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Some might say that when Angelina Jolie gives you advice, it is probably best to take it into account. And no one knows it quite as Arnaud Zannier, has the hospitality behind Zannier hotels – a collection of properties scattered all over the world and cherished by those for their barefoot approach to luxury. His latest project, Oomanda, which joins the ranks of a host of new safari lodges across Namibia, was in fact the idea of Jolie.
The actress-turned-philanthropist met the hotelier during her stay at Phum Baitang, Zannier's casual pavilion near Siem's rap in Cambodia. The property was her base while she was working on a film based on a memoir of the same name that details the regime of the Khmer Rouge. During this five-month stay, she convinced Zannier to settle for not one, but two lodges in Namibia, rightly spotting the destination as one of the largest untapped safari markets on the continent. And now, with the opening this month of the boutique lodge outside Windhoek, the nation's capital, and Sonop's tented camp nearing completion in the Namibian desert, the seeds that she planted flower
Oshiwambo for "rhinoceros" Lodge takes its name from its location in the heart of the 22,000-acre animal sanctuary run by N / A & ku sê, l & # 39; one of the country's leading conservation organizations. As its name suggests, all that happens in the lodge comes from the sights, sounds and culture of this vast corner of Namibia covered with savannah. The camp-like buildings emerge from the dusty plains that, in the image of their traditional Ovambo architecture, seem straight at home – think of the natural rounded clay walls and thatched roofs finished at the hand. Inside, Géraldine Dohognea, a long-time collaborator of the Hotel Zannier, approached the decor in accordance with the ancestral architectural techniques of the region. The result mixes chic with the casual approach of Dohegnea's luxury (soft colors with rustic but never unrefined textures) with unique pieces from Namibia and neighboring countries. Expect to see strange baboons lounging on the polished concrete of your savannah-covered terrace in the morning
During the day safaris, you can see the ringed mongoose, the pangolins and the caracal alongside the zebras, giraffes and hyenas. Although elephants and rhinos do not circulate freely through the concession, the center of the reserve is home to a sprawling, state-of-the-art hospital (funded by the Jolie-Pitt Foundation) for animals of these species. have been injured or abandoned. There you will have an intimate look at the animals, and gain a deeper appreciation for those who support the massive conservation efforts that have contributed to the country's wildlife rehabilitation, which has flourished under more serious protection programs have been set up in the mid-1990s.
Days spent in the bush or helping out at the hospital are best complemented by a dip in the property's infinity pool, which overlooks the reserve . You can just spot golden-haired lions basking in the heat of the day or if you're really lucky, Jolie herself, as the sun glides beneath the vast horizon of the savannah.
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