Babylonstoren: Simplicity Becomes Sensational

At Babylonstoren, every inch of the farm is curated yet rooted in authenticity. Think cobbled paths winding through botanically diverse gardens, crystal-clear water furrows, and chickens clucking contentedly among the vines.

Babylonstoren’s accommodation is as thoughtfully cultivated as the gardens. Guests can choose between beautifully restored Cape Dutch farm cottages and sleek, contemporary suites – all set within the working farm. Every room opens out onto a view – be it orchards, vineyards, or the Simonsberg mountains – and encourages a slower rhythm.

Guests are invited to roam barefoot through the gardens, join the daily harvest, attend hands-on gardening workshops, or simply unwind in the spa with its hammam and herbal tea rituals. It’s more than a place to stay, it’s an immersion into farm life at its most elegant.

Spier Wine Estate: Connecting Sustainability

Spier Wine Farm effortlessly marries sustainable farming with a rich cultural offering. As one of South Africa’s oldest wine farms, the estate’s ethos is grounded in the regeneration of soil, community, and spirit. Here, centuries of history blend seamlessly with innovative thinking and a deep commitment to regeneration.

Spier Hotel elegantly blends contemporary comfort, authentic farm living, Cape artistry, and wellness, catering to a wide variety of guests, including couples, families, wine-lovers, and eco-conscious travellers alike.

Guests can cycle through vineyards, taste organic wines, or dine under the stars on ingredients grown metres from the table. A visit to the Spier Craft Market or a stay at their art-filled hotel proves that meaningful luxury isn’t about excess, it’s about connection.

Boschendal: Authentic and Contemporary

Boschendal has emerged as one of South Africa’s most iconic agritourism destinations. With its mountain views, curated picnics, horseback trails and beautifully restored cottages, the estate invites guests to experience authentic farm living with a contemporary feel.

Whether you’re foraging for mushrooms with a chef or sipping rosé beneath ancient oaks, you’ll feel part of the land. Their deliciously nourishing, soil-to-fork fare is created especially by their artisan chefs, butchers, growers and bakers.

From award-winning wine and culinary adventures to exploring the spectacular landscape by foot, horse, or bike, Boschendal invites guests to explore, play, and discover the best of farm living.

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Whether she’s in need of a self-care session, a pampering to de-stress, a relaxing swim, a steaming sauna or a luxurious retreat, these spas are sure to provide a memorable experience for you and Mom this Mother’s Day.

The New Spier Spa

The newly opened Spier Spa is a luxurious, tranquil haven designed to soothe and restore. Surrounded by indigenous fynbos gardens and complete with a serene apothecary courtyard and outdoor plunge pool, the spa offers a holistic experience inspired by the Cape Floral Kingdom. Whether you’re indulging in a massage, relaxing in the infrared sauna, or stretching in the movement studio, Spier Spa is a Mother’s Day gift in itself.

The Hydro

Stellenbosch’s The Hydro is a place of of physical, spiritual, and mental restoration where Mom can find rest. Fully equipped with tools and protocols to detoxify, de-stress, and beautify, The Hydro will invite your mom to take a breath and reboot — rejuvenating her body, mind and soul.

Babylonstoren

While already known for its tranquil and inspiring spaces, Babylonstoren’s Hot Spa is one that will give Mom a self-care experience through treatments founded in water or steam. The sound of running water whispers throughout the space, providing a soothing backdrop for utter relaxation.

Revel Self-Care

Their name says it all — a visit to Revel Self-Care will allow Mom to enjoy a well-deserved self-care session. Whether it be through a massage, facial, or hair treatment, Revel will create a space where your mom can take a moment for herself.

Santé Wellness Retreat & Spa

The Santé Wellness Retreat & Spa provides the ultimate sanctuary of serenity and uncomplicated luxury. With an array of wellness activities to choose from, you and Mom can relax and restore, increase mental well-being and eliminate stress when you escape to Santé.

Lanzerac

Bring Mom to Lanzerac Spa and allow her to enjoy some of the best views and facilities in the Winelands. The overarching attention to detail – from design and location to service and offerings – will leave her feeling contained, cosseted and content. Finish your spa day off with Lanzerac Deli’s famous scones on their terrace overlooking the vineyards.

Delaire Graff

Allow Mom to indulge in specialised rituals and therapies inspired by the five elements at Delaire Graff Estate Spa. With saunas and treatment rooms offering views of their beautiful gardens and a sunny terrace with an infinity pool, each pamper session is to be enjoyed in serenity and peace — with a glass of wine in hand, of course.

