Faru Faru Away…

…in the wilderness of Africa, I found myself soaking in the most glorious (ie enormous and with this deliciously fragrant oil…) bathtub; watching the colobus monkeys playing in the trees across the riverbed from my villa. For real! The colobus monkey is one of those super rare sightings and so it was almost like having a front row seat at the U2 concert….OK, maybe not THAT cool, but it was pretty cool. The colobus is the most arboreal of all African monkeys and is rarely seen on the ground. It uses branches like trampolines, jumping up and down on them to get liftoff for jumps of up to 50 feet. They leap up and then drop downward, falling with outstretched arms and legs to grab the next branch. Their mantle hair and tails act like a parachute during these long jumps. They are rare because they were (and still are) hunted for their fur for use in tribal rituals and as trim by western furriers.

And so, back to this bathtub with massive picture windows, it can be found at Faru Faru Lodge which is one of the three Singita lodges in its privately owned reserve of 400,000 acres. The reserve, the Grumeti, is in the famed Serengeti and is home to all the things you want to see when going on safari. This is Singita’s ‘chic modern’ lodge with white & beiges giving it a very organic feel. The contrast of natural elements against cutting-edge design and uber-luxurious furnishings is integrated in six open-style suites, each with an outdoor bathing option (some have showers, some have bathtubs outside…mine had the shower). And yes Gabrielle, the other people are 'Faru Faru' away...thanks for the sound bite!

The over-flow slate pool overlooks the watering hole for the elephants, so you can watch the elephants cool off while you take a dip yourself. Or you can lounge on the comfy pillows, read, nap, whatever. The property offers an honor library where you can take a book...and/or leave a book to share with some future traveler.

All three of the Singita properties of the Grumeti share services…so if you want to do a horseback safari, the equestrian center at Sasakwa is at your service! They also offer mountain bikes, a full spa, an impressive wine list, laundry services (loved that!) and they really go above and beyond to make your time with them unforgettable.