LUXE Travel Magazine Africa Awaits by luxeglobalawards

LUXE TRAVEL

MAGAZINE

AFRICA

AWAITS

VOL.02

CONTENTS p 3.

CHEETAH PLAINS

p 7.

RADISSON BLU, DAKAR

p 11.

FEATURED SPOTLIGHT

p 15.

SKIN SPA, HARARE

p 19.

ROYAL ZAMBEZI LODGE

p 25.

ROYAL BUSH SPA

p 30. IZAKAYA, CAIRO

Provided By Cheetah Plains

CHEETAH PLAINS

SABI SAND GAME RESERVE, SOUTH AFRICA

Home of the definitive private, sustainable safari in South Africa’s most celebrated wildlife area, Cheetah Plains’ exclusive-use villas are the epitome of an ultimate luxury safari experience.

Provided By Cheetah Plains

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AN UNRIVALLED ECO -

LUXURY EXPERIENCE

Provided By Cheetah Plains

Each exquisitely appointed Plains House villa accommodates up to eight guests and boasts a formal lounge, living and dining room areas, expansive swimming pool deck, entertainment lounge, wine gallery, curated art collection, chef’s kitchen and four sumptuous Private Guest Suites.

A complete hospitality team consisting of an accomplished host, private chef, spa therapist as well as best-in-class field guide and tracker team, are dedicated to your Plains House villa for the duration of your stay. Together, this talented group of professionals deliver a luxury safari experience of the highest standard, tailored to the guest’s individual preferences.

Cheetah Plains is a pioneer in its class and the undisputed home of the definitive upscale eco-safari in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve. In conjunction with owner Japie van Niekerk’s singular approach to sustainability within the footprint on the Sabi Sands, the guiding teams and hospitality staff are committed to delivering an exceptional eco-safari experience of the highest standard.

RADISSON BLU, DAKAR SEA PLAZA DAKAR, SENEGAL

Provided By Radisson Blu, Dakar Sea Plaza

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THE MARRIAGE OF ELEGANCE, DESIGN & COMFORT

Boasting the combination of luxury, comfort and state of the art equipment, the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dakar Sea Plaza has been designed with both business and leisure travellers in mind.

Provided By Radisson Blu, Dakar Sea Plaza

The Hotel is nestled in a sumptuous location high on Dakar’s western Corniche facing the Atlantic Ocean and is still a mere 6 kilometres away from the City Centre.

GAME RANGER FEATURE CHEETAH PLAINS, SABI SAND GAME RESERVE Always wondered about the life of a Game Ranger? Well we’ve got you covered, LUXE speaks to Sipps Maswanganyi from Cheetah Plains Private Game Reserve to get more insight into the life of a Game Ranger and professional Safari Guide.

SO, SIPPS, GIVE US THE 101 ON YOURSELF? My name is Sipps Maswanganyi, a professional Field Guide who was brought up in the Klaserie Private Game Reserve. Being surrounded by such an abundance of interesting wildlife, I fell in love with nature. Nature became part of my life, which was also an inspiration to academically achieve to the best of my abilities. I have been a professional guide for about 20 years at the most elite game lodges in South Africa. As someone who loves to read stories I always find joy in watching animals myself, connecting with nature and noting everything that I’ve seen and heard. I still couldn't tell any story better than I could tell my own stories from the field. Which I believe makes me one of the most unique guides out there, I live by pure knowledge of nature. Having been in the industry for so long I keep my focus on growth and learning more from nature, meeting more people and being able to share my knowledge with guests. I believe my passion for nature gave me this great opportunity to work at Cheetah Plains for the past three years. Cheetah Plains attracts quite a unique clientele who arrive as guests and leave as family. Having the same guests for quite some time allows me to share a vast amount of knowledge and stories over a period of time.

YOUR TYPICAL DAY? Always fun-filled, waking up in the morning, birds already singing melodious songs at dawn before a ray of light, nothing ahead of you but just nature unfolding those incredible moments. I wake up prepared, leaving my room and walking down to the car park and meeting the team. Checking our game viewers and double-checking to make sure everything is right. We then drive down to the houses, to meet our guests over a cup of coffee. I always plan my drive with guests to ensure that they know that they are part of the plan. We know for sure that without a proper plan there is nothing that can be accomplished. After morning pre-breakfast snacks we leave the houses for a beautiful experience to search for the animals. We drive twice a day, in the morning and in the late afternoon, with the latter being quite different from the former as it extends into the night.