Erinvale

With the serene environment and offers varying from massages to reviving facials and body treatments, Erinvale Estate Hotel & Spa will introduce you and Mom to the art of relaxation. Their wellness philosophy is to introduce a routine that becomes a way of life, offering a uniquely comprehensive treatment of mind, body and spirit.

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A visit to the spa gives you the opportunity to unplug from daily life, leave worries at the door and enjoy being pampered in peaceful tranquillity. A serene respite from ever-present stresses, it focuses on psychological, physical and spiritual well-being.

Around the world, awareness of the importance of all-round wellness is growing. Increased stress levels from hectic, fast-paced lifestyles, the rise of preventative health care and a focus on mental health have all contributed to a greater demand for wellness services, says Dr Nadine de Freitas, wellness strategist and executive director of Les Nouvelles Esthetiques & Spa Magazine. As the founder of the South African Spa Association (SASA), she initiated the coveted annual LNE Spa Awards.

Spas play a significant role in the holistic wellness trend. As well as offering experiences that encompass physical, mental and emotional well-being, they provide a sanctuary for relaxation, rejuvenation and the healing that many people seek in today’s demanding world.

In South Africa, the wellness trend has gained momentum, aligning with global patterns but also reflecting specific local influences. “Our diverse natural landscapes and rich cultural heritage contribute to a distinctive wellness experience. Many spas incorporate traditional healing practices and local ingredients, which resonate with both locals and tourists seeking authentic experiences,” says Nadine.

Wellness tourism is driven by an increasing consumer demand for health-focused travel experiences. This encompasses a wide range of activities, including spa or yoga retreats, fitness vacations and holistic healing practices. Key trends include a rising emphasis on mental health, leading to more offerings centred on mindfulness, meditation and reducing stress. South Africa has the potential to become a key player in the global wellness landscape.

Spa Trends

Although South Africa is lagging somewhat in her opinion, Nadine notes that our spa and wellness landscape is evolving significantly, influenced by global trends that emphasise the integration of wellness into various sectors, which include retail, real estate, hotels, architecture, and landscaping.

This evolution dovetails with the wellness tourism trend, as it not only enhances our country’s appeal as a wellness destination, but also fosters a culture of health and well-being.

Current Trends in South Africa

Integration of wellness into hospitality Hotels and resorts are incorporating wellness amenities like spas, fitness centres and healthy dining options. 

Sustainable architecture By harmonising with the natural environment and using eco-friendly materials, spas are being designed to minimise their ecological footprint.

Outdoor and nature-based experiences With its stunning landscapes, South Africa is capitalising on outdoor wellness experiences. Treatments are offered in natural settings, such as forested areas or by the ocean, to incorporate the therapeutic benefits of nature.

Wellness in retail Spas are offering organic skincare products, health supplements and wellness-focused lifestyle items.

Real estate developments Those that include wellness amenities like community spas, fitness centres and wellness programmes, are catering to a market that values health and well-being in the environment it lives in.

Growth of wellness tourism Wellness tourism in South Africa is experiencing growth as travellers seek one-of-a-kind holistic experiences.

Sanitas Per Aqua

The philosophy surrounding spas is deeply rooted in the concept of sanitas per aqua, or health through water, an element that has been a cornerstone of wellness practices for centuries. The concept emphasises the therapeutic benefits of water in various forms. 

Contrast therapy Alternating between hot-water and cold-water treatments enhances circulation and boosts the immune system, invigorating the body and promoting recovery.

Cryotherapy The use of cold therapy for recovery and rejuvenation is gaining popularity and appeals particularly to athletes and fitness enthusiasts. Cryotherapy chambers and ice plunge baths help reduce inflammation and muscle soreness.

Floating pools Often filled with saltwater or water imported from the Dead Sea, these pools create a sensation of weightlessness, promoting deep relaxation and stress relief.

DNA and Cellular Renewal

Research highlights the potential of spas to promote healing at fundamental physiological levels. With their holistic approach, spa treatments contribute to the rejuvenation of the body’s cells, supporting overall well-being and potentially aiding DNA renewal.

“More research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms at play, but the potential for spa treatments to support health at the level of DNA renewal is an exciting frontier in the wellness industry,” says Nadine.

Numerous spa therapies utilise natural elements like mineral-rich mud, thermal waters and plant-based oils, which contain anti-oxidants and nutrients vital for cellular repair. Anti-oxidants are known to combat oxidative stress, which damages DNA and accelerates ageing.

