Welcome to HOSHINOYA Okinawa, a place where you don’t just find yourself… you fight yourself. Literally.
This isn’t your average Zen-and-tonka-bean-smoothie type escape. The Ryukyu Karate Stay is a two-night, three-day wellness program that trades passive pampering for purposeful punches. Think of it as a spiritual cleanse. A cultural immersion, physical reckoning, and damn good food, all served with the salty sting of sea air and sore muscles.
LEARN TO FIGHT WITHOUT FIGHTING
Forget what you know about karate from bad ’80s movies and underwhelming gym classes. Okinawa is where it all began. The ancient martial art of “Te” collided with Chinese influences and became “Toudi,” the philosophical ancestor of modern karate. Here, karate wasn’t about breaking bricks or impressing a Tinder date, it was about confronting your own chaos and sculpting it into calm.
At HOSHINOYA’s coastal dojo and on the sand (yes, barefoot beach sparring is a thing), you’ll train in both Ryukyu Karate and the lesser-known but seriously badass Ryukyu Kobudō, which uses tools like the sai (think: deadly metal fork) and the eeku (a weaponized oar, because… island life).
GET BEAT UP, THEN GET RUBBED DOWN.
Once your soul is centred and your limbs are rubber, it’s time to heal like a warrior. A post-training ritual of oil therapy, acupuncture, and shiatsu awaits, administered by licensed experts who can coax knots out of muscles you didn’t know existed.
This isn’t just a massage. It’s a full-body exhale.
EAT LIKE THE OKINAWANS (Which Might Be Why They Live Forever)
In Okinawa, food isn’t just fuel. It’s medicine. And at HOSHINOYA, meals are crafted under the ancient philosophy of Ishoku Dōgen, the idea that what you eat can heal what ails you.
Forget the quinoa. This is vitamin-loaded local greens, mysterious island herbs, and melt-in-your-mouth Okinawan pork that makes your B vitamins do backflips. Every dish is beautifully balanced to restore what the modern world has taken from you. Yes, it’s delicious. And yes, you’ll probably post it before you eat it.
The Rundown:
• Program: Ryukyu Karate Stay
• Duration: 2 nights, 3 days
• Cost: ¥160,000 per person (excl. accommodation)
• Includes: Karate + Kobudō sessions, all meals, spa treatments, a spiritual sucker-punch to your routine
• Group Size: Just you and a plus one (max 2)
• Bookings: Minimum two weeks in advance Link here
The Setting: HOSHINOYA Okinawa
Perched on the edge of Japan and reality, this 100-room fortress-inspired resort combines contemporary luxury with Ryukyu soul. Expect dramatic ocean views, traditional design, and enough cultural gravitas to make you feel like you’ve time-travelled—if samurai were into soft linens and world-class dining.
So if you’re tired of downward-dogging your way to peace, maybe it’s time to throw a few (metaphorical) punches instead. Okinawa’s waiting, with a black belt, a bowl of pork belly, and a killer ocean view.
Move over, party hotels – Bali’s got a new kid on the block, and she’s swapping bottle service for breathwork. Opening August 22, Noema is the freshest face in Pererenan (just a coconut’s roll from Canggu), and she’s got curves in all the right places: rooftop rituals, climbable art, spa scrubs, and cocktails with a view.
Yes, this place is a beach resort, but it’s also a mindfully designed, art-infused playground for surfers, families, nomads and dreamers who prefer their holidays with a side of soul. Think Korean rooftop spa scrubs, mythical kraken-inspired play towers, and restaurants that could win awards and win over your stomach.
Noema’s got 157 airy rooms (including a penthouse), two stellar restaurants – Mamaloma and Paparempa – and even a wellness centre that believes exfoliation is a spiritual experience.
At its core, Noema is built on one lovely little idea: that you can come to Bali and actually relax. *Gasp*. So, whether you’re here for the seafood sambal, the Saturday brunch, or to chase your inner calm around a vertical playground, Noema’s ready to welcome you barefoot and blissed out.
Oh, and don’t miss the three-day launch fest from August 22–24. There’ll be culture, cuisine, connection, and maybe even a kraken or two.
Want to see the real Nepal? Ditch the crowds and head to someone’s living room.
If your idea of an authentic travel experience involves actually meeting people (rather than just waving at them from a tour bus), then say namaste to Nepal’s Community Homestay Network.
Fresh off the back of being named one of TIME’s ‘World’s Greatest Places of 2025’ – no biggie – they’ve just launched three new trips that put communities, culture, and seriously good cooking front and centre.
Forget cookie-cutter itineraries. This is travel with heart (and homemade wine). The new adventures include everything from momo-making marathons and waterfall hikes in Narchyang to crafting with artisans in Bungamati and sipping tea in Indigenous Aathpahariya homestays in Eastern Nepal (yes, it’s as cool as it sounds).