WHAT MAKES CHEETAH PLAINS SO SPECIAL? Apart from the beauty attached to its architectural essence it’s the people we work with a very excellent team all sharing one common goal, to be the best of the best in the world and doing more every time. Our guests are also special, we always have great families that make us feel part of their experience. Another great thing about Cheetah Plains are the electric game viewers, it is a pretty special experience to drive one of them.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PART ABOUT BEING A GAME RANGER? It's meeting people from around the world as my guests and taking them out on a drive, sharing my knowledge of nature and people of Africa. It also works both ways, I do get to learn a lot from them too so it's a win win situation. The most interesting part is that everything you see is always new, nothing ever to be repeated so everything is quite entertaining to watch! Nature is beautiful, and it is always a privilege to be part of it, so I continue to try and make a difference and it really inspires me a lot.

ANY DANGEROUS ENCOUNTERS WITH WILDLIFE? Well, I have had a lot of confrontations with animals, whilst on a vehicle and on foot too. What I know from my 20 years of guiding in the big five reserves and from my early childhood, animals have got their way of communication, so if you learn that and master it, you will never have a problem dealing with them in their environment. Most of the encounters are always avoidable if you follow their commands during confrontation. Some animals will expect to change route because they are in the roads themselves, some will expect you to keep a distance or even completely be out of their sight, all of this comes with a lot of experience as a guide, it's not always knowledge that speaks for a guide, experience is needed in the field. To answer the question though I have been charged by the most dangerous animals in my career. Including black mambas, lions, hippos, rhinos, elephants, lions and leopards.

CAN YOU OFFER OUR READERS SOME ESSENTIALS TO PREPARE FOR SAFARI? Before going out on Safari, one should always get to know what nature expects from you as a person and what equipment you may need in order to make a safari trip memorable. The common items that are usually appreciated are: neutral coloured clothing with a round hat to protect yourself from the sun, a comfortable pair of walking shoes, sunglasses, a camera, sunscreen lotion, bug spray and binoculars.

LASTLY, THE LIFE MOTTO OF SIPPS? Everything is possible in life until you know what you don't know - that is all life is about, learning more every time!

Provided By Cheetah Plains

THE SKIN SPA AT MASWARA URBAN RETREAT

HARARE, ZIMBABWE

Provided By Maswara Urban Retreat, Harare

“

AN OASIS OF

PAMPERING

Provided By Maswara Urban Retreat, Harare

A hidden gem tucked away in the heart of a peaceful surbub, The Skin Spa provides a unique escape from the humdrum routine of everyday life pampering you with the luxurious treatments that you deserve. Imagine escaping to a place where stress is replaced with serenity and smoothed away by calmness and tranquillity, where first class beauty therapists restore balance and harmony with their state of the art, result oriented spa treatments. Sooth the body and renew the spirit. The Skin Spa uses the renowned Clarins face and body treatments, the latest in nail treatments, advanced skin peels, world famous steam pods, upmarket sauna and permanent hair removal amongst other treatments. Your journey of restoration and relaxation awaits you at this luxury spa. Fall back and melt into pure rejuvenation and prepare for an unforgettable luxury experience.

Provided By Royal Zambezi Lodge

The award-winning Royal Zambezi Bush Spa draws its inspiration from the natural beauty surrounding the lodge and is one of Zambia’s only bush spas. Its minimalist design exudes an air of complete balance, peace, and tranquillity, offering the ultimate refuge to restore the mind, body, and spirit.

Provided By Royal Zambezi Lodge

It is located on 3 kilometres of river frontage on the banks of the Zambezi River, overlooking Mana Pools National Park. Based only 5 minutes drive from the private Royal Airstrip on the Game Management Area, the location provides the best of both worlds. Choose activities into the Lower Zambezi National Park (a 15-minute game drive or boat cruise from the lodge) which doesn’t incur any national parks fees. This family-owned and managed safari lodge offers the perfect combination of contemporary luxury, simplistic style, and extreme comfort while providing a pure wilderness experience. Guests are provided with a private guide, vehicle, and boat throughout their stay, and it is both family and solo-traveler friendly.

