Incredibly soothing.
One of the most beautiful and interesting Lodges we stayed in was Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge. Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge is a sanctuary symbolising a new era in luxury South African safari lodges. Sculpted into a slope of the earth, almost invisible in the landscape, the lodge uses texture, light and space to present a lodge like no other. Taking its cue from the surrounding environment, it has been described as the most environmentally sensitive lodge in Africa.
It is home to 13 ultra-luxurious suites including the Amber Presidential Suite. The lodge breaks with traditional bush lodge style to create a masterpiece of artistry and innovation. Each of the suites features individually designed furniture, private plunge pool, en-suite glass fronted bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers. The natural wooden sculptures by renowned South African artist Geoffrey Armstrong add a powerful magic. Other facilities include an outdoor boma which walls are sculpted from tree roots and piled up piece by piece, an indoor/outdoor dining area overlooking a waterhole and unending bushveld, a secluded library, art gallery, meditation garden, Amani spa and an underground wine cellar with a collection of over 6000 bottles of rare wines.
YUM! It was delicious!
Courtesy of Executive Chef Nathan Macke.
More to come! Thanks Nathan
WIlliam and Andrew- Best rangers!
We are continuing our adventure with a visit to the grand dame of luxury camps, Royal Malewane. Located in Thornybush private Reserve, adjacent to greater Kruger National Park, Royal Malewane is the the standard all luxury camps wish to reach.
Family owned, the glamorous Royal Malewane offers unparalleled service, food, and the number one Spa in South Africa. Liz Biden is a very hands on proprietor; one sees her touch everywhere. Most of the staff have been there since the opening 13 years ago, which makes for a pleasant return. When they say welcome back, they mean it!
We are on a journey with my favorite safari operators, Africa Inscribed.
Dylan Harriss and Gavin Ford started the company five years ago, and are a force to be reckoned with, on the safari scene. Based in South Africa, AI specializes in white glove private travel. Gavin, recognized as one of Africa’s premier guides has been escorting adventurers for over 30 years. They come by their expertise the expensive way, spending at least 200 days a year exploring, and experiencing camps and lodges all over Africa. No detail is too small. They build strong relationships with camp owners and staff. We partner with Africa Inscribed to make sure our clients have the best personal private experience .
Johannesburg is usually an overnight because international flights land too late in the day to connect with another airline. I recommend at least one day in Johannesburg for a tour with Robin Binckes who will do a visit to historical sites of South Africa starting with a breakfast intensive history of SA. By starting with a historical background, the entire trip takes on a different meaning if you are staying in SA
Traveling in Africa is a love affair .
When I wake up the first morning in Africa, I find my senses tingling.
It reaches into your heart and turns on a switch. You are alive, senses are on high alert.
Adjectives come to mind: clarity, primal, life changing, striking a deep cord, it is like coming home to a warm place.
Probably the finest resort in East Africa, Singita Sasakwa is unrivaled in elegance.
Patterned after an English Manor House, Sasakwa sits over the Grumeti Plain offering magnificent views of game below.
A fairly new luxury hotel on the scene is the One and Only Capetown . I love the location, down by the waterfront. They have a particularily good children’s program and it lives up to the One and Only reputation for ultra Luxe accomodations. I especially like the villas that are separate from the main building. The restaurants are fabulous: Nobu- yes that one, and the wildly popular Reubens.
From One and Only’s bio page:
REUBEN RIFFEL, EXECUTIVE CHEF, ONE&ONLY CAPE TOWN
Internationally recognized for his award-winning restaurants in the Franschoek wine valley, Reuben Riffel opened the eponymous Reuben’s at One&Only Cape Town in October 2010, serving up wholesome bistro fare made from locally-sourced produce.
Having defied tremendous odds in apartheid South Africa to become one of Africa’s top chefs at 35, Reuben has come a long way from his home in Groendal where he grew up with 12 siblings. Required to live in an area allocated to Cape Coloreds, a mixed-race ethnic group, Reuben first mastered Cape Colored cuisine through his family, a style of cooking that continues to inspire him today.
Beginning as a kitchen hand, Reuben worked his way up the restaurant ranks in nearby Franschhoek, opening his first eatery there in 2004 that was promptly named South Africa’s Restaurant of the Year. Six months later he was named the country’s Chef of the Year. In 2008 he opened a second restaurant in Robertson, which led to the opening of his third restaurant in at One&Only Cape Town alongside the legendary Nobu.
The author of two celebrated cookbooks, Riffel’s most recent debut, Reuben Cooks Local, takes readers on a journey through one of South Africa’s most well-loved culinary repertoires showcasing local produce from the sea, earth, orchard and vine highlighting the sheer abundance of fresh local produce in South Africa and the Cape.
In November 2011, Riffel partnered with South African Airways to prepare some of his signature dishes for the airline’s Premium Class customers.
One and only also has a spectauclar wine cellar headed by Luvo Ntezo,
internationally recognized as one of the Best Young Sommeliers in South Africa.
Dispatches from the Road 