Enjoy a massage with your partner as the sun
sets over the Indian Ocean or out in the bush,
as antelope and zebra graze on the plains and
quench their thirst at the watering hole.
The wellness phenomenon is sweeping Tanzania.
Visitors see their holidays as a chance to
unwind from the stresses of every day life,
relax and pamper themselves. Spas are popping up
across the country, becoming a standard addition
to hotels and resorts in a response to tourist
demand. Ease out the knots from a bone rattling
game ride with a massage or recover from your fl
ight with a refreshing facial.
More and more hotels, lodges and resorts are off
ering spa treatments. Thai and Balinese
therapists run luxury spas, equipped with plunge
pools, saunas and steam rooms, off ering
extensive treatment menus. However, spas in
Tanzania blend European and Asian infl uences
with a uniquely Swahili element, off ering
treatments drawing on Tanzanian natural
ingredients. Seaweed, tropical fruit and Pemban
honey are used in facials to rehydrate and
rejuvenate skin. Aloe vera grown across the
country and salt water is used to sooth sunburnt
skin. Essential oils hail from the country’s
spice farms, soaps are made from cloves, lemon
grass and cinnamon.
Swahili beauty rituals are celebrated, with spas
off ering singo, an exfoliating spice scrub from
Zanzibar, traditionally for brides. A paste is
prepared using jasmine, ylang ylang, rose
petals, sandalwood and rose water and applied to
the body, leaving skin smooth, fragrant and as
soft as silk. Hamman baths hail back to
Tanzania’s Arab heritage. Coconut oil and clove
oil are used in massages, hair is twisted into
braids and hands and feet are adorned with
henna. At Gibb’s Farm in the Serengeti, a Maasai
healer off ers traditional heat and clay
treatments to revive and rejuvenate you.
Nature walks in the lush greenness of the
forests and yoga revive the spirit. Tanzania’s
tranquillity combined with superb spas ensure
you’ll be rejuvenated by your holiday.
