5 Questions Women Ask Me About Going on a Safari Retreat in South Africa
If you’ve never been on safari in Africa before, the idea of joining a safari retreat in South Africa can seems a little scary and overwhelming.
These are some of the questions I’m asked most often about The Shift Safari Retreat, and I love that women ask them because a safari retreat is quite different from both a traditional safari holiday and a traditional yoga retreat.
You’re combining the adventure of being in the African bush with yoga, creativity, rest, incredible food, new friendships and the opportunity to explore yourself a little more deeply.
But that doesn’t mean you need to be an experienced yogi, arrive with your life in crisis or spend eight days analysing yourself.
So if Africa has been on your mind but you’re wondering what joining a safari retreat actually involves, here are the five questions I’m asked most often.
1. I'm travelling alone. Will I be safe?
This is probably the question I hear most. And I get it, the media is not painting a very safe picture about Africa in general.
And often what woman is really asking is one of two things: Will I be safe travelling to South Africa? and Will I feel comfortable arriving on my own when I don't know anybody?
The Shift has been designed with both in mind.
You won't be arriving in South Africa and figuring everything out alone. Airport transfers to and from the lodge are included, and once you arrive, you'll be staying with us at our private 5-star eco safari lodge in the Greater Kruger.
Your safari experiences are guided by experienced professionals, and you'll be part of a small group throughout the retreat.
But I also understand the other kind of safety.
That slightly terrifying moment when you walk into a group of women you've never met and wonder whether everyone else will already know someone.
Many women come to retreats alone. That's actually one of the things I love most about them.
You arrive as strangers. Then somewhere between your first safari, conversations over breakfast, laughing at dinner and sitting around together at the end of another extraordinary day, that changes.
You won't be the odd one out because you came alone.
You might discover that coming alone was one of the best parts.
2. I've never been on safari before. What do I need to know?
Nothing.
Seriously.
You don't need to know the difference between a kudu and a nyala. You don't need safari experience. And you certainly don't need to turn up dressed head-to-toe like you're auditioning for Out of Africa.
You'll be guided by people who know this landscape and its wildlife.
Safari life has its own rhythm. Game drives generally happen in the cooler early mornings and late afternoons because this is when wildlife tends to be most active.
And yes, this means some early mornings.
But there's something very different about getting out of bed before sunrise when you're climbing into an open safari vehicle with a coffee in your hand and heading into the African bush.
In between the safari experiences, our days will include yoga, beautiful vegan meals, workshops, art, exploring South Africa and plenty of time to simply enjoy where we are.
Some days will be fuller. Some will be slower.
And nature will have a say in the schedule too.
That's part of the adventure.
3. What if I don't want to participate in everything?
Then don't.
You are not coming to Africa to acquire another to-do list.
I really want to make that clear.
There will be yoga, safari drives and wilderness experiences, meditation, workshops, art and adventures beyond the lodge. But there will also be a pool, spa, sauna, beautiful places to sit, books to read and an African bush that is remarkably good at making you want to do absolutely nothing for a while.
If one afternoon you need to lie by the pool instead of joining an activity, lie by the pool.
If your body needs rest, rest.
If you've had enough introspection for one day and would rather have a cup of tea and watch the world go by, do that.
This is your retreat.
I can create the experience. You get to decide how you experience it.
4. What if I just want the safari, yoga and adventure and don’t want to make a shift in my life?
I LOVE this question.
Because no Shifts are required if not called to it!
You don't need to arrive in Africa wanting to leave your marriage, change careers, sell your house, start a business or reinvent yourself.
You don't even need to know what you want your next chapter to look like.
You can come because you've always wanted to go on safari.
You can come because eight days of Africa, yoga, art, incredible food, nature and interesting women sounds bloody wonderful.
You can come because you want to have an adventure.
The Shift isn't about deciding that something in your life is wrong.
The workshops and conversations are there because I want this retreat to offer something deeper than a beautiful holiday with yoga added to it. We'll explore who we are, the stories and beliefs we carry, what matters to us now and what we want from the lives we're creating.
But there is no required major shifts at the end.
You don't have to return home a different woman.
You might return with an enormous realisation.
Or you might return with new friendships, hundreds of photographs, a slightly ridiculous number of elephant stories and the feeling that you just had one of the best adventures of your life.
Both count.
5. Will I see the Big Five?
Ahhhh. The question everyone secretly wants answered.
Lion. Leopard. Elephant. Rhino. Buffalo.
The Greater Kruger is Big Five country, but these are wild animals living in their natural environment. There are no appointments with the lions and unfortunately the leopards have refused to share their calendars with me.
So no responsible safari can promise that you will see all five.
In fact, that's part of what makes a real safari so extraordinary. The animals roam freely, and every drive is different. You head out not quite knowing what you're going to find.
You might turn a corner and find elephants crossing the road.
Your guide might spot tracks that lead you towards a leopard.
You may sit quietly watching giraffes in the morning light and suddenly realise you've completely forgotten about the checklist.
Because safari isn't really about collecting five animals.
It's about being there when something wild happens.
And you can't schedule that.
So, what is a safari retreat actually like?
It's not quite a safari holiday.
And it's not quite the traditional yoga retreat either.
At The Shift Safari Retreat, I wanted to bring those worlds together and add something more.
The wildness and adventure of Africa. The grounding of yoga. Creativity. Beautiful plant-based food. Rest. Meaningful conversations. A little psychology. A lot of laughter. And enough space away from everyday life to hear yourself think again.
You don't have to come because your life needs fixing.
You don't have to come with someone.
You don't need to be an experienced yogi, know anything about safari or have your next chapter figured out.
You can simply come because something about Africa is calling you.
And we can see what happens from there.
Ready for Africa?
The Shift Safari Retreat
Greater Kruger, South Africa
12–19 October 2026 | 8 days / 7 nights
Private 5-star eco safari lodge
From $2,750 per person sharing
If Africa has been sitting on your one day list for far too long, this could be the year you finally stop saying one day.