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CONTEMPORARY LUXURY

WITH A SOPHISTICATED STYLE

Set against the breathtaking mountain backdrop of the Zambezi Valley Escarpment, our Royal Zambezi story starts with our two-hundred-hectare domain, located within the Chiawa Game Management Area and has three and a half kilometres of unspoiled river frontage on the northern bank of the Zambezi River. The lodge is situated directly across the river from Mana Pools National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on the Zimbabwe side and just minutes from the Lower Zambezi National Park. Your 5-star accommodation has been beautifully constructed to retain and enhance the lodge’s unique bush setting while taking advantage of our prime positioning on the mighty Zambezi River and ensuring we capture every glimmer of sunrise from your room.

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PURE

BEAUTY 24

ROYAL BUSH SPA ROYAL ZAMBEZI LODGE, ZAMBIA

Under the African sky, as part of the Royal Zambezi Lodge offering, lies the Royal Bush Spa proudly positioned on a high vantage point, offers stunning views over the Zambezi River. The inviting aroma of burning scented candles fills the air from the open-air massage area or private treatment room. A beautifully appointed lounge area invites you to relax and unwind while taking in the remarkable sights and sounds of the resident flora and fauna.

We pride ourselves on our attentive qualified therapist who is at hand to provide you with a wide variety of massages and a host of other therapeutic, beauty and skin care treatments. Many of these use local indigenous ingredients from the African bush further emphasising its beauty and enchantment. The spa is also the Zambian flagship of the famous and world-leading Dermalogica brand of skin care products.

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AFRICAN ENCHANTMENT TO LULL YOU INTO RELAXATION

SPA MANAGER FEATURE ROYAL BUSH SPA, ROYAL ZAMBEZI LODGE

As we are all aware, an establishment of this magnitude needs the right people at the helm and in the case of the famous Royal Bush Spa located at the Royal Zambezi Lodge we had the privilege of speaking to spa manager; Sandra to get more insight behind the scenes of this magnificent spa.

SANDRA, COULD YOU GIVE US A BIT OF BACKGROUND ON WHAT LED YOU HERE? Well my name is Sandra and l am the Spa Manager at Royal Zambezi bush spa. I have worked on a cruise ship for 4 years and got the opportunity to see and visit some amazing places and experience different cultures. I also found myself in Mozambique at the Pemba Beach Hotel where l was managing the spa including a short stint in South Africa and now here I am in the bush at the Royal Bush Spa.

WHAT MADE YOU PURSUE A CAREER IN WELLNESS? l got into wellness not by choice but by default through passion. l have always loved traveling so l was stuck thinking of which career would allow me to travel and I came to the conclusion that this career path would allow me to see the world as well as acheive a dream of serving people. As soon as I started I completely fell in love with it.

WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF WELLNESS IN LUXURY HOSPITALITY? I think one mistake a lot of people make is to assume that wellness is only skin, wellness touches on complete physical wellbeing, mental and spiritual. So when we get guests who come to the lodge they are coming for the full package in one place. In this, the way forward for wellness in luxury will be continuous support.

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE? My typical day starts at 6:30 AM to prepare for the 7:00 AM clients with bookings going until 17:00 PM. I then make my way down to the Main Lodge to oversee the bookings for the next day.

HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC CHANGED THE WAY YOU WORK? We’ve been quite fortunate that the spa is outside and open to nature. At the Royal Bush Spa nothing much has changed in my working environment except the foundational COVID-19 protocols like constant sanitizing and the wearing of masks.

WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM OTHER SPAS? Other than our uncompromising setting, we have a very close partnership with Dermalogica. This is one factor I believe really sets us apart, we have the best therapists using the best products.

WHERE ARE YOU MOST AT PEACE? l am truly happy and at peace when l’m working, because l have the best office in the world. The view l get when l am doing my treatments, the unspoiled fresh air and the live animals. Nothing beats that.

WHAT MOTTO DO YOU LIVE AND WORK BY? The grass is greener where you water it.

IZAKAYA CAIRO, EGYPT

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JAPANESE PRECISION

WITH PERUVIAN FLAIR

Sanctum Hospitality brings you Cairo’s first Nikkei restaurant and bar, with fresh ingredients and exotic flavors, our dishes showcase a unique blend of Japanese Peruvian culinary culture.

Provided By Izakaya

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FIND THE PERFECT DRINK WITH

AN EXPERT TEAM OF MIXOLOGISTS

Whether you are celebrating a special event in our outdoor area with friends and family or putting together a corporate dinner. Our experienced team will be on hand from start to finish to ensure that your event is customised to suit all your needs and meet your expectations.

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A MASSIVE THANK YOU OUR COLLABORATORS