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by Mary Tjotjos


Asia—Wellness Destination Resorts

Cambodia

Song Saa

This idyllic private-island sanctuary in Cambodia’s Koh Rong archipelago is state-of-the-art-sustainable—the owners even created a local NGO to conserve the natural environment and partner with local villages. It is also as gorgeously organic as it gets. songsaa.com


China

Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain

Six Senses Chengdu is less than an hour from the city center in China’s Sichuan province, and a beautiful hike up the Qing Cheng mountains. With a focus on healthy eating and longevity in the wellness programs, you can experience Tai Chi, traditional Chinese massage and Chinese reflexology. sixsenses.com


India

Ananda in the Himalayas Destination Spa

Located in the spectacular Himalayan foothills, Ananda Spa is truly one with nature. The Spa offers Ayurvedic wellness treatments under the eye of an Ayurvedic doctor using organically grown botanicals, and the Green Team has made a deep commitment to environmental sustainability. anandaspa.com

The Beach House

Since you can’t discuss detox without mentioning India’s ashrams and retreats, The Beach House, in Goa, offers an extensive list of all things wellness. After an initial consultation with an Ayurvedic specialist or one of the specially trained experts, participants get a full body analysis complete with pH balance, body composition, vitals and a chakra assessment. thebeachhousegoa.com

Soukya International Holistic Health Centre

Surrounded by acres of organic gardens, the Soukya Centre is an oasis and wellness destination one hour from the city of Bangalore. More than a spa, this center is an “integrative medical treatment facility” based on Ayurvedic philosophies. soukya.com

Spice Village

The Spice Village draws on the essence of a mountain tribal village, re-imagined to modern standards. A breath of fresh air with a mountaintop climate, this wellness resort offers an on-site Ayurvedic spa and is sustainable on its own using organic gardens and fruit orchards. cghearth.com

Vana Malsi Estate

This state-of-the-art wellness retreat in the beautiful Himalayan foothills earned Platinum certification and features a Tibetan Healing Center (which joins separate centers for Ayurveda, Yoga, Wellness, Spa, and Aqua & Fitness) for serious wellness and healing. vana.co.in

Vivanta by Taj Bekal

The excellent Jiva Grande Spa at the Vivanta by Taj Bekal features 165,000 square feet and offers guests Ayurvedic and Indian herbal treatments. Plus multiweek yoga, detox, Ayurvedic wellness and spiritual retreat programs and holistic experiences. healinghotelsoftheworld.com/hotels/vivanta-by-taj-bekal-kerala-india


Malaysia

The Chateau Spa & Organic Wellness Resort

Nestled in a tropical rainforest outside Kuala Lumpur and modeled after an 18th-century chateau, the award-winning organic spa is the first Euro-centric spa concept in Asia. The expert team of nutritionists, doctors and specialists will create a customized wellness program for you, in a luxurious and beautiful setting. thechateau.com.my

COMO Shambhala Estate

Located near Bali, the Shambhala Estate is a “Retreat for Change” and provides a completely immersive, 360-degree well-being experience. Each program is designed for the length of stay and each delivers a comprehensive combination of meals, treatments and activities. comohotels.com

The Orchard

On 256 acres of rolling farmland in Virginia, bordering the Jefferson National Forest, Eupepsia is a wellness sanctuary with health and wellness programs intended to help guests reconnect with themselves—and nature. The Ayurvedic wellness spa, health screenings, outdoor activities and nutritional component, all combine to move guests toward a goal of holistic health. eupepsia.com


Sri Lanka

Santani Wellness Resort Sri Lanka

In a beautiful natural setting in Sri Lanka, Santani offers extensive wellness programming based on a global philosophy, including Ayurveda, and two essential components: revitalization of the body, and education of the mind, to teach guests healthy habits for overall well-being. santani.lk


Thailand

Chiva-Som International
Health Resort

Chiva-Som, the holistic destination spa on the Gulf of Thailand, offers an approach to wellness, based on integrating Asian and Western therapies with the goal of balancing mind, body and spirit. Enjoy comprehensive fitness programs, spa and light medical treatments. chivasom.com

Kamalaya

Kamalaya’s philosophy is “nurturing into health” and it does so using the freshest locally sourced ingredients in its kitchen and wellness spa. This award-winning holistic spa resort and wellness sanctuary on the idyllic Thai island of Koh Samui is known for its detox program, which offers nutritional and herbal support, and daily. kamalaya.com

Six Senses Samui

Set on the shores of the shimmering Gulf of Thailand, Six Senses Samui, in Kohf Samui, is an oasis of tranquility, with a focus on multipronged wellness. Or, you can just hike, snorkel and relax. sixsenses.com


Vietnam

Amanoi

At Amanoi, in Vietnam, the spa is heavy in mind-body offerings like guided meditation, Reiki, craniosacral therapy and acupressure (there’s kickboxing, circuit training and boot camp for those intent on sweating it out), and the Amanoi just opened two private Spa Houses, each sleeping four and including treatment rooms with hammam or banya (a giant sauna), Jacuzzi, plunge pool and outdoor deck. aman.com/resorts/amanoi


Asia—Resorts With Wellness Program

Bali

Amankila

A beautiful wellness destination overlooking the coast in remote East Bali, Amankila offers bespoke wellness programs that feature outdoor yoga, Reiki, myofascial massage, as well as traditional Balinese spa treatments in a beach bale, guest suite or secluded open-air spa pavilion. amankila.com

Banyan Tree Spa Sanctuary

Banyan Tree is renowned for one of the best training programs for spa therapists in the world. At this luxurious adult-only resort in Phuket, Thailand, guests embrace wellness through the five senses, along with healthy cuisine, an award-winning spa and wellness activities. banyantree.com/en/ap-thailand-phuket-spa-sanctuary

