For years, travel was about checking boxes: a landmark here, a photo-op there, a country ticked off the list. But as travellers search for deeper meaning, connection, and memory-making, a new movement is shaping the way we explore: experience-first travel.
Here’s how three key trends — stargazing escapes, wellness retreats, and culinary safaris — are defining the way travellers are choosing their summer getaways.
Stargazing escapes: Travelling by the stars
Sutherland Observatory by night/South African Tourism from South Africa/Wikimedia Commons
Southern Africa boasts some of the darkest skies on Earth, and with them, a growing fascination with astro-tourism. Instead of simply marvelling at wildlife, more travellers are tilting their heads upwards at night to be awed by galaxies and constellations.
- Sutherland, Northern Cape – Known as the “gateway to the universe,” Sutherland’s South African Astronomical Observatory attracts scientists and amateur stargazers alike. Small guesthouses and astronomy guides are tailoring night-sky tours that pair science with storytelling.
- Cederberg, Western Cape – A few hours from Cape Town, the Cederberg offers otherworldly rock formations framed by glittering skies. Campers and lodge guests are increasingly booking guided astronomy sessions alongside hikes.
- NamibRand Nature Reserve, Namibia – One of the world’s only certified Dark Sky Reserves, NamibRand provides an uninterrupted view of the Milky Way that feels like stepping back in time.
Astro-tourism blends education, wellness, and awe. It allows travellers to disconnect from daily noise and reconnect with something much larger. For many, lying on a blanket beneath a Karoo night sky has become just as life-changing as spotting the Big Five.
Wellness retreats: Rest as a reason to travel
Cape Winelands/Ronald Luthi/Unsplash
If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that rest and wellbeing aren’t luxuries — they’re essentials. In 2025, travellers are increasingly building holidays around wellness. Wellness tourism is projected to grow into one of the travel sector’s most resilient niches.
Southern Africa is keeping pace:
- Winelands, Western Cape – Once known purely for vineyards, estates around Stellenbosch and Franschhoek now offer yoga pavilions, spa circuits, and forest wandering alongside their wine tastings.
- Bushveld lodges – A new wave of safari lodges in Limpopo and Mpumalanga are incorporating morning meditation decks, guided breathwork in the bush, and healthy, plant-forward menus into their packages.
- Eastern Cape and KZN coast – From surfing-and-mindfulness camps to retreats where digital detox is the central theme, coastal regions are drawing visitors who want to reset beside the ocean.
The idea is simple: travellers are no longer only looking to be entertained; they want to return home restored. Wellness retreats combine the healing qualities of landscape with intentional practices, making the journey itself part of the therapy.
Culinary safaris: Food as the new frontier
Image used for illustrative purposes/andBeyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge/Sheila C/Unsplash
If stargazing looks upward and wellness turns inward, then culinary travel looks straight to the plate. Food has always been central to culture, but in 2025, it is fast becoming the reason people choose one destination over another.
Across Southern Africa, culinary safaris are blending the thrill of exploration with the sensory delight of local cuisine.
- Botswana and Zambia – Luxury lodges are introducing “food safaris” that take guests foraging with chefs, cooking over open fires, and sampling traditional dishes alongside wildlife drives.
- Cape Winelands – Pairings go beyond wine: think gin tastings in restored barns, cider farms tucked into orchards, and even the beginnings of agave spirit production in the Karoo.
- Township and city tours – In Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Durban, curated food walks showcase everything from shisanyama to artisanal bakeries, giving travellers a flavour of South Africa’s diversity.
Culinary travel is about more than indulgence. It’s a way to connect with heritage, meet local producers, and understand a place through its tastes and textures. In many ways, it’s the most intimate form of travel — you are, quite literally, taking a destination into yourself.
Why experience-first travel matters
The rise of experience-first travel isn’t just a marketing buzzword. It reflects a broader shift in how people value their time, money, and memories.
- Sustainability – Focusing on fewer, deeper experiences often reduces over-tourism and encourages local investment.
- Personal meaning – Experiences allow travellers to connect emotionally with their trip, rather than simply document it.
- Community upliftment – Experiences like township food tours, cultural storytelling, and foraging safaris directly support local guides and producers.
In a world saturated with digital images, travellers are craving something harder to capture: the feeling of lying under a Karoo sky, the calm after a yoga session in the bush, or the taste of freshly baked bread shared in a village market.
A summer of meaning
As Southern Africans look ahead to summer holidays, it’s clear that the most sought-after escapes are no longer about distance travelled, but depth experienced. Stargazing, wellness retreats, and culinary safaris are at the forefront of this shift, proving that the future of travel lies in experiences that enrich as much as they entertain.
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