Daily life sometimes takes its toll on the mind, body, and soul, and we all need an occasional escape to let our light recuperate its shine.
Whether it’s the mundane life stressors, or a chronic sense of fatigue that seems to be taking over your calm and balanced mindset – it’s often necessary to step away from it all and reconnect with what really matters.
If you’re feeling highly strung and as if your energy is somewhat dulled down, it’s time to reprioritize yourself and spend some meaningful moments with nature in a relaxed and peaceful setting at a Wellness Retreat – with the only intention being to rest and unwind. You’re guaranteed to come back to your day-to-day life feeling mentally, emotionally and physically recharged!
Where to go to Find the Ultimate Wellness Retreat, South Africa
South Africa is a country filled with expansive natural wonderlands and peaceful landscapes that soothe the soul. We have so many tranquil escapes to choose from, so where do you go for the ultimate South African retreats and spiritual African getaway?
Temenos Retreat & Wellness Center, Western Cape
Temenos means a peaceful space or sacred enclosure, and this African wellness retreat offers just that. Its an idyllic oasis for the perfect wellness-oriented retreat out of the hustle and bustle of city life.
Located in the quaint town of McGregor, this fairytale setting is the best place to relax and unwind. Set amidst beautiful green gardens to embrace your inner stillness and cultivate a deep sense of inner peace, the way only nature can show us how.
You can choose from one of their formal retreats held throughout the year, or simply bring yourself to just come and be, enjoying daily yoga classes and early morning walks through the village’s nature reserves. They also offer a wide range of healing therapies for healing and relaxation.
Karkloof Safari Spa, KwaZulu Natal
Karkloof offers a luxurious bush experience where you can simply exist in the wilderness and really get in touch with your roots. They offer some of the best wellness retreats in the country, including everything from weight management and detox retreats to yoga classes and adventure activities.
This elegant safari lodge is situated in the bush in the KwaZulu Natal region, where you’ll be surrounded by peaceful wilderness and a beautiful and serene mountainous setting. Their spa offers a range of wellness treatments to indulge in as you spend your days shedding layers and cleansing in all ways.
Bodhi Khaya, Western Cape
odhi meaning awareness, and khaya meaning home, is a spiritual place that offers an atmosphere for calm reflection and a variety of wellness and African meditation retreats. Join in their workshops to release the layers of daily grime in a welcoming fynbos setting.
Serenely situated in the beautiful Overberg region, this spiritual oasis is home to a new way of life and a connection to nature that nurtures the mind, body and soul. They host a variety of retreats throughout the year in a setting of over 200 hectares of indigenous fynbos and milkwood forest.
Namasté Detox Retreats, KwaZulu Natal
If you’re looking for a place to detoxify and purify to find your inner peace and stillness, then the programs offered at Namaste Detox Retreats in the midlands KZN will do the trick.
They offer an intensive four, seven or ten-day detoxification program where you focus on goal-oriented programs to revitalize, purging any accumulated toxins to enhance vitality, leaving you feeling like a new person.
Dhamma Pataka Vipassana Centre, Western Cape
If you’re looking for a real African meditation retreat, then this one’s for you. It’s not so much a luxurious wellness retreat as a sacred place where one enters a wellness journey – spending 10 days in silence and engaging in a process of self-observation and self-purification.
The meaning of ‘Vipassana’ is to see things as they really are. That’s exactly what you’ll do in this sacred place – challenge yourself in many more ways than you could imagine to really delve into the depths of your mind, to redesign thought patterns and cultivate a practice of inner peace.
Emoyeni Retreat Center, Gauteng
Head to the Magaliesberg mountains to unwind at an African spiritual retreat center where you’ll have space and time to foster mindfulness and a sense of loving-kindness among the guests.
This retreat center is run on Buddhist principles and offers a structured retreat where you’ll spend time in meditation, participating in “mindful” activities and finding peace through Noble silence. This encourages a spirit of introspection to return to your daily life with the cultivation of mindfulness.
Prana Lodge, Eastern Cape
Located in the Eastern Cape, this idyllic wellness retreat lodge is set amidst expansive indigenous forest gardens that provide the ideal location for a yoga retreat in South Africa. You get the best of both worlds, with the serene trees and the beach just a stone’s throw away!
It’s a center committed to sustainable wellbeing, and using ingredients mostly sourced from the natural surroundings, where you’ll be offered a variety of green treatments and spend your days enjoying healing and rejuvenation. Enjoy guided yoga and meditation retreats before heading to their eco-conscious spa to indulge your senses and unwind in a soul-expanding setting.
Satori Farm Eco Retreat, Natal
With a tranquil setting in Natal’s Midlands, Satori Farm Eco Retreat is a beautiful place that is surrounded by mountains and freshwater streams. It’s a sanctuary where you’ll get to forge a connection with nature and enjoy yoga and pilates, plus reiki, meditation and massage to come back home to yourself.
They offer many retreats and workshops throughout the year which include many down-to-earth activities to reset your centre point in nature and serenity.
Hoogland Healthy Hydro, Gauteng
Hoogland is a holistic health farm that offers comprehensive treatment packages to promote general wellbeing and holistic healing. They have numerous stress management retreats that take place in this haven in the mountains.
They also offer detox regimes, weight management packages, supervised fasting and more packages for specific ailments. It’s the perfect place to destress and detox to revive your body and mind and return feeling uplifted and renewed.
Final Thoughts on the Best African Wellness Retreats
There are so many beautiful places set amidst mountains, forests and bushland that allow you to renew the mind and body, and with so many domestic flight specials available on airlines like Flysaa, there’s no excuse not to!
Unwind with an African savannah transformation retreat or a yoga retreat – South Africa has so many options to choose from. Everyone needs a bit of time to themselves, to relax in nature, reprogramme the mind and get in touch with parts of you that become less important in the daily rush of society.
These are just a few of the many holistic and conscientious retreats that make the most of nature’s places of spiritual sanctuary when life gets overwhelming.
