I visited a new breed of safari lodge, where I learned the power of blending wildlife and wellness

"On a cool, rainy afternoon in the wilds of Laikipia, Kenya, I am lying in savasana, or corpse pose, beside a log fire in the pool house of Enasoit Camp. The teacher, Laura Bunting, gently intones a yoga nidra to our small, all-female group, during which I slip in and out of a hypnotic half-light state, only vaguely aware of the sound of rain on the thatched roof and the percussive efforts of a nearby woodpecker."

"It's precisely this territory that a new breed of safari wellness experiences seeks to explore, offering guests a more intentional and soulful connection to the natural world. These are trips that could include drum journeys, fire meditation, shamanic rituals and farm-to-table food. Bunting lives on the edge of Tsavo National Park, where leopards nap beneath her house, and runs the retreats at Enasoit through her company Wildlife & Yoga."

A new breed of safari lodges pairs traditional wildlife viewing with wellness and mindfulness practices to foster deeper connections with nature. Guests participate in activities such as yoga nidra, silent walks, drum journeys, fire meditation, shamanic rituals and farm-to-table dining. Local guides and practitioners incorporate regional knowledge and language to enrich the experience and heighten sensory awareness. The approach emphasizes movement, presence, and slower days rather than passive game viewing, aiming to transform typical safari routines of eating and sitting into intentional, soulful encounters with the landscape and its wildlife.

Read at CN Traveller