AUTUMN SERENITY
Ready to travel or just keen to know what’s going on? These are the latest spa updates you should know about…
INDONESIAN BLISS AT ANANTARA UBUD
Located in the blissed-out surrounds of a traditional hillside village, Payangan, the Anantara Ubud Bali is scheduled to open in mid2022 – and there will be plenty for spa lovers to get excited about. Equipped with single and couple’s treatment rooms, foot massage pods and a hair salon, the spa will host visiting wellness practitioners while the menu will focus on authentic Balinese treatments.
Guests can choose from 85 guest rooms and one and two-bedroom pool villas, while facilities and amenities include an infinity pool and gym. anantara.com
Good to know: Ubud is renowned as the centre of Balinese wellness, with a plethora of Balinese healers and alternative medicine clinics in town.
DESERT SPA SERENITY AT SIX SENSES SHAHARUT
Located in the lunar-like Arava Valley in the south of the Negev Desert, Six Senses Shaharut opened its doors late this Summer. There are just 60 suites and villas spread across the expansive desert landscape, and its breathtaking natural beauty and opportunities for desert adventure won’t disappoint. As you’d expect from a hotel brand that’s celebrated for its spas, the Six Senses Spa offers six treatment rooms and a solid range of wellness programs, plus visiting practitioners specialising in Chinese medicine, osteopathy and energy healing and more. Fancy a dip pre or post spa treatment? There are two pools, including a freshwater infinity pool with desert views. Dreamy. sixsenses.com Good to know: The desert setting presents activities from camel treks and overnight camping to extreme sports, e-mountain bike tours, hiking, jeep excursions, and Shabbat dinner in a nearby community.
… AND BREATHE! AT MILAIDHOO ISLAND
Located in the Baa Atoll, Maldives, Milaidhoo Island has launched Mindful Breathing workshops and practices at the resort. Breathwork has rapidly become a global wellness trend, and studies suggest that six weeks of practising Pranayamic breathing have a proven positive effect on heart rate, stress levels and improving cognitive function and anxiety. Guided by Milaidhoo resident Yogi Shubh, sessions are privately arranged on request, and the workshops can be done in the traditional thatched-roof suites of the over-water Serenity Spa, in-villa, on an offshore sandbank surrounded by water, or onboard a traditional Maldivian Dhoni sailing boat if you’re feeling adventurous. milaidhoo.com
Good to know: Other treatments at the Serenity Spa include a Taster Experience, which features a 30-minute back massage with African wood dumbbells and a 30-minute TheraNaka facial.
COOL SPA TIMES IN PIEDMONT, ITALY
A new boutique hotel in Italy’s Piedmont wine region, Nordelaia will appeal to spa lovers looking for a quiet property in the countryside. Formerly a 800-year-old farmhouse, it’s been transformed into a 12-bedroom hotel by British design studio These White Walls. Reconnect with nature at the spa, which is set in the vaults of the building and proffers views across the valleys of Montferrat – the perfect space to watch the sun set over the hills. There’s a hammam, banja (Russian-style public bath) and Kneipp pool, a walking pool that can help stimulate the circulatory system and strengthen the immune system. Once you’ve enjoyed a spa therapy or two from Comfort Zone, check into one of two restaurants, Bistro and L’Orto, headed up by Michelin-starred chef Andrea Ribaldone where diners can pair dishes laced with local truffles with the finest vintages Piedmont has to offer. nordelaia.com
Good to know: There’s a gym equipped with NOHrD’s wooden-framed gym equipment and a yoga room if you want to stay in shape physically and mentally during your stay.