7 wellness retreats for every type of self-care vacation

Time to let go of our daily stressors…

Travel is as much self-indulgence as it is self-care.

Away from routines and buzzing phones, a few days of nap-inducing massage, physical exercise, plenaty of sun and healthy eating is just what the doctor ordered.

Start packing and book the ultimate health and wellness vacation to rejuvenate your wellbeing.

Tri Lanka

Koggala Lake, Southern Province, Sri Lanka

Time to book the babysitter! Combining contemporary architecture and lakeside scenery, adult-only, 11-villa resort Tri Lanka might be the perfect retreat for jaded office cube-dwellers who sorely need some R&R (rest and relaxation, obvi), just to be distracted from their to-do list for a day or two.

The design-led interior, featuring cinnamon-wood cladding, natural granites and not a TV in sight, makes Tri a new breed of luxury that is uncommon in Sri Lanka.

The chefs here crank out bold and seasonal lake-to-table / garden-to-plate fare with organic produce fresh from their own farm. Make sure to pair it with a velvety glass of cabernet. Everything goes upscale at dinner when stars illuminate the night sky and a balmy breeze envelops you.

Oh, and that spa. Whatever you go to the Ayurveda spa for, chances are it will send you home with a wellness plan (yoga classes in the elevated shala above bamboo grove compulsory) that could be life-changing. Talk about nourish and juvenile!

📸 Ohh Couture
📸 The Asia Collective
📸 What Dels Did
📸 What Dels Did
📸 The Asia Collective
📸 The Asia Collective

Sabora Tented Camp

Grumeti Game Reserve, Serengeti, Tanzania

One of Sabora’s major selling points—and there are many at this string of lavish tents dramatically situated in the 350,000-acre untouched wilderness area of Grumeti Reserves—is how involved their guests can be in their underlying conservation efforts that serve the animals and the flora in the area.

Essentially, it isn’t only a luxury safari vacation, but also sustainability project with firsthand planet-saving and do-gooding experiences for guests, from living by their zero-waste, zero-carbon living practices, to joining their community initiatives to support the people who live in and around the camp.

There are plenty of ways to shed the stress here even if you’re not safari-inclined. Beyond the peaceful lodge spa, there is also mountain biking, forest walk and sunrise yoga (in the magnificent wilderness, no less), stargazing, tennis, archery, and a dip in the pool at the communal lounge on the itinerary.

Included in your booking are all meals, served overlooking the Great Plains of East Africa. The chef turns out health-conscious dishes made with the finest produce while wine and champagne flow freely.

Kasbah Tamadot

Asni, Morocco

For a truly stress-free retreat in gorgeous countryside, this beautiful 28-room Moroccan-getaway recasts a beautiful casbah with bold and colorful flair. From the wood ceilings, ancient chests, to ornately carved cupboards, every detail is done in true moroccan style.

It’s hard to one-up the offer beautiful long hikes into the Atlas Mountains (or a ride around the resort and the nearby village with the hotel’s recident mules), but the Asounfou spa is certainly in the running.

Experience the Moroccan cleansing ritual in the hammam for a deep cleanse, purify and soften the skin. Black soap is applied to cleanse the skin followed by an exfoliation of the whole body with a mitt. If that doesn’t ease you back into the nine-to-five groove once you leave, we don’t know what would.

📸Once in a Lifetime Journey

Bawah Island

Anambas Islands, Riau Islands, Indonesia

It is hard to imagine anything more reinvigorating than a vacation at this out-of-this-world eco resort, huddled away on its own private island in one of Indonesia’s newest marine-conservation zones.

One should take full advantage of the 13 crystalline beaches, a full suite of water sports on offer (and included in your booking, from paddle board, kayak, sailing, snorkelling, to boat trips around the lagoon, and all the wellness offering – treatments, yoga, pilates and meditation that take place in a a cathedral-like bamboo spa – which also make part of their all-inclusive package.

Outdoor enthusiasts will love the days spent hiking untouched forests, open-air cinema screenings under the stars, stargazing and bird-watching.

📸Once in a Lifetime Journey
📸Once in a Lifetime Journey
📸Once in a Lifetime Journey
📸Cazloyd
📸Once in a Lifetime Journey

The 35 villas are natural-luxe and the spa heavenly. As for dining, the nourishing cuisine is a medley of wholesome and creative courses, drawing on the island’s own fruits and the vegetable garden.

Preserving the 300-acre area’s habitat has been a priority for the resort. Life here is zero-waste, zero-carbon of course; luxurious baths are fed by filtered rainwater; toiletries are biodegradable; crops are sustainably and organically grown to provide a big enough bounty to feed all 70 guests.

📸Cazloyd
📸Cazloyd
📸Cazloyd

Paresa Phuket

Kamala, Phuket, Thailand

A weekend at Paresa Phuket may ruin (or heal) you for good… once you get a taste of their wellness offering, from specialist treatments by a hydroponic garden, (beachside) yoga, reiki, meditation, to mind training from therapy professionals.

And the food is some of the best on the island, probably because the resorts use fresh ingredients in their seasonally-influenced cuisine, and that the sea-view setting is just so stunning. Once you tried it, your regular store-bought veggies and kitchen bar probably won’t cut it.

They also have an excellent cookery school. The resort’s passionate chefs lead Thai, Mediterranean, Japanese and Chocolate cookery classes daily. Those trips to local markets ripe with summer’s harvest are a real treat.

Ungasan Clifftop Resort

Uluwatu, Bali, Indonesia

Every time we are in Bali, time begins to slow down, and it feels like we are going home. Faced with sweeping Indian Ocean vistas, Ungasan occupies Bali’s southernmost tip, atop a cliff in tranquil Uluwatu.

The resort has a few super-swanky big-gruop villas that come with their own staff and private chef, who won’t allow you to lift a finger (unless it’s to take a sip of your bespoke cocktails), making for the ideal place for a large family or group of friends.

On the itinerary: massages and facials at the Vela spa that is all about indulgence, sunrise yoga, bonfires by the sea at sunset, dishing up the freshest catch of the day.

Samudra

Mudra Estate, Laem Set, Koh Samui, Thailand

Samudra isn’t just a villa that looks great for a big group (up to 14); it is a dreamy holiday estate with separate pavililions, fully staffed, offering your own headland playground and private beach on Koh Samui.

Feel the stress begin to melt away the moment you arrive. At the end of the wooden terrace along the bedrooms lays the stunning Octagon Temple, an open-sided living area that offers spectacular 180 degrees ocean views and the natural breeze of the sea.

Professionals are on call to design an action plan for your, from detox, yoga, stress and burnout therapies, to fitness and weight control, this private rental sets you up for the ultimate way to disconnect from the stresses of every day and return home feeling brand new!