Rumour has it that Santa uses a journey of giraffe to pull his sleigh around Sub Saharan Africa. (Reindeer just can’t cope with the heat, and it doesn’t help that Prancer suffers from Ailurophobia , an irrational fear of big cats.)
Taking a leaf (literally) from Santa’s playbook, the Christmas decorations in our camps are also Africa-proof (expect for that time when a giraffe got hold of Siwandu’s tree). On Fanjove Island a beautiful chunk of drift-wood creates a piece of Christmas decoration that won’t look out of place in a high-end art gallery.
At Siwandu, decorated dry branches from the Tagalala trees were made to stand upright in clay pots, and voila… It’s as easy as that to teach an old branch new tricks (see main image). What's more, since the giraffe have put him out of a job, Rudolf has been spotted chilling out in reception...
A few pieces of off-cut wood at Ras Kutani were nailed together to form a Christmas tree 3meters high – that same tree has decorated Ras Kutani for years now. It is the very definition of reduce, reuse & recycle!
Meanwhile, at Jongomero, colour is clearly King.
With the average carbon footprint of an artificial Christmas tree estimated to be at least 40kg of CO² we are very proud of the fact the only footprints you’ll see at our camps this year belong to Santa’s giraffe.
While decorating our camps for Christmas is done with a twist, there is nothing tongue-in-the-cheek about our Christmas menus.
Fanjove’s Gammon Kebabs with Spiced Citrus Reduction, Nasi Goreng & Pineapple Salad is best enjoyed with your feet in the white sand. At Siwandu the chefs are preparing Slow Roast Leg of Lamb, Rosemary Roast Potatoes & Honey Glazed Carrots with toasted sesame seeds. And if you have space left, Jongomero’s Eggnog Ice-cream & Ginger Crumble will have you begging chef David to give you his recipe as a Christmas present.
If you find yourself in a “I never want to leave this place” mood come Boxing Day, Ras Kutani’s Red Snapper and Gardlic & Lemon Lobster on the grill for December 31st might just be the excuse you were looking forward to stay a few more days…
We wish you all a very Happy Christmas, and a peaceful and prosperous new year.
