5 incredible new wellness retreats to reboot your mind and body
The demand for wellness retreats shows no sign of abating. Hotels and resorts are taking self-care to the next level with health and fitness escapes that are as innovative as they are inspirational. Whether you’re looking to soul-search in Switzerland, elevate your self-esteem in Portugal or embrace the menopause in the Maldives, these wellness getaways all promise to relax, rejuvenate and reinvigorate. Here’s our edit of the most uplifting new wellness retreats to book this year.
Perimenopause and Menopause Retreat
Amilla Maldives
Amilla Maldives is over 23 hectares, making it one of the largest resorts in the archipelago and yet, with only 67 villas and residences, much of this tropical island is untouched. Guests spend their days on the silky-soft beach, wandering through coconut groves and swimming with mantas in the Baa Atoll biosphere reserve. They come too for the exceptional spa and wellness offering. Indeed, the resort is the first in the Maldives to launch a retreat centred around perimenopause and menopause. Led by naturopath and wellness coach Claire O’Sullivan (pictured above), the five-day wellness retreats take place between 23 June – 7 July and are personalised depending on an individual’s requirements, the idea being to give each person the tools to make changes in their own way. There’ll be yoga and Pranayama breathwork, as well as enlightening talks and discussions, Sufi Whirling meditation and intuitive dance, myriad treatments and wellness activities, as well as workshops on eating well to support hormone transitions and weight changes.
From £4,839 per person based on two sharing with Inspiring Travel Company.
amilla.com; inspiringtravelcompany.co.uk
Meditation Retreat
The Dolder Grand, Switzerland
The Dolder Grand in Zurich has one of Switzerland’s most exclusive spas, and that’s saying something for a country that prides itself on its Alpine retreats and luxurious spa resorts. The list of what’s on offer is exhaustive: there is a separate spa for men and women, swimming pool, whirlpool terrace, sanarium, sauna area, steam bath, kotatsu foot baths... You get the idea. And that’s before you even look at the treatment menu and the array of wellness programmes on offer. Always pushing the envelope, the highlight this year must be the new meditation retreat with Shaolin monk Shi Xing Mi. Following its successful debut in May, the next retreat is set to take place between 18 – 20 November, during which guests can expect two days of positivity and peace with meditation workshops led by Shi Xing Mi who offers “ancient wisdom for the modern times”, fitness classes and unlimited access to the Spa.
From £1,300 per person, based on single occupancy.
COMO Journeys
Cocoa Island, Maldives
Luxury hotel brand COMO is renowned for its glamorous island getaways and wellbeing resorts around the world. The group has recently launched The COMO Journeys, a collection of one-off, expert-led wellness retreats across its portfolio, each one designed to enable guests to learn a new skill or deepen an existing practice. Next up is Kitesurfing with Youri Zoon (30 May – 4 June) at COMO Cocoa Island, Maldives, which will include twice daily classes with the kiteboarding champion, as well as talks, yoga classes and wellness therapies.
Point Yamu, Phuket
The Women’s Wellness Weekend with Ai Jerome and Renata Citrons (24 – 26 June) takes place at COMO Point Yamu, Phuket, Thailand. Designed for women between the ages of 35 and 50, this three-dayer focuses on learning about and embracing changes in womanhood, and encompasses talks on nutrition, yoga, sound healing and mandala painting.
The Treasury, Australia
And, finally, Australia’s COMO The Treasury is the setting for an uplifting mind-body-spirit retreat in collaboration with Megan Larsen, founder of skincare brand Sodashi (26 – 28 August). Expect every manner of wellness experience including rain melody meditation, chakra balancing, face zone therapy and spa treatments, all designed to nurture inside and out.
Kitesurfing with Youri Zoon costs from £6,258 and the Women’s Wellness Weekend costs from £920 – prices per person based on single occupancy. The Sodashi retreat by COMO Shambhala costs from £2,187 based on two people sharing.
Life Lived Best
The Peninsula Hotels
The Peninsula Hotels is Asia’s oldest hotel company, opening its first hotel in Hong Kong in 1928. Now they own 12 properties around the world, each one a shining example of five-star luxury. As you can imagine, no detail has been overlooked when it comes to the group’s new wellness platform, which is well-thought-out and implemented. Entitled ‘Life Lived Best’, the initiative is designed to provide guests with all the opportunities they need to pursue their personal fitness, mindfulness and nutritional goals – wherever they may be. A dedicated wellness portal and 24-hour wellness concierge see to that, with inspiring in-room programmes, as well as locally curated and led classes, special events and workshops. The relaunched Naturally Peninsula menu also deserves a mention, offering up innovative dishes based around plant-based cuisine.
Queens Retreat with Malika Soul,
A Journey to the Sacred Feminine
Six Senses Douro Valley, Portugal
Six Senses do an excellent retreat. This Autumn, Six Senses Douro Valley turns its attention to femininity with the Queens Retreat with Malika Soul, A Journey to the Sacred Feminine (5 – 8 November). As its title suggests, the focus over the four days is uniting women with their shakti aka female power, encouraging them to embrace growth and self-esteem. The gentle programme centres around the four pillars of physical, mental, sexual and emotional wellbeing and includes daily workshops with wellness coach Malika, yoga, meditation, massage, hiking and more. In the same month, renowned spirit medium Maureen Hancock will be leading Soul Shift: A Spiritual Immersion (9 – 13 November). Billed as a “life-changing, soothing, transformational adventure” there’ll be daily sessions with Maureen and wellness initiatives interweaved with wine tasting and historical tours in the stunning Douro Valley.
The Queens Retreat starts from £2,431 per person; Soul Shift: A Spiritual Immersion starts from £2,604) – both are based on single occupancy.
