Luxury Travel | Kenya, Botswana and Zimbabwe
What if a safari could restore your mind and body as well as show you incredible wildlife? Great Plains, the eco-tourism company founded by National Geographic Explorers at Large and award-winning filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert, has launched Wellness in the Wild, a collection of restorative experiences across its camps in Kenya, Botswana and Zimbabwe. “Safari has an incredible ability to reset our rhythms,” says CEO Dereck Joubert.
Here are five of the highlights.
1. A private spa overlooking the Maasai Mara
Opened in July 2026, Zamara Private is a new six-suite safari residence overlooking Kenya’s Maasai Mara, designed for couples, families and small groups. Its private spa offers nature-inspired treatments using organic Healing Earth products, from the 90-minute Great Plains Renewal to a Bush Rescue Facial with marula, baobab and rosehip, and even a 30-minute Jet Lag treatment. Head Chef Paul’s plant-rich Zamara curry feast is the perfect lunch after a morning game drive. This is the ultimate splurge, with whole-residence rates from around £24,335 a night for up to 12 guests, all-inclusive.
2. Yoga beside elephants and a night under the stars
At ol Donyo Lodge in Kenya’s Chyulu Hills, with views of Mount Kilimanjaro, every suite has its own yoga mat, so you can practise beside your private plunge pool while elephants drink at the waterhole below. You can explore on horseback, by mountain bike or on foot instead of by vehicle. At night, follow a lantern-lit path to your rooftop Star Bed and fall asleep beneath the open African sky. Rates start from around £1,313 per person per night.
3. An open-air gym in the Botswana wilderness
At Zarafa Camp, Botswana’s first Relais & Châteaux property, on the private Selinda Reserve, a new open-air gym looks directly out into the wilderness, so you can train while surrounded by nature. Afterwards, unwind in the refurbished spa. With just four suites overlooking the Zibadianja Lagoon, it’s wonderfully exclusive. Rates start from around £1,683 per night.
4. A “slow safari” in the Okavango Delta
For a gentler pace, Sitatunga Private Island in Botswana’s Okavango Delta is built around the idea of the slow safari. Built almost entirely from recycled materials and hosting no more than eight adults, it encourages you to notice the small details on guided bush walks and peaceful mokoro canoe trips, then spend evenings stargazing far from any light pollution. Rates start from around £1,241 per person.
5. Feel good by giving back in Zimbabwe
At Tembo Plains Camp on the banks of the Zambezi, guests can go behind the scenes of the Great Plains Foundation’s Project Rewild. Between 2022 and 2025 it moved 101 elephants, 17 painted dogs, 663 impala, 68 zebra and 70 giraffe across Zimbabwe to help restore healthy ecosystems. You can meet the wildlife rangers, visit the operations room and hear from the Female Ranger Programme. Rates start from around £1,088 per person per night sharing.
More info
Sterling prices were correct at the time of publication. For details on all camps and to book, visit Great Plains.