The 5,000 square foot villas are designed by Silvio and Les, the South African husband and wife design team who created masterpieces such as the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge and Jao Lodge in the Okavango are unimaginably luxurious. Each of the 11 villas are on the beach and have spacious grounds surrounding them. Some guests have never left their enclaves! But what really impassions our guests who have stayed at North Island is the staff. Debbie, known as 'diving' Debbie, runs the dive shop and has been rated as the best instructor by both our beginner diver and very experienced divers. I rate myself as an intermediate diver and for the first time I found that I forgot about the mechanics of my dive and instead savored the experience as much as game drive in Kruger complete with lion kills and charging elephants. Partly it was the superb diving equipment that is stocked on North island, but largely it was Debbie's supreme confidence and comfort in what she does.

Food on the other hand, is the domain of Geoff Murray, the Executive Chef. He makes everything locally--and I mean everything. He makes the butter, the jams and chutneys from fruits and vegetables grown in his gardens, the breads in his stone German baker's oven, even the ice creams, a supply of which is deposited fresh every day in your villa. There is no printed menu. The restaurant and room service staff describe the specials of each meal, but you can ask for anything. What is most enjoyable is to simply chat with Geoff for a while, over a glass of wine on your first day, and mysteriously and almost magically Geoff produces meals that you didn't know you wanted and would rate as amongst the best you've ever had. I chatted with Geoff about my fondness for spices found in the cuisine of southern India and my next lunch was a 'chaat' salad that I had last tasted in Bombay--and I know that nothing was flown in overnight!

More About Geoffrey Murray

Geoffrey first started working in restaurants at the age of 13. In the 80's, he traveled the globe in search of new ideas, catering and consulting as he designed new recipes for his "Modern Ethnic" menus. After several prestigious stints in Paris, he went on to create culinary magic in Aspen, Colorado and Los Angeles, California before storming the New York scene in 1992.

Bringing with him the adventurous recipes inspired by years of travel, he opened the restaurant "Boom" in Soho, New York to phenomenal success, quickly receiving Esquire Magazines vote as "Best New Restaurant" of 1992. The same honor, with South Florida Magazine, was bestowed on him in 1993, soon after the opening of the restaurant "Bang" on Miami's South Beach.

Rave reviews continued to pour in from such high profile magazines as Gourmet, New York Magazine, Vogue and Elle. His reputation as a transcontinental chef, whose ethereal taste shone through in every dish, landed him an invitation to interview for the job as the White House chef under the Clinton administration. Although flattered, he chose instead to accept a rare invitation to cook for the Bordeaux Wine Expo in France. As one of the first Americans ever to participate in such a prestigious gathering, he was quite a sensation with his ultra modern take on traditional cuisine. Always eager to conquer more kitchens Geoffrey accepted more offers to cook for the influential Vin Expo in Verona-Italy, as well as being Host Chef for numerous Krug Champagne events, including one held at the James Beard House in New York City.

Geoffrey has made numerous guest appearances on US and international television. His popularity and influential presence in New York and Miami led to a feature spot on "MTV House of Style" a segment showcasing "Boom" and its inspired chef. In addition to this, he was highlighted on the "Food Network" with Robin Leach.

In 1995, Geoffrey embarked on yet another culinary discovery as he visited places like Thailand, the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore, India, Morocco and Spain while gathering information for a forthcoming book. On returning from his global exploration, Geoffrey consulted on the opening of two more restaurants--"Bang" in Mexico City, Mexico and "Boom" in Madrid, Spain. In September 1997, he took over the kitchens of the Raleigh's Tiger Oak Room on Miami Beach, impressing diners with a mature, sophisticated style of global cuisine.

Always eager for a new challenge and true to his worldwide reputation, Geoffrey moved to South Africa in September 1998 and took Makalali Private Game Reserve by storm. He immediately began spicing up the menus, adding a "Boom" to the Makalali experience. Drawing inspiration from all over Africa, the menus Geoffrey developed for Makalali Private Game Reserve reflects the continents great diversity.

Recently Geoffrey consulted on the opening of a North African-French café, le petit Café, in Johannesburg, South Africa and a contemporary Italian café, Blues Café, in Cape Town, South Africa.

At present, Geoffrey is based on North Island, a rare private island hideaway, in the Seychelles. Using the freshest ingredients, sourced primarily on North Island and its surroundings, Geoffrey and his team are busy developing a contemporary style of "Island Creole" cuisine.