Great Plains, the iconic eco-tourism company founded by National Geographic Explorers at Large & award-winning filmmakers, Dereck and Beverly Joubert, is inviting travellers to experience safari as a journey for the mind, body and soul with ‘Wellness in the Wild’ – a collection of restorative experiences across its camps in Kenya, Botswana and Zimbabwe.
As travellers increasingly look beyond traditional spa-led wellness towards experiences that encourage better sleep, movement, nourishing food, time outdoors and meaningful connection with nature, Great Plains offers a distinctly African interpretation of holistic wellbeing.
From yoga overlooking elephants in Kenya and working out in an open-air gym in Botswana to sleeping beneath the stars, dining on plant-rich cuisine and learning first-hand about the rewilding of Zimbabwe’s landscapes, the experiences place nature firmly at the centre of the wellness journey.
Great Plains’ own wellness philosophy, “Wellness in the Wild”, focuses on helping guests connect with nature and recharge both mind and body, with spa experiences designed to complement time spent outdoors. Its treatments use organic Healing Earth skincare and massage products made with natural and plant-based ingredients, while herbs harvested from camp gardens can also be incorporated into selected treatments.
“For us, wellbeing has never been something that sits separately from safari,” comments Great Plains CEO Dereck Joubert. “There is something innately restorative about waking with the sun, moving through wild landscapes, eating beautifully prepared food and falling asleep beneath an extraordinary African sky. Safari has an incredible ability to reset our rhythms.’Wellness in the Wild’ is our way of bringing together the many ways our guests can slow down, reconnect with nature and themselves, while also knowing that their journey contributes to protecting the places and wildlife around them.”
KENYA: Nourish, Restore and Sleep Beneath the Stars
A Wildly Relaxing Spa and Plant-Rich Dining at Great Plains’ New Zamara Private
Opened in July 2026, Great Plains’ Zamara Private is a new six-suite private safari residence overlooking Kenya’s Maasai Mara, designed for couples, families and small groups looking to experience one of Africa’s most celebrated ecosystems in complete privacy. Blending Wabi Sabi-inspired design with refined comfort, the residence comprises two spacious Master Suites and four standalone Guest Suites, each conceived as a tranquil retreat with private outdoor decks and showers beneath the stars. Elsewhere, guests have access to an infinity pool, private spa, wellness space with gym, sauna and steam room, media room and rooftop terrace.
At the spa, Great Plains’ ‘Wellness in the Wild’ philosophy translates into a collection of restorative treatments inspired by nature. Signature experiences include the 90-minute Great Plains Renewal, combining dry body brushing, exfoliation and a deeply relaxing back massage using local ingredients, and the Out of Africa Treatment, which uses Healing Earth-blended oils alongside scalp and foot massage. The Healing Earth Bush Rescue Facial harnesses botanical ingredients including marula, baobab, rosehip, neroli, organic aloe and African potato, while the 30-minute Jet Lag treatment uses oils infused with mint and eucalyptus to soothe the neck and shoulders following a long journey.
Wellness continues at the dining table, where Zamara Private’s chefs place a strong emphasis on flavourful, plant-rich cuisine. Head Chef Paul’s signature Zamara curry feast draws on the Indian cooking techniques he developed while working in restaurant kitchens across Nairobi, alongside Kenyan and wider East African influences. Dishes include a classic Butter Chicken alongside a plant-based Tofu and Pea Bhurji Makhani, served with idli and dhal, vegetable-loaded jeera rice, mixed salad, hummus and roasted vegetables. Designed as a light yet satisfying lunch following a morning safari, the feast reflects Great Plains’ wider plant-rich food philosophy, with balanced spice and plant-based alternatives incorporated throughout.
Nightly rates at Great Plains’ Zamara Private, Kenya, start from $32,500 (£24,335*) based on 12 guests sharing on an all-inclusive basis. For more information and to book, visit https://greatplainsconservation.com/zamara-private/.
Yoga, Horse Riding and a Night Beneath the Stars at Great Plains’ ol Donyo Lodge
Further south in Kenya, Great Plains’ ol Donyo Lodge sits on the Maasai-owned Mbirikani Group Ranch in the Chyulu Hills, between Amboseli and Tsavo National Parks, with spectacular views towards Mount Kilimanjaro. This Réserve-Collection camp is part of Relais & Châteaux and can accommodate up to 20 adult guests.
ol Donyo Lodge offers guests a fully equipped gym to use at leisure but also the option to swap the traditional gym for the great outdoors. Each suite is equipped with a Great Plains yoga mat, allowing guests to practise beside their private plunge pool or on their rooftop Star Bed deck, accompanied by birdsong and, at times, elephants drinking from the waterhole below. Those looking to venture further afield can take their practice into the surrounding landscape, from the Kopjes overlooking the plains and Mount Kilimanjaro to the El Mau twin hills, before finishing with a quiet guided bushwalk. Guests can also explore the wilderness on horseback, by mountain bike or on foot, providing active alternatives to a traditional safari drive.
Come nightfall, the ultimate natural sleep experience awaits. Guests can follow a lantern-lit walkway from their suite to a private rooftop Star Bed, made up with luxurious linen and draped in mosquito netting. With no ceiling beyond the vast Kenyan sky, guests fall asleep to the sounds of the bush before waking naturally to birdsong and the rising sun.
