This new travel trend combines wellness with wildlife

In today’s fast-paced and tech-dominated world, people are plugged into the conveniences of modern day life, but they’re as disconnected as ever, overlooking the simple joys of nature and the wellness benefits it can offer us. You could say that the more high-tech we become, the more nature we undoubtedly need. The practice of forest bathing to cultivate relaxation and ward off the effects of stress and anxiety is well-established, but next-level nature therapy involves spending time in the company of wildlife. 

When we stand before something wild—like locking eyes with a lion, the effortless flight of a bird, or the synchronized movement of a herd—science confirms what we feel in our bones. According to neuroscientist Karina Del Punta, founder of neuroXnature, it is a shift that rewires our minds, restores our wellbeing, and deepens our connection to nature.

“In that moment, we are hit with a sense of awe that cracks us open,” she says, “shifting our brain activity, expanding awareness, and strengthening our bond with the living world.” When we step into the wild, our body responds: The heart rate slows, stress hormones drop, the mind clears with sharpened focus, and a deep sense of calm takes over.

Wellness-centric travel has long been a popular trend across all pockets of the globe, but a new evolution of the trend sees wildlife at the center.

(Nature really is good medicine. Science can explain why.)

The rise of the wellness safari 

Situated in the heart of the Sabi Sand Nature Reserve within Kruger National Park, Londolozi Healing House Retreat serves as a wellness safari to bring people closer to the natural world.

From the grounding power of direct contact with the earth to the morning light resetting circadian rhythms, the sound of running water calming the nervous system, and the presence of wild animals awakening primal connections, these elements are integrated into every aspect of the retreat experience.

The wellness concept at Our Habitas Namibia is located on a sprawling 51,000-hectare nature reserve in the Kalahari Desert. Immersive programs include freestyle open-air painting, guided bush meditations, traditional bush braai cookouts with local dance performances, movie nights, and wellness treatments highlighting tribal traditions, punctuated by daily nature game drives.

Guests can also expect to spot giraffes, impalas, zebras, and other wildlife right from the yoga deck with its expansive panoramic views. In partnership with BreathQ, guests can opt for a seven-day safari that combines ancient breathing practices and cutting-edge science with sound healing, silent bush walks, and daily game drives.

In Kenya’s Highlands, Wildlife & Yoga has designed a retreat guided by the rhythms of nature, with movement, rest, and exploration woven into the safari experience. At a tented camp in the 5,000-acre private Enasoit Camp, daily game drives yield encounters with an epic array of wildlife.

Grit & Grace Adventures, catering exclusively to women, curates a transformative journey through Botswana’s untamed landscapes that are home to the largest elephant population on Earth, with an itinerary that is a harmonious blend of mindfulness and wilderness. The journey starts at Munga Plains, a wellness-centric safari camp nestled in the wild expanse of Chobe National Park, before transitioning to a mobile safari in the heart of the Okavango Delta.

Relaxing into the rhythms of coastal rainforests 

Known for its varied landscapes, British Columbia boasts an expansive rugged Pacific coastline that is a haven for wildlife. The location is the perfect setting to unlock one’s blue mind—a term for the semi-meditative state induced by being in or near water.

Tucked away in the heart of the province’s Great Bear Rainforest, the intimate family-owned wilderness resort Nimmo Bay offers ample opportunity to relax into the pulse of nature with endless wilderness to discover. The area is brimming with wildlife, with black bears and grizzly bears frequently seen near the resort, and an array of marine mammals such as harbor seals, Pacific white-sided dolphins, orcas, and humpback whales within a 30-minute boat ride.

(Whale watching is booming. Here’s how to do it responsibly.)

Guests can spend an afternoon at the floating sauna, find stillness with a sound bath in the bay, or enjoy a soak in a cedar hot tub at the base of a rushing waterfall or on a roving dock.

At Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge, a remote tented camp on Vancouver Island, guests can choose their own adventure by exploring the pristine wilderness of the Clayoquot Sound, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. With 25 luxury safari tents set among the region’s old-growth rainforest offering front row access to unfiltered wilderness, guests can relax into nature and connect with its abundant wildlife. Marine charters led by experienced and eco-conscious nature guides allow guests to observe whales and bears.

Restorative activities like outdoor yoga, glacial plunging, and waterfront massage nurture guests’ body, mind and spirit, while body treatments harness the healing properties of native ingredients such as Canadian glacial clay and local Pacific seaweed.

Ahous Adventures, a Tofino-based eco-marine tour operator owned and operated by Ahousaht First Nation, leads guests on wildlife tours that honor cultural traditions and the long-standing spiritual relationship with the natural world and its wildlife, reinforcing a profound connection to Ahousaht’s past and present. On whale watching tours, guides share stories of survival, stewardship, and sacredness passed down by generations. 

Traveling in pursuit of a feeling

In response to a growing desire for emotion-driven travel, travel operator Black Tomato invites travelers to plan their journeys based on a feeling rather than a destination, with a newly minted platform known as The Pursuit of Feeling.

Notable journeys include an adventure through the untamed wilderness of Patagonia tracking the native puma, horseback riding across the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, a nocturnal safari through an ecosystem of luminous frogs and kaleidoscopic chameleons in Madagascar, and an opportunity to join the Indigenous Sámi in the great reindeer migration in Norway.

Volcanoes Safaris has been at the forefront of gorilla ecotourism offering expertly curated wildlife safaris that incorporate sustainable conservation and community projects across five lodges. “Gorilla tracking encompasses a rollercoaster of intense emotions in a very short time period,” says Praveen Moman, founder of Volcanoes Safaris.

The experience starts with some fear and trepidation, and as you set off on the journey into the forest it all goes by very quickly, like a meditative green blur, until you are finally crouching in the undergrowth sensing the gorillas nearby. “The adrenaline is pumping as you take in the many sights, sounds, and smells of the gorillas. It’s exhilarating and overpowering, and before you know it, the hour with the gorillas is up,” says Moman.

(7 places to see wildlife in the U.S. this spring)

At the Ikirunga Spa & Sauna at Virunga Lodge, the Umugongo massage helps after an arduous day of trekking. The name “Umugongo,” which means “the back” in Kinyarwanda, emphasizes the importance of caring for the back and spine, particularly for those engaged in physically demanding tasks.

Finding wellness in experiences that have a positive impact

According to Del Punta, taking action to restore and care for the Earth—whether through hands-on conservation efforts or scientific study—sparks the brain’s reward circuits, reinforcing positive engagement, reducing stress, and fostering a lasting sense of purpose, connection, and wellbeing.

Each year in Mexico’s Juluchuca, thousands of olive ridley turtles and dozens of endangered green and sea leatherback turtles come to the shores to lay their eggs. To help protect threatened sea turtle species, regenerative hotel Playa Viva supports the on-site sanctuary La Tortuga Viva, with an all-volunteer crew led by dedicated marine biologist Larissa Hernandez who relocate eggs to the safety of their hatchery, out of reach from the dangers of predators and poachers. Hotel guests are invited to participate in various conservation activities, including morning release of hatchlings, night patrol in search of nesting turtles, and adopting a nest as a way of establishing a personal connection to a clutch of future hatchlings.

Catering to travelers who want to connect with nature and create lasting change while deepening their experience when on holiday, Responsible Travel has curated a robust catalogue of philanthropic trips, including the opportunity for travelers to work alongside professional conservation teams and feel like a real researcher as they help track, monitor and collect data on a variety of endangered species.  

(How to see Katami’s famous brown bears up close—and stay safe)