And some more news from Kenya, courtesy of Safari Trails …

The East African Safari Classic Rally, which will take place across Kenya and Tanzania from November 19th to 27th 2015 happens once every two years and is the modern-day event of the original Safari Rally which earned the reputation of the world’s toughest rally.

The rally begins in Mombasa with a loop of competitive sections finishing back at the Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort & Spa, before spreading its wings to travel to Tanzania through Amboseli and the border post of Namanga. In Tanzania, it visits Lake Manyara and Arusha and then goes back to Mombasa via the border post at Taveta. The whole event will be about 3,331 kilometres (2,070 miles) long spread over a period of nine days in both Kenya and Tanzania.

Twice winner of the rally and one of the biggest names in the history of the Kenya National Rally Championship, Ian Duncan, will head the list of fifty-seven starters in his Ford Capri 3100. Starting immediately behind him will be two Porsche 911s driven by previous FIA Rally Champions, Gregoire de Mevius from Belgium and Stig Blomqvist from Sweden.

Inset is a Ford Escort Mk1 which will be driven by Mr. Karim Wissanji, CEO of Elewana and Sopa Lodges.

The Safari Trails team wishes Mr. Karim Wissanji and his entire service crew the best of luck!

An estimated 1.5 million Catholics are expected to attend the mass by Pope Francis at Uhuru Park, Nairobi later this month.
The rare mass will be held on November 26th and those who will attend will be selected from the 20,000 Catholic Church mass centres across the country.
These centres include Catholic schools, colleges, outposts and the 700 parishes.
The Catholic Church is the largest denomination in Kenya, with about 14 million faithful.

Preparations are in high gear and Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero has said the city will be secure and ready to host the Pope by the time he lands in Kenya on November 25th.

The Sarova Stanley’s Chef’s table provides the ultimate culinary front-row seat – Overlooking the main kitchen and accommodating up to 6 guests, the Chefs Table provides a fantastic opportunity to discover the inner workings of the Kitchen and observe the chefs creating their award winning dishes.

This is a unique experience for guests with an exclusive liking for personalized service. Guests are encouraged to come up with their own menus which the Executive chef will then whip up, depending on season and market availability. The award winning chefs also avail themselves throughout the experience to discuss and explain the various preparation methods, cooking techniques as well as the historical origins of the dishes. The experience comes complete with a dedicated sommelier for the guests at the chef’s table!

World Luxury Hotel Awards events offer hoteliers with a unique opportunity to savor and celebrate their achievements of the past year with their industry peers.

Sarova Hotels proudly scooped 4 top awards at this year’s World Luxury Hotel Awards held at the Harbour Grand Hong Kong on 24th October 2015.

Sarova Hotels, Resorts and Lodges won in the following categories:

• Africa’s Top Luxury Hotel Brand – Sarova Hotels, Resorts & Game Lodges
• Africa’s Top Luxury Historical Hotel – Sarova Stanley
• Kenya’s Top Luxury Beach Resort – Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort & Spa
• World’s Top Luxury Tented Safari Camp – Sarova Mara Game Lodge

These awards are a testament to the efforts of the entire team and Management.

Sun Africa Hotels, whose portfolio includes seven properties and a balloon company claimed five awards at the 2015 World Luxury Hotels Awards Gala, including the coveted title of Best Hotel Management Company in Africa for two consecutive years.

This year the ceremony was held at the Harbour Grand Hotel Hong Kong, on 24th October 2015, where Sun Africa Hotels and its brands were crowned with accolades as follows.

• Sun Africa Hotels was named Continent Winner, Best Hotel Management Company in Africa
• Kiboko Luxury Camp in Naivasha received the award for Continent Winner Luxury Tented Safari Camp,
• Sovereign Suites in Nairobi was named Continent Winner Luxury Suite Hotel in Africa
• Keekorok Lodge in Maasai Mara was awarded Continent Winner Luxury Wildlife Resort in Africa.
• Sun Africa Beach Resort, Mombasa was also bestowed Continent Winner Luxury New Hotel.

The various properties have previously received accolades in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 under the World Luxury Hotels and with the latest awards, Sun Africa and its brands has a total of 18 wins since its 2010 undertaking as management.

The World Luxury Hotel Awards, which are also considered as the ‘Oscars’ of the hotel industry, are accepted as the pinnacle of achievement for Luxury Hotels worldwide. These Awards were establishedas a celebration of ultimate achievement in service excellence, rewarding and congratulating hotels that have excelled beyond the normal call of duty. Award winners set the benchmark for luxury hotels and spas on the global front in achieving recognition for exceptional service.

This is an aerial view of Nabiyotum Crater in Lake Turkana – the world’s largest desert lake and the world’s largest alkaline lake. This geological marvel is located in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya.

This caldera is formed from the remnants of a collapsed volcano and the scale of this impressive geographical feature is best seen from the air, by helicopter or Cessna plane. Given its extreme isolation and near-impossible land access, this is also the most feasible option for visiting.

Picture: Martin Harvey / Barcroft Media