A safari or climbing Mount Kilimanjaro can be tough on the body with bumpy roads, early mornings and a sometimes strenuous schedule of nature walks. All of that strain is erased at Machweo Wellness Retreat, which radiates calm from its site on Namisi Hill, overlooking Arusha. The fully equipped spa has a sauna and floodlit swimming pool, and offers massages, reflexology, steam sessions, ayurvedic treatments and pedicures for feet that have been in boots for days! Stretch out in a guided yoga lesson.

The food is an intriguing blend of French cuisine and local flavours, all served on a lovely terrace lit by candles. ‘Machweo’ means ‘sunset’ in Swahili, a fitting name as you watch the sun disappear behind Mount Meru…