THRIVE Mental Health Retreat
Zimbabwe
Continuing education, just not as you know it
RACE accredited: 20 hours of non-clincal learning
7 days of safari drives, boat cruises, and getting back to nature, combined with international lecturers presenting valuable teaching on mental health and self development in Zimbabwe.
2025: 9th-15th February
This educational retreat costs £3,950 per person inclusive of teaching, great food, beautiful accommodation and all safari activities. Partners and friends can join you and enjoy the safari and social activities. Partner tickets are £3000 all inclusive.
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A 7 day continuing education retreat, set at an all inclusive 5* lodge in spectacular Victoria Falls National Park, Zimbabwe, Africa.
The focus of the 20 hours of RACE accredited learning is mental health and self-development. These are vital skills for any professional to improve their working environment, career longevity, satisfaction and ability to support and develop themselves and their team. The course accepts up to 16 people at a time for an exclusive African experience.
Gone are the days of sitting in dark lecture rooms to “clock up” hours. Step into the sunshine and experience a lifechanging week in the wilds of Africa that guarantees a fulfilling experience to refresh, revitalize and alter your perspective on life.
Not sure what this will look like? Maybe this will help: THRIVE Blog.
The education is a mixture of:
Enneagram - discover your core motivations and how you relate to others
Team practicals and workshops
Dynamic group discussion
Lectures
Thrive missions: activities including safari drives, boat cruises and waterfall tour, to explore the African wilderness
Imagine a lecture space where giraffe and elephant meander across the grasslands in front of you, workshops on a platform at the edge of the great Zambezi gorge, and teaching sessions aboard a boat as you float past crocodiles and hippos. This is continuing education, but not as you know it.
Through the course we cover topics including:
The Enneagram: a practical workshop discussing differing personality types, core motivations and blind spots. Each person takes home a printed personalised review.
Teamwork and optimizing how you communicate with others
Intruder syndrome and how to combat it
Burnout ad how to prevent it
Self forgiveness
Emotional IQ
Self development and growth strategies
Work life balance
Healthy coping mechanisms for practitioners
Taking control of your career path and development strategies
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ACCOMMODATION
Delegates will enjoy their own luxury lodge room with king-size bed (shared rooms can be accommodated) with cool luxurious white linen, large sweeping mosquito nets, warm evening lighting and safari chic design. Rooms are ensuite with showers as well as outdoor showers to enjoy the African night sky. Each room has its own private deck overlooking the river. There is also a communal swimming pool, so you can cool off in the warmer parts of the day or even swim under starlight at night, with a good chance of viewing animals. The communal areas where you eat and socialize are draped in luxury and authentic African décor. The main deck of the lodge has sweeping views out to the horizon and gives a true sense of being in the midst of nature and totally disconnected from the bustle of normal life.
All food and drink is included in your stay. 3 meals a day are served buffet or la la carte style. We can cater for vegetarians and vegans, and most allergies. If you have complex food requirement, please contact us before booking to discuss how we can accommodate you. The lodge stocks a range of drinks and alcoholic beverages are served from 6pm onwards. Visit the Wallow Lodge Website
LOCATION
The lodge is set in the Victoria Falls national park, a big 5 wildlife area. You can expect to be serenaded with calls of the wild at breakfast and supper, elephants trumpeting and lions roaring into the night. In the evening you can enjoy sunsets igniting the horizon and then kicking back around the fire, under a sky of stars. You are guaranteed wonderful sightings of wildlife that come and drink from the waterhole in front of the property, although the wildlife is not able to come closer to the accommodation so your safety is ensured. The game drives never fail to disappoint as the area is rich with all species, including the big 5 and unique bird life.
From the lodge you can see plombs of spray, rising from the Victoria falls waterfall. This is the reason this waterfall is called “the smoke that thunders”, something you will feel up close and personal when we do a private tour of the waterfall itself, and get a chance to stand right in front of the thundering water. By attending this course you are supporting the great work of Wild Horizons and their Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust which provides vet treatment to injured wildlife and supports conservation across the Zambezi valley.
Travel information and planning
We ask you arrive before 2pm on the first day of the course. You will book your flights into Victoria Falls airport in Zimbabwe. Most nationalities are able to purchase a tourism visa on arrival, which costs 50 to 70 USD and lasts for up to 3 months. Departure must be after 11 am on the last day of the course. If you wish to be collected or dropped in town for personal travel and exploration, this can be arranged.
You do not need to be vaccinated for Covid to travel to Zimbabwe.
Cost:
The cost of the course is £3,950
Included:
20 hours of CE/CPD accredited learning
Personalised Enneagram workbook
6 nights Accommodation in 5* Wallow Lodge
Transfers to and from the airport
3 outstanding meals a day
All drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic)
All “Thrive missions” (safari drives, boat trips, canopy high ropes, elephant sanctuary visit, cultural initiation)
Excluded:
Flights
Visas
Personal travel insurance
Bringing a partner or friend to THRIVE
If you would like to bring your partner or friend along to this event as a social member (no teaching or lectures included) they are very welcome. All partners attending this course will be hosted on an all-inclusive basis including transfers, food and beverages. They will also join your safari activities including safari drives, the boat cruise, the elephant orphanage, and the high ropes. As well as the activities they do with you, whilst lectures occur they will be able to enjoy optional activities put on by the lodge such as bush walks, safari drives, town and community excursions. Or just kick back and relax by the pool!
A partner is required to share a room with a full paying course member. Rooms can be shared either with one king size bed, or the bed can be split into two 3/4 beds. Your friend or partner will join your safari activities including safari drives, the boat cruise, the elephant orphanage, and the high ropes. Additional the the activities they do with you, whilst lectures occur they will be able to enjoy optional activities put on by the lodge such as bush walks, safari drives, town and community excursions. Or just kick back and relax by the pool!
If you wish to purchase a partner ticket you can email our team to request an invoice for this ticket, as they can not be purchased automatically on the website.
The cost of a partner ticket is £3,000.
Volunteer feedback
Kyle Grusling, DVM
February 2024
"I cannot put into words the transformative experience that was Thrive 2024. From the setting to the presentations to the friendships made, I brought back invaluable information that has improved my practice and my daily life. My personal favorite was the enneagram work. Seeing my entire personality, flaws and all, on a piece of paper was a bit daunting at first, but working with Christine was so incredibly illuminating. Learning how to work with other personality types within my own skill set and learning to bring out the positives in others has already improved my practice in a measurable way. The setting of the conference was truly magical, with lectures taking place while watching hippos and elephants in the Zambezi, creating an almost surreal backdrop for learning. It was an experience I will never forget and cannot wait to repeat."
Helen Trory, DVM
February 2024
"I attended the Thrive course in Zimbabwe in February 24. It is difficult to put into words this amazing experience.
Elephants, zebras, warthogs and giraffes, beautiful accommodation, a fantastic hospitality team and lovely food.
Lectures in unbelievable locations like on the Zambezi river with hippos or overlooking Victoria falls with fish eagles !
Opportunities to challenge yourself with activities like zip lining... local culture, game drives, feeding elephants and genuinely lovely people everywhere we went. Social activities like cocktails in stunning locations, swimming in the beautiful pools during lunch breaks and a traditional Boma dinner to name but a few ! Making connections for life !
Add all those things to some very well delivered CPD that was informative, practical and for me allowed me to develop and reflect on my management style. I could share experiences and learn from others in an open and safe learning environment discussing topics I feel are essential to the future of the veterinary profession.
This has to be how CPD should be done !"
WHAT NEXT? If this sounds like something you would like to participate in please proceed to booking your tickets on our THRIVE event page.
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