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"Come
and Visit Again" Vuyatela
means "come and visit again", a term that typifies African hospitality.
Vuyatela is an expression of modern South African culture - a mix of
different peoples from all corners of the world, the strongest influence
being African. |
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You will notice that each of the buildings that make-up your chalet, or "Kaya" (Shangaan word for house), is built in a different technique. Wood frames with packed stones, mud walls painted with buffalo dung and structural elements such as support poles for the roof on the outside of the hut. You will see the gables on some of roofs, this has a three hundred year history in South Africa with the arrival of the Cape Dutch style of gables found on the farmsteads in the southwestern Cape which, has been re-interpreted by modern Shangaan people. |
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Some of the "Kaya’s" have abstract patterns painted on the walls and others have even domestic scenes painted on. Pippa, with the help of talented friends, has created a set of mosaics for each room and these colourful patterns and symbols add to the atmosphere of each "Kaya". In the main building the name of the bar, "Shebeen" (bar in South Africa) and of the curio shop, "Spaza", were made of brightly coloured tiles with exquisite attention to detail. |
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| In the main building the "Shebeen" (bar in South Africa) , were made of brightly coloured tiles. The paintings in the rest room were done by Pippa. |
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Southern
African Cuisine is a fusion of tastes, textures and cultures resulting
in a multi-faceted cuisine: a cuisine formed by settlers and inhabitants
alike; exotic traditions intertwined with local food and customs. The
foundations of this "Rainbow Cuisine" is an eating adventure from Malay
to Zulu, Afrikaans to Italian, Shona to good ol' British fare. Suzi
Holtzhausen created the unique cuisine. |
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All talents in the Djuma team had been pooled and Pippa's artistic background is especially evident in the mosaics and crockery which she, Mare van Noordwyk and Andrew McLeod created. |
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The main lodge is constructed of dark hardwood and stainless steel ,with a tall viewing platform. A long dining table stretches beneath two amazing chandeliers made from hundreds of clear Coca-Cola bottles. Behind the table is an enormous fish tank set into glistening glass blocks. The waiters and waitresses wear trousers printed with a bright fish motif. When scanning the dry bushveld stretching forever around the camp, the fish theme seems curious. It has logic, however, in that the large aquarium in the dining room concentrates on seven species of fish endemic to the Kruger area. |
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| The Dining Room with the aquarium. The chandeliers are made of empty Coca- Cola bottles. |
| This truly traditional Southern African approach has been adopted from the decor right the way through to the culinary delights our guests will experience. Modern art in South Africa is vibrant with ancient African influences and modern necessities and interpretations. Thus African symbolism in the form of masks and carvings are re-interpreted in modern materials. Since many artists expressing themselves in South Africa today do not have access to much in terms of resources – monetary or otherwise – the materials used are recycled from everyday life. This results in a colourful and vibrant art. Chandeliers are made out of glass Coca Cola bottles, paper mache bowls are lined with packaging from everyday life – Boxer Tobacco, Lion Matches, King Korn, to name a few and the file folders are made of flattened cool drink tins. The three dimensional collages in the rooms are made with discarded shoe rubber and the cloths are printed with labels from household brand names such as OMO, Lucky Star Pilchards, Tiger Oats, etc. These exquisite examples of South African art make up the decor of Vuyatela. All of this is reminiscent of Pop Art from the sixties- especially Andy Warhol, with an almost organic African interpretaion. |
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Detail
of some the art in the reception. These four montages made of scrap
iron and cardboard depict township scenes. The lounge where some of
the most superb examples of a vibrant South African art adorns the walls.
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"COME AND VISIT AGAIN" Many and diversely talented people partook in the Vuyatela project. I mention a few of the principle participants. Architect Niell Crafford of Crafford & Crafford Architects designed Vuyatela. Telford Construction built Vuyatela. Suzi Holtzhausen created the unique cuisine. Caline and Samantha decorated Vuyatela. And the local communities of Dixie and Utha provided the skills and labour necessary for the construction of Vuyatela. We endeavoured to source local skills as far as possible and used human labour, rather than big machinery, to accomplish the building of a unique lodge. |
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iPIX
Gallery
Experience Vuyatela
with the amazing iPIX technology.
This allows you to see 360º view of the lodge.
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Djuma Game Reserve
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