africa

A Chocolate Safari for Easter Sunday

Filed under: Dining

For Easter 2010, world-renowned Master Chocolatier Giles Marchal has created an exquisite chocolate safari for La Maison du Chocolat. Giles, who is the Creative Director of the Paris-based chocolatier, created a collection that was inspired by the mythic fables in Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book and Eric Darnell's animated film Madagascar.

The collection, which evokes images of the African Savannah in all it's splendor, is a limited edition and is created entirely by hand in many different steps requiring three days of work.

The Safari collection is a chocolate collage that is a true example of the artistry and savoir faire of La Maison du Chocolat. It features an original and colorful (and edible) African landscape that is a beautiful background for Alex the lion; Gloria, the happy hippo and, Melman, the beautiful giraffe. The Easter collection includes a variety of masterfully created chocolate eggs, as well.

Gallery: Easter Chocolate Safari by La Maison du Chocolat

Easter Classics by La Maison du Chocolat

Chocolate Easter Egg by La Maison du Chocolat

Chocolate Safari Animals by La Maison du Chocolat

Milk, dark and white chocolate animals are filled with praline eggs and traditional French chocolate fish. Smaller individual pieces are also available.

Individual Animals are priced at $70 each and weigh .44 lb. The Medium-sized Safari scene is priced at $150 and weighs 1.54 lb, while the large Safari chocolate scene costs $700 and weighs 11 pounds.

A selection of La Maison's Easter Eggs are available online, while the animals and safari chocolates can only be purchased in La Maison du Chocolat boutiques around the world. In New York, La Maison du Chocolat has boutiques on Madison Avenue, Rockefeller Center, Wall Street and Fifth Avenue. La Maison du Chocolate also has boutiques in Paris, Cannes, London, Tokyo and Hong Kong. For more information, visit www.lamaisonduchocolat.com or call (800) 988-5632.

In February, La Maison du Chocolat was a nominee for a Luxist Award for Best Chocolate and in the Best Truffle categories.

Tags: Africa, awards-main, chocolate, easter chocolate, easter chocolates, easter eggs, jungle book, la maison do chocolate, la maison du chocolat, luxist-awards, madagascar, madagascar escape 2 africa, rudyard kipling, safari chocolates

Cheer the U.S. Soccer Team with "Ya Mampela!" on Cox & King's World Cup Tours

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Sports

In a little land you might have heard of, called Africa, there's a country you might have heard of, called South Africa, that's hosting a little get-together you might have heard of, called the World Cup. And although you might not have heard of soccer, the subject of that little get-together, you've probably heard of David and Victoria Beckham and that's close enough. For America, anyway...

There's no better year than this year to get to know the actual sport in question, and luxury travel group Cox & Kings has put together a smattering of options for trekking from USA to SA. The Sable level is the top experience in the the Follow Team USA packages, from June 9-24, which takes you to all three of the team's group matches and the tourney's opening match, puts you to bed in high class digs and then takes you for a roar on the wild side with a 3-to-5 night safari. For $26,155 it is all yours.

The are two other more, shall we say, slightly cost-effective levels: Wild Dog for $25,520 and Tembo at $24,355. There are also Follow Your Team packages for Mexico and Brazil, and a basket of general packages of various lengths. For graduation with honors from World Cup school you'll need to stay to the final match – the Super Bowl at the end of the playoffs, as it were, where they actually hand over the World Cup – and for that you might need Wild Dog 6 at $27,895. No, even at the antipodes higher education isn't cheap, but when your university classes are soccer, safaris, splendor, and South Africa, there's a good chance it'll be money well spent..

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Tags: africa, cox and kings, soccer, south africa, world cup, world cup 2010

The Zambezi Queen: Green Luxury Meets African River Safari

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Yachts & Sailing, Green

The Zambezi Queen recently set sail for its debut voyage in Botswana and made history in the process as Africa's first luxury river safari and first eco-friendly floating luxury hotel. The Zambezi Queen takes two and three night voyages down the great Chobe river, where its sleek contemporary design contrasts with the lush and wild African landscape. The ship features 14 suites with private balconies for enjoying the view, a dining room overseen by top South African chef Pete Goff-Wood, a library filled with documentaries on African history and wildlife, internet access, a bar with a stylish lounge area and wood-burning fireplace, a shaded deck, and an outdoor pool. To promote conservation and sustainable tourism state-of-the-art technology was used to make the ship as eco-friendly as possible, including a special jet-propulsion system that reduces damage to the river bed and a low-emission power system for on-board electricity needs like lighting and refrigeration.

