CALL OF THE WILD SURROUND YOURSELF WITH ADVENTUROUS AMBIENCE AT HOME.

Byline: Barbara De Witt Fashion Editor

Ah, the allure of Africa.

Theodore Roosevelt popularized it. Ernest Hemingway fictionalized it. Karen Blixen romanticized it. Hollywood made movies about it.

Bibi Jordan is turning it into a decorating concept for armchair travelers.

The 51-year-old Woodland Hills mother of two has spent so much time in Africa that she, like ``Voyage to Paradise'' author Annie Gottlieb, believes, ``Home is not the same when we come back from a trip or close a book.''

In her new book, ``Safari Chic'' (Gibbs & Smith Publishing; $39.95), Jordan not only shares the awesome beauty of that exotic continent through photos and anecdotes about giraffes in the dining room and lions at her tent flap, but shows readers how to create their own ``Out of Africa'' ambience. With the help of Los Angeles stylist John Tripp, she created in her own home an outdoor sundowner setting with lanterns from Home Depot and mosquito netting from Pier 1, and a glamorous tent en suite (safari lodge for luxury-loving adventurers) with a chandelier from a flea market over the bed, silver travel candles from Pottery Barn and ferns and palms from the supermarket for the book.

``Safari Chic,'' however, is no ordinary travel - or decorating - book. Read between the lines and look at the photos, and you'll see this is clearly about a woman who is as well-traveled in life as on land. Like those ``hunters'' before her, she has traveled the world, written about it and keeps coming back to try different safari camp styles in Africa's diverse regions.

At home, between a flurry of book-signing appearances, Jordan explains how it all happened, from her first safari to the book.

``Ironically, it wasn't my first safari, at age 25 with my husband, that started my love of Africa, but my second trip ... a low-budget overland safari with my children, Alexandra and John. You see, I'd talked about the trip with the children and promised that when Alexandra was 10, I'd take her to Africa. Well, she never let me forget, so we took her brother who was then 5, and roughed it on a trip that cost about $40 a day,'' she recalls.

They were on the safari in Botswana and Zimbabwe when baboons walked through the grounds of a national game park. Then they were charged by an elephant on a game walk, and then tipped over by a crocodile while canoeing in the Zambezi River.

``But the final straw,'' she recalls, ``was watching a poisonous snake slither under our tent through the zoom lens of my camera. That did it. We left and stayed one night in a wonderful camp, and I knew I wanted to come back and stay in this type of luxury ... the quintessential safari experience with a well-armed guard, but had to figure out how.''

When she noticed a beautiful picture of a nude woman walking with an elephant at the camp, she got the idea this would be a fabulous location for a Playboy magazine layout.

Playboy?

``After my divorce, I posed for Playboy in a special fab-at-40 layout, so I was thinking they might like this layout and hire me as the coordinator,'' the former marketing strategist explains. Within six months her dream materialized, and she was coordinating the shoot in Botswana and staying in some of the most exclusive bush homes in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Botswana, South Africa and Kenya.

The inspiration for a home-decorating book came from a pre-departure shopping trip she made for one of the camps.

Says Jordan, ``They asked me to pick up 20 place settings from Pottery Barn and five lamps from Restoration Hardware. Then, arriving at the camp, I was surprised how well these easily available items combined with a few choice heirloom antiques, local curios and a natural setting to create a unique atmosphere. I loved the look and realized that if this is how they decorate in one of the most expensive camps in Africa - where guests pay up to $1,000 a day - I could create the same look in my spare room ... and show others how easily and inexpensively they could do it in their own home.''

A self-proclaimed adventurer, Jordan says her house and every corner of her garden reflects a different trip. Her garage studio looks like a safari tent, with white canvas drop cloths used as drapes and a computer desk made from wooden shelves covered in canvas from Hold Everything. Also reflecting an African ambience is her son's room, while her daughter's room is inspired by their trip to the Amazon, with bows and arrows and headdresses on the walls.

The front yard, she says, is an English rose garden, but it could be uprooted after her next adventure and forthcoming book ``South Seas Chic,'' to be published next summer.

Safari-speak

Safari: To go on a journey; disappear into dust, and clouds and sunset. An African expedition, its roots date back to the early British military command of the East India Co. who were out for a bit of sport (big-game hunting).

