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.