Sunshine, sand, scary animals, and scrummy food - what more could one ask for
from a holiday destination? South Africa seems to have it all. But there's
another "s" to add to the list, which is making it an even more
desirable holiday hotspot. Spas. They're popping up everywhere. From
five-star hotels to safaris, they're all at it, adding a luxury spa.
"It's about location," says Matthew Armstrong from the South African
tourist board. "There's such a variety of environments and the spas
reflect this, whether it's a vinotherapy spa in the wine region or a spa
where the treatments are inspired by local tribes in the bush."
And it's not just the location that mirrors the environment, so do the beauty
products. Of course you can get the usual Elemis and Clarins products, but
even the most mainstream spas use locally produced essential oils from the
indigenous vegetation. One of the most popular brands is Moya. It is made
from "fynbos", the hardy vegetation that grows all over Table
Mountain (which reputedly has more than 1,000 different types of plant on it
- the same quantity as the whole of Europe). Among other things the lotions
and potions contain the delicious smelling Cape geraniums and Cape
chamomile, and the scent is similar to a dusky Aveda.
Local vegetation isn't all that's used to make the products, local folklore is
also applied. Famous in the world of spa is Doctor Elliot Ndlovu, a
herbalist or witch doctor, depending on who you hear it from. He throws
bones to diagnose your ailments, and believes that if your mind is
suffering, so will your body, so he has to fix both. He uses wild ganja and
potato plant to make his potions. He is the face of Fordoun (www.fordoun.com)
a slick 5-star hotel and spa a two hour drive from Durban.
For a more scientific approach Dr Fernandez is a South African plastic surgeon
of some reknown. He developed Environ, a range of skin creams containing
significant amounts of Vitamin A which he claims rejuvenate the skin. In
fact, South African has built a reputation for itself for great plastic
surgery, due to the surgeons' high levels of medical expertise. It also
helps that surgery can cost less than half the price of surgery over here,
and practitioners speak English. There are plastic surgery packages where
patients have the operation and then recuperate in a five-star hotel and
spa; the Twelve Apostles Hotel (www.12apostleshotel.com)
has one such package. Presumably, when they return home everyone just
thinks the holiday has done them the power of good.
It's not just the surgeons who are good at what they do. According to the
experts, the beauty therapists are pretty exceptional, too. Jo Foley, spa
guru and author, says that some of her best spa treatments have been from
South African therapists. And she should know, she travels the world trying
out the latest spas. "They have two years of intensive training which
means they're knowledgeable and experienced. Their expertise means they're
also sought after in British spas," she claims.
But you don't go to South Africa just for the spas. It's the sun, the wildlife
and the culture that draws you there. And a good spa can combine all three.
Frances Geoghegan, managing director of the Africa Travel Centre, recalls
one magical spa moment she experienced at the Royal Malewane (www.royalmalewane.com)
on the fringes of the Kruger National Park. She was having a massage outside
at sunset when "I looked up, out on to the bushveld and I saw an impala
drinking at a nearby waterhole. Bliss." Not many spas can boast that on
their treatments menu.
For more information about travelling to South Africa, visit: www.southafrica.net
For exclusive reviews of three of South Africa's best spas visit the Times
Online Good Spa Guide
