By The UNCHARTED® editors · 8 min readWhen it comes to travel, the term “well-being” is no longer just about massages, spas, and yoga—although these can certainly be nice perks. In an over-plugged world, people are taking a more holistic approach to wellness that balances the yin of serenity with the yang of adventure.
You can find so much serenity at the close of an active day on safari: Shut off the engine, bask in the sun’s softening glow, enjoy the watering hole’s dusk parade, and smell the sweet wild sage. Back in camp, soak in your infinity pool and listen to the rustle of elephants browsing the acacia trees. In other words, there’s time to take it easy and soak it all into your bones.
The Global Wellness Institute, an organization dedicated to highlighting healing and health during travel, recently revealed that nearly one-third of global travelers opted for wellness-related journeys last year: Healthy travel enables people to address neglected aspects of their lives, like relationships, self-care, and the need for connection.
Traveling for well-being is more than a vacation or temporary escape. Destinations and communities that prioritize wellness also provide opportunities for travelers to carry the benefits back home, and at UNCHARTED, we take that kind of holistic approach to heart. These are some of our favorite places that have the power to recharge the soul.
Rwanda: Mountain Gorillas and Massages
VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, RWANDA
Nothing can prepare you for the palpable sense of interconnectedness you’ll feel from these not-so-distant cousins.
Locking eyes with these incredible creatures is an encounter you’ll never forget. After a rigorous day of traversing trails in
Volcanoes National Park
Mount Bisoke
and overlooking its crater lake, UNCHARTED Outpost
or summiting
Gorilla’s Nest
is an ideal place to unwind.
Nestled in the foothills of misty mountains, in a world surrounded by eucalyptus trees, travelers feeltranquil just by hearing a robin’s singsong or the calls of colobus monkeys. The gardens and plants that grow on the property contribute to everything—from the cassava fondant and plantain puree on your dinner plate to the rose water in your bath.
Gorilla’s Nest is also known for the dramatic views from its jungle spa. This haven pulls from the heritage and traditions of Rwandan medicinal practices, and guests can enjoy a variety of holistic therapies, including a lymphatic drainage knead that uses African wooden massage balls, and a coffee scrub that is sourced from homegrown beans. Herbal plants typical of the Kinigi region are also grown in their gardens, and used in treatments that target personal pain areas. While listening to the rain and inhaling the smell of wood smoke, you will certainly return back to a pure, primal state.
Swoon in the jungle
Canada: The Healing Waters
GREAT BEAR RAINFOREST, CANADA
The moment you arrive in the pristine wilderness that is home to UNCHARTED Outpost Nimmo Bay, you have escaped the excess stimulations of modern life.
British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest
Located within the vast expanse of
, this temperate coastal wilderness is surrounded by old-growth forests, surly surf, and rivers chock-full of chinook. It is also home to grizzlies, black bears, and the beautiful white spirit bear.
From locally foraged meals to transformative treatments, wellness is seamlessly woven into every aspect of your stay. Water therapy is one of our favorite aspects at Nimmo, whether that means soaking in a cedar hot tub set at the base of a waterfall, kayaking the nearby bays, taking outdoor showers, or experiencing their hot-to-cold hydro-therapy, which involves jumping from an anchored floating sauna into the Pacific Ocean. At Nimmo, wellness is in the water.
That goes for dining at Nimmo Bay, too: all ingredients are locally sourced, and often fresh prawns, uni, halibut, and Dungeness crab are on the menu. Guests have opportunities to forage and free-dive for their food, and learn from master chefs how to gather and prepare a delicious meal to enjoy around a fire under the stars.
In addition, botanical facials and sea salt scrub massages under towering evergreens are offered, as are hikes to spot the elusive spirit bears and connect with the forest.
Soothe Your Soul
South Africa: Slow Down the Safari
LIMPOPO, SOUTH AFRICA
Explore the art of decompression—an aspect often overlooked amid the thrill of safari adventures.
Kateka
UNCHARTED Outpost
seeks to do just that by embracing the wilderness and encouraging a slower pace. ("Kateka" translates to "be blessed" in Tsonga). “I’m a linger-longer girl,” says Sandy Cunningham, UNCHARTED co-founder. “I’ve done the whole moving around every three days, but staying put and spending a solid week in the bush hits a real sweet spot.”
Klaserie Private Nature Reserve
Nestled in the
, the Outpost overlooks 160,000 acres within the Greater
Kruger
. Lions, kudu, Cape buffalo, and the African painted dog have made massive comebacks since the region halted hunting years ago, and it has since been transformed into a conservation hub.
Kateka, one of the few lodges in the region, is aligned with this ethos and continues the vision of safeguarding the wild integrity of the land: They don’t just want guests to stop and stare at these thriving creatures, but to take a minute with them … spot the swish of a tail, the flick of an ear, or the cackle of a hyena, and get attuned to the subtle signs and rhythms of the wild. What is that body language signaling? Is there a predator nearby? Moreover, there is a low density of vehicles in the Klaserie, which means greater intimacy with both the wildlife and the bush.