Thermal baths, massages and detoxifying wraps can stimulate blood circulation, enhance the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to cells and promote the body’s detoxification processes.

All these benefits support cellular health. Advanced treatments such as cryotherapy and red-light therapy have been shown to boost the production of collagen, reduce inflammation and potentially aid DNA repair mechanisms by targeting cells directly.

In addition, stress-reducing practices like meditation, yoga and aromatherapy play a significant role in reducing levels of cortisol, a hormone that, when elevated, can negatively impact DNA and cellular function. By addressing both the mind and body, spa treatments help reduce the physical toll of stress, allowing the body’s natural healing processes to work more effectively.

Brand new in the Franschhoek Valley, Terre Paisible Medical Rejuvenation & Spa is a luxury wellness destination that promises the ultimate nurturing retreat and sensory reset for guests.

Managing director Shirley van Wyk says, “Our treatment programmes are expertly curated to offer complete revitalisation at a cellular level, extending beyond aesthetic enhancement to include metabolic and hormonal enhancement as well as compensating for imbalanced genetic characteristics. Through the combination of advanced medical aesthetics with personalised wellness regimens and the uplifting experience of being in a beautiful, calming location, guests will feel restored to their best self.”

The spa’s rejuvenating and healing treatments offer a full picture of hormonal to gut biome health, using tests like the DUTCHTM test that provide a complete evaluation of sex and adrenal hormones, including metabolites, and looking at genetic predisposition through DNAlysisTM tests. Customised treatment plans are devised, using the analysis to ensure that each guest’s wellness journey is unique.

The growing awareness of medical benefits aligns with an increasing focus on wellness and preventative health in South Africa. More spas are integrating evidence-based treatments, catering to a clientele that is increasingly informed about how such treatments are beneficial to overall health. 

Stress reduction Massages and hydrotherapy significantly reduce stress, which can have positive effects on cellular health. Chronic stress is linked to DNA damage. Mental well-being can impact physical health. 

Improved circulation Treatments that promote blood flow, such as hydrotherapy and massages, enhance the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to cells.

Detoxification Reducing the body’s toxic load through perspiration and lymphatic drainage can alleviate cellular stress and contribute to healthier function of the cells.

Enhanced immune function The immune system, which plays a critical role in maintaining DNA health, can be boosted by spa treatments.

Mind-body connection The relaxation and mindfulness that result from a spa treatment can lead to positive changes in gene expression relating to inflammation and stress response.

Spa Categories

There are different types of spa that you could try, depending on your priorities.

Day spa Without overnight accommodation, this kind of spa offers a sanctuary of tranquillity and pampering with personalised treatments tailored to individual needs.

Try Silver Forest Spa on the slopes of the Helderberg in the Cape Winelands.

Hotel (or destination) spa Hotel spas are luxurious and usually offer bespoke spa treatments with specialised rituals and therapies. They are not exclusively for hotel guests.

Try Palm House Boutique Hotel & Spa in Wynberg; Turbine Hotel & Spa, Knysna or Delaire Graff Estate Spa, Stellenbosch.

Safari spa Luxury game lodge spas offer wellness tourism on steroids. They ensure an exceptional escape and a deep, serene connection with nature. Most safari spas offer bespoke treatments, harnessing the healing benefits of botanicals.

Try Lion Sands Ivory Lodge Spa in Sabi Sands; Thanda Safari Private Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal or Tswalu Kalahari Reserve.

Unique spa These spas have a specific approach and are, for example, eco-friendly or organic. 

Try Vygenhoek Organic Spa in Dullstroom, a trailblazing dedicated organic spa, or Verde Vita Spa at Hotel Verde, Cape Town. The hotel, where luxury combines with environmental responsibility, has earned numerous sustainability awards (including Africa’s Greenest Hotel).

Aesthetic institute Qualified medical aesthetic practitioners and/or dermatologists call the shots and are supported by a team of skilled aestheticians. These facilities offer high-end, non-surgical anti-ageing treatments with state-of-the-art equipment and technology. Try SCINMed, Cape Town; Avara Wellness Spa, Cape Town or The Laser Beautique, which has franchises countrywide and specialises in permanent hair removal.

Retreat spa These spas focus on overall well-being and tend to integrate mental, emotional, spiritual and physical wellness practices, like yoga and meditation. A typical day may include a morning meditation or yoga session, a nutritious meal plan, a massage or a treatment like Reiki, sound healing therapies, mindfulness practices or intermittent fasting.

