Africa

Giraffe Manor in Kenya: Where Guests Live Among World's Tallest Creatures (with video)

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Video

Giraffe Manor in Nairobi Kenya

For those seeking a truly exotic, once-in-a-lifetime Out of Africa-type experience, Giraffe Manor may be just the place. Here, guests enjoy the unique chance to interact with its resident herd of Rothschild Giraffe, a rare breed which is among the world's tallest creatures. Guests have the unparalleled experience of the giraffes, with the animals vying for guests' attention at the breakfast table, the front door and even at the bedroom window. Giraffe Manor is located in 12 acres of private land only 20 kilometers from Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. It is set within 140 acres of indigenous forest.

Guests interact with the giraffes throughout the day. Breakfast is served in the sun room, with its enormous windows flung open to welcome the giraffe that come and join you. Dinner is a cosy affair as the drawing room fire is lit and guests and managers gather for evening drinks. You can either chose to have a candlelit hosted meal in the dramatic wood paneled dining room or at your own table under the stars surrounded by the glow created by lanterns and candles on the terrace.

Gallery: Giraffe Manor in Nairobi, Kenya

Tags: Africa, awards-main, giraffe, Giraffe Manor, giraffe+manor+in+kenya, giraffemanorinkenya, giraffes, Kenya, luxist-awards, luxury travel, Nairobi, Rothschild Giraffe, Rothschild Giraffes, safari, video, www.luxist.com/2011/03/09/giraffe-manor-in

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Ernest Hemingway's African Safari Rifle Up for Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Sports, Men's Style, The Classicist

Ernest Hemingway's African Safari Rifle Up for Auction

A remarkable double-barreled elephant gun made by London's Westley Richards in 1913 that belonged to Ernest Hemingway and was used by the famed author on safari in Africa is being offered for auction on March 14. The impressive .577-caliber Nitro Express, the starring lot at James D. Julia Auctioneers' Important Firearms sale in Fairfield, Maine, comes with the original case and accessories and is expected to fetch between $150,000 – $200,000. The 16-pound rifle, engraved with rhinos and tigers and designed to bag the biggest game, has its own chapter in the new book Hemingway's Guns: The Sporting Arms of Ernest Hemingway.

Gallery: Ernest Hemingway's Safari Gun

Tags: Africa, auction, author, celebrity, celebrity auction, celebrity guns, Ernest Hemingway, Ernest Hemingway Africa, Ernest Hemingway guns, Ernest Hemingway safari, ernest+hemingway+guns, ernest+hemingway+on+safari, ernesthemingwayguns, ernesthemingwayonsafari, firearms, gun, gunsmith, Hemingway, Hemingway gun, Hemingway safari, Hemingway shotgun, hemingway+rifle, hemingwayrifle, hunting, Key West, Maine, rifle, Royal Warrant, safari, shooting, shotgun, sporting, sporting style, UK, Westley Richards, writer

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Lupita Island in Tanzania Offering Green Rates this Spring

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Lupita Island in Tanzania is offering green rates this spring.

Lupita Island, the extraordinary private sanctuary in the Rukwa region of western Tanzania, may be worth a visit this spring. From March 1 through May 31, Lupita is offering "green" rates that are one-third less than its rates during the high season.

Luxist's Ann Brenoff's piece on Lupita this past summer described Lupita as "a real life fantasy island." Indeed, the luxury resort is a fantasy island of sorts, as it is situated on Lake Tanganyika, the longest and second deepest lake in the world. Lupita Island sits amid 130 acres of unspoiled forest and grassland overlooking the myriad of islands and the clear blue waters of the lake.

Lupita offers luxurious accommodations set amidst a pristine natural habitat in Tanzania. Guests stay in eleven lavishly decorated, thatched-roof open-air living spaces (double occupancy) and two family cottages each offering breathtaking, uninterrupted views of the lake. Rooms are spacious and exquisitely appointed. The smallest rooms are 1,800 square feet and the two-bedroom, two-bath suites are 2,400 square feet. As guests relax powerful waterfall showers, bathroom walls open to nature and life's stresses simply melt away. Each room also includes bathtubs or plunge pools on either the deck or terrace, a large lounge with a bar and beautiful views of the surrounding lake and neighboring islands.

