Spa escapes for a little self indulgence

It could last a few days. It could be a few hours stolen between the happy chaos of the festive season. However you choose to do it, carve out some time for a little self-indulgent wellness. And happily, across the country there are luxury hotels, lodges and destination spas offering the last word in inspired wellness journeys.

In my travels this year I’ve found few urban hideaways quite so peaceful as the Future Found Sanctuary. It’s barely 20 minutes from the Cape Town city centre, but sits serenely above the forests and fields of Hout Bay, bordering the Table Mountain National Park. This remarkable boutique destination embraces the philosophy of regenerative travel, and while that certainly applies to its planet-friendly sustainability ethos, it’s also about a regenerative experience for guests.

Alongside natural immersion therapies such as ‘forest bathing’ in Orange Kloof or refreshing dips in a spring-fed natural swimming pool, the Sanctuary also offers an impressive new Sensorium Spa.

The space is the work of design studio Ohkre Collective, which turned to natural tones and textures to echo the nature-focused experience beyond. The spa features four treatment rooms, with a wellness menu that extends to all five senses. A highlight is the cave-like rasul chamber, clad in tinted concrete to create a moody and modern departure from the traditional Moroccan aesthetic.

Out in the Cape winelands, just wandering through the gardens of Babylonstoren is enough to slow your heart rate and let you breathe out again. And now the celebrated hotel has cemented its wellness credentials with the addition of a new Hot Spa to the existing Garden Spa.

The main area is bathed in natural light, with views over the vineyards and a necklace of interconnected pools, forming a memorable indoor-outdoor heated hydro experience intended to be enjoyed year-round. The mosaic-lined hammam embraces the more traditional rituals of this ancient Arabian wellness experience. Vaulted ceilings create an intimate space for the Rasul, a new experience on Babylonstoren designed to be enjoyed by just two guests at a time. After indulging in the extensive treatment menu, which takes much of its inspiration from the gardens, guests can ease back into the everyday in the new salt room crafted from blocks of pink Himalayan salt, a natural mineral known for its therapeutic properties.

The hammam experience is equally a highlight of The Oyster Box Spa in Umhlanga, another hotel spa in which day visitors are welcomed. Amid the billowing steam, an array of bespoke scrubs and deep tissue massages will rest and revive muscles tired out by what has been a very long year. Alongside partnering with acclaimed skincare brand Tata Harper, The Oyster Box Spa offers its own B|Africa range of products that combine indigenous African plant extracts with the natural healing properties of the ocean.

While The Oyster Box is ideal for either a short break or a day visit, up in the Midlands the Brookdale Health Hydro on Nottingham Road is the kind of place you want to check in and chill out for a few days.

Nominated for SA’s Best Wellness Retreat 2022 at the World Spa Awards, the facilities here are impressive, with everything from steam rooms to Pilates studios. Accommodation is offered across a range of room categories, with the spacious Forest Suites offering glorious green views from the private balcony.

You’ll find a range of packages available, offering a quick two-night break through to a full six-day detox and destress. All packages include a selection of wellness treatments to enjoy during your stay, making this a value-driven wellness getaway.

Staying in Johannesburg for the festive season? There is no shortage of spa escapes on offer, from a blow-the-budget indulgence at The Saxon to the excellent Life Day Spa in Rosebank. But rather make an occasion of it, with a sojourn to the serene gardens of the Four Seasons Westcliff. Across the collection of treatments, the spa takes a proudly Afrocentric approach to wellness, incorporating everything from marula oil to indigenous botanicals in its signature journeys.

After your treatment float away the last of your stress in the dedicated spa pool, or retire to the Aprés-Spa — the only outdoor spa lounge in Johannesburg — to soak up sweeping city views. It may be just a short escape from reality, but a worthwhile investment in wellness.