A Safari for the Heart, Spirit, and Wild

You will be met by a representative and assisted through customs and immigration. Transportation to the Residence Hotel has been arranged to accommodate your arrival time.

If you arrive in the morning, we can assist in arranging a tour of the township of Soweto or a visit to the Apartheid Museum, or book a spa treatment (costs extra).

That evening, the group will gather for a gentle yoga practice, dinner, and guided meditation to support the transition into South Africa.

After breakfast, we’ll fly in to Phinda’s airstrip. On arrival, we’ll be taken to the Rock Lodge which is dramatically set into a cliff face, seemingly suspended over the deep valley below, providing breathtaking views of Phinda Private Game Reserve.

After lunch, we’ll take our first safari ride. In the evening we’ll dine on the rooftop overlooking the reserve.

You will stay in one of six luxurious suites, settling in for a restful evening in comfort and care.

Mornings are a great time to see wildlife since they move around more when the air is cooler.

We’ll have a full breakfast and some time to freshen up before yoga on the deck. Our Hatha-influenced practice will focus on breath, helping us cultivate peace and stability within.

After a delicious lunch, we’ll head out again for some more wildlife and exploring during an evening safari ride. Our day will come to close as we share stories over a lovely dinner.

We rise before sunrise and head off into the bush to be in sync with Mother Nature. Our trackers and rangers, with their wisdom and experience, will take us to corners of the reserve where the wildlife lives.

More opportunities to witness wildlife up close and practice techniques to help us return to the heart and reconnect with our natural state during our evening game ride.

Dinner under the stars, amongst company that cares – a perfect way to end the day and head to bed for a good night’s sleep.

We will be hands-on in dehorning a rhino. Roll up your sleeves and work elbow to elbow with the habitat rangers, or stand to the side and take it all in.

Very few people will ever have an opportunity like this. It would not have happened if it wasn’t for you. This experience will change you. There will also be meaningful opportunities for photographs.

We’ll head out again for some more wildlife and exploring during an evening safari ride. A lovely dinner followed with a good night’s rest to bring a once-of-a-lifetime day to a nurturing closure.

Greet the day with the sun for a sunrise yoga practice. We’ll be heading into the Sand Forest for Forest Bathing, a Japanese technique to help bring our hearts into their natural states.

We will be moving to Vlei Lodge, one of Travel + Leisure’s Top Ranked Lodges for 2021, overlooking a unique vlei (wetland system) on the edge of Phinda Private Game Reserve’s rare sand forest.

We’ll enjoy an evening safari ride. Dinner and rest will feel especially nourishing after a full day of mindfulness in nature.

We’ll get an early morning start with something light to eat before heading out for a safari ride. Breakfast afterward will be at the lodge to fuel our bodies.

Then, gentle yoga in the only Sand Forest on the planet. Yoga gives us strength and stability. Nature calms our minds and gives us peace. In a forest like this, something deeper becomes possible.

Enjoy lunch, then head out for more wildlife and exploring during an evening safari ride. Then, we share stories over a lovely dinner.

Indulge in a delightful meal while surrounded by the breathtaking wilderness. Brunch will be served in a secluded and picturesque outdoor location. Enjoy top-quality food at tables in the open air, where cozy chairs allow you to relish your meal and the beautiful surroundings.

 Guides will help you spot interesting aspects of nature that may go unnoticed when traveling by vehicle. Savor the moment through all the senses.

We’ll greet the sun with a sunrise yoga practice, easing into the day with calm breathing and gentle poses.

You’ll meet with locals as they share their culture and traditions. We’ll visit a market created just for local women artists to sell their work. You’re buying directly from the artists so the prices are fair.

Back at the lodge we’ll freshen up, have a delicious lunch and head out to the bush for our last safari ride. The celebration continues back at the lodge for a dinner party under the stars, savoring the magic we experienced together over the past 9 days.

You’ll wake to sunrise yoga, greeting the new day with the sun on your face. Letting the world know that you’re ready to take the new you onward in your journey. Then, our breakfast discussion will be all about how we can maintain in our natural state – with our minds and bodies loved and supported – once we leave South Africa.

Then we part ways. Some will fly back to Johannesburg. Some will continue on with their travels. The flight back to Johannesburg is included. If you desire to keep on traveling, we can help with arrangements.