Try Kamala Karoo Sanctuary at Barrydale, run by Terry de Vries.

Exotic spa They encompass a wide range that includes Thai massage, Turkish hammams, Rasoul healing clay treatments, Tibetan singing bowls, chakra balancing, cupping therapy, forest bathing, and vinotherapy, which involves the use of grape extracts, wine and grape seeds, all rich in anti-oxidants.

Try Arabella Hotel, Golf & Spa, home to the world’s first African Rainforest Experience, a two-hour sensory water and steam treatment inspired by African rains.

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Take A Look

Stellenbosch Visio Editor, Francé Beyers, received QMS’s 90’ Collagen Renewal Facial at REVEL Self-Care Salon. Take a look!

The Steps

1. Gentle Cleansing Milk

This nourishing cleansing lotion is crafted to deeply cleanse the skin, delicately lifting away makeup, pollutants, and impurities, leaving the skin refreshed and nurtured.

2. Energizing Cleansing Gel

This gel cleanser hydrates while purifying and detoxifying the skin, offering a gentle exfoliation for a refreshed complexion.

3. AHA Active Exfoliant

This exfoliation removes dead, lacklustre skin cells while stimulating new cell generation, resulting in a luminous, smooth complexion brimming with vitality and radiance.

4. Gentle Exfoliator Peeling Cream

Professional enzymatic exfoliator applied together with AHA Active Exfoliant. This dual-application method synergistically boosts the peeling effect, delivering double the benefits and significantly improving skin quality for remarkable results.

5. Algae Face Mask

Professional face mask offers a refreshing sensation while deeply hydrating the skin, ensuring optimal moisture penetration for maximum rejuvenation and regeneration.

6. Hydrating Toner

This gentle formula works to regenerate the skin’s protective barrier, leaving it feeling fresh and soft while restoring its natural balance.

7. Collagen Day or Night Serum

Our pioneering formulations are designed to hydrate, protect, and fortify your skin during the day, while promoting tonicity and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles overnight for comprehensive care around the clock.

8. Lift & Contour Massage with Density Structure

A lifting massage with collagen boosting treatment to improve tonicity of the jawline, cheeks, and eyebrows shaping the contours of the face. 

9. Plaster Modelage with Power Firm Mask

This mask creates an occlusive cocoon, enhancing the penetration of active ingredients in the Power Firm Mask for maximum effectiveness. With 24-hour nourishing and soothing benefits, it provides immediate hydration, plumping facial lines and wrinkles. Its innovative formula also offers a Botox-like effect, relaxing facial muscles for instant firming and lifting results.

10. Appropriate eye care and moisturiser

Our skincare approach is tailored to each client’s unique skincare needs, preferences for texture, and skin type, ensuring a personalized experience for optimal results.

11. Final touch

Cellular Sun Shield for comprehensive broad-spectrum protection against the sun’s rays, ensuring your skin stays safeguarded throughout the day.

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ONE COULD SAY that the bones were cast for young Terry. As a daughter of the erstwhile rector of Stellenbosch University, Mike de Vries, and maternal granddaughter of a chairman of the board of Naspers, Phillip Weber, an illustrious career in journalism was almost a fait accompli. She was well on her way, juggling the management of Die Burger’s Stellenbosch office and parenting her young son when, in 1994, a particularly gruesome case prompted a hard rethink.

The brutal killing of a family in Die Boord, a family-friendly neighbourhood in Stellenbosch, meant Terry’s reporting was splashed on the front page of every Afrikaans daily. “As a journalist, it’s wonderful for your ego to have your byline on the front page every day, but submerging oneself so totally in the horror and pain of others made me question who I was and what I was doing for a living,” she recalls. She’d sunk into a deep depression following her divorce and was struggling to find meaning in her life. There had to be more than school, study, work, marriage and children.

Terry resigned and spent two years lecturing at Stellenbosch University’s Department of Journalism before she decided it was time to break away. Far away. She and her son Josua (then five) toured the USA in a combi for 10 months, with friends joining them at times. Although she’d done a course in reflexology while working as a reporter at Beeld newspaper in Johannesburg, followed by courses in reiki and aromatherapy in the Cape, her spiritual journey started in earnest on the highways and byways of America. Terry did a course with Chris Griscom of The Light Institute in the Bahamas and studied to be a yoga teacher at the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies in New York State.

