Luxury Travel Review
Happy New Year!
From all of us at Simon & Baker Travel Review and Luxury Travel Review best wishes for a healthy, happy and bountiful 2013!
New Masai Mara bird book available
Birds of the Masai Mara book cover
In 2010, after arriving in the Masai Mara, Kenya’s famed national reserve, Adam Scott Kennedy, a private safari guide, discovered information and photos about birds in the area were hard to come by. He began taking photos of birds he saw daily to share with guides and before he realized it a book was born, Birds of the Masai Mara (Princeton University Pres, $27.95), this year.
“The biggest challenge in producing this book was completing the species accounts while running a busy luxury camp in the Mara (Naibor), but thankfully my wife Vicki offered to take on the lion’s share of the office work during that period which freed several hours of time for me each day to write,” said Kennedy who already had an extensive image library before the concept of this book came about, from Kenya. “That image library contains around 25,000 images (offline) and our website has around 3,000 images that can be perused at leisure. When we refined the species list for the book, I realised I was missing a few species so had to put myself ‘on assignment’ to get the images required.”
The 176-page softcover book full of color photos mostly taken by Kennedy (some of the photos are from WorldWildlifeImages.com) is divided into Birds of the Plains; Birds of the Marsh and Water; Birds of Woodland, Scrub and Garden; Birds of Acacia Scrub; Village Birds; Forest Birds; Birds of the Air; and Night Birds.
“I began birding at the age of 4 so I guess the biggest reward for me is the response from my friends and family, who are seeing me achieve, what I guess, they always expected me to do with my life,” said Kennedy.
Each bird listing is accompanied by at least one photo and a description. The book lists 300 bird photos and 200 bird species in the area known widely for its wildebeest migration.
Kennedy, also author of Animals of the Masai Mara, and his wife Vicki specialize in photographic and wildlife safaris. According to his website bio, he has seen a third of the world’s 10,000 known bird species.
Click to buy Birds of the Masai Mara
Sommelier writes about well priced wines
Unquenchable book cover
Following the success of her book Red, White and Drunk All Over Natalie MacLean, a sommelier and writer, set about finding well priced wines in several countries. Five years later, the results of her travels and research were outlined in Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wines (Penguin USA, $15.99) first published last year in hard cover and most recently in paperback just in time for the end of year holidays. In the 344-page book, written in a conversational style MacLean insists good wine can be found at affordable prices.
She shares wine appreciation and food pairing tips and favorite value wines and wineries from eight regions: North America, Germany, Australia, southern Italy, the Mediterranean, Argentina, Chile and South Africa. She also includes a list of resources for the regions and a list of her notes, wine picks and top value producers in the back of the chapters. In each region she visited between 30 and 40 wineries and tasted thousands of wines. Wine can be complex without being complicated, she says in the book.
Natalie MacLean, author, Unquenchable
“I’ve spent the past several years traipsing around the world, visiting wineries, tasting their offerings, and searching for the world’s best inexpensive wines,” said MacLean in promotional materials. “The narrative is as familiar as Arthur’s quest for the grail and as naïve as the little bird’s plaintive search for the affirmative in Are You My Mother?”
MacLean, named the World’s Best Drinks Writer at the World Food Media Awards in Australia, won the M.F.K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award from the James Beard Foundation and the M.F.K. Fisher Award for Excellence in Culinary Writing from Les Dames d’Escoffier International. Her wine columns in print reach 5.1 million readers, her complimentary wine e-newsletter has a following of 145,000. For 15 years she was a competitive Highland dancer.
Author photo courtesy of Natalie MacLean, book cover photo courtesy of Penguin Group (USA), Inc.
Click to buy Unquenchable!
