Paradise in Africa
Singita (‘place of miracles’) is world-renowned for providing ‘the best safari experience in Africa’ and has notched up virtually every hotel and travel award since its inception in the mid-90s.
Category: Cool Stuff, Photos, Travel, World
finaly, it was about time the africans starved to death so we can actualy do something usefull with all that land. thank god all that money was finaly put to good use and not wasted on helping someone or whatnot.
gigel: Sadly, I was thinking the same thing.
Because hiring what was probably at the VERY least a hundred (with the cost of labor there, probably closer to a thousand) local construction workers, tradesmen, truck drivers, lumbermen, etc to aquire the materials, and to build the place out in the middle of nowhere was absolutely no help to the local economy, right? Not to mention all the locals who will be employed maintaining it, supplying it with food and luxuries, etc.
Sure, some things will still come from the west, but certainly not all. And as the local business environment improves, they can assume more and more of the support tasks. All the while providing for their own families. As distasteful as some might see such a lush mansion, its effect on the local economy will be MUCH stronger than if the owner had just dumped an equal value of cash/rice/whathaveyou in the town square and went back to the US/Europe to tell everyone how much he cares about the poor starving Africans.
Well said Frank!
Why should anyone give them food period?Give them condoms and teach them birth control. I’m tired of feeding these breeding baboons teach them how to close there legs then they get help until then freakin starve who cares…Not me
Well said, Roger! Those damned baboons are out of control! The critical reader would have noticed, however, that we were discussing people.
I would also assume from your attitude that you have never done a philanthropic thing in your life. If other people want to, let them.
I was simply thinking: how lovely!
How many people could drink from the water in those pools.
$100 says white people made this “paradise”
Roger… wtf man seriously… abstinence is the only thing that works, ask Sarah Palin.
Frank, where did you find the secrect stash of Ronald Reagan Cola?
You assume they paid locals, and paid them fair wages. Builders in the US, where there are lots of rules, try their hardest to not do that.
They are human beings like the rest of us. The ignorance in some of the comments floors me.
In the early to mid 90′s there was a rush of foreign investment to build hotels/lodges on the savanna’s and to exploit the lands for their tourist value.
The result is that their have been a number of ‘illegal’ trails blazed on the plains that are destroying natural habitat and driving the animals away from their migratory paths.
In light of the recent economy a vast number of the lodgings have closed down leaving behind waste. So all that was truly accomplished was that a bunch of greedy investors made some money and left Africa in a worse position than what they started with.
Better investment to educate the people of Africa in agriculture, trades, etc would have been a better use of the all mighty dollar. And yes, education on birth control and STD’s would be welcome in the region.
Give a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach a man to fish and he eats for the rest of his life!!
Decadence of this magnitude is nothing short of a crime against humanity in any part of the world.
No one deserves to have that kind of money.
Everyone wants to live in a beautiful remote area like this, in a palace, of course. That doesn’t make it right for those that can to do what they want at the expense of so many others.
I suppose if the wildlife, say the lions, start to become a problem they will have to be shot? Yes? What about the insects? Will they be spraying large amounts of pesticides to keep this beautiful pristine scenery under control?
Everybody wants to be the last one to move to a remote natural location like this, almost as if they had discovered it them selves. “Oh look how beautiful it is” They often forget it has been someone else’s home for very much longer. You are the new comer to a place where for those that previously enjoyed it your overbearing presence is anything but welcome, nor does it do anything for the scenery. I can’t wait for the next Jackass who thinks that he has found “the most beautiful place in the world” to build a house right in front of yours, however, even larger and less tasteful.
As for “Roger’s” brilliant comment. Even true baboons have a greater right to live and reproduce there than you would.
Really beautiful house though. Kind of has an Mtv’s “Real World” sort of, material infatuation appeal, like a playboy mansion pool party.
I think you should turn it into a community and learning center for children. African children that is.
Roger – you are a twat of the very lowest order.
@Roger: Unfortunately, the issue of birth control and family planning extends far beyond the concept of “close there legs” [sic]. A good portion of the time, when a child is born in Africa, it’s usually the result of institutionalized rape programs as part of the effort to keep the powerless, powerless. As a direct result the transmission rates of HIV/AIDS has increased drastically. Contrary to what you believe, the women of Africa are not simply “opening their legs” to the world, their legs are being forced open, and what is rightfully theirs is being taken from them by force, usually in the most brutal, savage ways possible. But you never considered that, did you? Maybe you should go live as a woman in Africa before you decide to open that hateful, disgusting mouth of yours about situations you have absolutely no understanding of.
well u obviously don’t care, but aren’t you late for the KKK meeting around the corner from your house?
For starters it might do everyone some good to read the little bit of an article and click on the link that is attached to the pictures. If you had done that then you would have learned that most of the staff live in the surrounding villages and went to schools created and supported by the company that owns this resort. You would have also learned that a decent portion of the tourists who visit feel very strongly about Africa and want to help. Because of this the company then helps these people facilitate ways of donating time and/or money. They are also responsible for micro-financing businesses, creating agricultural initiatives, as well as training people in conservation. And don’t forget the the team of experts they have employed that makes up the anti-poaching team. So for the benefit of everyone out there, please do your research before you comment on something. And for everyone who says that this is too lavish a place and that it should be a crime to build, you are just jealous. Everyone that was given the opportunity to visit this place in person would jump at the chance.
Signed,
An everyday man who works 40+ hours a week just to get by.
Uhm…you realise that this lodge is in South Africa? And that there is a huge difference between SA and other African countries? I should know, I live in SA. There are many lodges like this in the country. Just because we’re part of the African continent does not mean we are all poor, live in mudhuts and travel by foot. Go and google Sun City, Lost City etc. You’ll be amazed to see it kinda looks civilized.
What a beautiful place! Africa looks lovely. I love the colours. I kept imagining a herd of wildebeasts or elephants running comically through the beautifully lit outdoor table scene and into the pool, though. Lol.
This place is beautiful and I would love to visit.
Isn’t this in Kruger National Park in South Africa? I checked the prices… almost $1,000 per night! But I would love to stay there one day
So to all the people upset about the “waste” of money on this place being built when it could have helped others? What about all the money paid to build houses in the US. This place probably cost a lot less to build than you think; using local labor and material. Not to mention the cost of the land was probably insignificant. You’re all up in arms because it was built in Africa but I don’t think we’d be having this conversation if it were built in California. And I’m on Roger’s side, although he came across a little racist. If i want to build a mansion in an African wasteland so be it. Don’t guilt trip me based on where I want to build my house. All of you bitching about this house; how much money have you given to Africa. I’m sure some of you are home owners. Stop being such hypocrites. If you want to make a difference, each and every one of you whiners should send $50 worth of condoms to these people. It also doesn’t help when we have christian missionaries promoting abstinence and the idea that contraceptives are a sin.
Props to the all the realists calling this what it is.