South African Safari: A Recovery Journey Unlike Any Other

Get an inside look into rehab in South Africa as part of our Destinations series.

It’s a Tuesday morning in Kruger National Park, South Africa. You’re in the passenger seat of a safari vehicle, freshly made latte in hand, shaking off the remnants of last night’s slumber as you awaken to the scenery around you. As your eyes scan the savannah, you begin to soak in the staggering beauty of the surrounding landscape: grasslands stretching out in every direction as far as the eye can see; the horizon peppered with silhouetted baobab trees; birds flocking from the bushwillows in the day’s first light.

You’ve just started along your way when suddenly, you come across a lioness guarding a freshly killed buffalo, her family patiently waiting in the shade of a nearby acacia tree. Not much further down the road, you happen upon a herd of wild elephants lumbering through the bush, ears gently flapping in contentment as they dotingly urge along their young. As you marvel at the splendor of nature in this environment thousands of miles from home, it occurs to you that you’re a world away from where you were just days ago—and not just geographically.

Immerse Yourself in an In-the-Moment Experience

Taking an African safari for the first time isn’t just an exhilarating adventure, it’s also deeply beneficial to your recovery process. This is something the team at White River Manor—a luxury treatment center located just outside of Kruger National Park – well knows, which is why this distinctly South African experience is offered to each of their guests.

There’s enormous therapeutic value in stepping away from your daily routine – full of the patterns, habits, people and places that trigger your addiction – and fully immersing yourself in a new experience. On the Kruger safari, there’s so much to take in, one can’t help but be completely enthralled with it all. Seeing one of the “big five” in its natural habitat is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Even for people who’ve been familiar with the park their whole lives, the novelty never wears off: “Every time I go out there, I have a unique experience,” says Giles Fourie, White River Manor’s Director and Co-Founder.

Indeed, there’s nothing like witnessing majestic animals like lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and Cape buffalo in their natural habitat, and steeping yourself in the all-encompassing wonder of the savannah, to declutter your mind and bring you into the present moment. And it’s in that mental space that you can best dedicate your full attention to your personal journey of change.

Let Nature Heal the Aches of Addiction

One of South Africa’s two most iconic safari destinations, Kruger National Park is home to over 20,000 square kilometers of flourishing wilderness. Its rich ecosystem boasts a staggering array of biodiversity—from prairie grasses, to towering trees, to the myriad animal species that inhabit them. It’s not uncommon to see a family of majestic Cape buffalo wandering among the shrubs, wagging their tails as Red-Billed Oxpeckers busily hop along their backs, or an enormous African Crowned Eagle carrying food to its nest in a Knob-thorn tree.

Nature soothes. It restores. It nourishes the soul. Being in nature gives us unparalleled perspective by reminding us that we’re but a small part of a much greater universe. Our bodies are naturally attuned to its sounds and rhythms, and being in its midst transports us to a transformative space. It’s no wonder countless studies prove the benefits of nature, ranging from reducing stress and anxiety, to improving immunity, to releasing dopamine in the brain – the perfect remedy for people in recovery. And what better place to receive a whopping dose of Mother Nature’s healing properties than on an amazing South African safari?