Whether it’s thalassotherapy pools at Ayana Bali, an advance detox at Azerbaijan’s longevity-focused Chenot Palace, or euro-lymphatic therapy in Koh Samui, Thailand, these destinations promise rejuvenation, balance, and unforgettable experiences.
Ananda in the Himalayas
Uttarakhand, India / The list of VIPs (King Charles, Bill Gates, and Oprah, to name just a few) who’ve passed through the doors of this holistic health resort in the middle of nowhere is long, but its list of credentials—25 years running—is even longer. A commitment to traditional Ayurveda, healthy eating, and spirituality underlies Ananda’s mindful approach to wellness, but the resort is not afraid to evolve with the trends either. (To wit: new and recently updated programs for sleep enhancement, hormonal balance for menopausal women, and a buzzy new fertility-enhancement plan that melds Vajikarana, an ancient Ayurvedic practice for reproduction, with Traditional Chinese Medicine and emotional healing.) The spa’s new physiotherapy facility, part of a four-year renovation project that wrapped up last year, now features an infrared sauna chamber and cryotherapy treatments—amenities you can find all over the world but not with such marvelous mountain views. anandaspa.com
Janu Tokyo
Tokyo / How one of the most frenetic cities in the world can produce one of the calmest, most Zen-like urban sanctuaries is a modern mystery. Don’t ask questions—just roll with it. Located in the sparkling new Azabudai Hills development, the four-story, 43,000-square-foot wellness center at this Aman spin-off houses one of the largest gyms in the city, five movement studios, the first boxing ring in a Tokyo hotel (not to mention champion boxer Rui Ebata on call for training), a sprawling hydrotherapy area with a 25-meter lap pool, and a traditional Japanese onsen. Two “spa houses” are available for half- and full-day private hire, each with its own terrace and wood-clad sauna or marble hammam. There’s no sweeter place to give the Janu Signature Massage—a 90-minute combo of lymphatic drainage, copper wand, and Kansa comb scalp therapy—a spin. janu.com
Six Senses Kyoto
Kyoto, Japan / Pure, unadulterated serenity: That’s what awaits guests at this Zen-inspired wellness temple in historic Higashiyama, just a stone’s throw from actual temples. There are sound therapy and breathwork sessions to help cultivate inner peace, but the spa programming isn’t restricted to quiet contemplation. Like all things Six Senses, there’s an emphasis on smart science, biohacking, and longevity. Soak in a traditional Japanese bath or experiment with water-based bodywork in the dedicated watsu pool; sweat out your toxins in the sauna; or make your own beauty scrub in the on-site alchemy bar. Forest bathing is also in the offing, should you need yet another way to disconnect. sixsenses.com
Joali Being
Bodufushi, The Maldives / Billed as the Maldives’s first dedicated wellness retreat, this plushy boutique venture dawned in 2021 with a four-pillar focus: mind, skin, microbiome, and energy. Its spa and fitness center are among the largest in the Maldives—a wonderland of glass saunas and steam rooms, ice fountains and hydrotherapy pools, salt inhalation rooms and bioresonance machines where Ayurvedic therapists access all potential blockages and sticking points. The food is curated by an integrative medicine specialist. There’s even a Discovery Sound Path with metallophones for aural contemplation and sonic healing. And though Joali Being began life as an adults-only escape, it now welcomes families with kid-centric qigong and trash-to-treasure eco art workshops. joali.com
Raffles Sentosa
Sentosa, Singapore / If the OG Raffles, home to the famous Long Bar, is credited with the Singapore Sling, we can’t wait to see how its brand-new Yabu Pushelberg–designed sister property on Sentosa Island, just 15 minutes from the Central Business District, earns its legacy. Opened in March, the country’s first all-villa resort has views of the South China Sea plus 27 acres of tropical gardens, five restaurants, and a spa with 13 treatment rooms. Go for a stroll along Tanjong Beach, swim laps in the 22-meter pool, or explore the resort’s other bodies of water: indoor hot and cold pools, a mud pool, or even just the private pool, complete with butler service, that comes standard with even the smallest one-bedroom suites. raffles.com
Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary
Koh Samui, Thailand / Whatever weighs you down—poor sleep, burnout, actual poundage—it’s Kamalaya’s bespoke programming to the rescue. Celebrating 20 years this fall, the legendary wellness resort’s diverse team includes naturopaths, Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors, and life coaches whose wisdom is shared in a serene tropical environment with gasp-worthy views of the Gulf of Thailand. (Envision season 3 of The White Lotus sans all the drama.) When you’re not zipping from the yoga pavilion to the lap pool to the herbal steam cavern, try meditating in Arjan Cave, a sacred space on-site long inhabited by Buddhist monks, or exploring neuro-lymphatic therapy designed to help reduce brain fog. Good to know: The tailored programming doesn’t end just because your vacation did—guests enjoy regular follow-ups after their stay. kamalaya.com
