Village Scene thought it was a mobile device , a phone or tablet perhaps , that he would simply walk away with .
Village Scene thought it was a mobile device , a phone or tablet perhaps , that he would simply walk away with .
On visiting The Village Market management office , Joe was greeted by a group of cheerful staff , eager to see the lucky winner . He was directed to the boardroom where he received the good news .
Blue lagoon
With their minds finally made up , Joe and Julia prepared their passports and other travel documents . Meanwhile , the management team at The Village Market sorted out their air tickets and full-board accommodation at the Taj Exotica Resort & Spa .
Initially , their trip had been set for early March ; but the couple would not leave before casting their votes at the General Election on 4 March .
“ We agreed that our pleasure should not take prevalence over our civic right ,” recounts Joe . “ By all means , we had to vote first and go on holiday later .”
Thinking the poll results would be out the following day , Joe and Julia , like many other anxious Kenyans , were kept waiting for nearly a week . The election petition filed at the Supreme Court would have seen them wait even longer . On 30 March at 4.30 pm the couple took off aboard an Emirates flight , landing five hours later in Dubai . They had a short stay in Dubai before leaving for Maldives capital , Malé .
“ I woke up to the sound of the sea knocking against the pillars of our lagoon villa ,” recalls Julia . “ I was somewhat frightened , but relaxed
when I realised the pillars were very strong .”
Joe , on the other hand , began enjoying the first-class service from the start . “ The food was excellent and there was nothing we didn ’ t have to our disposal .”
After breakfast , the couple explored the resort , taking in the blue-green lagoon in all its splendour . As they strolled along the beaches , they realised that many of the tourists were couples , both young and old . For Joe and Julia , both over 65 years of age , the trip must have been like a second honeymoon .
Memories
Their five days at the Taj Exotica resort were spent exploring , reading , swimming and strolling on the beach and in the small towns . Once in a while they would engage with the locals , who were more than willing to take photographs of the couple on their behalf .
And when it was all over , Joe and Julia returned home with memories of an exotic trip .
“ We have always enjoyed shopping at The Village Market due to its proximity , variety of stores and the general ambience ,” says a still relaxed Joe . His wife agrees , describing her regular visits to the shopping complex as an attachment that isn ’ t about to end soon .
About the promotion
The Great Getaway Giveaway festive season promotion ran from 1 December 2012 to 31 January 2011 . As well as enjoying a wonderful shopping experience during the festive period , shoppers had the chance to win a five-night stay for two at the Taj Exotica Resort in the Maldives among other prizes .
Glamorous prize
The package included two air tickets with Emirates , a full-board meal plan , US $ 500 in cash and speedboat return airport transfers . Shoppers needed to spend KES 2,000 to enter the promotion . To ensure that everyone was a winner , the promotion incorporated a social responsibility angle in which The Village Market management pledged to plant 9,000 trees in Karura Forest ( see separate article in this issue ). We thank all participants , tenants and sponsors of the Great Getaway Giveaway promotion .
Corporate companies who wish to sponsor this year ’ s promotion can get in touch with the Marketing and PR Department : + 254 ( 20 ) 7122488 or pr @ villagemarket-kenya . com
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