Gallery: Lupita Island in Tanzania

Tags: Africa, Firelight Expeditions, Lupita, Lupita Island, luxury travel, safari, Tanzania

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Abercrombie & Kent Tour of Zambia Review

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Abercrombie & Kent Tour of Zambia Review

I recently embarked on my second safari tour in Africa with Abercrombie & Kent, a Luxist Awards' nominee for Best Family Winter Vacation as well as Best Adventure Getaway. The safari took me through three of the Sanctuary Retreats camps in Zambia, as well as a night at the Saxon Hotel in Johannesburg. My tour was custom-made, so you won't find the exact same one online for booking, but you can arrange a trip just like mine or with additional features if you'd like to. This article will take you through where we (myself, another journalist and a PR representative) went and what we did, what to expect and what to bring on a trip through Mr. Kent himself's favorite destination: Zambia.

Our tour began with a series of flights. Surprisingly, we were scheduled on an indirect route, flying from New York to Heathrow, then down to Johannesburg, then to Lusaka and then, finally, to our final destination in Zambia. It was a 41-hour ordeal. When you book through Abercrombie & Kent, you will have the option of finding flights and airfare yourself. Many choose to do this so they can control the airline and use their miles for upgrades, etc., but I would add that you'll also have complete control over your route and how long your journey will take. A representative of A&K told me that the usual flight route to Zambia is straight to Lusaka via Heathrow. If you arrange the flights yourself, you could try another option, like New York to Johannesburg on South African Airways.

Regardless, as a fellow journalist once told me as we waited to board a delayed flight to Barbados for the third time, "once you get there, it doesn't matter how you got there."

The same was true of Zambia. We arrived at South Luangwa National Park at sunset and excitedly photographed our first game: a sole, poorly lit giraffe. We couldn't have been more captivated by his beauty and sense of calm. The drivers were patient with us as we snapped away, taking tens of entirely unusable pictures. Then, we drove through a river to reach Sanctuary Retreats Puku Ridge.

Tags: abercrombie and ken, abercrombie kent, africa, africa travel, awards-main, luxist-awards, safari, sanctuary retreats, saxon hotel, zambia

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The 10 Luxuries of the Saxon Hotel

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Saxon Boutique Hotel, Villas & Spa is a celebrated Johannesburg hotel which is well-known to luxury travelers as one of the finest boutique hotels in not just South Africa, but the world. The Saxon has hosted Oprah Winfrey, the Black Eyed Peas, Shakira and Kevin Spacey (how's that for a diverse sampling?) and features a distinguished collection of African art worth approximately 6.5 million South African rand (over $925,000).

If the art doesn't sway your fancies, the history will. The Saxon, a Leading Small Hotels of the World and Virtuoso member, was the private residence of insurance giant Douw Steyn until the year 2000. Nelson Mandela famously stayed there after his release from prison, and it was there that he edited his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom. The former South African president continues to visit The Saxon today, reportedly every year around the same time -- but naturally, they're not saying when.

Tags: Abercrombie Kent, Africa, art, Black Eyed Peas, Douw Steyn, Johannesburg, Kevin Spacey, leading small hotels of the world, Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela, Oprah Winfrey, Saxon Boutique Hotel, Shakira, South Africa, spa, The Saxon, Villas Spa, virtuoso

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Tongabezi Lodge in Zambia for the Holidays, Dr. Livingstone?

by Ann Brenoff (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

"Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" The man to whom Sir Henry Morton Stanley posed that now-famous question was Scottish missionary David Livingstone, who had been out of contact with the world for several years when Stanley found him. Livingstone explored these parts of Zambia and today, his legacy lives on with much named in his honor.

