AMANEMU, JAPAN

A winding driveway, flanked by maple trees that curve like the hint of a smile, are your welcoming committee at Amanemu. It opened last year amid the Japanese foliage of Ise-Shima National Park and it’s the harmonious way in which it sits in its idyllic locale that has us in rapture. Far from the country’s madding crowds, this resort is all about restorative wellness from the design down to the amenities. An okami (female manager) is key to the experience – trained in the art of hospitality, she ensures your every need is pre-empted. This is the place to redress your work-life balance.

Amanemu is set on a bed of natural onsen (hot springs) and carefully incorporates the elements, with each suite featuring a private, mineral-rich hot bath. The low-slung dark-stained cedar exteriors, light Japanese timber and bathrooms adorned with charcoal basalt provide a tangible synergy with nature. Nothing is overly fussy: don’t expect bolshy colour; do expect simple feminine elegance and calming forest vistas.

Hike among camphor, red pines and Japanese cypresses before visiting the water-inspired spa for bathing and a herbbased kampo treatment to reunite body and mind. Afterwards, a no-pomp, izakaya-style supper is in order. Don’t miss fresh seafood and herbs from the Mie Prefecture, once hailed as the breadbasket of the ancient Imperial Court. aman.com

24 suites and four two-bedroom villas ROOMS

Prices start at £644, room only

PRICE

Nagoya Chubu International, 185km

NEAREST AIRPORT

Zen – don neutral linen and chant your mantras THE VIBE Nearby is the beautiful, pearl-studded Ago Bay. Visit

HOT TIP late afternoon to catch the reflections of the cultivation rafts