Think untouched absolutely gorgeous wilderness – from baboons in front of your bungalow door to monkeys stealing fruit from your drinks to watching elephants gather around watering holes and bathe in mud, to the highlight, watching a leopard try to hunt an impala during early evening hours. Your experience in South Africa will be as diverse as the animal kingdom you will encounter in the Kruger National Park. Colors of the nature are some of the most vibrant ones ever seen. Skies are blue, ocean crystal clear (although cold), sun shines brighter than anywhere else in the world, and after you leave game reserves vegetation turns lush as you approach Cape Town or take a scenic road driving along spectacular coast line and multiple vineyards on your way to Hermanus. Tribal Gal 2 loved whale watching and diving with sharks (very cool) but nothing compares to African arts and crafts. South Africans artisans are creative beyond belief!  Anywhere you turn you will see amazing handmade baskets, statues, beads and ivory jewelry. Tribal Gal 2’s favorite home decor items – serving wooden spoons a la Africa with zebra and giraffe prints.
You will meet tribes such as the Zulus and Masai whose bead work is so intricate and impressive and so hard to even imagine it is all done by hand. If you are in pursuit of art and beauty that breaks stereotypes, South Africa is the perfect inspiration. In the meantime, Tribal Gals will bring you a  taste of this amazing country to your doorstep. Make your dinner party with the ultra chic serving spoons a la Africa and wear stunning chunky jewelry to match this season’s khaki and safari trend. Both you and your home can be en vogue for the season with a little help from Tribal Societe. See our safari inspired pieces. Guaranteed you will love them!

One last added bonus for beaches around Cape Town, you share them with jackass penguins – just don’t try to pet them. They bite! Oh and, you should know that you can purchase a home for African endangered penguins on Dyers Island. Best $50 ever spent!

A little shopping paradise, and although us Tribal Gals are totally sick of the cold weather in NY (snow on the first day of Spring, you have got to be kidding) we can’t wait to zoom into Fall and Winter 2009/10.  You are going to LOVE our femme fatale winter hats and super warm mittens. So take a peek in the shop, pure silver bangles and earrings and a preview to the incredible land of alpaca to come from us with ‘osito’ and ‘bedside lama’ offerings.  In the meantime, beach weather where are you!? Oh and yes we went and swam with the Sea Lions; our fantastic photographer made a little spoof edit of that as you can see Tribal Gal 1 head sort of blends in with all the Sea Lions!  

Among the most memorable takeaways; cows roaming aimlessly in the streets, totally totally undisturbed.  The cow is a sacred animal in India, no news there, but to see what that actually means, is a bit eye opening.  We went to Agra of course; Tribal Gal 2 to a wedding and dressed in a very cool Saree. Both Tribal Gals 1 & 2 had a special identifiable feeling when we saw that portion of Slumdog Millionaire (the part where some tourist was asked to raise her hand in the air and seemingly clasp the top of the Taj Mahal; yeah, we did that.  We ventured to Kerela one separate occasions and discovered the world of Ashrams and Ayurveda. Stay tuned for product offering from apothecaries 1812! Gift of perfect ageless skin from India.