The banks of the Zambezi River is where the 5-star Tongabezi Lodge is located. The lodge was founded in 1990 and consists of small cottages, each assigned its own valet to care for his guests and act as a private concierge. Game drives, bush walks and boating rips are all included in the price. Nearby Victoria Falls can be seen either by boat or helicopter and the best views may be from Livingstone Island, where one can also take a swim in the Devil's Pool, a unique falls experience where conflicting water currents allow for (semi-)safe swimming described as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The lodge is the first river lodge at Victoria Falls in Zambia, and it's offering a three-night holiday package that combines celebration with Zambian traditions at Christmas and New Year's. The all-inclusive costs for each three-night stay is $1,350, which includes accommodations, meals, bar drinks, one spa treatment and all entertainment.

Gallery: Zambia TongabeziHoliday Package

Tags: africa, african travel, holidays, zambia

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Baobab Platinum, A Gentleman's Candle

by Michael B. Dougherty (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Modern Gentleman

Belgian candle maker Baobab, known for their handmade collection of African-influenced scents, injects some refined manhood into the home decor world with a platinum creation.

There's something about the combination of scented wax and an open flame that seems to negate masculinity, whether due to the enduring legacy of Yankee Candle or the inane obsession with dividing inanimate objects into "his" and "hers." Some candle manufacturers surmount this by festooning the jar with skulls or dying the wax black, which is like wrapping a pirate flag around a fruit basket. But since 2002, Baobab has quietly been producing an entire line of perfumed candles that actually seem appropriate for the boardroom, bar or (his) bedroom. For one, the line takes its olfactory inspiration from Africa (it was created in Tanzania) with scents like Masai Spirit, White Rhino and Zanzibar Spices, all developed in the French fragrance capital of Grasse. The base note for the line is rooted in cedar sandalwood, a warm and spicy foundation to build each individual expression. There are also five sizes to choose from, from the 50gr Mini Max candle to the towering seven-wick, 7.5kg Maxi Max, which has a burn time of 800 hours.

And now Baobab has introduced a platinum jar edition, available across the line. The silvery finish is an elegant and understated display that will hold its own amongst club chairs and single malts. With all that cigar smoke and musty leather in the room you're going to need something that smells good.

Tags: africa, Baobab, belgium, candles, handmade, home decor, platinum

Hemingway's Great-Granddaughter Stars in Louis Vuitton Safari Campaign

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Handbags, Luxury Travel & Hotels

Earlier this year we told you about model Dree Hemingway, 22, daughter of Mariel Hemingway and great-granddaughter of famous author Ernest Hemingway, who's making a name for herself among the fashion crowd. Now the willowy blonde is starring in a luxe new safari-themed ad campaign for Louis Vuitton (above). Reminiscent of Hemingway's African tales such as The Snows of Kilimanjaro, the casting choice is a fitting one as the author is often credited with introducing the Swahili word "safari" into common parlance.

The new Vuitton campaign, highlighting the famed French luxury goods house's handmade travel items, was shot on location in Africa. Photographed by Carter Smith, the ads feature Dree and a handsome young fellow enjoying the dramatic scenery of the African veldt. Items on display include bags, trunks, journals, watches, blankets, sunglasses, jewelry, clothing and even a few items of vintage Vuitton luggage. The campaign comes on the heels of Dree's selection as the face of Italian fashion house Gianfranco Ferré earlier this year, following appearances for Abercrombie & Fitch and DKNY.

[via JustLuxe]

Gallery: Dree Hemingway for Louis Vuitton

Tags: advertising, advertising campaign, Africa, celebrity, celebrity offspring, Dree Hemingway, Ernest Hemingway, French fashion, Gianfranco Ferré, Louis Vuitton, luggage, Mariel Hemingway, models, safari, sunglasses, travel, trunk

Ecotour Takes Adventurers On A Tour To Meet Gorillas

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Green

Observing gorillas in their natural habitat takes a bit of doing. Terra Incognita Ecotours, an adventure travel company that specializes in wildlife-focused ecotours, is offering an once-in-a-lifetime journey to Rwanda's wilderness, the home of the endangered mountain gorilla. The ecotour also helps to support the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project.

