The Safari Rally Boom! – Sporting in Kenya’s Famous Wildlife Conservancies

The Safari Rally Boom! – Sporting in Kenya’s Famous Wildlife Conservancies

When you hear the words Safari Rally’, all that comes to mind is the adrenaline-filled thrill of roaring rally vehicles going at break-necking speeds on dusty trails and muddy tracks, flying over hills with sharp turns and near misses of trees. It is an experience that gives all motorsport enthusiasts goosebumps.

Kenya is known as the home of the Safari Rally, one of Africa’s most famous rallies. From the vast savanna rangelands at the base of the Great Rift Valley in Naivasha to the scenic undulating landscapes of Nanyuki, Kenya offers the ultimate terrain for rally competitions. The Kenyan Safari Rally is considered one of the toughest events in the World Rally Championships (WRC), which is the highest level of motorsport discipline of rallying organized by FIA.

Kenya is home to multiple rally tracks that offer some of the most challenging but stunning rally experiences. These locations are notorious for steep inclines, rocky paths, deep potholes, and extreme heat. The best rally drivers can demonstrate their skills in these challenging conditions as they race against the clock.

Hosting the rally events within wildlife conservancies has become synonymous with the Kenyan Safari Rally. Kenya boasts of numerous conservancies that offer access to the diverse flora and fauna of Wild Kenya and play host to numerous fun and sporting activities, such as the Safari Rally. The combination of roaring rally vehicles on dusty and muddy tracks snaking through the expansive grasslands with acacia trees and game animals overlooking from afar is the ultimate Safari Experience.

History of Safari Rally in Kenya

The prestigious Safari Rally traces its roots back to May 27, 1953, when it was known as the East African Coronation Rally as it was a celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, who became queen when on holiday in Kenya one year earlier when she learned of the death of her father, King George VI. The East African Coronation Rally traversed Kenya, Uganda, and Tanganyika, now known as Tanzania.

The event grew over the years and was renamed The East African Safari Rally in 1960-1974, where it became Safari Rally and became part of the prestigious World Rally Championships WRC. The rally was later on a brief hiatus from WRC due to financial constraints and safety concerns but made its comeback as East African Safari Rally 2003, which was organized biannually. The event later made its comeback to WRC in 2022.

The rally event is modernized, bringing together the crème de la crème of both local and international rally drivers. The Kenyan Safari Rally event has grown and attracts massive attention from rally enthusiasts globally.

The Safari Rally Experience- Where the Wild Meets the Wheels.

Kenya has a vast network of 54 National Parks and Game Reserves popular for hosting a number of game animals, including the Big Five. It also has numerous wildlife conservancies managed by individual landowners, corporate bodies, groups of owners, or communities for wildlife conservation and other compatible land uses for better livelihoods.

As part of efforts to encourage ecotourism and conservation initiatives, selected conservancies have built racing circuits that host the Safari Rally events. It should be noted that all aspects of biodiversity are protected and preserved during these events, with some of the proceeds directed at conservation efforts.

Competing drivers can race in the circuits at high speeds for long distances on poor roads crossing rivers under fickle weather. Drivers and other rally enthusiasts in the audience get to witness the diverse wildlife from a distance.

It can only be a Safari Rally experience when enthusiasts witness clouds of dust being thrown into the air behind the speeding rally car or rally cars hitting the puddles of muddy water at high speeds. The scene makes the perfect postcard shot.

Naivasha Kenya has become the most common location for hosting this big event. Naivasha has multiple lands under conservancies. Some Kenyan Conservancies hosting Safari Rally events include The Soysambu Conservancy on Lake Elementaita in the Great Rift Valley. Rally enthusiasts get to view the beautiful scenery of Lake Elementaita with Flamingoes and a variety of birds and games. Hell’s Gate also hosts major rally circuits while offering the Safari experience. Other wildlife corridors bordering these conservancies include Oserian, Kedong, Loldia, and Malewa.

Nanyuki is also home to conservancies that host The Safari Rally events. Loldaiga ranch on the Lodaiga Hills near Nanyuki has hosted Rally Championships, attracting some of the best Rally drivers. Ol Pejeta Conservancy occasionally organizes Rally events to raise funds to assist in conservation efforts of endangered animal species. These locations offer stunning sceneries of Mount Kenya Peaks and range lands with numerous wildlife amidst the roaring engines of rally vehicles.

The Safari Rally in the Kenyan Conservancies is indeed a true test of endurance and skill, with only the toughest rally drivers being able to conquer the African Terrain. Be sure not to miss this adrenaline-packed Kenyan Safari Rally.