Safaris have always seemed a bit scary but this seems like a relatively safe way to experience the African wilderness -- from the luxurious viewpoint of a floating private balcony. Rates vary depending on season.

Gallery: The Zambezi Queen

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Tags: africa, african safari, eco-friendly, eco-friendly travel, safari, vacation, zambezi queen, ZambeziQueen

Is Contemporary African Art Ready to Jump?

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

The first decade of the new millennium was the domain of Latin America, Asia, Turkey and Russia. A robust art market emerged in the Middle East, which brought with it plenty of interest in the region's artist. But, what about Africa? The continent has been underrepresented in galleries and at auction, but it looks like collectors eager to try something new may be developing an appetite for African art.

The region's offering is both large and incredibly diversified, according to a report by Artprice, and over the past 20 years, several African artists have been able to garner some attention at international art fairs and major exhibitions. Pieces have been featured sporadically, with a show at the Centre Pompidou in Paris in 1989 and anther two years later at the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York. The Africa Remix exhibition toured from 2004 to 2007 ... and that's about it.

There's been a bit more action in the auction market, with Sotheby's becoming the first major house to sell contemporary African art in June 1999, when it sent the Jean Pigozzi collection under the gavel in London. It generated less than $16,000 but still set a record. Since then, Sotheby's hasn't dedicated any London or New York sales to African art (aside from its work with South African auctioneer, Stephan Welz & Co). Bonhams has taken more of an interest in the category, holding an African art sale back in April and moving 64 percent of the lots offered.

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Tags: africa, art, art auction, art auctions, art market, ArtAuction, ArtAuctions, artist, Artists, ArtMarket, artwork, auction, auction house, auction houses, AuctionHouse, AuctionHouses, auctions, bonhams, BonhamsAuction, Christies, contemporary art, ContemporaryArt, sothebys, south africa, SouthAfrica

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New Sky Safari Links Four Properties By Plane

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Elewana Afrika, a group of luxury camps and lodges in Northern Tanzania, has announced a new way to see all of their four properties during one seven-night adventure. The Sky Safari package uses a private nine-seat luxury Cessna aircraft to fly guests between the properties. The package includes the flights, all accommodations, all meals, all drinks, game drives, bush walks, excursions, private airport transfers and laundry.

Arusha Coffee Lodge, Tarangire Treetops Lodge, The Manor at Ngorongoro and Serengeti Migration Camp are small camps that exist in harmony with their environment: in a coffee plantation in Arusha, adjacent to the Ngorongoro Crater within the 1,500 acre Shangri-La estate, close to the baobab and marula trees of Tarangire and alongside the Grumeti River in Serengeti.

Arusha Coffee Lodge, set on the edge of the town of Arusha, is a boutique style lodge with 30 plantation-style villas. Tarangire Treetops is located within the 85,000-acre Lolkisale Conservation Area, a private reserve bordering Tarangire National Park and guests stay in 20 comfortably furnished tree houses putting them in close proximity to other tree residents, such as owls and bush babies. The Manor at Ngorongoro has 20 cottages with open fireplaces and the main building features fireplace lounges, formal dining room, dining conservatory, bar, private wine cellar, library, home theatre, snooker room, massage room and horse stables. Serengeti Migration Camp has 20 tents overlooking the Grumeti River. Both Tarangire Treetops and Serengeti Migration Camp offer dining in the bush when weather permits. Rack rates for the full-inclusive Elewana Sky Safari start at $6,000 per person.

Tags: africa, elewana, elewana afrika, ElewanaAfrika, safari, tanzania

The Fashion Statement: Out of Africa

by Kristin Young (RSS feed) —

Filed under: The Fashion Statement

The fashion world is obsessed with Africa. To wit, see a spring look at Rodarte (above) shown on a model painted with tribal tats.

The New York Times had a wonderful story last week about why this is so, listing all kinds of converging influences from Afrobeat musician Fela Kuti to the popularity of Duro Olowu and a whole host of other Nigerian designers in London.

