Soul travel mission These destinations will feed your mind, body and spirit, and fuel your sense of wonder for our magnificent planet.
Travelling to renew our minds, bodies, and spirits is nothing new. There’s the mention of the Dead Sea’s therapeutic waters in The Bible, 18th-century elites were always soaking in one mineral spa or another, and people have been making spiritual pilgrimages all over the world for thousands of years.
With our increasingly fast-paced modern lives, however, we crave holidays that will help us rebalance, refresh, and reboot, to leave us feeling like the best versions of ourselves.
The mind-expanding, bodyenriching, spirit-uplifting corners of the globe featured here are ones you can’t possibly leave without feeling a million dollars. These places offer disarming natural beauty, spiritual significance, or the ability to help you relax and reconnect to yourself.
MIND Joshua Tree, California, US
What is it
A national park in southeastern California.
Feel-good moment
Experiencing the silence of the vast desert, filled with spiky Joshua trees and bare-rock outcroppings.
The Integratron. A magnet for spiritual questers, this bright white dome offers ‘‘sonic healings’’.
Don’t miss Where to stay
The two-bedroom geodesic Dome in the Desert, Joshua Tree from NZ$268 a night. airbnb.com
March-April brings pleasant temperatures and wildflowers. You’ll be far from services and reception; carry water and snacks. nps.gov
Make it happen Jukkasjarvi, Sweden What is it
Town of about 550 people in far north Sweden.
Feel-good moment
Watching the Northern Lights do its otherworldly thing.
Don’t miss
Jukkasjarvi kurka, the oldest church in Lapland (1608), and Nutti Sami Siida reindeer yard.
Icehotel, the largest snow and ice accommodation in the world. From NZ$182 a night. icehotel.com
Where to stay Make it happen
Best chance to see the lights September-March. visitsweden.com
Lake Bled, Slovenia, Central Europe
What is it
island. Glacial lake with an iconic
Feel-good moment
Promenading around the lake, surrounded by swans, pines, and gondolas.
Hiking through forest trails to Bled Castle.
Grand 19th-century villas, many converted into elegant hotels, dot the shore. Grand Hotel Toplice is a good one. From NZ$249 a night. grandhoteltoplice.com
Avoid midsummer crowds. bled.si/en/
Don’t miss Where to stay Make it happen Ash Sharqiyah, Oman
What is it
Eastern coastal region of this Arabian Sultanate. Sitting by your campfire surrounded by date palms
Feel-good moment
and sheer rust cliffs, after a day exploring waterfalls and natural pools at Wadi (canyon) Shab.
Swimming in the emerald waters of Bimmah Sinkhole.
Wild camping for full nature immersion.
Wadi Shab is a 90-minute drive from Muscat. Hire a 4WD; avoid the scorching summer in June-August.
Don’t miss Where to stay Make it happen BODY Dead Sea, Israel, Middle East
What is it
Hypersaline lake, 9.6 times as salty as the ocean.
Feel-good moment
Bobbing in the Dead Sea, soaking up the magnesium, calcium, and potassium.
Ein Gedi nature reserve for freshwater springs, waterfalls, and wildlife including leopards and wolves.
Don’t miss