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It's Summer Somewhere Else
Terry Ward November 27, 2007PAGES: 1 2
See our slideshow of Southern Hemisphere Summer Fun.
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The southern hemisphere safari continues in South Africa, where the Eastern Cape is the latest buzz destination for intrepid wildlife enthusiasts keen to escape the crowds at well-tracked game parks such as Kruger National Park.
Hundred of miles of largely untouched coastline along the Eastern Cape pairs with inland wildlife reserves. And happily, luxury doesn’t get lost in the off-the-beaten-path shuffle. Our lodging pick is Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, an over-the-top Relais & Chateaux property with private plunge pools and wildlife viewing decks in the main lodge’s nine suites. The surrounding habitat is home to lions, cheetahs and leopards.
In Zambia, Victoria Falls is consistently ranked among the world’s natural wonders. Located along the Zambezi River on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, the falls are perhaps most aptly and poetically described by a Zambian tribe that called them ‘the smoke that thunders.’ At the end of the wet season, in April and May, the curtain of water stretching more than a mile long and plunging 100 meters deep is at its most wild. Sometimes the spray is so thick that it’s impossible to discern the falls themselves. During the dry months, when the river is at its lowest, you can walk along the lip of the falls and peer down the cascade. There are miles of hikes in the area suitable for all abilities, and if you bring your passport you can cross the bridge into Zimbabwe.
“I had no idea that the falls were so enormous and that the drop was so far,” said Beth Krauklis of Orlando, Fla., who visited in September of 2007. “When you’re head-on with the falls, it’s almost the same sensation as being at the Grand Canyon—you can’t imagine how it was made, it’s so much bigger than us.”
The River Club, roughly 11 miles upstream from the falls, offers luxury thatched ‘chalets’ overlooking the Zambezi River. At night, you can often hear lions roaring in the nearby national park, and hippos lurk at the river’s edge.
Australia and New Zealand
Located three blissfully remote miles off the coast of Northern Queensland in Australia, between Cairns and Townsville, the private paradise of Bedarra Island ups the Down Under ante when it comes to exclusivity. Modern villas wrought from glass and wood peek from the rainforest, and tumbled granite boulders on the beach contrast with the surreal sapphire of the Coral Sea. Daytrippers aren’t allowed on the island, leaving this far-flung slice of paradise to you and a maximum of 31 other privileged guests.
In New Zealand’s Marlborough Sounds, on the north end of the South Island, the good life goes down as easily as the wine region’s renowned Sauvignon Blancs and Pinot Noirs. Rent a canoe or kayak from an outfitter in Nelson to explore the area’s waterways (cheeky seals and dolphins will likely approach your vessel), or hike or mountain bike through native forests along the Queen Charlotte Track. The Lodge at Paratiho Farms, a Relais & Chateaux property in Nelson, offers six dream-inducing suites on a 2,000-acre working sheep farm where the cuisine—sourced locally, for the most part—is some of New Zealand’s finest.
Farther south on the South Island, along the shores of crystalline Lake Wakatipu, is Queenstown, a snowboarding and skiing Mecca that maintains its adrenaline-junkie status in the summer months. There’s river rafting, canyoning and bungee jumping, if you’re so inclined. Great golf courses abound. And three minutes north of Queenstown lies an escape like none other—the Blanket Bay Lodge, where guests often choose to arrive by helicopter for a true escape from it all.
Wrought from native New Zealand timber and stone and sitting on a lakeshore that bristles with trout and the reflection of the majestic Southern Alps, the lodge is all about solitude in stunning surroundings. And from a perch overlooking the mirror-like lake, with the warm southern sun upon you, the chill of the Northern Hemisphere winter feels precisely half a world away.
See our slideshow of Southern Hemisphere Summer Fun.
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