And there's a separate phenomenon emerging from fashion's fascination with Africa. Fashion philanthropists who are capitalizing on this trend and all the while helping the people who need it most: Africans.

The NYT mentioned filmmaker-cum-designer Max Osterweis and his Suno line that brings jobs to people in Kenya. Suno's line of graphic patterns inspired by vintage African kangas he collected during his travels can be found at Opening Ceremony in Los Angeles and New York. Even Michelle Obama has worn Suno.

Time magazine's Style & Design issue earlier this year wrote a story about global fashion executives forging partnerships with artisans and, as a result, has boosted employment and changed lives. Max & Co. is one of the retailers carrying beaded necklaces, belts and crocheted pieces sewn by Kenyan women.

I came across another fashion activist last year. San Francisco attorney Ann Elston traded her corner office for a life of peddling jewelry at tradeshows, festivals and retailers all to benefit the Blue Men of the Sahara, or the Tuaregs. The Tuaregs are historically expert silversmiths and they are nomads who roam anywhere from Morocco to Niger. Recently, they have found their way of life threatened by borders, dictatorships and lack of economic opportunity.

So Elston runs a website that sells Tuareg-made jewelry without keeping a penny for herself.

"It's all they've got," she told me today, noting the basics like good hospitals, police and schools in Niger are substandard given the current political situation.

I'm particularly impressed with the chunky cuffs that are inlaid with ebony amulets. It's just the sort of primitive, slightly fierce look the fashion world craves right now.

Check it out at http://www.tuaregjewelry.com/products.php?row_offset=10&cat_id=2

So I'm appealing to fashionistas far and wide: As long as we're pining for all things African, go to the source now and again. Whether it's beads made by women in Nairobi, jewelry by the Tuaregs or kangas by Kenyan women, buy goods that can benefit the country we're having a love affair with right now.

Tags: Africa, Duro Olowu, DuroOlowu, Suno, Tuaregs, www.tuaregjewelry.com

Relax at the Radisson Blu Resort in Tunisia

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Pack your bags for Tunisia! A new Radisson Blu Resort & Thalasso has opened in Monastir. It's the second Radisson Blu in Tunisia and boasts 280 rooms on beachfront property -- facing the Gulf of Hammamet in the Mediterranean Sea. The resort has 264 guestrooms, 14 junior suites and two senior suites, all equipped with high-speed access (no fee!) and a private balcony or terrace overlooking the pool and sea.

Of course, it's nice to have a comfortable room, but when you really want to unwind, you're looking for the spa. The Radisson Blu in Monastir has a 150,000-square foot facility in the Royal Elyssa Spa Cinq Mondes & Thalasso, with a 48,000-square foot Thal'ion Thalasso center that specializes in restorative treatments using seawater. The spa facilities are set to open early next year and will also have a fitness club and salon. The saunas, hammams and treatment rooms are great, but you'll want to get to the top floor, where you'll find 20 spa suites, many of which will boast private Jacuzzis.

Gallery: Radisson Blu Resort & Thalasso, Monastir, Tunisia

Tags: africa, africa travel, AfricaTravel, hotels, islamic art, IslamicArt, mediterranean, mosque, mosques, north africa, NorthAfrica, resort, resorts, salon, salons, spa, treatment, treatments, tunisia

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Graff Diamonds Leads Effort to Raise Money for Africa's Children

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art, Charity

Damien Hirst is again playing the role of philanthropist (so I have to be nice), along with Raqib Shaw and Marc Quinn. The artists have donated paintings to an auction that London jeweler Laurence Graff is holding for FACET (For Africa's Children Every Time). Graff wants to raise $1.26 million for the organization, which seeks to support the education, health and quality of life of children in Africa ... where Graff Diamonds picks up most of its raw material.

Graff's event follows several other charity auctions this year, all of which were pretty impressive in their results. Sotheby's raised ₤453,950 for two organizations that help orphans in Africa, and Christie's raised an astounding €342.5 million at its Yves Saint Laurent collection auction back in February – the money will be used to fund HIV research and fight the spread of AIDS.

The first lot donated was by Graff himself: diamond earrings estimated to be worth around ₤80,000. The other paintings (e.g., by Hirst) are pegged at around ₤100,000 each.

