Unlike Asia, luxury travelers don’t often head to Africa when they’re looking for a wellness vacation. Africa is still a magnet for wildlife and wilderness, but as customers begin to seek out wellness in even the most remote destinations, the continent’s hoteliers and tour operators have begun to take notice and create wellness offers.
Singita, which operates 12 luxury safari lodges across southern Africa and the Serengeti, has understood that wellness and safari can go hand in hand. The chain has just invested in renovating the spas at its lodges in the Kruger National Park (the magnificent Lebombo and Sweni), with new cosmetics based on local organic ingredients.
What Singita offers is a holistic wellness experience. We offer space, calm, integration with nature with thoughtful and relevant food offerings and the opportunity to relax body and mind. The new luxury is personal enrichment.”
Joss Kent, CEO of andBeyond, agrees with this idea of wellness as personal enrichment. “Health and wellness are all the rage, but we see that customers are traveling, not to escape their daily lives, but to enrich them.” For him, safaris offer an ideal opportunity to switch off the mobiles and disconnect. In fact, the upscale hotel chain is looking to limit wi-fi so that it is only present in common areas, allowing guests to cut themselves off from their daily lives.
Keen to enhance its wellness offerings, andBeyond Bateleur Camp has recently reopened in Kenya’s Masai Mara Park with a splendid spa and fitness center. andBeyond Phinda Rock Lodge reopened last year with a rooftop terrace for sunrise yoga and meditation.
In the coming months, we’ll be publishing various reports on wellness in Africa.
Would you like to book a wellness holiday in Africa?
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