Why Africa is Wellness Travel’s Rising Star

Stressors can be overt or covert. Financial pressure, heavy workload, relationship issues and health concerns can all play a part. Stress is a "silent killer" due to its effects not necessarily presenting apparent symptoms. Instead, effects such as poor diet, lack of motivation to exercise, poor work-life balance, cardiovascular failure and type 2 diabetes. The pervasive threat of the digital era of being "always on" compounds these triggers. While some people tread water in the murky depths of denial, addicted to burnout, others are awakening to the importance of striking balance in life, elusive as it may seem. Travel can help.

From Worriers to Wellness Warriors

In the "decade of action", we look to the WHO's purposeful global framework that aims to integrate wellness into modern society through health promotion. Travel fulfils vital aspects of physical, mental, and social health by reducing stress, enhancing emotional resilience, and fostering social connectedness through new experiences.

Effective as a path to combating any adverse effects of globalisation and the always-on culture of the digital age, travel and tourism stimulate an appreciation of diversity in those open to it. Africa offers many options for a traveller's immersion into foreign culture. Making time to escape to untamed settings nurtures mental health by encouraging self-awareness, adaptability, and creativity, essential components of holistic wellbeing.

Cape Town: Africa's Wellness Hub

Cape Town, consistently lauded as one of the world's best cities, is a natural choice for those craving its restorative qualities. Affectionately known as the Mother City, Cape Town's nurturing attributes position the city as Africa's true wellness hub. Allow me to disabuse you of the notion that wellness equals spa treatments only – although Cape Town has many exceptional options – true vigour is a multifaceted, holistic concept wholeheartedly embraced by Capetonians.

Set apart by unique geographic features – the city literally hugs Table Mountain, it offers countless opportunities to fortify body, mind and soul. One of the many apparent drawcards is the CBD's proximity to mountain trails, watersports and airborne adventures such as paragliding or hang gliding within Table Mountain National Park.

Nearby, discover exquisite beaches like giant granite boulder-studded Clifton and sundowner central Camps Bay. See and be seen along the beautiful Sea Point and Green Point promenade. Unearth the secrets of the Shambala-esque Cape South peninsula, beyond the "muesli curtain" to Noordhoek and commune with folk whose wellness values feed their community spirit.

The Mother City’s Taste for Wellbeing

Recently listed as one of the world's best culinary cities to visit in this year's Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Choice Awards, Mother City's manifold options for conscious culinary astounds.

Vibrant restaurants serving plant-based plat du jour menus with inventive ingredients in gorgeous settings will send you and your tastebuds into stratospheric delight. Here's a tantalising tally of the city's top 25 new restaurants to whet your appetite.

Sober-Curious in the Cape

The Cape's heritage, rooted in wine culture, sees the rise of an intoxicating zero-alcohol trend capturing the imagination of the food and drink industry: the sober curious movement.

Spilling the Tea on Wellness

Suppose you seek an alternative to de-alcoholised wine tastings? Consider visiting Carmién Tea for a caffeine-free crop-to-cup rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis) experience. Citrusdal, located approximately 175 kilometres from Cape Town, near the majestic Cederberg area, is best known for its incredible rock formations, dark sky and untamed wilderness. The tea, made by harvesting leaves from the hardy bush part of the fynbos family, holds many restorative qualities.

Good, Better, Travel

Africa is best placed to offer the health-conscious wayfarer a transformative holiday where each destination provides unique opportunities to commune with the wilderness. Reset your body clock to nature's rhythm, allowing stress to slip away in untouched rainforests, biodiverse wetlands teeming with wildlife, pristine beaches, awe-inspiring mountain ranges and timeless deserts. While visiting, take life at a blissfully unhurried pace, allowing for meaningful connections with yourself and others.

Explore Wellness Travel in Africa 

Take your wellness retreat to the next level with our Travel Experts, who'll craft a personalised journey just for you. Sit back, relax, and let your African wellness adventure start here.

Featured Image Credit: Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge