About

About Amarula Estates

Friendly, welcoming host who makes folks feel very comfortable. Our goal is to make sure you have a great stay in the lovely State of Florida.

The Story Behind the Name

The Marula Tree has been the source of several fascinating legends and remains a sacred and intricate part of ancient African Culture. 
The owner of Amarula Estates is a local Doctor in the area. His formative twenty yesrs of living in Sourth Africa ingrained the African Bush in his blood and resulted in Amarula Estates deriving its name from the Marula Tree.

Locals have revered this tree for centuries by various names. Elephants travel for miles to feast on the Marula's wild fruit and locals thus refer to it as 'The Elephant Tree'.
The Marula tree is believed to have aphrodisiac properties and therefore features in tribal fertility rites. The ripening of the Marula Fruit in summers coincides with great celebrations in many part of Southern Africa. In Swaziland, for example, The Annual Marula Festival Is celebrated at the king's royal residence, sustaining the belief that the Marula fruit is fit for Kings and Queens.

The Home's Design

At a local school fete , the owner was awarded an invite to a luncheon with his local congressman in Washington, DC. While in the Charlottesville, VA area, he visited Monticello and was inspired by the home of Thomas Jefferson. Monticello served as a good example of Roman Neoclassical Architecture, with large columns adorning the front and rear of the house. The owner subsequently returned to Florida where he designed and built this magnificent home on the banks of the Tomoka River.