Nightly rates at Great Plains’ ol Donyo Lodge start from $1,755 (£1,313*) per person per night. For more information and to book, visit https://greatplainsconservation.com/ol-donyo-lodge-kenya-safari/
BOTSWANA: Move, Slow Down and Reconnect
An Open-Air Gym and Spa at Great Plains’ Zarafa Camp
At Great Plains’ Zarafa Camp, situated on the private Selinda Reserve in northern Botswana, staying active on safari has taken on an entirely new meaning with the launch of an open-air gym.
Looking directly out into the surrounding wilderness, the equipped outdoor fitness space enables guests to train while immersed in nature rather than stepping away from it, offering a decidedly different backdrop to the conventional hotel gym. Guests staying at Zarafa and across Great Plains’ Réserve-Collection safari camps also have access to in-room fitness touches including weights, yoga mats and exercise bikes, making it easy to maintain a routine while travelling. Following a workout – or an early morning safari – guests at Zarafa can retreat to the camp’s refurbished spa, where a selection of curated massages and treatments provide the counterpoint to time spent exploring the Selinda Reserve.
Zarafa, Botswana’s first Relais & Châteaux property, comprises just four spacious suites overlooking the Zibadianja Lagoon. Beyond the gym and spa, guests can head out on guided walks and photographic safari drives or, when water levels permit, explore the lagoon aboard the camp’s pontoon.
Nightly rates at Zarafa Camp start from $2,250 (£1,683*) per night. For more information and to book, visit https://greatplainsconservation.com/zarafa-luxury-safari-camp-in-botswana/
The Art of the ‘Slow Safari’ at Sitatunga Private Island
For those seeking a quieter pace, Sitatunga Private Island offers a different interpretation of safari altogether. Set in the upper reaches of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, the water-based Réserve-Collection camp apart of Relais & Châteaux has been designed around the concept of the “slow safari”, encouraging guests to connect more deeply with their surroundings rather than racing between wildlife sightings. The camp was created almost entirely using recycled materials and accommodates no more than eight adults, adding to its feeling of stillness and seclusion.
Guided bush walks shift attention towards the smaller details of the Delta, from identifying tracks and plants to understanding the interconnected ecosystem beneath guests’ feet, while mokoro excursions and boating provide an equally gentle perspective from the waterways. By night, guests can turn their attention upwards. Away from urban light pollution, the vast African sky becomes an experience in itself, with guides helping guests identify constellations and discover the stories of the night sky.
The camp takes its name from the elusive sitatunga antelope, an aquatic specialist that thrives within the Delta’s wetlands and which lucky guests may have the opportunity to spot.
Nightly rates at Sitatunga Private Island start from $1,660 (£1,241*) per person. For more information and to book, visit https://greatplainsconservation.com/sitatunga-private-island/
ZIMBABWE: Feel Good by Giving Back
Discover Great Plains Foundation Project Rewild at Tembo Plains Camp
In Zimbabwe, Great Plains takes the idea of a restorative journey beyond personal wellbeing to the health of the ecosystems’ guests have travelled to experience. Through the Great Plains Foundation’s Project Rewild, the organisation is working to restore wildlife populations, ecological functions and biodiversity in landscapes where species have declined.
Healthy ecosystems rely upon a balance of flora and fauna, and Great Plains’ rewilding work ranges from safeguarding land and enabling natural regeneration to species reintroductions and major wildlife translocations. Great Plains has been involved in rewilding for almost two decades, beginning with the protection of Botswana’s Selinda Reserve in 2006, followed by species reintroductions through Rhinos Without Borders from 2015 and, since 2022, Project Rewild in Zimbabwe.
Between 2022 and 2025, Project Rewild translocated 101 elephants, 17 painted dogs, 663 impalas, 68 zebra and 70 giraffe across Zimbabwe. The aim is not simply to move wildlife, but to help restore healthy, functioning ecosystems over the long term. Translocating keystone species such as elephants, for example, can contribute to landscape health through grazing, seed dispersal and their role in shaping habitats.
Guests staying at Tembo Plains Camp, in the private 290,000-acre Sapi Reserve east of Mana Pools National Park, can gain a rare behind-the-scenes insight into this work. Rather than promising the chance to witness a wildlife release itself, the Great Plains experience focuses on the vital work that continues long after a translocation has taken place.
Guests can spend time with Great Plains’ Wildlife Rangers to discover what it takes to move 101 elephants or an entire pack of painted dogs before visiting the operations room to learn how relocated animals are monitored following release. They may also meet members of the Great Plains Foundation’s Female Ranger Programme, hearing first-hand about life as a pioneering woman working in conservation.
Tembo Plains, the first Relais & Châteaux safari camp in Zimbabwe, sits within thick riverine forest on the banks of the Zambezi River and comprises four double suites alongside the two-bedroom Zanji Suite. Safari drives, guided walks, boating, canoeing and catch-and-release fishing offer further opportunities to explore the landscape, where painted dogs, lions, leopards, buffalo and elephants are regularly encountered.
Nightly rates at Great Plains’ Tembo Plains Camp start from $1,455 (£1,088*) per person per night sharing. For more information and to book, visit https://greatplainsconservation.com/tembo-plains-camp-luxury-zimbabwe-safari/
Guests wishing to further support Project Rewild and the Great Plains Foundation can donate at www.greatplainsfoundation.com/donate.
