A Restorative Journey through the Wilderness

Adding to this experience, as part of your safari we also include the other elements that cater to your overall wellbeing.

The choice on whether you need to stay connected to the “outside” world on safari is yours to make. To that end, all of our camps – with the exception of a handful that are simply too remote – have Wi-Fi. However, we continue to encourage guests – after alerting their families of their safe arrival – to quite literally leave the beaten track and enjoy an authentic African experience where they can connect with nature and local people, as well as family and friends and indeed, oneself.

Nature walks are not only aerobically beneficial, but are also the ideal way of immersing your entire being in nature and enjoying a mindful experience. If you do go walking, expect an early rise, before the warmth of the African sun truly takes hold. By their very nature, walks in the African bush are often a thrilling affair. Just stick with your guide as he knows the bush intimately. Also be aware that walks are often seasonal and subject to a qualified walking guide being available.

In Namibia, where walks are readily available year-round, be prepared to really get your blood flowing as you climb the dunes and rocky mountainous terrain.

In Rwanda, tracking gorillas can be a day-long workout, and in camp you can also enjoy exploring our hillside properties as well as walking to the communities and interacting with the local villagers.

At Wilderness Toka Leya, our Zambezi riverside camp set upstream of the Victoria Falls, you can take a guided nature walk in close proximity to the camp and, as well as find out how we are restoring the area, you can learn about the medicinal properties of local plants and trees.

If you want to build up a sweat, some of our camps, such as the Okavango Delta’s Wilderness Mombo and Vumbura Plains, have long walkways which are conducive to fast-paced daytime walks (without a guide), where you can enjoy the trees and wildlife along the way.

At each Wilderness camp, you will find the experience differs, and as such the spa, massage and gym experiences also vary. In some camps you may find both a full spa and full gym, perhaps even a lap pool. At others we have in-room massage services and you can gym in the comfort of your room. 

In Botswana, we have five camps – Mombo, Little Mombo, Jao, DumaTau and Little DumaTau – offering both a beautiful spa setting with a full treatment menu as well as a dedicated area with where you can work out with a scenic view using our gym, Pilates and yoga equipment. 

The winding wooden walkway between Wilderness Mombo and Little Mombo brings you to our bush spa and gym where you are pampered by one of our two therapists with a massage or facial after an energetic swim in the lap pool, a cycle on a stationary bike or Pilates or yoga on the deck.

Jao’s spa has up to three in-house therapists who offer treatments, either in the reception areas (manicures and pedicures) or in one of the two unique Lily Pad treatment rooms. The well-stocked gym will see to all the incredible dining you will experience while on safari here.

Wilderness DumaTau and Little DumaTau’s gym and spa is nestled privately between the two camps, and is a destination on its own, complete with a lap pool and sun loungers for peaceful contemplation of the surrounding wilderness.

Back at Wilderness Toka Leya, the spa also offers the full spectrum, making it a favourite starting or end-point of a safari for many of our guests. Toka Leya’s evocative views of the Zambezi River, with its soothing hum, also set the scene for heart-pumping movement at the fully-equipped gym and deck.

At some of our other camps, safari massage treatments are also available in your room and are hugely popular, so be sure to book your session when you arrive.

In Botswana, Wilderness Vumbura Plains, King’s Pool and Qorokwe have this offering, while our camps with Wellness Centres (Mombo, Little Mombo, DumaTau and Little DumaTau) can also bring the spa to your room for more privacy.

In Namibia, Wilderness Little Kulala has a spa and can offer in-room treatments, while Serra Cafema will bring the magic of massage to you.

At all our Rwandan camps, our therapists will come to you for in-room massages. Additionally, at Wilderness Bisate you can enjoy a private massage treatment in our beautiful Kwanda Day Lounge, where we also accommodate guests with early arrivals and late departures.

Our belief in the healing powers of nature extends to the products we use for our treatments. The more natural and local the better.

In addition to our formal spa and gym offerings, yoga and Pilates can be practiced from all our rooms, with many of our camps offering our gym-in-a-basket, which consists of an exercise mat, weights and resistance bands.

Beyond that, the idea of wellness is extended to our cuisine, with our chefs creating a combination of local and traditional flavours infused with influences of modern-day cooking. Our menus evolve with the seasons and according to the harvest. While our dining experiences often include sweet pleasures, we can also tailor our menus to your dietary requirements, offering plant-based, vegan, gluten-free and vegetarian options.

While most of our camps are located in very remote areas, many of which cannot sustain their own vegetable gardens, we always try and keep most of our produce locally sourced. That said, at some of our camps such as Wilderness Bisate, the chefs forage directly from the lodge’s vegetable garden. We also try to source produce from local farmers within a five-kilometre radius – advocating not only for the health of the planet, but that of the local economy. Thus, we boast a wholly indigenous farm-to-table experience that contributes to the success of the community, and keeps the environmental footprint light.

While physical wellbeing is one of our key focuses in many of our camps, we believe that our safaris offer a much deeper influence on wellness from an emotional, social and even spiritual perspective. Being surrounded by nothing but the wilderness and away from the constant demands of our daily lives allows for a deep introspection. This is why you often hear that our journeys change lives.