The idea behind these new trips is to let travellers experience Nepal through the eyes (and kitchens) of the locals, all while boosting rural economies, preserving cultural traditions, and ensuring tourism doesn’t bulldoze the very things we travel to see.
Founder Shiva Dhakal calls it “building bridges between cultures”, but honestly, it just sounds like the best way to actually get Nepal without just Googling it.
Each of the three new trips runs for eight days and includes a delightful combo of cooking, hiking, heritage, and human connection.
Our advice? Bring an open mind, an empty stomach, and a spare bag for all those handmade souvenirs.
Just when you thought Uluwatu couldn’t get any more jaw-droppingly beautiful, along comes Umi, a five-star stunner that’s about to take Bali’s luxury game up several notches and then add a couple more for good measure.
Set to open in May 2026, Umi is perched just 200 metres from Uluwatu Beach, which means your morning swim could come with a side of sea breeze and surf envy.
Australian-owned and oozing understated glamour, Umi will feature seven private villas and 92 designer suites, each one showing off pool views and nestled among 1.5 kilometres of lush, garden-wrapped serenity. It’s probably like living inside a very tasteful jungle. With room types ranging from sleek Deluxe Suites to sprawling Family Suites, there’s plenty of space for everyone from solo sunset-seekers to barefoot little explorers.
And the design? Let’s just say if Mother Nature and a world-class architect had a love child, this would be it. Inspired by the sea caves of nearby Suluban Beach, Umi’s U-shaped layout opens dramatically to cascading infinity pools that ripple down the land’s natural contour. Think cliffside cool meets sculptural serenity, all wrapped in leafy planter boxes.
Dreamed up by co-founder Danil Flehan and the creative minds at Immersive Architecture and Vojtek Morsztyn Studio, Umi is all about luxury with a conscience. Expect barefoot elegance, eco-friendly flair, and a lot of guests “accidentally” extending their stay.
If your idea of “wellness” is a green juice and an occasional yoga stretch while doomscrolling, Amanpuri’s about to gently (and glamorously) blow your mind.
Nestled in a ridiculously lush corner of Thailand, Aman’s OG resort has levelled up its already swanky wellness game with a new medical-meets-mystical experience that’s basically a total reboot for your body, mind, and very possibly your soul.
At the Holistic Wellness Centre – Aman’s first of its kind – you won’t just get a massage and a mint tea. No, no. We’re talking full-spectrum healing with diagnostic wizardry that checks your hormones, immune function, and cardiovascular health before you’ve even unpacked your kaftan. Then it’s IV drips of NAD+, Resveratrol, Vitamin C, and other things that sound like high-grade spaceship fuel but are really just your fast pass to feeling fresh.
But wait, there’s more. You can dip into MSC therapy, cryotherapy, hydro-colon cleanses (don’t ask), and sneaky aesthetic upgrades like HIFU facials and ThermiVa, all while being gently coaxed into balance with acupuncture, Chinese medicine, and Chi Nei Tsang massage. It’s modern science meets ancient wisdom meets “how are they making me look this glowy?”
Forget bootcamp-style wellness where someone yells at you while you juice fast (and subsequently pass out after the 9th burpee). At Amanpuri, the vibe is serene, deeply personalised, and borderline magical.
Come for the transformation, stay for the coconut trees and the discreet age-reversal sorcery. Your future self just sent you a thank-you note.
Surf, sun and one hell of a surf coach; this July, Soneva Fushi is dialling things all the way up with a wave-chasing residency hosted by none other than Luke Stedman. Yep, that Luke Stedman – former World Championship Tour shredder, Rookie of the Year, and proud possessor of a surname that’s basically surf royalty. (Fun fact: his dad claims to have invented the UGG boot, but we digress).
From July 15 to 28, Luke will be swapping comps for coaching, running a series of surf experiences on Soneva Fushi’s pristine shores. We’re talking modular sessions for grommets and grownups alike, communal surf trips to Maldivian breaks so clear they look photoshopped, and – for those who take their board riding as seriously as their beachside smoothies – a five-day performance surf camp complete with breathwork, video analysis, drills, and daily surf safaris.
And the setting is no biggie, it’s just a UNESCO-protected slice of paradise where the villas are so fancy they have their own waterslides, and the desserts live in a dedicated chocolate room. Between sessions, you can snorkel with manta rays, catch a flick under the stars, or simply marvel at how salty your hair can really get.
Whether you’re a total beginner or a closet pro in need of a tune-up, this is your chance to ride the best waves of your life with a legit surf legend showing you the ropes.
For years, gaining entry to Turkmenistan was as easy as joining an exclusive cult: secretive, bureaucratic, and requiring a special invitation. But that’s changing fast. The notoriously closed Central Asian nation just hit the big ol’ refresh button on its tourism strategy, launching a brand-new e-visa system for travellers from over 50 countries.
