December - January 2023 - Magazine 39

Welcome

Experience your dream vacation with all you could want and imagine in one place.

Welcome to #DestinationDiani where we take you through a gastronomic journey while enjoying exceptional views, great music, captivating performances and an unforgettable experiences all around. Make your reservation now by calling +254 709 481 000 or email us on rsv@dianireef.com

Festive season

As 2023 approaches, we look at where best to see the new year

As of 2022, Beneath The Baobabs Festival (formerly known as Kilifi New Year Festival) has proudly evolved into a 2 day, 2 night Kenyan Destination Festival, uniting the rising counter culture movement of East Africa for a celebration like no other! We are on: 30th December 2022 to 1st January 2023.

Beneath the Baobabs Festival’s mission is one of transformation, through uniting people of all backgrounds, by providing a safe platform to enjoy 60+ established and emerging East African & international artists, art installations, performances and wellness across 4 stages and many hidden areas on a 50-acre site in the coastal bush.

For this year’s edition we are proud to announce one of the most exciting curations of Established and Emerging East African & International Artists. Notable acts include Mele, Saint Evo, Idd Aziz & Jack Rooster, Coco Em and a host of others, as well as takeovers by Santuri Soundsystem, Shapes Festival, Oroko Radio among other creative collectives.

To enhance the experience and really let people plug out of the world and into this transformative experience, are camping, glamping and cottage accommodations on the magical site now available to book.

We

Kenya's Alternative New Year Celebration

Beneath The Baobabs

Named after the time of day when a party which should be winding down, begins to kick into its final gears – the electronic music event organizer, 6 AM, are the first known of their kind to internationally seek to satiate Kenyan's fantasies of what would be considered a Tomorrowland-esque experience on home grown beach sand, with their annual New Year's event, Sundance Diani NYE, now titled Beachlife, which takes place on the South Coast of Kenya. They have set and raised event standards and continuously succeeded in providing their patrons with a unique, exciting and memorable electronic dance music experience since 2004.

PASSPORT EXPERIENCE

BridgingCulturesThroughMusic

Passport eXPerience (PXP) is a multi-cultural event where you get to travel the world without a visa, where your imagination is your only limitation. Join us as we discover what we all have in common and celebrate what makes us unique.

Through their New Year's Eve events 6 AM has succeeded in building the landscape for electronic music in Kenya through introducing niche European Progressive House DJs to a Kenyan audience whom the DJs may never have otherwise encountered in their usual European festival and club circuits. This year they are back again and they say the Beach is calling… the organizers say they are so excited to be back at the white Sandy Beaches of Diani and Safari Beach Hotel Diani will play the host of this memorable event! Are you ready?

More event details on ticket sales can be found on their social media platforms 6: AM Entertainment Kenya.

The creator of the brand, Kenyan born international DJ Fully Focus once said “It's been a dream of mine to bring PXP home not only because I'm from here but I also believe Kenya is a gold mine for talent, brains and opportunity.” Having been quoted on that when he hosted the Passport Experience Conference 3 years ago, the DJ has been seen to shake up the events world both locally and globally with the PXP events.

DJ Fully Focus has been on a 2022-2023 world tour and this festive season he seeks to shut the music scene down on December 31 2022 and January 1 2023 in Diani Kenya with a two day New Year event. The multifaceted DJ promises nothing but good vibes, a great experience and an all-star DJ line up for PXPDiani. The line-up for the two day event includes Fully Focus, Puffy, Poison Ivy, Simple Simon & MC Fullstop, John Rabar, Adrian and G Money

The brand has previously been featured in The Washington Times, VIBE Magazine, Associated Press, NPR, Shade Room, FADER and more.

Venue: Diani Reef Beach Resort

TIRAMISU RECIPE

Chocolate, orange, Vin Santo, mascarpone & silky ricotta

Ingredients

200 ml double cream

100 g quality dark chocolate (70%) , plus extra to serve

100 g sponge ngers

150 ml good hot strong sweetened coffee

50 ml Vin Santo , or sweet sherry

500 g ricotta cheese

250 g mascarpone cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

3 tablespoons runny honey

1 orange , or clementine

Method

To make a ganache, pour the cream into a pan and gently bring to a simmer over a medium heat.

