We all know the standard wellness retreat formula. You show up, drink something green, try to contort yourself into a pretzel, and pretend you aren't secretly starving. Celeste Knijnenburg, one of our Rhino Africa Travel Experts with unapologetic five-star taste, naturally expected the usual routine when she booked a stay at Santé Wellness Retreat in the Cape Winelands. She had done a few holistic getaways in her life, mostly the low-key, rustic type, and was curious to see what an elevated version might feel like. What she found was a completely different approach to slowing down.
Meet Celeste in the Winelands
For Celeste, a Franschhoek resident, Santé was a familiar speck on the horizon, sitting close enough for her to spot it from her own house. So, when the chance to visit for the first time came up, she carved out a few days of personal time, packed a bag, and headed across the road to explore on her own terms.
She booked the stay six weeks in advance, but by the time check-in arrived, life had done what life does. Walking through the doors with a racing mind, she worried she was simply too stressed to relax, and she fully intended to schedule as many treatments as possible to maximise her short stay.
But once she dropped her bags, the scene outside her window made her feel like her inbox belonged to someone else, and she found herself in a masterclass in slowing down.
After three days of having genuinely switched off, she walked away reminded of how to simply come back to herself. After all, what is wellness other than a reconnection? Here are her three takeaways from her retreat.
1. It Doesn't Have to Be Complicated
From the moment you arrive at Santé, your schedule is built around you. The process starts with a thorough pre-questionnaire and a medical consultation, where machine tests and your personal history help shape a plan based entirely on how you actually feel that day.
Opting for private yoga over Pilates, Celeste found immediate relief in a teacher who didn’t expect her to perform Cirque du Soleil-level acrobatics on the mat. Stripping away the competitive anxiety of group classes, they took the practice right back to basics.
"She made me see that you can just take it slowly and be in your own space," Celeste notes. "You don't need to force the most complicated stuff."
That shift worked; she now practises almost every evening at home, completely free from the pressure to look like the experts on Instagram.
Normally, she would have skipped the five-minute infrared and red-light laser treatment out of sheer scepticism. But her newly open mindset encouraged her to lean in and give these non-traditional therapies a try.
"I was thinking, what is this really going to do?" she laughs. "But I walked out with skin as soft as a baby's – I just couldn't stop touching my arms!"
It proves you don’t need to listen to hours of spa music to see tangible results.
2. Sometimes the Best Thing to Do is Nothing
Having been on plenty of retreats, Celeste was well acquainted with the standard spa gown, but she drew a firm line at wearing it outside the treatment rooms. Watching fellow guests casually wander the property in their robes, she privately decided the look was absolutely not for her.
Travelling solo, she also harboured a nagging fear that all that time alone would tip into loneliness. But instead of the sudden urge to fill every hour with activity, she found the solitude surprisingly comfortable.
The real turning point came after lunch on her second day. She wandered into the garden with a book from the library, stretched out on a couch in the winter sun, and promptly dozed off.
"I actually fell asleep outside, of all places, in the middle of the day," she laughs.
Waking up to find that someone had draped a blanket over her without her noticing, she conceded defeat.
"Okay, this is proper relaxation," she admits.
Her resistance had crumbled completely. By dinner that evening, the woman who had questioned the robe brigade was proudly and comfortably wearing her own spa gown straight to the dining room.
3. Wellness Isn’t Restrictive
Let's be honest: retreat dining can be notoriously divisive, and the words "gluten-free and sugar-free" usually sound like a culinary threat. The food, however, turned out to be the ultimate plot twist of Celeste's stay.
The portions were carefully considered, yet she never felt hungry, and meals always came with the structure and pleasure of a starter, a main course, and an optional dessert.
The kitchen relies heavily on fresh herbs, turmeric, and clever spice combinations to build flavour, with produce straight from the surrounding farms. She enjoyed the dishes so much that she still cooks them today. A wildly unexpected pairing of warm tomato soup and cold aloe has even become a regular feast for her family back at home.
And you don't have to guess the ingredients – Santé hands over some of their recipes when you leave, ensuring those good habits easily survive the trip back to reality.
A Special Shoutout to the Scenery
You’re still firmly in the Winelands here, which means you can take out bicycles, walk the expansive grounds, or head out on nearby wine tours. But the environment offers more than just a beautiful view. It provides the very foundation of the retreat.
Nature is so woven into the experience that it actually caught her off guard. Lying in one of the treatment rooms, Celeste heard bird song and assumed she was listening to a standard spa soundtrack, only to realise the birds were just outside the glass.
“Oh, this is not the radio. This is the actual sound.”
Framed by the mountains and filled with art from the owners' private collection, the estate has a stillness that allows you to actually hear yourself think.
It makes sense that when asked which hour of the stay she would choose to relive, Celeste pointed straight back to that ordinary afternoon in the garden. Wellness doesn’t have to be an endurance test. Sometimes, the absolute best thing you can do for yourself is simply sit outside.
Where Wellness Belongs in a South African Journey
Celeste returned with a firm idea about where a retreat like Santé belongs in an African itinerary. Her advice? Save it for the end. You can’t step off a long flight with a racing mind and expect to instantly switch off.
Her ideal sequence starts in the Sabi Sand, where the pulse of the bush naturally unplugs you from your phone. Then swap the wild for Cape Town, where the buzz comes from the city instead. Finally, the Winelands retreat is the grand finale.
It’s the most serene place to reflect on the trip and get some genuine rest before you fly home.
Ready to Unwind?
The thrill of a South African safari and the deep stillness of a wellness retreat complement each other beautifully, becoming one perfectly balanced, restorative journey.
Reach out to our Travel Experts and let us craft an escape that gives you permission to finally drop your shoulders and catch your breath.