Picture book showcases wild cats beauty, endangered state
Fierce Beauty book cover
There was a time not long ago in the history of our planet when one hundred thousand tigers roamed the Earth. Today, less than three thousand remain. Other wild cats are threatened with extinction including the famous King of the Jungle and of course the fast cheetahs because of man’s encroachment on their ancestral homelands. Hoping to draw attention to the plight of these beautiful animals and the link between their and our lives a group of caring individuals pooled their efforts to showcase some animals in photos and draw attention to their South Carolina organization.
Fierce Beauty Preserving the World of Wild Cats (Earth Aware Editions, $50), a 246-page hardcover book published this year, is filled with striking full color photos of many of the large cats that make their home at The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S) in South Carolina, described in promotional materials as a wildlife education organization, dedicated to promoting global conservation with informative, educational and entertaining interactive programs.
The photos, by Barry Bland and Tim Flach, in outdoor and studio like settings take up a large part of the book which also includes articles by conservation and wild cat advocates, quotes by famous people and biographies of the Institute staff. The book was published in China.
Many of the photos take up a full page or two pages. Tigers, leopards, ocelots, lynx, ligers, cheetahs, panthers and lions in varied colors and ages appear in the photos individually and in groups, alone and with the staff.
The contributors, listed in the back of the book with their photos, are Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, David Barron, founder, International Conservation Caucus Foundation; Lynn Culver, executive director, Feline Conservation Federation; Jim Fowler, zoologist and former host of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom; Terry Lincoln, director, Dakota Zoo; Stephen O’Brien, chief, Laboratory of Genomic Diversity at the National Cancer Institute; and Jim Sanderson, founder Small Cat Conservation Alliance. The Foreword is by Robert Duvall.
Click to buy Fierce Beauty
Dinner at Dulce Patria, Mexico City
Article and photos by Elena del Valle
Nationalistic Guacamole with Requeson and Pomegranate
During a recent trip to Mexico City I attended a four-course dinner at Dulce Patria (Anatole France 100, Col. Polanco, 11560, Mexico City, Mexico, +52 55 33 00 39 99, fax +52 55 33 00 39 95, mortiz@dulcepatriamexico.com), a restaurant serving Updated Mexican Cuisine from Chef Martha Ortiz. The interior of the restaurant was colorful and there was a festive ambiance. Staff were attentive and the dishes were presented artistically on the plates. I would recommend this restaurant to friends who like spicy culinary experiences and a loud ambiance.
Game of Pork Crackling Marbles with Green Raw Salsa
The popular restaurant, with capacity for eighty guests, appeared sold out the Friday night of our dinner. The sound level was so loud I could barely hear my neighbors at the table or the servers when they approached me to take my order. By the time we left my throat was sore and I was slightly hoarse.
Corn Kite with Tuna and the Spirit of Habanero
I loved the tequila aperitif drinks. There were two kinds, tamarind and rose. While I liked both the delicate rose flavored version with a rose bud floating on top, the house specialty I learned later, was my favorite. Roses with margarita or Margarita Rose was made with Castilla rose essence, good quality tequila, a pinch of salt and lemon sorbet and decorated with rose petals.
Multicoloured Quesadillas with Salsa Sultana pre-appetizers
To accompany our drinks the staff brought four types of appetizers: Nationalistic Guacamole with Requeson and Pomegranate (Guacamole nacionalista), Corn Kite with Tuna and the Spirit of Habanero (Papalotes de maiz y atun con espiritu de habanero), Game of Pork Crackling Marbles with Green Raw Salsa (Juego de canicas de chicharron con salsa verde cruda) and Multicoloured Quesadillas with Salsa Sultana (Quesadillas multicolores con salsa sultana).
My black bean with foie gras appetizer
We had two choices each for the first and main courses. The server recommended the Velvety Black Bean Soup with Foie Gras and Dark Tortillas (Sopa cremosa de frijol negro con foie gras y tortillas oscuras) and The Chile en Nogada Jewel (La joya de chile en nogada).
Desserts, like this sorbet, were shared
Desserts, shared by the table, were Sólo sale de noche Belle de Nuit, Warm cacao and maize cake with colourful dragées and decorated animal cookies, Cornbread in a mystical chamomile flower sauce with caramel aureole, Fiesta of ice cream and sorbets of national flavour Soursop. There was also Hibiscus Jello (Gelatina de guanabana e hibiscus) and Pan de Lote. There were three sorbet flavors: spicy mango, lemon coriander, and tuna mezcal. Coffee and candy were served after dessert. The candy came in a pretty tray with tiny decorative airplanes hanging from a central pole.
Post meal sweets arrived in a pretty carousel display
WTTC independent sustainable tourism judges to select finalists for four award categories
Costas Christ, chairman, international team of judges WTTC
Each year the World Travel & Tourism Council* (WTTC) recognizes innovative pioneers in sustainable tourism, following a three-step judging process including on-site evaluations of all finalists. The Council selected a panel meant to reflect all areas of the global Travel and Tourism industry including the private sector, academic institutions, non-profit organizations and government. This year the chairman of the international team of judges will be Costas Christ.
As part of the process the judges are expected to select a shortlist of 12 finalists by January 21, 2013. During the second stage of the process they will visit the properties and destinations for on-site evaluations.
Tony Charters, principal, Tony Charters & Associates
Gail Henry, sustainable tourism product specialist, Caribbean Tourism Organization
Clara Ines Sanchez Arciniegas, vice minister, Colombia
Mahen Sanghrajka, chief and founder, Big Five Tours & Expeditions
Pegi Vail, professor, Colombia University
Jalsa Urubshurow, CEO, Nomadic Expeditions and Three Camel Lodge
Following the on-site evaluations, the finalists are scheduled to progress into the last stage of the judging process. A separate Winner Selection Committee is expected to meet after a detailed review of the finalist judges’ recommendations, the award applications, and the on-site evaluation report, selecting one winner in each Award category. Organization representatives should announced the winners during the awards ceremony of the WTTC Global Summit on April 9, 2013 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Applications for the award are due by 26 November 2012.
Marilu Hernandez, president, Fundacion Haciendas del Mundo Maya
Judy Kepher-Gona, executive director, Base Camp Foundation
Karma Tshering, chief, Nature Recreation and Ecotourism, Department of Forests and Park Services, Bhutan
Mandip Singh Soin FRGS, managing director, Ibex Expeditions (PVT) Ltd
Graham Miller, head, School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Surrey
Tony Williams, director, Hospitality Operations, Qatar Foundation
This year’s judges are Clara Ines Sanchez Arciniegas, vice minister, Sustainable Tourism Development, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Colombia; Gail Henry, sustainable tourism product specialist, Caribbean Tourism Organization, Barbados; Graham Miller, head, School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Surrey, United Kingdom; Jalsa Urubshurow, chief executive officer, Nomadic Expeditions and Three Camel Lodge, Mongolia; Judy Kepher-Gona, executive director, Base Camp Foundation, Kenya; Karma Tshering, chief, Nature Recreation and Ecotourism, Department of Forests and Park Services, Bhutan; Mahen Sanghrajka, chief and founder, Big Five Tours & Expeditions, United States and Kenya; Mandip Singh Soin, founder and managing director, Ibex Expeditions (PVT) Ltd, India; Marilu Hernandez, president, Fundacion Haciendas del Mundo Maya, Mexico; Pegi Vail, professor and sustainable tourism documentary film maker, Colombia University, United States; Tony Charters, principal, Tony Charters & Associates, Australia; and Tony Williams, director, Hospitality Operations, Qatar Foundation, Dubai.
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), a forum for business leaders in the travel and tourism industry, strives to raise awareness of travel and tourism as one of the world’s largest industries, supporting 255 million jobs and generating 9 per cent of world GDP. The Simon & Baker Travel Review is a Media Sponsor of the WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow 2013 Awards.
*Photos courtesy of World Travel & Tourism Council
