Product Description

Born out of the landscape of the African savanna, this text is a dynamic combination of primitive architecture and the high decorative style of European explorers in Africa. From tree-house camps and thatched bungalows to lodges akin to small luxury hotels in the wild, the 26 lodges featured in this volume come from the southern African states of Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Accompanying 200 colour photographs is an inspiring text that should entice any home decorator into transforming a city apartment or country house into a home reminiscent of any of these African locales. Lodge addresses are provided for the intrepid traveller, and a source list makes it easy to find everything you need to recreate an African atmosphere with elegance, simplicity, and vitality.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #645856 in Books
• Published on: 2001-03-01
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 3.45 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 192 pages

From Amazon.com
In our culture, the word safari--which means journey in Swahili--conjures exotic images: romantic treks across desert plains rife with wild animals, journeys through dense jungles and down winding rivers, and the stylish indulgence popularized by early explorers like Captain William Cornwallis and depicted in movies like Out of Africa. Nowadays, Africa still attracts adventurous travelers who want to experience wilderness in the style of these early explorers. Lucky for them, many camps and lodges perpetuate these traditions, adopting the decorative style and offering many creature comforts to provide at once a romanticized way of "roughing it" and an experience of great luxury.

In Simply Safari, Swaziland-based wildlife photographers Daryl and Sharna Balfour illustrate a broad spectrum of architectural and decorative styles--from the more traditional to the most modern, and from the original tented safari style to motifs more reminiscent of a luxury hotel in the wild. The authors take readers on a photographic tour of 26 lodges in seven southern African states, including Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, illustrating the dynamic combination of primitive architecture and the high decorative style of European explorers. They depict romanticized versions of safari life ranging from a tree-house camp in Zambia, high on the banks of the Zambezi River, to the air-conditioned luxury of South Africa's Shamwari Lodge.

Botswana's Abu Camp on the Okavango Delta offers lavishly furnished tents with polished teak floors, a custom-made mahogany sleigh bed, and solid brass and copper bathtubs imported from Italy. Sossusvlei, Ongava, and Skeleton Coast safari camps in Namibia avoid competing with the stunning setting by relying on the simplicity of raw materials and natural textures. Combinations of vibrant earth tones and natural materials such as canvas, wood, stone, and thatch blend effortlessly to delight the eye without detracting from the views beyond.

Sumptuous photographs and inspiring text will entice those who want to transform their homes--whether city apartments or rambling country spreads--into exotic retreats that call to mind these breathtaking African locales. A handy source list is included to make it easy for readers to find many of the home furnishings pictured. Contact information for the featured lodges is included for those inspired to experience safari life firsthand. --Robin Donovan

From the Publisher
With appeal for designers and home owners, this lavish volume shows how to combine African simplicity with colonial grandeur to create interiors with safari style.

About the Author
Daryl and Sharna Balfour are renowned wildlife photographers based in Swaziland. They have also written and photographed Abbeville's African Elephants: A Celebration of Majesty.