South Africa
  • Keir Alexa
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South Africa Meets South Beach
South Africa Meets South Beach 923 441 Keir Alexa

Three years ago my boyfriend, Bob, decided that he wanted to build a house in Miami, which is whole new kind of adventure for him. He asked for my help so I did a bunch of research, looking for the best architect for the project. My standards for this search were pretty high, and I scoured the web (and the world) to find the right fit.

Luckily, I found SAOTA, a distinguished and award winning firm based in Cape Town, South Africa. They build beautiful homes all over the world. As opposed to other firms who seek to copy contemporary trends, Saota works with their clients to create the vision that they truly want—a house that tells the story of the people who live there.

As you might have guessed, Bob and I love to travel! As we thought about it, the designs of the places we love most all have water as a main element, which is good for us, because the house will be built right on the water in South Beach. Places like the Setai Hotel in South Beach, The Bulgari Hotel in Bali, and One and Only in the Maldives all give us a feeling of beauty and serenity whenever we’re there, and that is how we want to feel at home, too.

So, feeling inspired by the work we saw from Saota, off we went to South Africa, to meet with the architects and bring this vision to life!

Meeting Stefan, Phillip, and Mark of Saota was a great experience. You can tell that they really “get” it. Watching the three of them collaborate with Bob on a vision, especially one as personal as a home, was great to be a part of.

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After looking at the beautiful homes and spaces that they have designed over the years, I realized that architecture is truly an art form like no other.  Their homes are like paintings that you can walk through. I could envision being inside one of their homes and the feelings it would bring out in me—what a thrill!

 

Here is what Bob’s Mac Daddy crib is going to look like in 19-21 months!!!

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The main entrance of the house

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160 feet on the water

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Indoor/Outdoor living

 

Below are some more of Saota’s designs:

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Dakar- West Africa

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Palm Jumeirah- Dubai

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Cape Town- South Africa

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Siu Lam- Hong Kong

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St Anne Seychelles

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Phuket Thailand

 

 

 
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The Ultimate African Safari: Ulusaba
The Ultimate African Safari: Ulusaba 5760 3840 Keir Alexa

Ulusaba is a beautiful game preserve owned by Richard Branson, and seeing such an unspoiled place was a great reminder that the true lover of nature will “Take only pictures and leave only footprints.” If you want to see the “Big Five” animals of Africa (leopards, elephants, buffalo, rhinos, and lions), you have to go very early in the morning or in the evening, because animals in South Africa have figured out that it’s way too hot to do anything during the day.

Ulusaba has two distinctively different lodges, including the Rock Lodge, which is perched high on a mountain that overlooks the vast landscape.

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And the Safari Lodge, which is built along the banks of a dry river. Connected by long wooden bridges, the rooms are built like tree houses so you can really get a sense that you are in the hub of the bush.

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My boyfriend and I decided to stay in the Safari Lodge for four nights and three days, which for a junior Safaris like myself was just perfect. It was also perfect because we had fresh orange juice for our morning rides and champagne for our evening trips—I like the outdoors, but there’s no reason we can’t have some fun while we’re there, right? Meals were served at a long table, family style, so people from all over the world got to swap stories as we all ate together.

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It was an adventure every time we go into our open-air jeeps and headed out into the savannah. I liked having a checklist of the five top animals to spot; it felt like a scavenger hunt! Being on a whole other continent, especially one as so different as South Africa, is amazing because it lets you see just how truly different everything is. The trees are different, the bugs are different (and bigger!), even the air feels like it has a different quality.

The guides and animals trackers at the Safari Lodge were really fantastic as well. They answered any questions we had, and ensured our safety at all times, which is pretty important when you’re dealing with lions and leopards. Lions are a lot bigger when they are 15 feet away… and there’s no cage in between you and the king of the jungle!

