Get a tan and feel good about it.

by Annie Scott on

Catalyst Concierge, which was started by 29 year old Simone Callender, creates luxury Caribbean vacations for people who care about children.

Callender was inspired to found the company after a tenure as Governess to four children of a Middle Eastern Royal Family. Traveling the Caribbean with them, she always found the hotel concierge services, even at the grandest of resorts, insufficient. Special dietary needs? Need a private jet? Steel drum lessons? Got an unsightly rash? Callender is on top of all that.

I would imagine that dealing with four royal children for any length of time would make organizing the logistics of lying on a beach look pretty good. Most importantly, the company is doing good:

A portion of Catalyst Concierge’s profits go to benefit children internationally, including charitable organizations such as Keep a Child Alive, UNICEF, The Homeless Children’s Fund of America, and such as.

For sample itineraries and more information, visit the website! And feel good about it.

Film Shot in Senegal is an Oscar Pick

by Jamie Rhein on

For any of you gadling travelers in love with Africa, here is a film to see. Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea) is one of the Oscar nominated short films this year, and it’s wonderful. Not depressing. Not war torn. It is sweet and poignant, but not sugary sweet. It has also won 69 awards to date. If you take time to watch it, (see link below) you’ll see why.

From the first shot of a man paddling a dug out canoe on a river lined with mangroves, I said, “I know this place.” At first I thought it was The Gambia, but it turns out it is Senegal. The village in the film could have been my village, N’Jowara when I was in the Peace Corps. I did travel to Casamance where the story takes place. The Gambia divides Senegal in half with Casamance to the south and the section with Dakar to the north. A small part of the film is shot in Ziguinchor, the capital of this particular province, however most of it is on location in a small village that looks like any other small village in West Africa. The compounds with their thatched roof buildings, the thatch fences between each family’s compound, the simple village school, the trucks with their colorful artwork all look just like I remember them.

It’s interesting to read Luis Manso’s discussion about making this film. He is the producer and Javier Fesser is the writer/director. Made in collaboration with UNICEF, the profits are to go to UNICEF, I think.

Here is a link to the film on ifilm.com. http://www.ifilm.com/video/2771644