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The latest site from Ibiza’s Atzaró Group is based in the wildlife-rich Okavango Delta / photo: Atzaró Group
Listen to buffalo rustling in the scrub as you have a massage, watch hippos wallow as you relax post-treatment – a wellness retreat is central to a “nature-connected safari self-care experience” which will debut in Botswana’s wildlife-rich Okavango Delta this May.
Marking the latest venture from Ibiza’s Atzaró Group, the Atzaró Okavango Camp will be a 12-suite property, situated by the Moremi Game Reserve.
Its 130sq m wellness retreat – with two treatment suites, yoga shala, gym, 20m freshwater pool and large outdoor lounge area – is surrounded by lush greenery and perched above a tranquil lagoon. Its strategic location means that guests can gaze out over the watering hole which is frequented by elephants, hippos, lions, leopards, cheetahs and buffaloes.
Baobab-infused ritual To add a deeper African connection, treatments and products are supplied by Terres d’Afrique. The South African-based company specialises in wellness experiences inspired by the continent’s rich botanical heritage and traditional spa therapies.
It’s crafted a brand new signature treatment for Atzaró using products powered by the baobab tree – known as the symbol of life in the arid savannah – and found in abundance in the Okavango.
Claimed to be a powerful antioxidant, baobab is called a superfruit due to its high concentrations of vitamins, minerals and prebiotic fibres.
The treatment will be offered as either a 60 or 90-minute ritual and start with a bespoke exfoliating mask using baobab powder, kigelia extract, crushed baobab seeds and baobab oil to gently scrub, reduce oxidative stress and help restore the skin barrier. A soothing and hydrating pure aloe gel will then be applied before a detoxifying pinda head massage with heated baobab seeds is administered.
Other therapies will range from facials, massages, scrubs and body treatments to hair and scalp treatments, post-suncare services and hand and foot rituals.
Beyond wellness, guests will be able to indulge in private game drives, community visits, guided safari hikes, stargazing, helicopter safaris, candlelit dinners by the lagoon and canoe expeditions.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Profile: King of Bhutan
Plans for a 'mindfulness city' nearly as big as Hong Kong have been unveiled by the King of Bhutan. Katie Barnes takes a closer look
Destination focus: London
Major hotel brands from Mandarin Oriental and Raffles to Six Senses are all investing in the UK capital, but how will they differentiate themselves asks Katie Barnes
Sponsored: Beltrami – made in Italy
Beltrami has more than 50 years’ experience creating bespoke textile products for spas around the world, with a focus on quality
Jeremy McCarthy: Details matter
Attention to detail is a superpower and necessity in the luxury spa arena, says our contributing editor
Interview: Esin Güral Argat
The owner of Joali Being tells Neena Dhillon what inspired her to create an island dedicated to transformative wellbeing in the Maldives
Family matters: The Wilhelmis
The father and son duo behind the Buchinger Wilhelmi fasting method share their exciting plans for research and innovation with Megan Whitby
First person: By royal appointment
Lindsay Madden-Nadeau has a hypo-healing experience at Atlantis The Royal, Kerzner's sister property to the iconic Atlantis The Palm
Interview: Lyndell Nelis
The wellness director for Atlantis Resorts explains how its two Dubai properties are 'smashing it' when it comes to spa performance
New opening: Kilolani Spa
Grand Wailea's famous Hawaiian spa has been transformed into a moon-inspired, open-air haven
Event report: Hotting it up
Jane Kitchen reveals the thermal spa issues and trends delegates were talking about at this industry gathering in California
Sponsored: High end
Hoar Cross Hall has a new gym to match its award-winning hotel and spa. We find out more about the transformation
Software: Building relationships
Using personal data to create tailored experiences is paramount for spas, but operators have been fined millions for breaching GDPR. How can software systems help navigate this?
Sponsored: Add life
Increasing life expectancy is one of the great achievements of our
times and Starpool is working to bring real meaning to longevity
Contrast therapy, based on the alternation of hot and cold rituals, has become one of the
most valued practices in the fields of wellness and recovery. [more...]
The latest site from Ibiza’s Atzaró Group is based in the wildlife-rich Okavango Delta / photo: Atzaró Group
Listen to buffalo rustling in the scrub as you have a massage, watch hippos wallow as you relax post-treatment – a wellness retreat is central to a “nature-connected safari self-care experience” which will debut in Botswana’s wildlife-rich Okavango Delta this May.
Marking the latest venture from Ibiza’s Atzaró Group, the Atzaró Okavango Camp will be a 12-suite property, situated by the Moremi Game Reserve.
Its 130sq m wellness retreat – with two treatment suites, yoga shala, gym, 20m freshwater pool and large outdoor lounge area – is surrounded by lush greenery and perched above a tranquil lagoon. Its strategic location means that guests can gaze out over the watering hole which is frequented by elephants, hippos, lions, leopards, cheetahs and buffaloes.
