When modern-day life is getting you down, it’s time to retreat. At Kamalaya Koh Samui, a luxury spa retreat on the popular Thai island, take a step back, indulge in holistic healing treatments and come out the other side feeling like a new you.
Kamalaya has a number of programs designed to help overcome stress and burnout, but we love the sound of Asian Bliss – when in Rome, after all. For between five and 10 nights, turn off your gadgets then exercise, eat well and be nurtured by treatments taking in Chinese Traditional Medicine, Ayurvedic practice and traditional Thai therapies.
Each day there’s a schedule of complimentary yoga, pilates and tai chi classes, plus there’s a fitness centre, swimming pool and steam cavern if you want to stretch out on your own.
Feel like you’ve got stress levels under control? There’s a whole raft of wellness programs including detox, weight-loss, exercise and yoga programs. As far as the resort goes, the entry-level rooms are cosy and chic and surrounded by trees; others overlook the ocean, some have private plunge pools or there’s the opportunity to book a beachfront villa. Just those views are likely to make knotted muscles unwind.
If a snow-change is your answer to the suffocation of the city, then breathe in the fresh alpine air at Alpina Dolomites, considered one of the most luxurious ski resorts in Europe, and be rejuvenated from the inside out.
Perched atop Europe’s largest high-altitude plateau in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Dolomites, this is the perfect place for intrepid skiers, mountain adventurers and snow–bunnies alike. The scenery – and the altitude – will leave you breathless, and that’s before you even tackle the activities beckoning in the great outdoors.
Adventure seekers can take to the slopes for snowboarding and cross- country skiing. Winter warmers can soak up the stunning panoramic views from the outdoor pool, then sweat it out at the Alpina spa in either the Finnish sauna or the aromatic steam baths.
A visit in summer will see the ice melt away to reveal a stunning alpine meadow ripe for hiking and horse riding. Plus, singing in high-altitude mountain air will do wonders for your lungs.
Nestled among the alleyways of Singapore’s old red light district in Chinatown, the New Majestic is a one-of-a-kind hotel with rooms given names such as Pussy Parlour and Fluid.
Each of the 30 rooms – some individually designed by emerging artists – is just as wacky and risqué as its name suggest. Think ‘floating’ beds, high ceilings, bold murals and art installations, cast-iron garden bathtubs and rain showers, as well as an eclectic mix of vintage and designer furniture.
Slip between the sheets of homegrown beauty QT Sydney, an uber-cool hotel that stretches across two landmark buildings, the State Theatre and Gowings, in the heart of the CBD. Think speakeasy charm fused with geometric rugs, objets d’art – including a gown made entirely from undies – and a costume-clad host called the ‘director of chaos’. The lift serenades couples with love songs, groups with party beats and solo travellers with tunes about loneliness. Start the day with coffee at Parlour Roasters, rest your weary bones at the excellent spaQ (some of the treatment rooms feature gorgeous, original lead lighting), get a trim at the Barber Shop and, when you’ve returned from a day exploring the city, head downstairs to the cool Gowings Bar & Grill for a late-night tipple.
Fly through the Bokeo jungle on a zip line to your unique Gibbon Experience tree house, nestled in the forest canopy. Spend the day hiking around the forest, exploring Nam Kan National Park and zip lining from mountain to mountain. In the evening, once you’ve flown once more to your overnight home above the trees, enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the jungle and wake to the whistles of playful gibbons. It’s a night’s shut-eye you will never forget. The drop toilet however you might want to!
Located on Mai Khao Beach on Phuket’s quiet northwest shoreline, with privacy and comfort second to none, SALA Phuket is the perfect place to get lost.
For the privacy lover, SALA Phuket features 79 spacious villas and suites, 63 of which have private swimming pools. Equipped with their own open-air bathroom, a piece of lush garden and sun loungers, the resort’s pool villas offer an incredible amount of space and privacy, creating the impression of being personal resorts all on their own.
Perfect for gourmets, SALA Phuket Resort & Spa is known for its excellent cuisine, having featured in the Thailand Tatler Best Restaurant list for three consecutive years. The private beach dinner offers the ultimate in luxury dining.
Wellness gurus will love the resort’s award-winning SALA Spa, which features a contemporary design and one of Phuket’s best spa menus, available exclusively to guests in conjunction with the famous French beauty brand Clarins.
Shopaholics can also get their fix, with the resort sitting just a short walk from Turtle Village shopping area. Guests can easily explore Phuket by making use of the daily shuttle buses to both Phuket Town and Patong.
Play blushing bride in a century-old teak house built in Java as a gift for a lady betrothed to a Javanese nobleman. In the village of Baung, a 15-minute drive from Ubud, Bambu Indah offers eco luxury with 11 restored antique houses and elegant modern guest residences. Each detached room is unique and thoughtfully furnished – some are set on stilts, others include private water features or garden bathrooms, and one even has a glass floor so guests can watch shrimp swimming in the pond below.
There’s also a four-storey pagoda with floor-to-ceiling windows and a traditional Sumbanese house crafted from bamboo. During the day hike to nearby villages, go rafting on the Ayung River, practise yoga in the Minang House – a re-creation of a large clan home from the Padang highlands in Sumatra – or play the giant bamboo harp. For something truly hands-on join a house-building workshop and learn to contort bamboo into architecture.
Malaysia is a long way from Middle-earth, but the charming family-run lodgings, Time Capsule Retreat, will have your getting your hobbit on. Tucked away in lush forest in the peninsula state of Pahang, the delightful capsule rooms are made from pipe cylinders, with floor-to-ceiling glass at the opening letting light and green views right in. At two metres by three metres, the rooms are cosy and simple but large enough to accommodate a queen-size bed. They are air-conditioned but you’ll have to share a bathroom with your neighbour.
Let the tide lull your senses into a state of relaxation at The Floathouse River Kwai. Hidden in the tropical depths of western Thailand, this luxurious lodge floats on the gentle waves of the famous river. Artfully constructed from teak and bamboo, each room oozes opulence and opens onto a private terrace by the water.
Spend your days mountain-bike riding, kayaking or exploring nearby waterfalls, before enjoying a delectable spread of international and local cuisine at Pontoon, the floating restaurant. When darkness falls, plonk yourself down on your terrace with a glass of wine and listen to the gentle lapping of the water.
For an enlightening spiritual retreat join Buddhist scholars, and occasionally the Dalai Lama himself (there are tentative dates for the beginning of 2017), on tours to places of great significance and holiness in mainly India, but also Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan. Trips range from three days to 18, and the group size is kept small to ensure the essence of mindful travel is never lost. These are unique journeys, designed to explore both the cultural and spiritual aspects of the destination, and offer the traveller new insights, personal discover and the chance to meet local people they perhaps wouldn’t on a normal tour.
Some of the trips include a sojourn to the painted caves at Ajanta in Maharashtra and an exploration of ancient Buddhist sites and palaces and forts in Andhra Pradesh. Accommodation ranges from five-star hotels to home stays in more remote areas.
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