In addition to this stop-and-smell-the-flowers approach (quite literally—the smell of aniseed and knobthorn blossoms fill the air), they also have an outdoor infinity pool, an indoor Jacuzzi, and an infrared sauna with a salt-lined floor for guests to enjoy after their game drive.
Take a break in the bush
Chile: Epic and Organic
THE CHILEAN ANDES
Chilean Patagonia’s rugged mountains, glaciers, and expansive plains make it a haven for nature lovers.
UNCHARTED Outpost PATA is a sanctuary designed around being outside, rewilding, and sustainability. Every detail has been organically crafted, and the atmosphere is akin to summer days at your family's summer cabin, albeit with a (big) touch of luxury. It's the kind of simple wellness we all crave.
Sitting on an open valley floor surrounded by wide pastures, the snow-capped peaks of the
Las Monjas
range, and steep forested cliffs, this Outpost also has a 250-acre working farm. The azure
Futaleufú River
runs along a wide bend of the estancia, creating miles of pebbled beaches perfect for sunbathing. Futaleufú means “Big River'' in the native Tehuelche language, and it’s an apt description for this glacier-fed giant that provides some of the world’s best whitewater. Moreover, the lodge has a 46-foot sailboat to explore the surrounding fjords.
Horseback riding through the orchards and learning how to make fermented apple chicha provides organic connections to the land and local ways. So does a day spent helping to shear sheep alongside Balú, the resident Patagonian polar bear of a dog. Using local labor and materials, the farm and
PATA
itself are both off-grid, producing their own energy and treating their water. They also make honey, have a nursery for local plants, a robust greenhouse, and vast gardens that can offer secluded escapes for relaxation, reading, or a yoga class.
PATA often hosts renowned folk musicians and seven-string guitarists from Chile, Argentina, and Brazil to play for their guests. After a day on the water or in the orchards, unwind even further by sipping local wine and sampling sheep’s milk cheese around a campfire while draped in cozy alpaca blankets.
Patagonia
This is not a side of
many travelers get to see, but this is our bliss.
Head South
New Zealand: Experience a
Pōwhiri
Welcome
CRAIGIEBURN VALLEY, NEW ZEALAND
You don’t need to be a spiritual seeker to realize that there’s something going on in New Zealand: Its vibrations and vitality are almost tangible.
The Māori know this as “wairua,” or an energy that feeds the soul and spirit. Despite the country being known as an ultimate outdoor adventure destination, travelers often find that, whether they’re looking to or not, they discover these ancient, invisible networks of energy that run through the earth.
pōwhiri
Taking part in a
, or a traditional Māori welcoming ceremony, is a must while you’re here. The belief in this ritual is that it welcomes visitors into the physical and spiritual aura of the country by those who are still deeply connected to the land (the Māori call themselves Tangata whenua, or the People of the Land).
Mount Titiraupenga
In the divine forests of
, UNCHARTED guide and warrior Delani Brown, a master in the art of whakairo (Māori wood carving), shares a sacred, intimate journey alongside his healers, and greet eachother with hongi, a ceremonial pressing together of their noses and foreheads as a way to give respect. Taking part in this ceremony has been many UNCHARTED travelers’ favorite part of their New Zealand trip.
Flock Hill Station
On the South Island, we love visiting UNCHARTED Outpost
. The Dalai Lama himself once called this land “a spiritual center of the universe,” and it just so happens it is an extremely important region for Māori: Kura Tawhiti sits nearby, and it is known as the birthplace of the gods to the pioneering voyagers from Rapanui (Easter Island).
Southern Alps
Nestled in a remote, pristine valley surrounded by the
, this homestead is a 36,000-acre working sheep station, and is surrounded by glistening lakes that support high-country life. Known for farm-to-table cooking by private chefs, guests can eat in one of the homestead’s several outdoor or glass-enclosed dining spaces while enjoying the ambience of roaring fireplaces and soaking up the last of the sun before it sinks behind the alpine backdrop.
Try New Zealand’s ethereal side
Antarctica: Take a Polar Plunge
SOUTHERN OCEAN, ANTARCTICA
Welcome to the 7th continent—and welcome aboard UNCHARTED Outpost the Ocean Nova.
Often described as the quietest place in the world, Antarctica’s isolation is what hits most. While kayaking amongst an ombré of blue glaciers, you’re bound to spot flocks of emperor penguins, and see gentoos slip and sneak below the water’s surface alongside your paddle. Occasionally, a breaching humpback or orca might appear thirty feet away—making your kayak suddenly feel very small. Travelers will likely hear little except for popping ice and albatross calling out for mates.
The Ocean Nova’s most famed activity is its legendary polar plunge. While tethered and dressed head to toe in cold weather gear, you can leap off the gangway and into the icy water below. This is one of the most refreshing opportunities out there, but even if you’re not willing to take the plunge, watching others dive in also makes for a great story! Moreover, cold water immersion can have several health benefits, including improved circulation, increased metabolism, and stress reduction.
Afterwards, unwind in the boat’s sauna or in the library’s stylish and cozy interior, exclusively designed by world-famous architecture firm Enrique Concha & Co.
All aboard
UNCHARTED™ is a high-end experiential travel company that designs, plans, curates, and executes unforgettable travel experiences. If you can dream it, we can make it happen.
