Msafiri

dear reader

Welcome to the October-November 2021 issue of msafiri. Amid some of the depressing news we hear about the pandemic, we have seen some green shoots of recovery, and the world is slowly but carefully opening up to the idea of travelling again. In this edition, we take a virtual trip around some of our African destinations; we drop into Kenya to discuss what the future holds for the country’s tourism industry (see pages 24-33) and chat with 10 leading musicians from across Africa to discover the inspiration behind their different sounds (pages 42-52). We also eat our way around the continent as we sample the various cuisines Africa has to offer (pages 34-41). Here, at Kenya Airways, we are on our own journey of discovery. Our Fahari Aviation subsidiary has partnered with…

the goat

Eliud Kipchoge owned the roads of Sapporo at this year’s Olympic Games. As he strode to the finish line on 8 August, he entered the record books – the 36-year-old becoming only the third man in history to defend successfully the Olympic men’s marathon title. Despite the extreme heat and intense humidity, he did so with the utmost ease and a broad grin on his face. Not as fast as he has been over the courses of London and Berlin – he clocked 2 hours, 8 minutes and 38 seconds – but fast enough to open his own chapter in the annals of history. He was also 1 minute and 20 seconds ahead of his nearest rival – the largest winning margin in the Olympic marathon since 1972. He had made it.…

city parking

Giraffe chewed leaves from the tops of trees; rhino and buffalo appeared among the long grasses; a lone lioness stalked the undergrowth… “Within a minute of the gates to Nairobi National Park closing behind us, our driver/guide brought his vehicle to a sudden halt. Sheltering in the shade of some bushes to our right was a pride of lion catching some shuteye, away from the heat of the late afternoon. “Leaving them to their slumber, we embarked on a jaw-dropping couple of hours cruising around the park, with the Nairobi skyline providing a surreal backdrop. Baboons scampered in front of us; zebras stood nonchalantly by the roadside, pausing to watch us in between grazing; giraffe chewed leaves from the tops of trees; rhino and buffalo appeared among the long grasses; a lone…

raise your vibe

1 EFT Tapping Tapping is a fast-growing stress and anxiety relief technique, which has found popularity thanks to Nick Ortner’s New York Times bestselling book Tapping Solution. The practice of emotional freedom technique (EFT) tapping combines meditation, breathwork, affirmations and gently patting your fingertips on the meridian points of the body. The healing art works by calming the fight or flight centre of your brain. It’s so simple, anyone and everyone – adults and children alike – can do it. All you need are your hands and a quiet space. When you tap, you often feel a measure of relief instantly. Tap for free using The Tapping Solution app – with which you can measure your stress levels before and after a tapping meditation and see the difference immediately. When you got…

saving the ‘magical’ root that rises to the occasion

through the domestication of the slow-growing mukombera vine, communities living around Kenya’s Kakamega Forest are helping to conserve the environment while supporting their own livelihoods. Through planting this ‘magical’ herb – commonly known as white ginger, or Mondia whitei – in their gardens, communities are relieving the pressure on the overexploited wild populations in the public forest and creating a sustainable market for the root with a pleasant vanilla-like aroma. For decades, human pressure took an increasingly destructive toll on this tropical rainforest in Western Kenya, the only one of its kind in the country, through poverty-driven logging, harvesting of medicinal resources and agricultural expansion. Specifically, excessive harvesting of white ginger threatened the shrinking forest. But now, with the project’s support for local livelihoods, experts expect the forest to recover quickly and eventually…

unique gadgets

If you’re the type of person who simply refuses to swim in the sea of sameness, these unique gadgets are for you. From a pair of running shoes with built-in trampolines, to bone-conducting headphones and a 3D printed e-bike, these distinctive products are proof that doing things differently can lead to surprising success. After all, rules are made to be broken, right? 1 AFTERSHOKZ AEROPEX Unlike traditional earpieces, these bone-conduction headphones rest on your cheekbone and send vibrations straight to your inner ear. This clever concept means you can listen to your favourite tunes while chatting to people around you. Crank up the volume as loud as you like – nobody will know! US$160, AMAZON.COM 2 SYNG SPACE CELL ALPHA It’s rare to see a totally new type of speaker hit the market, but…