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Tags: africa, aids, aids in africa, aidsepidemic, AidsInAfrica, art, art auction, art auctions, ArtAuction, ArtAuctions, artist, artwork, auction, auction-house, auctions, charity auction, CharityAuction, christies, damien hirst, DamienHirst, england, facet, graff, graff diamonds, graff jewelers, GraffDiamonds, GraffJewelers, hiv, hivaids, london, london england, LondonEngland, marc quinn, MarcQuinn, sothebys, united kingdom, UnitedKingdom, yves saint laurent, YvesSaintLaurent

Molori Lodge, Luxe Safari Style in South Africa

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels

South Africa's Molori Safari Lodge is the epitome of the new luxury safari style. Situated on a 185,000-acre game reserve on the border with Botswana, the lodge features five luxe bungalows with spacious wooden decks, private infinity pools and floor-to-ceiling fully retractable glass walls. A staff of 44, including a chef serving local delicacies like pan roasted gazelle, looks after a maximum of 14 guests. Upon arrival the Lodge's butler unpacks your bags, presses your safari suit, provides a selection of Aqua di Parma toiletries and stocks each suite with an assortment of homemade cured meats and dried fruit. Up at the main lodge a well-stocked library also features a great selection of whisky, brandy and cigars, while the wine cellar is of course stocked with the finest South African vintages. There's also one of the largest private telescopes in southern Africa as well as a holistic indoor-outdoor spa.

[via Duncan Quinn]

Tags: Africa, Aqua di Parma, AquaDiParma, safari, safari lodge, SafariLodge, South Africa, SouthAfrica, spa

Sanctuary Swala, Swim While On Safari

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Sanctuary Swala Camp, part of the Sanctuary Retreats collection, has just re-opened in Tanzania and combines up close encounters with wildlife with luxury amenities. Following a $1.5 million rebuild, the camp now has 12 spacious canvas pavilions, designed around an open-plan model with large living areas, king beds and en suite bathrooms with both indoor and outdoor showers. Floor to ceiling canvas windows lead onto large private lounge decks that overlook the main watering hole which regularly draws lions, leopards and resident bull elephants.

The camp now also has a new infinity swimming pool and main dining and lounge areas that offer fine dining with views over the waterhole and valley beyond combining luxury with the excitement of the African bush. The camp is located in Tarangire National Park and is home to large herds of elephants as well as more unfamiliar animals like wild bat-eared foxes. To celebrate the opening of Sanctuary Swala Camp, 2009 rates will remain throughout 2010, and rates start at $440 per person/per night, all inclusive. A special launch offer includes a deal that lets you book two nights at Sanctuary Swala Camp and get your third night for free.

Gallery: Sanctuary Swala

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Tags: africa, safari, sanctuary swala, SanctuarySwala, swala, tanzania

Vacheron Constantin Les Masques Watches: The Final Collection

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

This is the third and final collection of "Les Masques" (the Masks) watches from Swiss watch maker Vacheron Constantin. The watches are in a limited edition of 25 sets, each with the four watches. My understanding is that you must get all four together. A few lucky people out there will have the entire collection of 12 Les Masques watches from all three collections. Each watch is 40mm wide and has a Vacheron Constantin in-house made automatic mechanical movement. The watches come in a different metal each including 18k yellow, pink, and white gold, as well as one watch in platinum.

For this collection the watches have been inspired from four new historic cultures. We have the pictured mask from China, as well as masks from Indonesia (Oceania), Gabon in Africa, as well as from Mexico. Each is done marvelously and by hand. The masks are incredibly hard to make taking a long time even from master craftspeople. Once a mistake is made, they often have to start all over again. Each watch has a different poem (in French) on the dial. Complications include the hours, minutes, date, and day - each displayed dia a disc visible on four corners of the watch. Really nice timepieces for those who connect with the emotion and history behind the masks and their respective cultures.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reivew site aBlogtoRead.com.

Gallery: Vacheron Constantin Les Masques Watches 2009

Tags: africa, china, collection, gabon, indonesia, les masques, LesMasques, masks, mexico, timepiece, vacheron constantin, VacheronConstantin, watch

Austria, Switzerland Top World's Best Places to Live

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

vienna Europe – the same corner of Europe, actually – claims the first three spots in Mercer Consulting's annual Quality of Living Survey. Vienna, Austria and Zurich and Geneva in Switzerland lead the list, followed by Vancouver, Canada and Auckland, New Zealand in a tie for fourth.

