these French people who gave up everything for a dream life in the savannah

Ten years ago, Sophie Vaillant was a broker on the financial markets in Paris. Her husband, Ludovic, worked in real estate. Tired of the grayness and the noise, they left everything to settle in South Africa, in a reserve where millions of wild animals live. The French couple saw the big picture, spending all their savings to buy the Esiweni, a luxury hotel perched on the heights of the reserve. They live there with their daughter, Adèle. A change of framework, for a better quality of life.

Cultural and professional adaptation

Without any experience in the hotel industry, they took charge of the high-end establishment. Sixteen employees work there for just five rooms at 600 euros per night, activities and meals included. “We are from a different culture, we don’t come from South Africa. We had to learn to work and communicate well together”, explains Ludovic. His wife, Sophie, manages the hotel side. Having fallen in love with the savannah, hoteliers only return to France from time to time.