Ultimate Jet #73 - Phenom 300E Flight Test

LIFESTYLE TRENDS I 62
A
frican elephants* are endangered. Their population is
dwindling rapidly with poachers seeking ivory killing an
estimated 100 each day!
The light was declining, drawing all sorts of animals out of the
wilderness to drink and refresh after another torrid day in the bush.
Lounging on the terrace in custom-made camp chairs, sundowners
in hand, guests at the Matetsi River Lodge we were enjoying this
particular moment at the end of the day when childhood dreams
come true. Giraffes craning their heads above the tops of the massive
riverside trees, hippos submerged in water drifting nonchalantly, their
bulging eyes fixed on our little group and monkeys by the dozens,
ready for mischief.
«Mosi-o-Tunya»
Set on a private 15km stretch of the mighty Zambezi, meaning ‘The
Great River’ in the local Tonga language, the Matetsi River Lodge and
River House is a destination in itself. It is located 40km upriver from
the rush and spray of the Unesco World Heritage Site of the Falls. In
mid 19e century, Scottish explorer and missionary David Livingston
was the first European to see «Mosi-o-Tunya» or «the smoke that
thunders» waterfall which he named Victoria Falls, after Queen
Victoria. Since it’s opening in 2016, family-owned and independently
run Matetsi Victoria Falls has shaken up the luxury lodge scene in
Southern Africa.
John Gardiner and his family combined the family’s experience in
luxury hospitality with their passion for conservation and for the
beauty of their home, Zimbabwe. An Australian who came to Africa
in the late seventies, Gardiner met his Zambian-born wife Carolyn
and settled here, where their twins were born and raised.
His brief to local Zimbabwean architect Kerry van Leenhoff of Hararebased
firm, Form Studio Design, was simple: «Build the best lodge in
Africa and use local talent.»
Designed to be in perfect harmony with its surrounds, there’s an
ever-present connection between spaces indoors and out. Highly
acclaimed for the distinctly African interiors, Matetsi showcases
polished earth finishes, lustrous hand-beaten local copper detailing,
and cool contemporary flows between interior and exterior living
spaces.