Finding true luxury in Africa

by Alison Westwood, 1 February 2006

My old pocket Oxford defines luxury as the 'possession and use of all appliances for gratifying the senses'. That makes it sounds as though luxury is about having a well-appointed kitchen. I prefer to think that luxury is something more exotic and elusive.

Luxury is Essential to Life

The dictionary goes on to say that luxury is something 'that can be done without'. Again I disagree. Without a taste of luxury, our souls would shrivel up and die, killed by the humdrum, the makeshift, and the simply ordinary. A little bit of luxury is just as essential to life as the small amount of oxygen in the air we breathe.

So what is luxury really? I think it all depends on what you want. I would rewrite the dictionary definition so that it read: 'Luxury -an experience that gives pleasure to the senses and the soul.' Apart from being less verbose, it may also be closer to the truth.

It's Not What You Possess

Luxury isn't found in things, but in experiences. As a fellow traveller, you probably share my feeling that what matters in life is not what you possess but what you do. It's all about the journey, after all. That's why Africa is one of the ultimate luxury holiday destinations.

In my short time travelling in Africa, I've found many different sources of pleasure for the senses and the soul. I've slept in a tent in the desert in Namibia. In the middle of the night, I woke up, took a blanket, and sat staring at the stars. They were brighter than I'd ever seen them before. Around me the dry wind sighed and the vast spaces sang. That was luxury beyond words.

I have visited a 6-star safari lodge, where I was served a 6-course meal, French champagne and the Big 5 on the same day. I've sat eating lunch while watching 20 elephants frisking in a waterhole. I've woken up, not to the sound of sirens, hooters and buses, but to sunbirds, hornbills and bulbuls.

Any Kind of Luxury you Like

African travel offers every conceivable type of luxury. Whatever the experience you long for, Africa beckons - willing you to recognise your heart's desire in her hands. Different kinds of luxury appeal to different people and different paths of life. She holds them all.

Cosmopolitan Luxury

If you prefer your luxury served with sophistication and city lights, Cape Town and the Cape Grace may be your spiritual home. The Cape Grace is set on its own private quay in the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town's most glittering location.

Around the hotel are shops, restaurants and cinemas, as well as yachts, ships and steamboats. The Waterfront is both a working harbour and the heart of the city.

The secret of the Cape Grace is not just in its location, nor is it the classical architecture or the elegant rooms. The vision behind the hotel is that staying there should feel as though you are staying at a good (and extremely wealthy) friend's home.

The level of personal service you'll receive at the Cape Grace is unlikely to be beaten by any other hotel in the world. Perhaps this is why the Cape Grace was named 'Best Hotel in Africa and the Middle East' in 2005 by US Conde Nast Traveller. In 2000, the same publication named it 'Best Hotel in the World'.

Idyllic Luxury

If you've always wanted to live like a king or queen, with every desire catered to and every whim indulged, the Royal Palm in Mauritius comes highly recommended.

Set on an uninterrupted stretch of pure white beach, with a beautiful lagoon by its side, The Royal Palm embodies what the French would call a "grande maison". The attention to detail is omnipresent, like the fresh exotic fruits laid out delicately by your valet, and the towels that are replaced each time you swim. Everything is soft and smooth; you feel serene.

Added to this is a sense of space not often found in hotels. The rooms are huge - even the smallest room is over 60 square metres and the presidential suite is over 260 square metres - that's more than twice the size of my house.

There are 3 superb restaurants, a Clarins Spa, too many activities to list, and live entertainment every evening. There's only one serpent in this paradise: you'll probably have a hard time leaving.

Locomotive Luxury

I mentioned before that life was all about the journey. Well, there's one luxury holiday in Africa that takes the journey to a whole new level. Rovos Rail runs the most luxurious train trips in Africa - and quite possibly in the world.

If the opening scenes of the movie 'Out of Africa' filled you with nostalgia for a time when travel allowed you to savour the sense of movement, your train is waiting in Pretoria.

Once you're onboard, you'll watch the scenery slide by from the wood-panelled observation car, eat and drink off fine china and out of glistening crystal, and snooze in your spacious suite, complete with en suite bathroom and claw-footed bath. If old-fashioned luxury travel through Africa stirs your soul, don't miss this train!

Wild Luxury

By those who know, Mombo is a name spoken with wonder and at least a touch of wistfulness. For these people, the ultimate luxury is to be surrounded by the profusion and splendour of the birds and animals of the African bush, far from any taint of civilisation.

There's a place in the Okavango Delta where conditions are perfect for this kind of luxury holiday. At the north-western end of Chief's Island in the Moremi Game Reserve is Mombo Island. Here, all the major predators are common, plains game is prolific and the birdlife defies description. The wildlife in this area is so superb that Mombo is the BBC's top documentary destination.

Mombo is also extremely exclusive. It's in an area set aside for low intensity safari use, in a country that's already on the uncrowded side. It's also rather remote and can only be reached by small aircraft.

Once you get there, you can stay in one of two camps - Mombo or Little Mombo. Both are exclusive, extremely luxurious and make the most of their uniquely privileged position. Go prepared to be pampered by the staff and overwhelmed with wildlife.

Barefoot Luxury

When I first heard about North Island, a desperate desire to go there was born in me. This can only mean that I am a lover of that particular brand of luxury that does not require you to wear shoes. What could be more completely satisfying than to live, if only for a few days, on your own tropical island?

North Island is no ordinary island. It's one of the magical granitic islands of the Seychelles. In a tiny space, it crams in 3 mountains, 4 beaches and a small lake. It's the island they used in the movie 'The Thunderbirds'.

I saw that movie and I'm sure it didn't do North Island justice. For one thing, the rooms on North Island are not situated in a scary mock-futuristic behemoth. Instead there are just 11 handcrafted villas, tucked between the palm fronds. Also, you're unlikely to be disturbed by aircraft, submarines and baddies. The noisiest residents of North Island are the birds.

I can't really say more about North Island without lapsing into a yearning daydream. Instead, I'll leave you to decide which kind of luxury would bring the most pleasure to your soul. I wish you luck and joy in finding that luxury in Africa.

Article © Copyright 2006 Go2Africa.

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