Holidays can be a very stressful time, taking its toll on our bodies and minds, making the beginning of the new year the perfect time to get away, destress and get pampered. There is nothing like a week or even a weekend at a destination spa resort to get the mind primed, the chi pumped, and the beauty rebooted. Retreat to these resorts in the new year to invigorate your mind, body and soul:
Bali has been a popular wellness and spirituality destination for quite a while now and continues to wow us with organic treatments and holistic massages. Alila Ubud Hotel‘s spellbinding location on the edge of the breathtaking Ayung River Valley will immediately impress you with its zen-like atmosphere. As will their emerald infinity pool overlooking the valley. Alila’s signature treatment is the Moonlight Remedy, offered twice a month on the 1st and 15th day of the lunar month. The treatment is performed in the resort’s outdoor garden and draws on the energy of the moon to promote healing and spiritual growth.
Brenners Park, located in the Black Forest and close to the city of Baden Baden, is one of the best spas in Europe. Full of elegance and glam and with a Michelin-starred restaurant, Brenners Park is a favorite of many celebrities. It has been known to host Bill Clinton, Dalai Lama, Heidi Klum and Victoria Beckham. These A-list celebrities flock there for the top-of-the-line spa treatments designed to pamper and rejuvenate. The hotel’s five floor, 5,000 square meter spa is the largest one in Germany, and includes two health and beauty spas and a medical spa that offers everything from dermatology to dentistry. For the ultimate day of pampering, we recommend booking the Spa Suite which comes with its own whirlpool, terrace, Japanese blossom steam bath and a spa butler.
This stunning property, housed in former palace estate of the Maharaja of Tehri-Garhwal, allows us an opportunity to combine a wellness getaway with a trip of a lifetime to the foothills of the Himalayas. As Oprah described this special resort “Going to Ananda is more like a pilgrimage than a visit, with every moment designed to cultivate presence.” Ananda offers two, three and five-night spa packages designed to balance the five senses through the wisdom of the Vedas. Our favorite is the Ananda Detox-Starter. The four-night program targets toxins that constantly build up in the body due to pollution and other environmental factors and lead to lack of energy, weight gain and low mood. The program integrates the essential elements of Ayurveda and Aromatherapy, Yogic Kriyas, Meditation and Personal Fitness – and all with a dosha-based customized diet that leaves you refreshed, toned, glowing and energized for the new year.
Calistoga Ranch Auberge Resort
For a pampering getaway easier to get to, we recommend the remarkable Calistoga Ranch Auberge Resort located in a secluded Upper Napa Valley canyon (side trips to wineries anyone?!). The resort stays true to its motto of “responsible luxury” by integrating elements of nature into its opulent lodges offering an unforgettable sensory experience. This motto is also translated into the use of the healing waters of Calistoga in the resort’s fabulous spa. You can sink into Calistoga’s heated mineral pool surrounded by woodlands and private Lake Lommel. The soothing pools will relax your body and mind, making it the perfect prelude to a treatment in the Spa. Our favorites is the Calistoga Cure, an invigorating and therapeutic body scrub followed by a private outdoor mud or mineral salt bath. Rest quietly while receiving an energy balancing session, and finish with the resort’s Classic Ranch Massage.
Inspired by Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, Gili Lankanfushi is a five-star barefoot luxury resort offering exquisite food, immaculate service and some of the best beaches in the world. It is not just a resort, it’s a sanctuary on water – a place where you can escape the all the pressures of day-to-day life! Only problem – once you get there you may never want to leave! The resort’s Meera Spa, our favorite part of the resort, is a member of the prestigious Healing Hotels of the World. As with all of the villas, the spa is located overwater and in addition to offering a long list of massages, it also offers Holistic therapies such as Reiki, Yoga, meditation, Tibetan Singing Bowls and several advanced well being services with the “Masters in Residence” program. This program, offered throughout the year, is conducted by visiting holistic practitioners and renowned healers to provide additional wellbeing services. All specialists have their own gifts to offer and some of these include sound therapy, crystal therapy and Craniosacral therapy, among many other alternative healing methods.
Borgo Egnazia Luxury Resort, Puglia, Italy
Borzo Egnazia has been on everyone’s radar ever since Justin Timberlake celebrated his wedding with Jessica Biel here. We promise you that this sudden fame does not take away from the resort’s service, luxury and attention to detail. This architectural gem recreates a traditional Apulian village amid olive groves and lemon trees and is surrounded by deep blue shimmering ocean. The beautiful resort is a place of stone and sky, sea and history and words and silences. Borzo Egnazia is also close to the town of UNESCO World Heritage town of Alberobello for some exploration. And then of course there is the resort’s enormous Vair Spa offering three to five night packages. We recommend the 5-day Nghiane Package, a life-changing treatment program designed to get you back in touch with yourself, be more open with others and get in sync with your body and your life. It includes sessions with artists’therapists, deep massage treatments, private Yoga lesson, Roman bath ritual and and a relaxing massage for a complete mind and body makeover. A perfect way to start the New Year!
Contact Classic Travel for your ultimate “pamper yourself” package.