Tia Wellness Resort
Da Nang, Vietnam / Situated on pristine My Khe Beach, a half-hour north of the UNESCO-protected Hoi An Ancient Town, Tia Wellness Resort is a bit player making big waves in Southeast Asia’s ultracompetitive health retreat scene. A range of wellness-inclusive options pamper guests with private pool villas, two treatments per day, breathwork master classes, and more. Full-board meal plans are plant-based and customized based on the retreat you book; the new weeklong Body & Mind Cleanse, for example, hypes up raw food and intermittent fasting while weaving in lymphatic detox therapies and well-being staples like sound healing. Also making its recent debut: a health-centric drink menu with collagen-enhanced lattes and other gut-detoxifying elixirs. tiawellnessresort.com
Ayana Bali
Bali, Indonesia / Looping through one of the world’s largest thalassotherapy pools—filled with warm, mineral- rich seawater from the Indian Ocean—is just one of the unforgettable experiences awaiting seekers in the land of Eat, Pray, Love. Anchor that with a little sunrise yoga and a traditional Balinese massage, or maybe a Vichy shower, and you’re as good as reborn. This 222-acre estate where jungle meets sea is truly a jack-of-all-trades: It recently opened Saka Museum, a cultural center devoted to honoring Nyepi, a.k.a. the Balinese Day of Silence, and other pillars of Balinese Hindu faith and heritage. ayana.com
JW Marriott Jeju Resort & Spa
Seogwipo, Jeju-do, South Korea / The architecture at this 102-room resort, nested atop bluffs on South Korea’s largest island, takes its cues from traditional Choga style; inside it’s all crisp, clean minimalism courtesy of interiors whiz Bill Bensley and architectural firm WATG. Swim to the edge of the angular infinity pool with its sweeping views of the East China Sea, or slide into the bubbling hot tub at the atmospherically lit Spa by JW after a foot reflexology treatment—the perfect successor to a trek along the volcanic island’s 10-mile Jeju Olle trail, which connects directly to the hotel. marriott.com
Chenot Palace
Gabala, Azerbaijan / The pioneering medi-spa that made its bones in Switzerland has infiltrated the Caucasus. Its longevity-focused methodology, developed in 1974 by Dr. Henri Chenot, blends Western diagnostics with Traditional Chinese Medicine. A seven-night advanced detox program assesses everything from diet and body composition to the thickness of one’s collagen and includes daily massages, phyto-mud treatments, and hydro-jet soaks. Some therapies, like photo biomodulation and antigravity, are still a tad out there; others, like cupping and cryo, have become mainstream. The way Chenot Palace interweaves them at its 64,584-square-foot treatment facility is thoroughly bespoke. chenotpalacegabala.com
Love Letter
Anantara Layan Phuket Resort & Residences
Phuket, Thailand
I’ve done some odd things in the pursuit of wellness, including shimmying to Sean Paul in a -125°F cryotherapy chamber and puking down my swimsuit during watsu therapy. But getting set on fire by a stranger in Thailand? That’s a new one.
When I signed up for Pao Ya at Layan Life by Anantara in Phuket, I was one month into an 88-day, 14-country trip around the world with my 2½-year-old son. Teetering on the brink of exhaustion, I would have tried anything to feel a smidge better and—let’s face it—have someone else watch my kid for two blessed hours.
While the gleaming new wellness center, perched over a glassy pond at Anantara Layan Phuket Resort & Residences, offers a host of medi-spa options (colonics, ice pods, IV drips, etc.), I was most intrigued by the Traditional Thai Medicine. Pao Ya, specifically, is a heat-based herbal therapy that’s been used for centuries to increase blood flow to the digestive system, reduce fluid retention, and otherwise help its beneficiaries balance their wind and fire elements. Considering how bloated I was feeling on the road, the promise of a little gut healing seemed worth a potential ER visit.
My chatty Traditional Thai Medicine doctor, Earnt, mixed galangal, turmeric, ginger, and other smellgoods in a ceramic bowl and then packed the orange paste onto my bare belly, twisting a small towel around the mound and laying a second towel over it to protect the skin. After drizzling alcohol on top, she pulled out a long-necked lighter, bowed her head in prayer, and—pwhooof!—up in flames I went.
The blaze leaped a foot high, which might be cause for alarm if Earnt wasn’t standing over me with a third towel at the ready to control the flames and temperature. She extinguished and relit that fire three times during our session, massaging the herbs into my abdomen between each roast. My stomach felt warm and cozy, like a heated car seat in winter, and the scent was divine.
Did it work? Possibly! I felt an urgent need to use the bathroom after my treatment, though I don’t know if that’s because my natural elements found harmony or because Earnt had spent the previous hour kneading my intestines like an artisan sourdough. Whatever it was, I felt better, lighter (literally), and rejuvenated—ready to reunite with my toddler and continue our round-the-world trip. —Ashlea Halpern
Photos: Courtesy of hotels.