The 10-day trip takes travelers near Rwanda's Virunga Volcanoes, for an adventure that includes tracking the mountain gorillas twice. Other highlights include visiting the grave of famed primatologist Dian Fossey and meeting Dr. Mike Cranfield, a veterinarian from the Mountain Gorilla Veterinarian project who will explain the threats facing these animals and why they need to be protected. Other highlights include seeing a variety of birds, elephant, hippo, giraffe, spotted hyena, buffalo, and crocodiles in Akagera National Park and staying in the newly refurbished Virunga Lodge. A donation will be made to the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project on behalf of each participant. The tour is available November 26- December 5, 2010; March 4-13, 2011 and May 27-June 5, 2011. Cost per person is $6,649, Group size is limited to 16 participants; single supplement is $1,000; international airfare is not included.

Tags: africa, ecotourism, ecotours, gorilla, mountain gorillas, rwanda, travel

Prince Harry Celebrates at the St. Regis New York

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Events, Charity, Sports

While in New York to play in the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic, England's Prince Harry stopped in at the storied St. Regis hotel on June 25th for an event honoring Sentebale, the charity he co-founded in 2006. The soirée was hosted by Paul James, Global Brand Leader for St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, Paul Nash, General Manager at the St. Regis New York and Nacho Figueras (above left with the Prince), renowned polo player, St. Regis Connoisseur and friend of Sentebale. The event celebrated the charity's connection with New York City at one of its most iconic locations, amidst Prince Harry's much anticipated second visit to the city. Noted chef de cuisine Didier Elena, of Adour Alain Ducasse at the St. Regis New York, created an exquisite menu in honor of the occasion. Sentebale's mission is to transform the lives of African nation Lesotho's orphans and vulnerable children. The charity was founded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso from the Lesotho royal family.

Tags: Africa, Alain Ducasse, charity, Nacho Figueras, New York, polo, Prince Harry, Sentebale, St. Regis, St. Regis New York

A Black Rhino Airlift from South Africa to East Africa

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Charity, Green

Even the most jaded traveler is thrilled by the view out the window while landing in Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, but one has to imagine that five particular passengers who were indeed on a trip of a lifetime last week were somewhat less than delighted -- not that they had much of a view.

Five endangered black rhinoceros were transported by air from South Africa's Addo Reserve to the Serengeti Park yesterday -- funded in part by Singita Grumeti Reserves, the Tanzania arm of Singita, which runs a group of ultra-luxury African safari lodges. (Other benefactors:The US Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Nduna Foundation.)The rhino relocation was part of a species preservation project over forty years in the making.

Gallery: Black Rhino Transport to East Africa

Tags: africa, conservation, preservation, rhino, Rhinoceros, safari, SouthAfrica, Tanzania

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The Classicist: The Mystery of Out of Africa Author Karen Blixen's Hermès Luggage

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, The Classicist

Hermès has uncovered a couple of remarkable pieces of bespoke luggage in its archives, made for famed Danish Out of Africa author Karen Blixen, aka Isak Dineson, in the 1930s. The Art Deco tobacco-colored crocodile skin cases, one ordered in 1930 and the other in 1935, contain every conceivable article an aristocratic author could need on an arduous journey to Africa. The famed Parisian luxury goods house notes that the more complex of the two took its craftsmen 368 hours to make; both feature fine inlays and engraving, with most pieces adorned with a baroness' crown and the author's DBF monogram for Dineson Blixen-Finecke, a combination of her maiden and married names (her full title was Baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke).

The cases feature myriad compartments and leather boxes for spirits, smoking accessories, writing instruments, notepaper, perfume bottles, cosmetics, playing cards, jewelry, small tools, sewing items, brushes and more, with some items finished in sterling silver and tortoiseshell. However, Hermès notes the the items appear to be unused and probably never made it to Kenya, where Blixen established a coffee plantation at the foot of the N'gong Hills; and therein lies something of a mystery. Noting that by December of 1930, when the first case was ordered, Blixen was somewhat down on her luck and preparing to leave Africa, Hermès thinks it unlikely she ordered it for herself and the archives are unclear. Could it perhaps have been intended as a gift from her lover, dashing big game hunter and pilot Denys Finch Hatton?