Bimble in the bundu: Settler's slang for a ride in the bush, which is the African Savannah area.

Bush jacket: The original African safari expedition jacket, a single- breasted design of khaki-colored cotton with peaked lapels, and four large bellows pockets to hold lots of stuff. You can find contemporary versions at specialty stores, but the real thing is made by Willis & Geiger. For a catalog, call [phone]. Another source is Holland & Holland in New York, [phone].

Tent en suite: A safari tent designed for people who don't want to rough it, but want to hear the call of the wild outside their tent flap. It may have canvas walls but will also have modern and luxurious bathroom facilities, such as footed tubs.

Cape wagon: The African version of the covered wagon that was collapsible so it could be carried over rivers and up mountains. Not used anymore, but you'll score points talking about them and the good ol' days at your own safari tent party in the back yard.

Big-game hunters: Those early adventurers who brought home trophies (souvenirs such as animal's head or hide) and great stories, including Ernest Hemingway, author of ``The Green Hills of Africa'' and H. Rider Haggard, who wrote ``King Solomon's Mines.''

Khaki: Although it's often used to describe a tan pair of cotton pants, it's really a Hindu word for the color of dust or earth. Khaki-colored clothes have been popular military favorites since 1848 and are still worn on safari because they provide a camouflage so that you can watch animals more easily. The color is also a popular choice for safari-chic decor.

Sundowner: A chilled cocktail - usually gin and tonic, named for the famous African sunsets - that is poured from a silver shaker and sipped at sunset after a day hunting big game.

- Barbara De Witt

Shoppin' safari

Yearning for that exotic ``Out of Africa'' ambience? Even if you can't afford a real safari, you can turn your home into one of Africa's romantic tent en suite camps with a few items from local outposts. Remember, it's a mix of British luxuries and African crafts, and heavy on the mosquito netting.

English silver tea services: If you don't have one, look in second-hand stores or visit a store that specializes in vintage reproductions such as Bombay Co. Or visit Algabar, 920 N. La Cienga Blvd., Los Angeles.

Brass tea pots: They're everywhere, from Marshalls and TJ Maxx to Michaels crafts stores, as well as fancy kitchen accessory shops.

Animal print rugs and pillows: If you don't have the real thing, look for faux prints of zebra, giraffe, cheetah and leopard at furniture stores. Or make the pillows yourself, adding fringe.

Canvas: The official safari fabric that doesn't wrinkle, is somewhat water- and stain-resistant and sturdy enough for tents, shower curtains, bedspreads, sofa and chair cushions. You can buy it as paint drop cloths starting at $18 at Home Depot, or sewn into portable dressers at Hold Everything stores.

Sisal mats: You're in luck on this ethnic fad. They're available at numerous stores such as Pier 1 Imports, Cost Plus Imports and other places, and look great on wood or stone floors and also patios.

Old luggage: It gives the room that well-traveled look, especially when you stack the old leather suitcases (not '60s-style red vinyl) on top of each other and use as a side table for a lamp and some books. Find them at flea markets, thrift stores or your grandparents' garage. And spray for pests before bringing inside.

Table linens: Cheery blue-and-white gingham tablecloths will add English charm to outdoor dining, but inside try a dramatic white cloth topped with an ethnic/African woven rug (also called wall hangings). Or go with a simple white tablecloth and zebra print placemats with candles and old silver items. Fabric stores and the linen department of any major store will offer options.

Bedding: If you're really going for the safari camp look, you'll need twin beds or a smallish four poster style covered in sheer, gauzy Swahili fabric - also referred to as mosquito netting - which you can find at Cost Plus and IKEA.

Furniture: Heavy, dark Mission-style and art-deco designs in wrought iron are popular styles for safari chic, but a weathered wicker chair and/or leather deck chairs will add to the African ambience. You can find many of these looks in all price ranges at most furniture stores, including South Cone Trading Co. designs at Modernism in Sherman Oaks, Hayward's in Calabasas, A Room of My Own in Calabasas and World Caravan in Studio City. Of course you'll need an old-fashioned footed tub for the bathroom, which you can find at Home Depot and similar stores. Also check Malabar Coast at 8650 Hayden Place, Culver City; and R&R Design Imports, 3830 S. Broadway, Los Angeles.