Four Seasons at Sayan

In the heart of Bali’s highlands, find your center with seven different chakra ceremonies or visit a Balinese healer. The Four Seasons Sayan offers full moon yoga, a wellness mentor and Balinese healing rituals. fourseasons.com/sayan

Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay

Nestled on the oceanfront, the Four Seasons at Jimbaran Bay offers guided meditation, bamboo stretch classes and blessings of Bali. Experience therapeutic treatments from visiting wellness gurus and Jimbaran Waters Rituals, at the beautiful—and newly renovated—spa. fourseasons.com/jimbaranbay

Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

Mandapa is the third resort in the luxurious Ritz-Carlton Reserve collection. There are 60 rooms, all made with local materials. Guests can enjoy a candlelit dinner by the river, or partake in a wellness program offered by the spa. Each wellness program is based on pillars: Balinese Spa, Detox and Nutrition, Alternative Therapy, Body Therapy and Healing. mandapareserve.com


Cambodia

Six Senses Krabey Island

Three miles offshore from Ream National Park in southern Cambodia, the just-opened Krabey Island was wild and untrammeled, until Six Senses Krabey Island built their sustainable retreat. With just 40 pool villas spread across 30 still lush acres, Six Senses Krabey designed its spa to be an enclave of healing and rebirth. The calm can be absorbed in one-off treatments or via multi-day wellness programs, which include options such as yogic cleanse, Ayurvedic reset, sleep therapy, meditation, aerial and local alchemy—all inspired by local herbs and rituals. Romantic picnics, jungle walks, visits to a local temple and nighttime iridescent plankton swimming add to the allure. sixsenses.com/en/resorts/krabey-island


China

Sangha Retreat by Octave Institute

One of the most comprehensive integrative wellness offerings anywhere, Sangha Retreat by Octave is set on 47 acres west of Shanghai, and combines Ancient Eastern wisdom with cutting edge Western technology, offering a comprehensive health and wellness facility and 65,000-square-foot spa, complete medical facility, a healthy dining option with a Michelin chef, and a full range of classes and group activities. sangharetreat.com


Indonesia

COMO Shambhala Estate Spa

At Como Shambhala Estate Spa, in Indonesia, surrounded by a rainforest, experts at this state-of-the-art wellness retreat lead guests through a personalized wellness program, with one-on-one help. comohotels.com/en/comoshambhalaestate


Malaysia

Spa Village at Pankor Laut Resort

On 256 acres of rolling farmland in Virginia, bordering the Jefferson National Forest, Eupepsia is a wellness sanctuary with health and wellness programs intended to help guests reconnect with themselves—and nature. The Ayurvedic wellness spa, health screenings, outdoor activities and nutritional component, all combine to move guests toward a goal of holistic health. eupepsia.com


Maldives

Niyama Private Islands

The water surrounding the Niyama Private Islands resort in the Maldives, is nothing short of astonishing, and there’s something innately soothing about inhabiting such exquisite beauty, whether biking along the white-sand paths or lounging on the deck of your villa. Personalized wellness journeys are on offer, from yoga and Pilates programs to rehabilitative aqua workouts, to holistic spa treatments. niyama.com


Thailand

Rosewood Phuket Asaya Program

Rosewood Phuket’s Asaya program is rooted in self-discovery and self-acceptance. A personal Wellness Concierge, local practitioners, on-site pros and visiting experts will help guests learn how to incorporate the practices from this program into everyday life. Complete the experience with skincare treatments, indoor and outdoor fitness sessions, and culturally authentic therapies. rosewoodhotels.com

Six Senses Yao Noi

Six Senses offers a layered approach to wellness that unites the spirit with treatments that go beyond ordinary. At the Yao Noi, the spa promotes traditional Thai healing practices and incorporates the basic four elements to ensure the senses are balanced. sixsenses.com

Trisara

Though Phuket is one of Thailand’s busiest beach destinations, you’d never know it once past the gates of Trisara. Outfitted with indoor and outdoor relaxation areas, the villas provide an idyllic setting for treatments that draw from both traditional Thai and hyper-local healing traditions. trisara.com


Vietnam

Anantara Hoi An

The Balance Wellness program recently introduced by Anantara offers a range of programs to help fulfill your wellness goals, all in a beautiful setting like this one in Vietnam. Focus on weight loss, detox, anti-aging, de-stressing or holistic healing, with programs that offer healthy cuisine, mind-body fitness, therapeutic spa treatments, wellness seminars and more. hoi-an.anantara.com


Asia—Thermal & Mineral Springs & Healing Waters

Japan

The Ana Intercontinental Resort

Japanese wellness seekers know Beppu, on the country’s southernmost island of Kyushu, for its many natural hot springs, but it hasn’t really come onto the radar of international travelers until now. The InterContinental offers a compromise between traditional Japanese culture and international hospitality standards, but guests must still observe the customs at the public onsen, where nudity is de rigueur. For those who are too shy to bare it all in front of strangers, a private onsen can be booked for individuals or families. There, in the hot, mineral-rich water pumped in from the nearby hot springs, you can gaze out at the tranquil Beppu Bay and calm your mind as you nourish your body.  ihg.com/intercontinental/hotels/us/en/beppu/oitky/hoteldetail

Tobira Onsen Myojinkan Hotel

Set on wooded grounds, the tranquil hot springs of the Tobira Onsen Myojinkan Hotel are located near the Matsumoto Castle. A historical atmosphere provides guests with traditional bathing experiences in their standing bath and open-air bath, complete with healing amenities. tobira-group.com