No more government-vetted invitations, just a few clicks, and you’re on your way to the land of marble cities and flaming craters.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is rolling out the welcome mat (firmly supervised, of course), eager to show off jewels like the ancient Silk Road city of Merv and the infamous Door to Hell, a blazing gas crater that’s completely mind-blowing.
In a country known for golden statues and tightly controlled narratives, this digital visa shift signals something deeper: a tentative embrace of the outside world. Turkmenistan’s partnering with regional allies and development banks to upgrade roads, hotels, and *gasp* English-speaking tour guides.
Still, don’t expect a backpacker free-for-all just yet. The government insists it will balance openness with “cultural and security safeguards”, which sounds like code for “we’re watching, but nicely.”
According to tourism analysts, this could be the start of a broader economic reboot if Turkmenistan can manage the balancing act of inviting tourists in without losing control of the storyline. For now, the gates are ajar, the fire pit’s burning, and Turkmenistan is finally ready for its global close-up. Sort of.
Do you like your sunsets shaken, not stirred, and preferably with a view of the Indian Ocean? If your answer was yes, then Beach House in Canggu is your new spiritual home. Freshly flung open within Regent Bali’s ritzy beachfront resort, this bar/beachfront love affair is wrapped in coastal cuisine, craft cocktails, and a serious tan line.
Quick, get out your iPhone because the vibe is totally worth a couple of Insta stories or two; think Bondi meets barefoot luxury with an infinity pool that practically dares you to jump into it. The menu’s no slouch either; lobster rolls that flirt back, spicy shrimp with attitude, and a Wagyu striploin that might be your new soulmate. Vegetarians don’t worry: the zero-waste roasted cauliflower is here to flex.
And chances are you’ll be thirsty. The cocktail game is strong; “The Waves” tastes like Bali in a glass, and “Surf Garden” is what happens when gin takes a tropical holiday. Bonus points for the Cocktail Cabana experience, which is basically adult daycare, but with champagne.
And for those who prefer their leisure activities to involve balancing on water while being yelled at by a cheerful surf coach, Beach House has teamed up with Rip Curl for private lessons and curated multi-day packages that make wiping out look fun as all hell.
Whether you’re here for the grilled snapper, the surf break, or just to stare dramatically into the sea with a cocktail in hand, Beach House Bali is serving main character energy. Psst, no shoes required.
If your idea of a holiday involves sipping cocktails on a sunlounger, look away now. But if you’ve ever thought, “What if I could paddle my way through tropical islands, snack constantly, sleep in hidden beach camps, and possibly befriend a sea turtle?” then Kayakasia Philippines has your name written all over it (probably on a dry bag).
This adventure company offers multi-day, muscle-powered odysseys through some of the most untouched corners of the Philippines; think limestone cliffs, secret lagoons, beach bonfires, and zero crowds (unless you count the occasional curious fish). You’ll paddle between islands, feast like a castaway with a personal chef, and fall asleep under a trillion stars.
Worried you’re not Bear Grylls? Don’t stress. You don’t need abs of steel or Olympic stamina, just a sense of adventure and a healthy obsession with snacks. The Kayakasia crew sorts the logistics, hauls the gear, and keeps the vibe equal parts safe and silly.
Tours range from chill two-night trips to full-on five-day expeditions, with routes around El Nido, the Linapacan Islands, and Coron. Translation: postcard views, every damn day.
That means ditch the resort wristband and grab a paddle. These tours are for anyone who wants to explore paradise the slow, splashy, unforgettable way. And yes, your arms will get a little sore. But your soul? Very, very happy.
If you’ve ever watched The White Lotus and thought, “Wow, I’d love to swan about a luxe resort in a silk robe, but without the pesky murder subplot,” then The Slate Phuket has read your mind (and possibly your group chat).
Enter the Indigo Lotus Package: a cheeky, extravagant escape that serves Thai luxury with a twist of HBO glam and (exactly) zero scandals.
Stay four nights in your own private pool villa, where you can dramatically sip cocktails like you’re about to drop a bombshell. Except here, the only drama is choosing between a coconut scrub or a full-body massage at Coqoon Spa.
Dine like a diva at Black Ginger; yes, the floating restaurant you reach via hand-pulled raft (because walking is boring), and pretend you’re being filmed by a hidden camera crew.
You’ll also get front-row seats to a real-deal Muay Thai fight, daily breakfast that does not include suspicious green smoothies, and an optional spiritual detox at Wat Chalong. Plus, there’s a beach club excursion with drinks because balance.
It’s the perfect package for lovers, besties, or your three favourite aunties. Yes, it’s a little on the expensive side AU$8,881 a couple), but we reckon it’s worth every cent.
This isn’t a holiday, it’s your main character moment. No messy plot twists, just tropical opulence, Thai culture, and a resort so beautiful, it deserves its own Emmy.
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