These Luxe Safari Camps Are Beefing up Their Gift Shops With Jewelry and Fine Art (original) (raw)

If you hadn’t thought about your next safari as a once-in-a-lifetime shopping opp, you may be surprised by the quality of the ceramics, textiles, paintings, furniture, jewelry, and woodwork on tap.

A resurgence of global interest in African art and home decor is compelling five-star safari camps across the continent to beef up their bush boutiques with wares ranging from limited-edition bronze sculptures to collaborations with renowned African artists. Highly curated, these shops allow you to return from your bucket-list trip with a lavish memento, be it a custom-made candelabra set or a 21-carat diamond.

That’s right—Cheetah Plains, a carbon-negative gaming lodge in South Africa‘s Sabi Sand Nature Reserve, became the first wildlife outfitter to pair diamond shopping with bush walks earlier this year, opening an on-site jewelry boutique with a resident gemologist who sources diamonds and other gemstones from local mines.

“I think the biggest opportunity for global shoppers is buying African art,” says Deborah Calmeyer, founder and CEO of luxury safari consultancy Roar Africa. “It’s still undervalued, and the art world is obsessed with African artists at the moment, so I would say that is the very best opportunity there is when it comes to shopping.”

Below, are the best African safari lodge boutiques that go beyond the typical trinkets, stocking objets d’art from the continent’s foremost artists.

Cheetah Plains, South Africa

A new diamond buying experience at Cheetah Plains is a shimmering example of what safaris can offer. Courtesy of Cheetah Plains

Cheetah Plains opened its on-site jewelry boutique this year, becoming one of the world’s most remote private diamond showrooms as well as the first ultra-luxury safari lodge to offer guests a customizable diamond experience. Starting at $66,000, the Diamond Buying Experience includes a four-night stay with a one-on-one consultation with Cheetah Plains’s gemologist and jeweler. In between game drives on the resort’s fleet of battery-electric Toyota Land Cruisers, safari-going sybarites and diamond collectors looking for top-quality, locally sourced ethical diamonds can consult with the resident gemologist to source the perfect stone and then work with the lodge’s jeweler to design a piece to commemorate a birthday, anniversary, honeymoon, or other fitting occasion. Gemstones including emerald, sapphire, ruby, and tanzanite are available. For guests looking for an exclusive ready-to-wear piece, Cheetah Plains’s curated boutique Shari’s—named after the owner—sells its Cheetah Plains Signature Diamond Collection, with wildlife-inspired bracelets, necklaces, and earrings.

Xigera Safari Lodge, Botswana

A silver candelabra set by artist Patrick Mavros is one of the extravagant African items for sale at Xigera. Courtesy of Xigera Safari Lodge

Deep in the Okavango Delta, Xigera Safari Lodge (home of Robb Report’s best suite in the world 2023) brings African art to life with handmade objects d’art. It’s more akin to “a living art museum in the bush and the best example of African art and artisans work in all of Africa,” Calmeyer says. The lodge’s guided art tour is sure to spark inspiration to “buy their work, be it a beaded ottoman or carved chess set or Ardmore lamp.” The property’s curated boutique features a collaboration with Patrick Mavros, the eponymous family-owned African luxury brand. Handmade at the artist’s Zimbabwe studio, the sterling silver candelabra set ($36,152) is inspired by the lilies floating in the Okavango Delta and meant to enchant guests as they sit down to recount the day’s adventures over dinner. Certain items found throughout Xigera, such as contemporary wood furnishing from Cape Town sculptor and artist Adam Birch, are also available through online marketplace Southern Guild, which opened a boutique in Los Angeles in June.

Singita Grumeti, Tanzania

Custom limited-edition bronze sculptures are available at Singita’s Tanzania property. Courtesy of Singita

Singita is a luxury safari brand with 16 properties across South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Rwanda. Guests at Singita’s Grumeti lodges, next to Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, can bring home a numbered, limited-edition bronze sculpture of the wildlife roaming the bush. Using the ancient technique of lost wax casting, the made-to-order pieces (from $28,863) are based upon late Kenyan wildlife artist David Schaefer’s depictions of the majestic animals strolling the Serengeti. The Museum Series Limited Edition features the Patriarch Elephant, an enormous elephant that lived for many years on the slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro near the Kenyan border, the Kimatorok Buffalo, and the Lion Temper. The intricate bronze artworks pay tribute to the dramatic intensity of Africa’s magnificent creatures. The lead time is about 10 weeks, but you’ll be in good company. Schaefer’s works are displayed in H.R.H. Prince Philip’s Sandringham Game Museum and the Reagan Presidential Library.

Segera Retreat, Kenya

Segera stocks its shop with a curated selection by Kenyan creatives. Courtesy of Segera

The world-class art spread throughout the 10 private villas, botanical garden, and stable is a main draw for guests staying at Segera, a luxury wildlife safari retreat on a private game park in Laikipia, Kenya. The 50,000-acre property houses the world-famous contemporary African art collection of Jochen Zeitz, Segera’s owner and namesake of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art in Cape Town. Its paintings, sculpture, video, and installations focus on African culture and diaspora. Though the collection is not for sale, Segera does sponsor an artist-in-residence program to showcase local talent, stocking its shop with a curated selection of works by emerging and pre-eminent Kenyan creatives. Wares include traditional beadwork and wooden carvings, as well as high-fashion jackets, jumpsuits, and waistcoats that wouldn’t look out of place in a museum.

Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, Tanzania

Tanzanite, tsavorite, and spinel are on off at the onsite House of Gems at the Four Season’s Serengeti address. Courtesy of Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti

An emphasis on African art is evident throughout the Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti in Tanzania. Nestled within the Serengeti National Park, the resort hosts local artists and artisans throughout the year, a rare opportunity for safari goers to watch art being made before buying it to bring home. The House of Gems onsite features the best of the country’s Tanzanite, tsavorite and spinel. Guests can use the gallery’s bespoke service to pick a loose gem, create a design and order a custom-made piece of jewelry. The showroom also teaches guests about the local industry, including the discovery of Tanzanite, the emergence of tourmalines, rubies, sapphires, and garnets, and the art of transforming gems in the rough into faceted jewels.