Feeling stuck in the 9 to 5 career rut and in need of a getaway to declutter your mind? Want to steer away from the city where you always get jostled by the crowds to the point where you can’t find your authentic self? Maybe time has come for you to embark on a new adventure, and follow the footstep of the soul searcher Elizabeth Gilbert in the movie Eat, Pray, Love, who rediscovered pleasure in the food mecca Italy, meditated in an ashram in India and found the meaning of love in Bali. Instead of satisfying your unquenchable wanderlust by living vicariously through Elizabeth, why don’t you go on a holiday to cultivate “Dolce Far Niente”(the sweetness of doing nothing in Italian)? We are almost spoiled for choice when it comes to wellness retreats. To help you save the hassle of sifting through the listings and travel reviews, we’ve rounded up the best retreats for you to sign up.
Lefay Resort & SPA Lago di Garda, Italy
Built into the terraced hillside, Lefay Resort is an eco-friendly resort in northern Italy that overlooks the picturesque Lake Garda and features a communion with nature, a huge spa that combines Western scientific research and classic Chinese medicine to enhance physical and a restaurant that serves phenomenal cuisine around the health-centric Mediterranean diet.
The Siam, Thailand
Housed luminaries like Jacqueline Kennedy, Henry Ford, Roger Moore and John Rockefeller, The Siam is a luxury sanctuary of wellness located smack dab in heart of Thailand that oozes a whiff of mystery with its colonial surroundings. It has an award-winning spa that delivers regenerative Thai treatments with ethically-sourced therapeutic essential oil. The retreat also provides guests with Muay Thai classes to sweat it out.
ITC Hotel Grand Bharat Spa Resort, India
Nestled among the ancient Aravali, ITC Hotel Grand Bharat Spa Resort is one of the first all-suites luxury retreat in India. It boasts exceptional gourmet cuisine, awe-inspiring architecture, hydrotherapy sessions and holistic full body treatment reminiscent of ayurvedic herbal oil body massage. Guests can also curate their own retreats with 62 classic Indian treatments.
Sparkling Hill Resort & Wellness Hotel, Canada
Home to the largest luxury spa in Canada, Sparkling Hill Resort & Wellness Hotel is a tranquil retreat for those who want physical and mental detox. From acupuncture, naturopathy, homeopathy to treatments combined with Chinese herbal medicine and botanical treatments, KurSpa guarantees to help restore the balance between mind and body.
Divani Apollon Palace & Thalasso, Greece
Nestled in the heart of Athenian Riviera, Divani Apollon Palace & Thalasso is a lavish resort that provides Thalassotherapy, a healing treatment that applies saltwater, mud, sand and basically all substances from the sea to restore the balance of the body. The resort also features a state-of-the-art fitness center that provides specialist consultations to help you achieve your physical goals.