Purpose-driven travel surges as Africa’s immersive safaris attract a new generation of explorers

Travellers are increasingly seeking deeper, more meaningful holidays, with Africa emerging as one of the world’s leading destinations for immersive and purpose-driven travel.

New industry figures suggest the global experiential travel market is projected to exceed $1.9 trillion by 2030, while around 70 per cent of travellers now say they prefer journeys focused on learning, culture and authentic engagement rather than traditional sightseeing.

Africa’s vast landscapes, wildlife and cultural heritage are helping to drive that shift, offering travellers opportunities to engage directly with conservation programs, local communities and ecosystems.

Across the continent, a growing number of lodges and reserves are designing experiences that move beyond the typical safari to provide education, conservation and cultural immersion.

Conservation in action at Shamwari

At Shamwari Private Game Reserve in South Africa, guests can spend several days working alongside conservation teams to gain a deeper understanding of wildlife protection.

Visitors are invited to learn about anti-poaching initiatives, wildlife rehabilitation and long-term conservation strategies while joining guided walks focused on animal tracking and sustainability.

The experience allows travellers to move beyond traditional game drives and witness the realities of wildlife conservation firsthand.

Discovering culture in Graaff-Reinet

In the historic Karoo town of Graaff-Reinet, the Drostdy Hotel offers guests a more cultural immersion experience.

Travellers can explore the dramatic landscapes of the Valley of Desolation with expert guides and visit the Karoo Origins Fossil Centre, home to one of the world’s largest generational fossil collections.

The property combines heritage architecture with tranquil gardens and spa experiences designed to reconnect visitors with the surrounding landscape.

Eco-luxury along the Maputaland coast

On South Africa’s remote Maputaland coastline, Thonga Beach Lodge blends luxury with conservation in a pristine coastal environment.

The eco-lodge offers opportunities to witness turtles nesting and hatching, guided by local experts, and also provides cultural tours to nearby homesteads, schools, and clinics.

Nearby Lake Sibaya, Southern Africa’s largest freshwater lake, adds another dimension to the experience, offering a rich ecosystem for exploration.

Protecting endangered vultures

At Cape Vulture Nature Reserve, travellers can participate directly in conservation programs to protect one of Africa’s most threatened bird species.

Visitors assist researchers in field studies, contribute to habitat restoration and join educational hikes led by naturalists.

The reserve also runs community outreach initiatives designed to raise awareness about the ecological role of vultures and the challenges facing their survival.

Wildlife and birdlife on the Zambezi

Tsowa Safari Island, located along the Zambezi River, offers a wilderness experience centred on one of Africa’s richest bird habitats.

Guests can observe rare species such as Schalow’s Turaco, Pel’s Fishing Owl and African Finfoot while exploring landscapes dotted with ancient baobab trees.

The island’s remote setting allows travellers to immerse themselves fully in the rhythms of the surrounding ecosystem.

A new luxury safari in the Masai Mara

In Kenya, The Ritz-Carlton, Masai Mara Safari Camp introduces travellers to the dramatic wildlife spectacle of the Sand River during the Great Migration.

Guests can also explore Masai culture through storytelling, music and beadwork while visiting historic sites such as the Kenya–Tanzania border marker that links two of Africa’s most iconic ecosystems.

A shift toward meaningful travel

Industry experts say experiences like these reflect a broader shift in global travel behaviour.

Rather than simply visiting destinations, travellers increasingly want to understand them, engaging with local communities, supporting conservation efforts and gaining deeper insight into the natural world.

As demand for experiential travel continues to rise, Africa’s combination of wildlife, culture and conservation is positioning the continent at the centre of this growing trend.

Elysium Manly has officially opened its doors, welcoming its first guests and bringing a new calibre of contemporary luxury to one of Australia’s most recognisable beachfront destinations.

Formerly Manly Pacific, the 213-room hotel is now Elysium Manly, marking a definitive new identity for the landmark beachfront property and the Sydney arrival of Elysium Hotels. Occupying a prime position opposite Manly Beach, around 20 minutes by ferry from Sydney’s CBD, the hotel brings together contemporary coastal rooms and suites, destination dining, integrated wellness and a heightened level of service and generosity.

Following the launch of Elysium Noosa Resort in December, Elysium Manly establishes the Australian luxury hotel brand across two of the country’s most sought-after coastal destinations, arriving in Sydney just in time for summer. Here, the Elysium experience is distinctly of its place: the sand and surf of Manly Beach directly opposite, the harbour and ferry only a short walk away, and Sydney remarkably close. Yet from an ocean-facing terrace, the rooftop pool or over dinner at Cibaria, it can feel a world away.

The transition to Elysium follows a $40 million investment in the property, including a $30 million refurbishment of rooms and suites by Coco Republic and the $8.5 million creation of acclaimed restaurant Cibaria, designed by Luchetti Krelle. Now, a new layer of accommodation, wellness, service and guest experience completes its transition to Elysium Manly.

