Shibula Lodge and Bush Spa, Welgevonden Private Game Reserve, Limpopo, South Africa

To truly relax on a safari honeymoon, have a massage at Shibula Lodge Bush Spa. You will end up good enough to eat! Read what Carrie Hampton has to say in this adaptation from her book ‘Exclusive Safari Lodges of South Africa’ with photographs by Gerald Hoberman.

In the far north-east of South Africa is Limpopo province – an area considered to be quite wild and remote. Limpopo is home to the Welgevonden Private Game Reserve, a wilderness sanctuary north of the metropolis of Johannesburg.

The combination of being in untamed Africa yet easily accessible, has made Welgevonden a desirable safari destination for visitors and international tourists.

Shibula Lodge and Bush Spa is located along thickly wooded hills in the Welgevonden Private Game Reserve and is at an elevation that keeps all mosquitoes away. It is famous for its safari spa and the relaxing and rejuvenating treatments it offers.

Shibula Spa’s signature massage is the TheraNaka African Wood Massage. This begins with gentle stretching techniques to relax the body, after which warm olive and shea butter is drizzled over the back, legs and chest.

Specially designed smooth, wooden dumbbells are then used to massage the body. The effect is intense and deeply satisfying. There are other options too, many of which involve the use of natural materials and ingredients such as basalt stones, rain sticks, baobab extract, rooibos tea and Kalahari watermelon.

Guests emerge almost edible from a Shibula Bush Spa experience. Newlyweds rate this element of their honeymoon in Africa as being the point at which they fully relax.

With such good things going on in the spa, game drives sometimes take second place. This safari region is Big Five territory, although the terrain and thick foliage is such that wild animals can watch you in secret while you search eagerly for them.

One of the most satisfying moments of the afternoon game drive is when you stop for sundowner drinks to witness the perfect orange orb of the sun sink below the horizon.

Darkness falls quickly in the bush and it is soon time to return to the lodge to see if someone has lit the fire in the boma.