- Barbara De Witt

Safari screen gems

Not sure how to pull off that just-home-from-safari look? Do your homework and get inspired with some of these films:

``I Dream of Africa'' - Kim Bassinger stars in this new movie now in video release, about life with lions and tigers, plus great decorating ideas.

``Out of Africa'' - 1985 film starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford that is a study in East African decor and lifestyle seen in camps, lodges and homesteads.

``King Solomon's Mines'' - This 1950 film starring Deborah Kerr and Stewart Granger takes viewers on a safari to the land of the Watusi.

``Mogambo'' - A 1953 romance in Africa starring Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly and Clark Gable, featuring authentic safari fashions by Willis & Geiger and plenty of Savannah style.

``The Jungle Princess'' - Dorothy Lamour's first sarong film, made in 1936, with Ray Milland. The prints in her wrap skirts will look great as tablecloths or bedspreads.

``Tarzan'' - Any of the more than 30 Tarzan films of the 1930s, '40s and '50s will take you on safari, acting as a primer on safari clothes, tents and animal prints.

``The Lion Hunters'' - Johnny Sheffield stars in this 1951 big-game hunters' expedition to the land of the Maasai, which is known for colorful prints especially in red.

``Ten Little Indians'' - Although it's one of the most boring adaptations of Agatha Christie's famous mystery, this 1989 film is set in a safari camp in Africa in the '30s. Forget the story line and acting and study the closeups of the lavish camps, complete with mosquito netting, canvas tents and an array of British antiques and silver tea sets.

- Barbara De Witt

Appearances

``Safari Chic'' author Bibi Jordan of Woodland Hills will greet fans and sign books on the following dates:

Dec. 2: Algabar, 920 N. La Cienga Blvd., Los Angeles; [phone]. Event begins at 1 p.m. and includes a slide show and Safari Tea Break.

Borders, 1415 Third St. Promenade, Santa Monica; [phone]. Slide show begins at 7 p.m.

Dec. 4: Borders, 6510 Canoga Blvd., Canoga Park; [phone]. Event begins at 6:30 p.m. with slide show, and book proceeds benefit Woodland Hills Elementary School.

Dec. 5: Rizzoli's, 332 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica; [phone]. Book signing at 7 p.m.

Dec. 9: Momentum, 107 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena; [phone]. Event begins at 5 p.m. with slide show and Safari Sundowners reception.

Jan. 23: Distant Lands, 56 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena; [phone]. Slide show at 7 p.m.

Jan. 27: Borders, 4735 Commons Way, Calabasas; [phone]. Book signing at 7 p.m.

CAPTION(S):

13 photos, 4 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- 4 -- cover -- color) To re- create the safari look in her own home, Bibi Jordan uses sisal mats on the floor, animal print pillows, ferns and table made from Arizona flagstone. Canvas drop cloths five the feeling of being in a tent; to add to the camp-site ambience, light tiny silver travel candles, available at Pottery Barn.

(5 -- 6 -- color) The bright red cloth and beaded designs of the Massai tribe, right, offer colorful inspiration for creating your own safari-chic camp as replicated in this glassware set, below.

(7 -- color) Jordan turned a bedroom in her Woodland Hills home into an elegant African camp, using mosquito netting from IKEA, bed linens from Restoration Hardware and a chandelier found at a flea market.

(8 -- color) To create an authentic hunter homestead like Kirkman's Camp in South Africa, Jordan suggests Mission-style furniture and British accents.

(9 -- 10 -- color) Canvas tents such as the Abu Camp in Botswana offer the finest luxuries of a bygone era, including a footed copper bathtub.

(11 -- color) Author Bibi Jordan shoots wild game with a camera for her latest book, ``Safari Chic.''

(12 -- color) English traditions, such as sundowner cocktails poured from silver shakers, are part of the safari experience.

Photos from ``Safari Chic'' by Bibi Jordan

(13) no caption (Bibi Jordan)

Box: (1) Safari-Speak (see text)

(2) Shopping Safari (see text)

(3) Safari Screen Gems (see text)

(4) Appearances (see text)