizes!

 

Since starting to comp, Anne has won 37 prizes; some great wins too: £2,000 cash and a weekend trip to Barcelona. But she has to say that the trip to Tanzania is her best prize ever – a prize of a lifetime!

 

Now more than ever, she is entering as many competitions as she can, and starting off the New Year with a dedicated burst of energy towards comping!

 

If you can win a dream holiday, with a click of the mouse – well then who knows what each and every postcard entry has in store?! This year so far Anne has won a few small prizes and is excited - as are the whole family - about what great news could come through the letter box next!