Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

In Africa

Text Tabitha Lasley

A round-up of travel news from Brussels Airlines’ long-haul network

Hotel with a view
MSAMBWENI BEACH HOUSE, KENYA

Where is it?
Msambweni, Kenya, 323425, www.msambweni-house.com

What’s the view?
Located on Kenya’s south coast, the beach house is perched high on a cliff and the rooms gaze out over the Indian Ocean.

What to expect
A family-owned establishment that’s the last word in pared-back chic. You can choose from three suites in the main house or two villas with their own jacuzzis. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, opt for the luxury tent.

What you need to know
Aside from the villa’s private pools, the beach house has a 25-metre infinity pool and almost a kilometre of private beach. Daily massages are complimentary.

Why go there?
Mainly for the blissful benediction of Kenya’s guaranteed winter sun. If you get tired of lolling about on the beach, you can go snorkelling at Kisite Marine Park or on safari in the nearby Shimba Hills.

What does it cost?
Rooms are priced from €246 per night, per person. This price is for a full board stay, with complimentary drinks.

Don’t Miss…
Afrika! Afrika!’s European tour

Having garnered rave reviews on its first tour three years ago, Afrika! Afrika! is taking its tour global this summer. For now, however, the troupe is staging shows in London, Munich and Barcelona.

Featuring performers from Senegal and Cameroon, Afrika!

Afrika! includes singers, musicians, artists and dancers, who’ve routinely stunned audiences with their astonishing stunts. In particular, look out for the Hakuna Matata pole artists and the jaw-dropping human pyramid.

Canoe believe it?

The announcement that Kenya would host the Olympic canoe-kayak qualifiers for Beijing 2008 this month came as a shock to many. After all, the country is more famous for its runners than its rowers (the men’s Olympic 3,000m steeplechase has been dominated by Kenyan athletes since 1968, for example). But now they’ve twinned the qualifying event with the Africa Canoe-Kayak Championships at Masinga Dam from 23-27 January, Kenya is aiming to show the world it’s just as proficient on the water as it is on the track. It’s also hoped that the trials will kick-start interest and investment in watersports in the country. Kenya’s Tourism Trust Fund has already donated €145,000 to the cause.

INFO > To find out more about Brussels Airlines’ long-haul destinations, visit www.bspiritmagazine.com or the airline website www.brusselsairlines.com

One to watch…

Sen Kumpa

Even among the current crop of highly politicised Senegalese rappers, Sen Kumpa stand out as one of the country’s most outspoken groups. Like contemporaries Daara J and Xuman, they’ve used music as a means to take droll sideswipes at the government rather than brag about the bling they’ve accrued. Sen Kumpa were discovered on the streets of Medina, one of the less salubrious districts of Dakar, by producer Richie Rawkus. Their 2001 album, Deglu Xel, is regarded as a modern classic. Now, having changed line-up but retained their uncompromising stance, they have a new, locally produced album in the pipeline.

Images Lonely Planet Images, www.naturepl.com, Corbis

Eight-week-old cheetah cubs framed by their mother’s legs, Masai Mara, Kenya

In Morocco, a man sorts rosebuds for the French perfume industry

A pair of mountaineers tackle Stanley Plateau in Ruwenzori National Park, Kasese, Uganda

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