First, it’s about finding the space in your own life to allow yourself to relax and heal, and then it’s about finding the place itself; an environment that becomes part of the therapeutic experience.
The new Hot Spa at Babylonstoren provides a beautiful communal space where guests can relax before or after treatments. As with everything on this working farm, the emphasis is on simple yet sophisticated functionality.
Two circular vitality pools are connected by a water channel to form an indoor-outdoor heated pool that can be enjoyed year-round, regardless of the season.
There are paired mosaic alcoves with colder running water too – the difference in temperature between these and the pool itself encourages blood flow, giving the body an energising and refreshing boost. Nestled between these alcoves, a welcoming hearth with a fireplace provides added warmth during colder weather.
The Hot Spa also offers a sauna, a second heated pool and a salt room, built from blocks of raw Himalayan salt. The characteristic pink of Himalayan salt offers a soothing, healing environment. The sought-after natural mineral is known for its therapeutic properties, and has long been used to lift mood and reduce fatigue.
The world-renowned gardens at Babylonstoren inform everything on the farm, and here they are framed by tall windows that bring the surrounding greenery and light right into the spa. But it’s the water that flows through the land that is the prevailing theme here: the treatments and the space are founded in water or steam, and the sound of running water provides a backdrop that soothes and settles.
More than simply a backdrop to your experience, the Hot Spa is a haven in itself, and an intrinsic part of the therapeutic process. Adjacent to the Hot Spa are Babylonstoren’s new hammam and Rasul treatment rooms. (Booking for these is essential.)
The hammam offers a fresh take on the fabled ancient Arabian public baths that have offered both physical and spiritual renewal for centuries. The traditional hammam is echoed in the vaulted ceilings and beautiful mosaics, but there is one crucial difference: Arabian baths were public places, whereas this one has been designed to accommodate only two guests at a time. Privacy and quiet are an essential part of relaxation.
The hammam is made entirely from heated marble slabs. Here guests experience the hour- long private water ritual, which begins with a scrub and is followed by a choice between dynamic stretching and massage, or a traditional soap treatment for two (including a scrub, soap wash and massage).
The ceiling arching over the hammam is covered with mosaics in a range of glorious blues, as uplifting and restorative as the sky on a sunny South African day. The clean lines and pared-down simplicity are pure Babylonstoren.
The Rasul (or mud bath), also offers a centuries-old cleansing practice. In contrast to the hammam, the curved walls of the Rasul are tiled in mosaics in tones of botanical green, again invoking the beloved Babylonstoren gardens.
The Rasul ritual consists of a four-step process that starts with exfoliation and cleansing. Next, a purifying and detoxing clay wrap is applied to the skin.
The clay is harvested locally from freshwater lakes and is rich in natural minerals. Essential oils, extracted from indigenous healing African botanicals like Aloe ferox, geranium and Kalahari melon, have been blended with the clay to encourage the release of toxins or impurities.
After the clay has been applied, guests relax in the steam room, allowing the heat and the clay to perform their healing magic. Finally, the skin is cleansed and buffed, leaving the body smooth and supple, and the mind and spirit relaxed and soothed.
The two new treatment rooms are an exotic addition to the existing Babylonstoren Garden Spa, which continues to offer more familiar treatments including massages, hydrating body wraps, bespoke facials, pedicures and other beauty treatments.
In addition to the gorgeous new Hot Spa, the Garden Spa also offers access to the well- loved rustic outdoor pool, available exclusively to hotel and spa guests.
After treatments, guests can simply relax in the chill room, at the pool or in the bamboo garden, with a healthy lunch from the Greenhouse Restaurant and fresh farm juice.
How: Bookings are essential. A treatment of 60 minutes gives guests full access to the hot spa facilities. Babylonstoren’s Garden Spa is open every day from 8h00 to 17h00 for day visitors, and from 8h00 to 19h00 exclusively for hotel guests.