Gallery: Karen Blixen's Crocodile Hermes Suitcases

Tags: Africa, Art Deco, author, bespoke, crocodile, Denmark, Hermes, Isak Dineson, Karen Blixen, Kenya, luggage, luxury goods, Out of Africa, Paris, suitcase, travel, vintage luggage

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Extraordinary Journeys Offers Luxury African Safaris

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

If it doesn't involve J. Peterman or a Hemingway novel, "safari" is probably not a word you're all that interested in hearing about. Mother-daughter team – and pilots – Marcia and Elizabeth Gordon of Extraordinary Journeys would like to have a few words with you before you banish that term for good. Working in Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, Extraordinary Journeys doesn't sell you a trip, it plans a safari specifically for you.

They have organized more than 300 African excursions for weddings, honeymoons, getaways and just-becauses, and like the proverbial snowflakes none of them have been the same. Because the excursions aren't fixed, the Gordons can combine camps, lodges, villas, private planes, 4x4s, tribal visits, elephants, horses and specific game sightseeing tours in any way you wish. They even arrange personal shoppers when you're navigating the wilds of Cape Town, you know, so you won't get stuck in line at the register behind all those penguins – they take forever at checkout...

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Tags: africa, african safari, african travel, botswana, extraordinary journeys, kenya, namibia, safari

Bespoke Safari Boots from Frosdick of London

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Handbags, Shoes, Men's Style

In recent months we've written about the resurgence of luxury expeditions to Africa and the New Safari Style. Now newly-minted British design firm Frosdick of London is launching its first line of bespoke, vintage-inspired safari-style boots called the "Out of Africa" collection. Taking design cues from the British Colonial "great white hunter's" classic attire, the boots are made entirely by hand in Northamptonshire, UK, using only the finest leather from Italian tanneries combined with pure cotton 20-ounce canvas woven in Scotland's Dundee. The boots, available for both men and women, are lined with the softest calf leather for comfort and durability and trimmed with elegant, Italian solid brass buckle fastenings. The canvas uppers can also be finished in genuine Burchell's zebra skin and ostrich leather, both ethically sourced in Africa.

In addition the firm is offering a range of made-to-order ladies' bags finished in exotic Kudu and Springbok hides. The authentic skins feature the natural markings that only a life in the wilds of Africa can bestow. One of the longest-horned antelopes, greater Kudu can have impressive spiral horns measuring six feet long. Each bag is lined with brightly colored pure linen and features a useful choice of straps and finest quality Italian brass fittings. The bespoke products will be available starting this summer with prices expected to begin at about $6,000 for boots and $4,000 for bags. Other items can be custom made and are limited only by your imagination. Contact davfro@btinternet.com for more info.

Gallery: Frosdick of London

Tags: Africa, boots, canvas, exotic leather, Frosdick of London, hunting, leather, London, ostrich, ostrich skin, safari, UK, zebra, zebra skin

Taj Cape Town Opens In South Africa

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

Your team just won the World Cup, and those who are still conscious are shuffling toward the exits and the airports. But not you – you flew all that way, and now you've got a reason to celebrate, so you're headed to the Cape Town, where brand new Taj Cape Town awaits.

Located in the historic St. George's Mall, even though it's brand new, the Taj occupies two rather old buildings: the 114-year-old Board of Executors and the adjacent, 78-year-old South African Reserve Bank. Seventeen stories were added to the buildings, however, to ensure that you don't lack views of the city and Table Mountain. There are 177 rooms in 11 layouts, all of the tower rooms have walk-out balconies and the Taj Club Floor rooms gain access to a private lounge with butlers.

Of course you'll need the top-floor, two-bedroom, split-level Presidential Suite with its own massage and steam rooms, kitchen, office, gym and deck. When you're not busy being presidential, you might make your way down to the Jiva Spa with its Ayurvedic treatments, followed up by yoga and meditation, and if you really need to get out, there are all those world class Cape Town beaches to enjoy. In fact, with all of that to make you feel good, the the Taj Cape Town might be even better for you if your team loses...

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Tags: africa, cape town, hotel opening, south africa, taj cape town, taj hotels

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