Add a pinch of sea salt, snap in the chocolate and stir until melted, thickened and smooth, then remove from the heat and leave to one side.

Line a dish (20cm x 30cm) with the sponge ngers (or Genoese sponge, if you've made it), carefully pour over the hot sweetened coffee and drizzle over the Vin Santo or sweet sherry.

Spread the chocolate ganache over the top in an even layer.

In a food processor, blitz the ricotta, mascarpone, vanilla bean paste and honey until super-smooth. Spoon this creamy mixture evenly on top of your chocolate layer.

Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours, to set. Serve with a good grating or shaving of chocolate and a ne grating of orange or clementine zest. Heaven.

Kenya 2023

The nomad’s Kite Celebration is back with The Kenya Kite Cup 2023

Our Annual Celebration of wind and speed will be back on Diani Beach at the end of January, on the 14th – 15th January 2023. One of the premier kite surf events of the year, the Kenya Kite Cup sees competitors from all across the region and beyond compete at the beautiful Diani Beach in freestyle competitions for some Big Prizes. With both men’s and women’s competitions taking place over the two days, there is going to be a lot of topquality kite action to be enjoyed.

For spectators:

This fantastic event, which always draws plenty of interest from spectators, also will be helping raise money for Diani Turtle Watch and local conservation charities through raffles that will be running throughout the two-day competition. Local artists and craftsmen will also be showcasing their wares at our craft market, so there will be plenty going on, even when the kites are not flying. If you would like to take part in this year’s competition please use the form below to register your interest.

As is becoming tradition, the event will end with an afterparty at Nomad Beach Bar, Where all of the competitors and spectators can relax, dance and enjoy the great food & drink on offer

Check out the planned schedule for 2023

Men and women compete separately with attractive cash prizes on offer for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each category Registration is open until the morning of the event, with last minute entries welcome from anyone who fancies their chances! Registration is just 2500 KES and is free for Kenyan citizens. In addition to appreciating the skill on offer, there's plenty else to keep spectators entertained. One of the highlights of the event is the famous Hawaiian-themed fancy dress party hosted by Nomad Beach Bar. The team at Nomad put on a memorable night, complete with cool cocktails, groovy DJs and of course plenty of good vibes! The party kicks off at 8 pm and entry is free for all. There will also be stalls on the beach selling local handicrafts and a raffle with amazing prizes. Tickets will be on sale over the three days, with the draw taking place on the last day. All proceeds from raffle ticket sales will go to Diani Turtle Watch andLocal OceanConservation!, in addition to registration fees and half of the money raised from the relay team auction.

Saturday,14January2023

Friday,14January2023

Sunday,

15January2023

Relayraceinteamsof3people, auctioneeringofteamstoraisemoney forDianiTurtleWatchand LocalOceanConservation!

Fantasticprizeswillbeonoffer,aswellas braggingrightsonDiani!

1stPlace:$500USD

2ndPlace:$300USD

3rdPlace:$200USD

Art Exhibition Out Of Africa Edition

The Sands in association with Almasi Art Agency, will be hosting an exhibition at Nomad running from the 15th of December 2022 to the 15th of January 2023. This event will feature fine African art from eight stellar artists.

Over the Easter period, the Recycled Edition Exhibition showcased young artists who had produced artwork made from recycled material and aligned with The Sands ethos of reusing materials and their approach to sustainability

The Out of Africa Edition has transitioned the creative focus and will be displaying some of the most admired names within the Kenyan art scene - a celebration of the visual arts in the country. This will be an opportunity to view one off collectable pieces from Michael Soi, Fred Abuga, Nadia Kisseleva, Onyis Martin, Anne Mwiti, Yassir Ali among others, all names with a regarded reputation in the art world.

The Sands continues to bring local and international artists to the fore by working together with Almasi Art Agency to create memorable experiences through the platform of exhibitions. email us at: events@thesandskenya.com

For more information about reservations, the exhibition or to request a catalogue, please contact us at: +254 (0) 738 333 888 +254 (0) 707 719 557 Or

TIDE FOR THE

DECEMBER

KENYAN COAST

JANUARY

Kenya among countries picked for resilience support by UNESCO.