Elysium Manly’s most elevated expression is the 167sqm Elysium Suite: a one-bedroom penthouse overlooking Manly Beach and the Pacific Ocean. An expansive private terrace now features a full-spectrum infrared barrel sauna by Nimbus alongside outdoor dining and sun loungers, creating a private vantage point above one of Sydney’s most famous stretches of coastline.

Inside, generous living and entertaining spaces include a fireplace, eight-seat dining table with private dining available on request, a freestanding bath and curated wine fridge. Hermès bathroom amenities are exclusive to the suite. Breakfast is served in-suite daily, while a dedicated VIP Host, valet parking and priority dining at Cibaria and 55 North extend the experience beyond the room. A Peloton bike can also be arranged on request.

Among the most significant additions are six new Wellness Suites. Each suite opens onto an ocean-facing private terrace with its own full-spectrum Nimbus infrared barrel sauna, allowing guests to move between the warmth of the sauna and the fresh sea air beyond.

Rather than prescribing how a wellness stay should look, Elysium’s Wellness Suites give guests the freedom to incorporate it as much or as little as they choose. A wellness tonic on arrival, in-room fitness equipment, LED face mask, compression boots, Peloton access and a complimentary BodyLove Pilates class are among the inclusions, alongside a minibar stocked with juices and electrolytes. A dedicated wellness breakfast can be served in-suite, while IKKARI bathroom amenities and signature Elysium robes complete the experience.

A further nine Coastal Two-Bedroom Suites broaden the hotel’s appeal for families and longer stays, offering expansive, residential-style accommodation. At 73sqm, each features a private ocean-facing balcony, two bedrooms and two bathrooms, alongside a generous contemporary living area, comfortable lounge, kitchenette and sit-down dining space. A dedicated VIP Host, ESPA bathroom amenities, valet parking and a complimentary one-hour infrared sauna experience are also included.

On level six, the new Elysium Floor introduces an additional layer of personalised service. The experience begins before arrival, with guest preferences informing the stay and a dedicated VIP Host available to assist with dining reservations, in-room arrangements, local recommendations and individual requests. Personalised room preparation and evening turndown are among the service rituals designed to make the experience feel intuitive and personal.

The hallmarks of an Elysium stay are equally apparent in the smaller details, with a tiered collection of bathroom amenities across room and suite categories: Grown Alchemist throughout hotel rooms, ESPA across suites, and Hermès reserved exclusively for the Elysium Suite. New photographic works by Australian photographer Elise Hassey, shot for Elysium Manly, are being introduced to selected rooms, joining the contemporary coastal interiors by Coco Republic and further connecting the hotel to its beachfront setting.

Beyond the rooms, Elysium’s sensory signatures have been layered throughout the property.

Bespoke floral installations by celebrated florist Saskia Havekes of Grandiflora, a signature Elysium fragrance and an evolving soundscape by music curator Mitchell Wicks bring scent, sound and nature into the guest experience.

Crowning the hotel is the rooftop magnesium mineral pool with a sweeping panorama of Manly Beach and the Pacific Ocean. High above the beachfront and framed by the tops of Manly’s Norfolk pines, the brilliant blue of the pool meets the ocean beyond, creating a striking vantage point from which to swim, sun and take in the coastline. It’s a perspective few hotels can match.

An infrared sauna is available to in-house guests by arrangement, with complimentary access included for Elysium Suite and Coastal Two-Bedroom Suite guests.

Dining remains central to the Elysium experience. Cibaria, the acclaimed Italian restaurant by Alessandro and Anna Pavoni, has already earned a Chef Hat and anchors the hotel’s food and beverage offering, bringing the warmth and energy of Italian dining to the Manly beachfront through handmade pasta, seafood, wood-fired cooking and a generous approach to hospitality.

At 55 North, cocktails, an extensive wine list and a Cibaria bar menu carry the hotel from morning into evening, while Bistro Manly begins the day with an elevated breakfast facing the beachfront.

Elysium Manly General Manager, Dylan Cole, said the official transition marks the culmination of several years of investment in the property, while introducing a new level of service and experience not previously available at the hotel:

“Elysium is about looking at every part of the guest experience and asking what more we can give, from the way we welcome people and anticipate what they might need, to the quality of the amenities in their room and the details they encounter throughout their stay. We have an extraordinary location in Manly and the ambition is to create a hotel experience that genuinely lives up to it.”

“There is a generosity to Elysium that goes beyond the physical hotel. It’s the freedom to have breakfast brought to your suite after a sauna, knowing your favourite bottle is waiting in the wine fridge, having your dining reservations taken care of, or simply being recognised and looked after by someone who understands how you want to spend your time with us,” said Cole.

With its first guests now checked in, one of Australia’s most iconic beachside destinations has a hotel experience to match the beauty of its setting, bringing together contemporary coastal design, destination dining, integrated wellness and highly personalised service just 20 minutes by ferry from Sydney’s CBD.