The best self-care trips can take on different forms – depending on what you like. Here, take your pick from five of the best luxury wellness and self-care resorts from around the world that offer just a bit more than pampering as you seek to look after yourself.
When you think of a self-care holiday, what comes to mind? Perhaps, it’s a few days doing what you love in a place that inspires you. Perhaps, it’s a week at a spa resort or a beach. With these healing holidays on our list, self-care takes on a new definition. Take a bike ride through the vineyards of Provence, dine on meals prepared from produce cultivated in the Hudson Valley, boost your immunity with contrast therapy in Bali, try wellness programmes that target menopause symptoms in Barcelona and rediscover the joys of sleep in Tokyo. Whatever your self-care and wellness need, these luxury resorts have you covered.
5 Luxury Wellness and Self-Care Resorts Around The World
Coquillade Provence, France
Who says wellness retreats are all about abstinence? Spread among olive groves, grape vines and cypress trees, Coquillade Provence, still fresh from a multi-million facelift in 2022, strikes the perfect balance between reboot and pleasure. Founded by late Swiss billionaire Andy Rihs, who owned a bike brand and racing team, the resort, a member of Relais & Château, is equipped with state-of-the-art cycling facilities favoured by Tour de France athletes. It also offers well-curated guided bike tours through the vineyards of Luberon. Gruelling triathlon training programmes are also on the menu. In the evening, choose to relax from spa treatments that promise to reduce you to putty, or indulge in a round or two of wine tasting. Or do both.
Auberge Resorts Collection, United States
Nestled within the Hudson Valley just under two hours away from New York by car, the 57ha Wildflower Farms, Auberge Resorts Collection, is a luxury resort and a working farm. This is a place for well-heeled hippies who love hiking through tall grass and getting their Dubarrys wet with morning dew. Here, off-kilter digestive systems are nourished with fresh produce grown or foraged on-site or nearby, while weary bodies are restored by skillful hands in a spa that offers treatments that incorporate botanicals.
Asa Maia, Indonesia
The Asa Maia, which opened in 2021 in Uluwatu, Bali, is a bijoux resort with just 10 well-appointed traditional Indonesian teak wood houses transported from East Java and re-assembled on-site. Here, treatments are prescribed with kindness alongside a pescetarian-based menu. Contrast therapy is big here, inspired by the founder’s personal journey of healing. Alternate dips in 7.5°C cold and 40°C hot pools boost your immunity and metabolism as well as aid the detoxification process. New-age treatments like hypnotherapy are also available.
Camiral Golf and Wellness, Spain
With the number of post-menopausal women estimated to reach 1.1 billion worldwide by 2025, the travel industry is starting to cater to this new niche. At the forefront to target menopausal and perimenopausal women is Camiral Golf and Wellness, a Leading Hotels of the World member located an hour from Barcelona. Designed with a biophilic theme, the resort’s 1ha state-of-the-art Wellness Centre offers a plethora of treatments that are holistic and administered with medical-grade equipment, and connects guests to nature with tranquil spaces lit by natural light. Its Renew and Harmonize Retreat includes movement classes, naturopathic and holistic therapies, and advanced technologies to mitigate menopause symptoms, from depression and fatigue to weight gain and poor sleep. Response has been overwhelming, with the March retreat sold out. Stay tuned for more of such events.
Hoshinoya Tokyo, Japan
Signing up for a retreat in a high-octane metropolis like Tokyo is probably not one of the first things that come to mind for visitors to Japan. After all, the capital holds too many attractions that discourage staying in at the hotel. However, doing the Deep Breathing Regimen in the modern ryokan Hoshinoya Tokyo is highly recommended. It is, in fact, the perfect end to an adrenaline-filled holiday in Tokyo, as our writer has personally experienced. Much more than the name suggests, the two-night workshop conducted in Japanese (a translator is present for non-Japanese speakers) reconnects guests with the joys of sleeping well. Start with instructor-led classes such as alignment and scent-blending, go for many rounds of onsen – with a geothermal source more than 1,500m below the building. Indulge in meals designed to aid sound sleep. Cap off a blissful day by surrendering to the comfort of the Hoshinoya mattress custom-made by The Nihon Bed company.
(Main Image: Hoshinoya Tokyo, Featured Image: Auberge Resorts Collection)
This story first appeared on Prestige Online Singapore.