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| Photo by Freeimages.com/andy langdell |
by Lizzie Porter, The Daily Telegraph, January 28, 2015
Virgin Holidays opens Thames-side South African lodge, available for overnight stays with a private chef to hand.
Views from the private balcony may be of the Thames rather than the African savannah, but safari holidays came a little closer this week with the arrival of a luxury treehouse on London ’s South Bank .
The 35-foot high luxury lodge transports guests to the safari plains of South Africa, with tribal prints, a four-poster plush bed and several one-off pieces of African sculpture in a layout by Hubert Zandberg, a South African interior designer based in London.
"“Africa has such a rich heritage with beautiful patterns, textures and materials – they translate really well when placed in a contemporary design environment," he said.
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Members of the public can visit the treehouse and enter a competition for the chance to stay a night in the lofty perch, which was inspired by the Lion Sands Game Reserve treehouse accommodation in South Africa .
Consisting of two bespoke bedrooms, it also comes with a six-course private degustation menu from Masterchef 2013 quarter finalist Petrus Madutlela aimed at those with adventurous tastes.
The menu includes dishes such as tempura meal worms with induja mayo, shaved ostrich biltong, braised terrine of crocodile and smoked goat fillet with chakalaka sauce.
“Although a lot of these ingredients are seen as a bit wild and eccentric, they are actually exceptionally tasty and good for you,” said Madutlela
“I cook a lot with Bughu, a lemony herb native to South Africa, and it's perfect for this time of year with a valuable source of vitamins A, B, C, E and a whole bunch of antioxidants,” he added.
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Virgin Holidays is behind the installation, which is open to visitors from 11am to 6pm until Friday January 29. It will be staffed around the clock by representatives from the tour operator, security and event organisers.
Members of the public can register their details at virginholidays.co.uk/dreambigger for the chance to win an overnight stay in the treehouse.
This article was written by Lizzie Porter from The Daily Telegraph and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.
