TO WELL AND BACK
After lockdown, wellbeing-inspired getaways may well be in huge demand. Tamara Hinson suggests the best for a post-isolation pep-up
Although we’re very aware that travelling hasn’t been exactly easy recently, we’re focusing on the silver lining – that we’ll soon be free to fuel our sense of wanderlust once more. And when we are, taking a trip focused on improving your wellbeing feels like a good call.
In early 2020 Meliá Punta Cana ( melia.com/en/hotels/dominican-republic/ punta-cana/melia-punta-cana-beachresort/index.htm), a beautiful Dominican Republic resort, launched its Wellness 360 Experience. This is a wellbeing package incorporating activities designed to boost mental and physical health, whether it’s with meditation sessions, culinary classes or guided bicycle tours of the local area. Fancy something a little more sedate? Make a beeline for one of the sun loungers on nearby Bávaro Beach, or offset your exertions by indulging at one of the 12 restaurants (we recommend Hokkaido, for fragrant Japanese cuisine).
Across the pond, the Civana Wellness Resort and Spa’s ( civanacarefree.com) location – nestled in the hills of Arizona’s Sonoran Desert – makes it ideal for anyone who fancies combining a wellbeing break with a shot of adrenaline. Mountain bike rides and desert hikes through the surrounding landscape are the resort’s most popular activities – ideally followed by a session at the spa, where products are made with plants grown in its medicinal garden.
An upside to being cooped up at home is that we’ve (hopefully) managed to squirrel away some of the hard-earned cash we’d usually spend on nights out and holidays. If so, a great way offload some of your riches is with a visit to the new Raffles Bali ( raffles.com). The property was due to open in April but will now open later this year, making it the perfect option for some post-isolation winter sun. The 32 villas will be perched on a hill high above Jimbaran Bay, and there’ll be an extensive wellness programme incorporating sleep rituals, chakra balancing and meditation. A fun fact? The resort’s butlers will be taught to meditate too, in an effort to enhance the sense of calm.
Finally, we’ve got a sneaking suspicion some of us will have emerged from our self-imposed quarantine with the realisation we quite enjoy a bit of isolation. If you’re still in need of a wellbeing retreat far from the madding crowd, consider Kagi Maldives Spa Island ( kagimaldives.com) due to open in September 2020. Designed by the legend of Japanese architect Yuji Yamazaki, the resort’s pièce de résistance is the floating, teardrop-shaped yoga pavilion at its centre. Therapies on offer include everything from crystal healing, tai chi and pilates, to lifestyle coaching and nutrition lessons.