Kenyaisamongeightcountriesbenefiting fromtheUNESCOCovid-19crisisresponse programme aimed at supporting tourism recoveryaroundWorldHeritageSites. Alreadysensitisationoftheprojectinboth LamuandMombasahaskickedofftargeted atthoseearningalivingthroughtourism economicactivitiessuchasartisanshipand tourguidingamongothers.

Theprojectisaimedatbuildingresiliencein places of tourism interest that was negatively affected because of covid-19 pandemic.

The project themed around “Promoting Sustainable Tourism andPrivate Sector Engagement for Inclusive Community DevelopmentinResponsetotheCOVID-19 crisisisfocussedonUNESCOheritagesites of Lamu Old Town and Fort Jesus in Mombasa.

Tourism boost as Diani reopens for direct ights.

Taita Taveta to add battleeld tourism to its basket of attractions

Source: www.the-star.co.ke

Africa lost its largest female Elephant

Kenya Wildlife Services have confirmed Dida,Africa’sgiantfemaleelephant,died between60and65yearsoldonTuesday. Dida, who was possibly Africa’s largest femaleTuskerandamatriarchresidingin TsavoEastNationalPark,whichislocatedin the Coast Province, died from natural causes.

According to the country’s first-ever wildlifecensus,releasedin2021,therehas beenanincreaseinelephantpopulationsin Kenya.

It is detecting a 12 percent population increase over seven years, which is a testimonytotheproductiveanti-poaching efforts by the government and conservationpartners.

Rehabilitation work at the Diani Airport runwayiscomplete,givingaboosttothe region'stourism.

Visitors to the South coast can now fly directly to the airport without having to terminate their flights at the Moi International Airport, Mombasa then travelling by road and ferry to the prime tourismdestination.

Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has completed rehabilitation of the airport Airport,formerlyUkundaAirstrip,boosting its capacity ahead of the December festivities.

While rehabilitation of the rest of the facilityisongoing,airlinescannowresume directflightstoDiani,amovethathasbeen welcomedbytourismstakeholders.

Source: www.thecoast.co.ke

Communities reap big from Magical Kenya Tembo naming festival

InWorldWarIhistorybooks,TaitaTaveta’s Salaita Hills played a crucial role in the battleforEastAfricabetweentheGermans andtheBritish.A1,200manstrongGerman soldier’stroophadpitchedcampatSalaita Hillsandusedtheterraintoitsadvantage to attack the British troops on March 29, 1915.

TaitaTavetaisnowtappingintobattlefield tourismwiththelaunchoftheWorldWarI (1914-1918)MemorialMuseumLeadership & Innovation Institute (WWOMMELII) at MaktauduringWWICommemorations.

Source: www.thecoast.com

Kenya eyes Muslim visitors with Lamu's Maulid Festival

Source: www.capitalfm.co.ke

Closeto500communitiesintheenvironsof Amboseli national park have directly benefitedfromprojectsfundedthroughthe Magical Kenya Tembo Naming Festival launchedtwoyearsago.

From the Magical Kenya Naming festival debut, Kshs 16 million raised so far, 475 households are benefiting directly from projectsalreadyinitiatedkeyamongthem beingwaterprojectsinitiatedtoreducethe scramble for water resources between humanbeingsandWildlife.

Further, through the initiative, additional land has been mobilised through partnershipswithcommunitiestominimise roamingelephantsintothecommunityland.

Source: www.nation.african

KenyawillstartsellingMaulidFestivalasa tourist attraction as it seeks to grow arrivals from Muslimdestinations.

KenyaTourismBoard(KTB)arelookingat wooinggueststothenexteventinLamu, and other religious and cultural festivals markedacrossthecountry.

TheMaulidfestivalismarkedannuallybya sectionofMuslimsinremembranceofthe birthofProphetMuhammedintheholycity ofMeccain570AD

The just concluded 135th edition of the Lamu Maulid Festival brought lots of goodiestobusinesspeopleandresidents.

Source: www.capital.co.ke