Baobab-infused ritual To add a deeper African connection, treatments and products are supplied by Terres d’Afrique. The South African-based company specialises in wellness experiences inspired by the continent’s rich botanical heritage and traditional spa therapies.
It’s crafted a brand new signature treatment for Atzaró using products powered by the baobab tree – known as the symbol of life in the arid savannah – and found in abundance in the Okavango.
Claimed to be a powerful antioxidant, baobab is called a superfruit due to its high concentrations of vitamins, minerals and prebiotic fibres.
The treatment will be offered as either a 60 or 90-minute ritual and start with a bespoke exfoliating mask using baobab powder, kigelia extract, crushed baobab seeds and baobab oil to gently scrub, reduce oxidative stress and help restore the skin barrier. A soothing and hydrating pure aloe gel will then be applied before a detoxifying pinda head massage with heated baobab seeds is administered.
Other therapies will range from facials, massages, scrubs and body treatments to hair and scalp treatments, post-suncare services and hand and foot rituals.
Beyond wellness, guests will be able to indulge in private game drives, community visits, guided safari hikes, stargazing, helicopter safaris, candlelit dinners by the lagoon and canoe expeditions.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Profile: King of Bhutan
Plans for a 'mindfulness city' nearly as big as Hong Kong have been unveiled by the King of Bhutan. Katie Barnes takes a closer look
Destination focus: London
Major hotel brands from Mandarin Oriental and Raffles to Six Senses are all investing in the UK capital, but how will they differentiate themselves asks Katie Barnes
Sponsored: Beltrami – made in Italy
Beltrami has more than 50 years’ experience creating bespoke textile products for spas around the world, with a focus on quality
Jeremy McCarthy: Details matter
Attention to detail is a superpower and necessity in the luxury spa arena, says our contributing editor
Interview: Esin Güral Argat
The owner of Joali Being tells Neena Dhillon what inspired her to create an island dedicated to transformative wellbeing in the Maldives
Family matters: The Wilhelmis
The father and son duo behind the Buchinger Wilhelmi fasting method share their exciting plans for research and innovation with Megan Whitby
First person: By royal appointment
Lindsay Madden-Nadeau has a hypo-healing experience at Atlantis The Royal, Kerzner's sister property to the iconic Atlantis The Palm
Interview: Lyndell Nelis
The wellness director for Atlantis Resorts explains how its two Dubai properties are 'smashing it' when it comes to spa performance
New opening: Kilolani Spa
Grand Wailea's famous Hawaiian spa has been transformed into a moon-inspired, open-air haven
Event report: Hotting it up
Jane Kitchen reveals the thermal spa issues and trends delegates were talking about at this industry gathering in California
Sponsored: High end
Hoar Cross Hall has a new gym to match its award-winning hotel and spa. We find out more about the transformation
Software: Building relationships
Using personal data to create tailored experiences is paramount for spas, but operators have been fined millions for breaching GDPR. How can software systems help navigate this?
Sponsored: Add life
Increasing life expectancy is one of the great achievements of our
times and Starpool is working to bring real meaning to longevity
Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa, the spa business with more than 650 locations across
the US and Canada, has appointed franchise expert Carrie Walsh as CEO as the company plans
to expand.
Synergy – The Retreat Show, the global trade show for retreats, has launched a global research
initiative that will provide insights into the retreat sector from both consumer and industry
perspectives.
The Wellness Tourism Association (WTA) has published a non-regulatory global industry
framework designed to ensure the retreat market offers responsible experiences.
A new survey of UK and international spa practitioners shows that stress, burnout and
wellbeing concerns have caused one in three respondents to consider leaving the industry.
The UK's four Chief Medical Officers have published a refreshed edition of Physical activity
guidelines: UK Chief Medical Officers' report, updating the evidence that underpins the nation's
physical activity recommendations and placing greater emphasis on strength, balance, reducing
sedentary behaviour and, for the first time, supporting people taking weight loss medications.
Anna Bjurstam has left her role as Wellness Pioneer at Six Senses Hotels and Resorts and
launched a new wellness, longevity and “consciousness consultancy” called Wahayla.
Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere, has opened today (10 July) in the Northwest of England
with a
1,715sq m Fairmont Spa that has been designed using a ‘Wellness without Walls’
concept.
Wellness hotels generating less than US$1 million (€932,700, £785,200) – or 10 per cent of
total revenue from wellness and leisure – recorded the strongest RevPAR and TRevPAR growth
in 2025 across categories when compared with 2024, according to the latest Wellness Real
Estate Report by RLA Global, produced in partnership with P and L benchmarking firm HotStats.
Contrast therapy, based on the alternation of hot and cold rituals, has become one of the
most valued practices in the fields of wellness and recovery. [more...]
