lux GULFCOAST LUXURY HOMES AND LIVING 2014 COASTAL NESTING ROSIE O DONNELL S PRIVATE CASEY KEY BEACH RESIDENCE
STORY AS TOLD TO JAY MCMANEMON BY MICHAEL AND TERRI KLAUBER. PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL KLAUBER.
1 PREVIOUS PAGE: Michael and Terri Klauber pause for a moment, from the other side of the camera lens. Pride of young lion cubs in pursuit of their mothers. THIS PAGE: 1. Young lion cub rests on a Marula tree at sunrise. 2. While observing a mother and daughter leopard at Londolozi, Terri Klauber captured a rare moment when their tails touched in the shape of a heart. 3. The male lion nicknamed "Hip-Scar", photo by Max Klauber. 4. BOMA (British Officers Mess Area) Dinner prepared exclusively for Gulf Coast Connoisseur Club travelers. 5. Mother and baby white rhinos. 5 2 4
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1 THIS PAGE: 1. Two male cheetah gaze out at the bush. 2. Young male elephants playfully challenge each other. 3. A group of Gulf Coast Connoisseur Club travelers comes upon a wild dog on a morning game drive at Londolozi Game Reserve. 2
3 every other year, and we begin planning about two years in advance. In South Africa, there is so much demand for game lodges, and the special place that we go, Londolozi Game Reserve, is one of the best-known private game reserves in the world. We host our trips through the Gulf Coast Connoisseur Club, which is our family s loyalty travel program and includes Michael s On East, Michael s Wine Cellar and my brother, Tommy s, two restaurants, Pattigeorge s and Polo Grill. We work with our travel partner, Admiral Travel International, for booking our travel arrangements. This year, we planned three separate trips in July and August of 2013. The trips each spanned 12 days, and there were around 20-30 people in each group. The planning for these trips involves creating truly unique experiences for everyone that joins us. We begin with a pre-trip excursion to an exciting destination; this year we took our first-timers to Victoria Falls. We then went to Cape Town to see an outpost of Antarctic penguins on the waterfront. We took the coastal drive, full of spectacular scenery and high mountains, all the way to Cape Point the southernmost point of Africa. Next, we went to the Cape Winelands; the wine growing there started in the mid-1600s, integrating a lot of rich history into one of South Africa s most beautiful wine growing regions. We worked with chefs from different restaurants, helping them to plan and manage the menus for each meal served to our guests; every menu is unique, even when we re in the bush. We brought in winemakers from throughout South Africa to share some of their most beloved and celebrated wines, which paired nicely with the high quality South African cuisine that was served. At Londolozi, our guests resided in luxurious lodges, which include options to stay in one of five themed suites featuring elegant wood and stone materials used to convey the true essence of the African surrounding, as well as outstanding river views, private swimming pools and intimate decks for relaxation. The Varty family that owns and runs Londolozi is focused on the guest experience, conservation and preservation; they are absolutely amazing people. They have tracked the lineages of the animals on their reserve for generations. They can look at a leopard and tell you the leopards name just from looking at the unique pattern of spots below its nose. During safari game drives, we witnessed some of the most amazing sightings of wildlife, including elephants, rhinos, hippos, wild dogs and even lions that were mating, hunting and living in their element less than 20 feet from where we were sitting in the vehicle we re in their world. Because hunting hasn t been allowed on the reserve in so many generations, the animals look at us as part of the landscape, and they don t view us as a threat; we were able to coexist amicably. One of the most exciting things for my wife, Terri, and I, is to see the look on people s faces the first time they have a close encounter with the wild animals it s priceless. One of our most memorable experiences this year was when the quietest, shyest man on the trip pulled back into camp from a game drive shouting at the top of his lungs, You wont believe what I just witnessed. We had hardly heard a word come out of this man s mouth and the things that he saw and felt really moved him it was awe-inspiring. Without a doubt, Londolozi is the epitome of the African wildlife experience. It s a place to go to shut the world off and become one with some of the things that really matter in life love, respect, spirituality, emotion. It s a life-changing experience for my wife and I and the groups we take with us.
2 3 THIS PAGE: 1. Gathering place at the original Varty Camp Lodge at Londolozi Game Reserve. 2. Sunrise over the Sand River from Founders Camp Lodge. 3. Greater Blue Eared Glossy Starling. 4. Baby giraffe at sunrise. 5. South African Black-Footed penguins at Boulders Beach, south of Cape Town. 5 4