If there’s one thing everyone can agree on right now, it’s that we could all use a mindful and relaxing wellness escape from 2020 and the onset of winter.
The Wellness Tourism Association defines Wellness Travel as: Travel that allows the traveler to maintain, enhance or kick-start a healthy lifestyle, and support or increase one’s sense of well being.
Whether that means conjuring the dreamiest, sea-bluest variety of beaches with Kale smoothies and self introspection or sleeping into the sultry morning to rise, eat, drink, sun, and repeat, intention should be at the heart of it.
Ultimately, we travel to be inspired. We want to connect, to relax, to give back, and to give in. Whatever the specific impulse, we’re all wanting to feel better. There’s a wellness journey for everybody.
See which resonates with you AND THEN CALL ME.
Bali
A verdant Indonesian island that many wellness pilgrims proclaim as a center of healing and balance (especially around the rain forests and rice fields of Ubud) is the pioneer in wellness vacations. TRY IT: Before embarking on a Bali passage with Oceania Cruises, travelers should consider a four-day pre-cruise land program on the island. Activities include visiting an artisanal batik clothing factory, paying respects at the sixteenth-century Tanah Lot Temple (located on a dramatic outcrop of black lava), or taking a tour of green rice fields. • Near Ubud, the 30-room COMO Shambhala Estate blends outdoor activities such as biking and hiking with yoga, Ayurvedic medicine, and fresh
Forest Bathing
My years in Manhattan made me very in tune with what trees could do for me psyche. From the Japanese term shinrin-yoku – “taking in the forest atmosphere” – forest bathing is the practice of immersing oneself in nature. It can result in health benefits such as reduced stress and improved mood. TRY IT: Travelers can take a one- to two-hour guided walk on the Double Branch Nature Trail in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains, learning about local plants and animals at the 5,200-acre, 44-room Blackberry Mountain, opened in 2019. • In Italy’s northeastern Alto Adige region, the 20-room Castel Fragsburg takes its name from the surrounding forest. Holistic healing expert Bellé Flora leads guests through meditation, breathing exercises, yoga, and other outdoor experiences.
Life Skills
Hmmmm. Yes we could all bone up on these. Necessary skills for everyday practice (from grocery shopping to processing grief), and a big component of healthy-living programs offered at many wellness resorts. TRY IT: Canyon Ranch Resorts offer several life-coaching opportunities. The 158-room Canyon Ranch, Tucson offers four- to eight-day plans focused on working through major life transitions and milestones, incorporating goal-setting, expert-led talks, wellness walks, and more. (Also offered at Canyon Ranch, Lenox in the Berkshire Hills. More trees!
Ultra Fitness
I am more the snooze of the copious wine and rich food traveler but the Next-level athletic challenges and elite training for individuals who are focused on a fitness-first lifestyle. TRY IT: Guests of the 155-room BodyHoliday in Saint Lucia can participate in an island quadrathlon, which combines mountain biking, running, rappelling, and kayaking. • At Scottsdale, Arizona’s 116-room Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa, guests can enroll in a triathlon training program that features pro instruction from Olympic gold medal swimmer Misty Hyman. • Electric mountain-biking, horseback riding, tennis lessons and more fill the roster at the 96-room Sensei Lana’i, A Four Seasons Resort in Hawaii.
Yoga Iterations
Traditional yoga remains extremely popular and my number one choice but varieties of the ancient Hindu discipline are evolving as creative practitioners find diverting ways for students to take part. TRY IT: The 540-room Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii offers FLO YO – floating yoga practiced on a stand-up paddleboard. which I do in Wilmington, NC. It combines a total body workout with mind-body balance. • In the Dominican Republic, the 60-room Eden Roc Cap Cana offers anti-gravity yoga, a practice that uses suspended silk hammocks to help realign the body.
If travel of the feel good variety is what you are looking for, I have upcoming yoga and mindfulness group trips ready in 2021 or Virtuoso hotels, tour operators, cruise lines, and destinations that specialize in Wellness Travel and I would love to help you on your way.
How Far Adventures is an independent affiliate of Gifted Travel Network a proud member of Virtuoso.