Little has changed for the top half of the top 10. Last year, Zurich nabbed the top spot, and Vienna and Geneva shared the #2 spot. Vancouver is unchanged year-over-year, and Auckland's #5 finish last year is roughly the same as its tie for fourth in 2009.

Not only are the top places to live ostensibly enjoyable, you're more likely to be there for a while. Life expectancies in these cities start at 79 years. It's better than living a nice long life in a dump, I guess.

The United States doesn't appear until the bottom of the top 30, with Honolulu and San Francisco. From Asia, only Singapore picks up a spot in the world's 30 best places to live. South America and Africa are not represented at all. It's strange, I half-expected to see Mogadishu on this list.

Of the 215 places listed, Baghdad has the distinction of finishing last. Sometimes, common sense prevails.

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Tags: africa, asia, auckland, austria, baghdad, california, canada, geneva, geneva switzerland, genevaswitzerland, hawaii, honolulu, iraq, iraq war, IraqWar, mogadishu, new zealand, newzealand, san francisco, SanFrancisco, singapore, somalia, south america, SouthAmerica, switzerland, vancouver, vienna, vienna austria, viennaaustria, zurich, zurichswitzerland

One&Only Cape Town Opening With First African Nobu

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels

In April One&Only Resorts will open their latest luxury property, One&Only Cape Town in South Africa, defying the downturn with aplomb. The lavish 131 room retreat features two marquee celebrity chef restaurants, Gordon Ramsay's maze and the first African outpost of Nobu, in addition to a 6,000 bottle tri-level wine loft boasting the largest collection of South African vintages in the world. Situated on the stunning Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, the resort's rooms have views of Table Mountain, a 13,000-square-foot exclusive spa island. To celebrate the opening, the hotel has partnered with South Africa's premier luxury safari lodge, Singita Game Reserves in the Sabi Sand and Kruger National Park, to offer an exclusive travel package including luxe upgrades through the end of September.

Tags: Africa, Cape Town, CapeTown, Gordon Ramsay, GordonRamsay, Nobu, One and Only, OneAndOnly, OneOnly, Safari, South Africa, SouthAfrica

Senegal Puts Five-Star Hotel Up For Sale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

The African country of Senegal may have to sell its biggest hotel complex in order to pay debts. The five-star hotel was originally built and financed by the Saudi monarch King Fahd for the Islamic Conference summit in 1993 but is now operated as part of Starwood's Meridien brand. The hotel hosted a second Islamic Conference summit last year. After that summit the government found $147 million in unbudgeted spending and that it owed millions of dollars worth of debts to local businesses. Senegal's president, Abdoulaye Wade promised last fall to repay those debts by the end of January but many are still outstanding. Reuters reports that France agreed to lend Senegal 125 million euros to help pay off the debts and the International Monetary Fund offered a $75.6 million, one-year funding deal from its Exogenous Shocks Facility to help offset the rise in energy and food prices. It seems to have not been enough, a public tender published in Senegalese newspapers yesterday offered up the hotel complex to local or foreign investors.

The hotel is said to be one of the finest hotels in West Africa. It is perched on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean and offers water sports, deep-sea fishing, golf and tennis. Rates start around 200 euros a night.

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Tags: africa, hotel, le meridien, LeMeridien, senegal

The 2009 Pirelli Calendar by Peter Beard

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

For the past 40 years, Italian tire company Pirelli has issued a limited-edition calendar to a select list of VIPs - the kind who have fleets of Pirelli-shod Ferraris. They always feature plenty of nude and semi-nude supermodels. The 2009 Pirelli Calendar has an African theme and was shot in Botswana by famed photographer Peter Beard with models including the stunning Isabeli Fontana, Malgosia Bela, Daria Werbowy and Raquel Zimmermann, along with a fleet of agreeable elephants and not a lot of clothes. Unless you're on the list, getting your hands on an actual calendar may be difficult, but check out the gallery for a preview.

Gallery: 2009 Pirelli Calendar