Even as a child, she looked at the world through spiritual eyes. “My first ‘spiritual realisation’ happened when I was about two and a half years old. Our family used to holiday at Rainbow Valley on the Gonubie River close to East London. One day, the rest of the family went on an outing while my gran stayed at home to watch over me. To keep me from running down the porch stairs, she stacked a table and chairs across the entrance.

“I’ve always hated feeling boxed in. I have a visceral memory of sinking to my knees and gliding through the obstacles like a snake. I ran down to the river. Sunlight slanted through the trees, sparkling on the Coca Cola-coloured water. I saw a lizard on a rock on the opposite river bank. We looked each other in the eye and suddenly I felt that time didn’t exist and that I was part of everything and all of this – the sunlight, the water, the lizard – was part of me. It was an out-of-body experience. It was also the first time I saw the divine in all of creation,” Terry recalls.

Although this was a few decades after Albert Einstein first declared that matter and energy are intimately related and that time is an illusion, it was an unusual insight for a small child in 1960s’ South Africa to come to. “I’ve always been intrigued by energy and science. As a young girl I could see colour fields around people. I thought it was normal and only later realised that I was seeing auras – electromagnetic fields – around them. I studied for a BSc degree straight out of school and did Honours in journalism afterwards, which catapulted me on a different path,” she says.

Much like a labyrinth draws one away from its centre, only to unexpectedly yield the sacred destination, Terry’s route during the past 25 years was not a straight one. Her first encounter with a labyrinth was as a yoga student at the Omega Institute. “Josua was always very moody when I picked him up from childcare at 5pm. One day, during one of his moods, we happened upon this circular pattern. Josua started walking and skipping along its path and as he went, I saw his mood change from difficult to delighted. At that point in my life, I had never even heard of a labyrinth! When I came back at the end of 1997, I started an intensive study of labyrinths. My first labyrinth experience in South Africa was with Dr Peter Frazer, who built a labyrinth outside Barrydale in 1998.”

Terry built her first labyrinth in 2001 in Jan Marais Nature Reserve in Stellenbosch. The following year she walked her first camino. It proved to be a seminal moment in her life, as her beloved dad passed away when she was 150 kilometres from her destination. On the camino, as in life, there was no turning back for Terry. In the following two decades she travelled far, often on foot, to deepen her understanding and knowledge of spirituality, visiting sacred sites all over the world, building labyrinths wherever she went, walking pilgrimages, studying sound healing and finding her own healing voice. Her commitment to wellness and healing is profound, joyous and informed.

“Will it be a silent retreat?” I enquired anxiously before visiting Terry at Kamala House Karoo Retreat. “No, don’t worry,” she laughed. I was part of a group of yoga novices who joined Terry for a few days of mindfulness, stretching, breathing and eating delicious vegan food. Kamala House Karoo Retreat is what one would expect of Terry: bold, earthy, generous, colourful, peaceful and inspiring. How she found the property is yet another turn in her circular story. It already had a labyrinth when Terry first saw it in 2018. Even before the property became available through a serendipitous sequence of events, Terry had called her sister, Lize van Dyk, to tell her that she had found her next home in Barrydale. “I’d always wondered which one of us siblings would move back to our roots,” her sister replied drily. Their dad had been born and raised on a farm just outside Barrydale and was granted honorary citizenship of the town in 1980. Terry’s path was coming full circle.

Enter Johann Slee, an old friend and celebrated Stellenbosch-based architect who is known for his love of the colours, textures and climate of Africa. Barrydale is famous for its beautiful slate work and rough- hewn Karoo slate can be seen in everything from buildings to garden walls, animal enclosures and decorative finishes. Johann’s first response when he saw the site was: “Goodness, Terry, we have to do something beautiful here.”

“I wanted to create a place that is grounded and that speaks of the unique soul of Barrydale,” says Johann. “We wanted the buildings to be part of the stone, the texture and the colour of the surroundings. Plus, it isn’t a regular home. Everything was done to incorporate and reflect Terry’s very special, spiritual way of seeing this world.” What Johann loves most about Kamala House is how the building and garden are coming into their own.

René Slee, who designed the lush garden, enhanced the feeling of tranquillity. “I wanted to create a garden where people immediately felt drawn to explore it, where the abundance of nature surrounds you,” she adds. Her creation has the whimsy of an enchanted garden, wild and abundant with meandering pathways, but is also a robust food and medicinal garden, feeding body and soul with its bounty. V

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