If a good massage is an essential element in your holiday accommodation choice, look no further than our selection of the best luxury hotel spas in Africa.
From city hotels where you can ease off the jet lag with an invigorating massage to beach resorts that will ensure you’re 100% unwound by the time you leave, these luxury spa hotels are inspiration for anyone who needs a bit of R&R on their vacation. And because safaris can be surprisingly tiring, with all the early starts and long drives, we’ve also included a couple of lodges with great spas to keep you energised and glowing.
The Oyster Box, Durban
The spa at The Oyster Box, Durban’s iconic colonial-style hotel, is in a separate building from the rest of the hotel, accessed via a little walkway through a lush garden. There are six treatment rooms and one of the only hammams in South Africa.
Mara Bushtops, Masai Mara
The Amani Spa at Mara Bushtops, in the Masai Mara, Kenya, located in its own little ‘spa village’, offers a range of massages, hydrotherapy and holistic treatments. There is also a sauna and a Rasul steam room, a heated infinity pool and a cold plunge pool.
Banyan Tree Seychelles
The Asian-inspired Banyan Tree Spa has eight pavilions on the hillside, each with views of the sparkling ocean. There are all sorts of wraps and massages available, based on Thai and other Asian styles.
Anantara Bazaruto, Mozambique
The spa at Anantara Bazaruto has five treatment rooms alongside an ice pool and a hydrotherapy pool. The treatments combine Western, African and Asian practises, including body scrubs, mud wraps and Thai massages.
Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa, Cape Town
On Cape Town’s coastline, backed by the Twelve Apostles mountains, the Twelve Apostles Spa has seven treatment rooms, hydrotherapy pools, a Rasul chamber for Arabic cleansing treatments, a ‘tranquillity lounge’ in which to relax after a massage or body scrub, and a beauty salon.
Sasaab Lodge, Samburu National Reserve
Spasaab overlooks the Ewaso Nyiro River in the Kenyan wilderness, which guest can admire as they indulge in treatments such as a Kenya Coffee Body Polisher or a Post-Safari Pick-Me-Up massage.
