5 cool spas to try in Namibia

Lux Living

A visit to a spa is the perfect excuse to take time out for yourself and indulge in a session of relaxation and peace. It’s like the saying goes: you have to fill up your own cup first before you can fill up anyone else’s. And what better way to fill said cup than with soothing massages, therapeutic waters or mineral-rich mud.

Although the culture of going to spas has not yet become completely entrenched in Namibia, slowly but surely the activity is taking off in the population centres. The most popular and successful spas are still located mostly in Windhoek, but most lodges around the country have realised the importance of offering health facilities to guests. Some of the best spa experiences can be had at a luxury establishment in the middle of nowhere.

For those who don’t have the time (and pocketbook) to travel into the wilderness for some R’nR, make a booking at any of the spas below and get ready to melt your stress and anxiety away in aromatic bliss.

Nomad African Spa

This spa empowers women from underprivileged backgrounds - choosing especially those with visual impairment - by training them as therapists and employing them.

Imagine you have just come back from a safari. You are elated but tired, inspired but in need of a little rest before your long flight home. Instead of waiting out the hours until you have to be at the airport, why not spend them rejuvenating at the spa, where you will be pampered with luxurious therapies and health-conscious dishes. The perfect way to end your stay in Namibia.

Soulstice Day Spa

Your spa experience starts the moment you walk through the door. A refreshing aroma wafting through the interior of the spa greets the nose. Wash your hands and wipe your face with the subtly fragranced wet cloths in a short ritual at the reception to welcome you. Find your name on your locker, which is stocked with a fluffy bathrobe and slippers, and thoughtfully a bite-size chocolate treat on top. From exfoliating mud rituals to pampering mommy-tobe packages, Soulstice Day Spa offers all the expected spa treatments, plus a few wholly unique ones.

GocheGanas

Indulge in a deep-tissue massage out in the bush, as curious springbok walk past. Take a game drive to a clearing in the veld, where a therapy bed is set up, and let your soul become emulsified with the natural surroundings. Located on a private game reserve less than 30 km outside Windhoek, GocheGanas is close enough to the city for convenience yet far enough to feel like an escape. The Wellness Centre houses an atmospheric cave-like sauna and a large heated indoor swimming pool with views across the landscape.

Atlantic Spa at Strand Hotel Swakopmund

A pebble’s throw from the waves crashing on the beach, Strand Hotel Swakopmund has the ideal location on the boardwalk at the Mole. From its perch overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the hotel provides respite from the relentless desert heat and chilly ocean mists, and the convenient inhouse Atlantic Spa offers a wide range of dermatological and relaxation treatments to improve the skin and soothe frazzled souls.

Nina van Zyl