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Our tracker was a total badass—he seemed to be one with the landscape and the animals. He barely talked to us, but he could read the landscape like it was a book. Thanks to him and our driver we got to see all of the “Big Five.”

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I felt very connected to the landscape and the animals. You hear about poaching and other problems that animals in Africa face, and it doesn’t seem real, but when you have been there and you get to see how mysterious and unique these animals are up close, you realize how important it is that they are preserved and respected. I love forming a deep connection with new places, and South Africa was magical and transformative for me—I cannot wait to go back!

During my trip I took over 1,400 photos… Here are some of my favorites:

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A giant 6 inch snail cruising on by

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The king of the jungle and his girlfriend going for a stroll

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Trying not to get drenched by the rain

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A baby rhino walking with his mom (Save The Rhino)

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A baby baboon hanging outside of our room

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Walking back to our lodge on wooden bridges

 
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Baboon Room Service
Baboon Room Service 5760 3840 Keir Alexa

After we got back from the early morning Safari the second day, I was beat. Did I mention that I’m not a morning person? I’m really, really not. But on the other hand, I didn’t want to miss my chance to see elephants up close and personal. Little did I know I was going to get an up close and personal visit of my own!

I was dead asleep when I heard a knock on the door. Thinking it was housekeeping, I said, “No thank you, come back later please!” but the knocking continued. I got up and opened the door a crack, but it wasn’t housekeeping at all, it was a big baboon, and he was glaring at me.

Keep all of your doors locked, they said. The baboons will break in and eat the mini bar food, they said. Well. . . they were right! This guy was trying to crash in my room, and he didn’t even care that I was there. Luckily, I got the door shut in time (because they can be dangerous if they feel threatened), and grabbed my camera to get a few shots.
I thought there was just one baboon but as I looked out the window I saw 25 baboons heading from the bush to our lodge! Apparently, the Jacuzzi that was on our deck is the cool hangout spot for all the baboons in the area.

Here are the top 8 things Baboons do for fun in Ulusaba:

1. Try to break into hotel rooms
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2. Hangout with friends
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3. Steal stuff
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4. Pose like Michael Jackson
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5. Look cute
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6. Lay around
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7. Stare at guests
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8. Just chill
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Pride ‘n Purpose
Pride ‘n Purpose 5760 3840 Keir Alexa

While staying at Richard Branson’s private game reserve—Ulusaba—I was honored to be able to visit and support Pride n’ Purpose. This charity works with local communities to improve infrastructure including access to clean water and building schools and healthcare centers. They strive to give locals empowerment by also assisting with entrepreneurial opportunities.

After breakfast, we hopped on one of the safari jeeps and drove to the edge of the game reserve, where the local village was located. There, we were met by David, who is one of the friendliest people I’ve ever met.  One thing I love about traveling is the people I get to meet just by chance, little random glimpses into lives that are so different than my own.  Even though we had just met, David’s smile was radiant and made me feel like we’d been friends my whole life.

 

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We drove through the village and arrived at one of the schools that was built by the guests of Leopard Hills and Ulusaba. I heard music coming from inside the tent and saw two women dancing at the gate! Children quickly came out to greet us, and as I peered under the tent I soon realized that there was a preschool graduation ceremony going on!

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I was so happy to be able to witness this joyful (and very cute) moment! The children were all dressed up in uniforms celebrating with their family and friends. Everyone was dancing and enjoying themselves! The children performed songs for us and even got us to dance with them!

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After we enjoyed the graduation, David took us to some other parts of the village. We saw how this village pumps their water, and visited the local library.

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The entire experience made me so glad that I was able to donate to this charity! It is one thing to send money to an organization, but the depth of connection you feel when you meet the families that you are helping…..it really only makes you want to help more.

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On our way back to reserve, two little boys started chasing our car—screaming and yelling for us to come back. The time went by so fast. I am already looking forward to when I can go back to Ulusaba. Not just as a one-day visitor but able to be more involved with the organization and the lovely people I met.

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