Try it out...
AUSTRALIA
The shiny new Crown Spa Sydney offers a Spa Wave, or in other words, a sleep therapy using harmonic sound waves with music and vibration matched to the body’s chakra energy. Psammotherapy, or hot sand therapy, an ancient practice using mineral quartz sand is also available. The Aqua Retreat is a water oasis with a pool and sauna and steam rooms. Those magnificent views over Sydney Harbour are also nothing short of therapeutic. crownsydney.com.au
NEW ZEALAND
Aro Ha – a luxury wellness and health retreat nestled near Queenstown amid a dreamy alpine landscape with a backdrop of snow-topped mountains and a blue lake – uses sound baths, breathwork sessions and cacao ceremonies for optimum wellness. Contrast hydrotherapy, Lucia Light treatments and mindful walking also set you on the road to harmony. aro-ha.com
INDIA
Relais & Châteaux’s Svatma Thanjavur in southern India offers sound therapy on a massage table with 50 strings carefully tuned and stretched underneath. A therapist uses a resonator to create vibrations and an acoustic massage, which nurtures the emotional and physical system. Thanjavur is considered the heart of India’s music and classical dance origins. relaischateaux.com
SWEDEN
The striking floating Arctic Bath Hotel near Harads, 50 kilometres from the Arctic Circle, is situated under the Northern Lights in winter and the Midnight Sun in summer. The Arctic bath treatment includes a traditional cold plunge in an open-air pool in the centre of the building, followed by three different sauna experiences. Guests receive a spa kit with a body peel, facial mask, foot treatment, face cream and a dry brush. It’s all about a holistic approach to wellbeing. slh.com
MALDIVES
Postcard-worthy Soneva Jani in the Maldives’ Noonu Atoll offers a variety of healthful vitamin IV treatments. The menu includes an ‘Immunity Booster’, with a high dose of vitamin C, and a ‘Beverly Hills Blast’ with antioxidants.
Rid jet lag with a ‘Jetsetter’s Shot’, and kick off a weight-loss program with a ‘Slimming Boost’, to help remove toxins. ‘Sun Soother’ with glutathione is a powerful antioxidant with antiinflammatory properties to ease sunburn. There’s also a ‘Sommelier’s Secret’ shot to help with hangover blues. soneva.com
CHINA
Sangha Health Retreat beside Yangcheng Lake in Suzhou (known as the ‘Venice of the East’) offers the ‘Kniepp Walk’, developed by 19th-century German priest, Sebastian Kniepp, to treat chronic illness. The therapy stimulates the receptive reflex points on the soles of your feet. Shallow pools lined with small stones, from cold through to hot, stimulate blood circulation. Also on offer is sound chair therapy, combining sound, light and vibration in unison. sangharetreat.com