Where to travel for a wellness refresh

During a time of year when we all feel an extra impetus to better ourselves, health retreats are in higher demand. While there are many tried and true destinations across the globe, we spoke to our experts at Quintessentially Travel about which offer genuinely unique therapies. Aiming to restore using remarkable methods that pair tradition with the newest cutting-edge modalities, below are their recommendations for uncovering a ‘new you.’

Forest Circle Ceremonies at FORESTIS Dolomites, Italy

The alpine location of FORESTIS, 1,800 meters above sea level, offers ideal conditions for maintaining health, strengthening the constitution, and recuperating in accordance with preventive and high-altitude medicine. Offering many treatments based on the principle of the four trees – mountain pine, spruce, larch, and Swiss stone pine – that each activate unique frequencies, the resort optimises its mountain location and allows the human body to reawaken.

Incorporating the surroundings and the positive effect nature has in prevention and healing, the Tree Circle Ceremony calls upon the vibrations of each different tree. Participants select a healing wood before cleansing and wrapping the body, incorporating the wood itself to release tensions and restore the body.

Turtle Spa Concept® at Schloss Elmau, Germany

Journey to Schloss Elmau to experience a distinctive medical spa that pairs the therapies and intuitions of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with the latest insights from sports science, nutrition, herbal medicine, and aromatherapy. The spa blends an ideal balance of East-meets-West; the therapies aim to holistically address all aspects of life using exercises such as Qi Gong and Taiji in combination with European phytotherapy and aromatherapy.

Nutrition plays a huge part in healing – Schloss Elmau is home to nine restaurants – and the spa restaurant, Ananda, features healthy cuisine that is used to address specific concerns. After a stay here, look forward to a deeper awareness about issues and remedies: pleasant treatments and lasting recommendations can be taken home to help shape your long-term life and health.

Sleep at Six Senses Vana, India

Sleep is one of the core foundations of overall wellness, and this programme at Six Senses Vana aims to rectify sleep struggles and unhealthy patterns. You begin with a consultation with an Ayurvedic doctor before starting treatment, which involves yoga, holistic massage, and adaptogenic drinks.

Supplemented with Six Senses’ signature high-tech health screening – a complementary assessment that drills down into the causes of any health complaints more quickly – the team can now customise the programme with precision. For example, insomniacs might receive a sleep ring to ascertain precisely which phase of their sleep cycle is being disrupted.

Whilst there, experience the Aarti ritual on the Ganges River at Rishikesh. It is an unforgettable Hindu ceremony of fire, where visitors can join the priests sitting cross-legged beside the Ganges during prayers before floating flower offerings down the river.

Chenot Molecular Lab for Optimal Living at Chenot Palace Weggis, Switzerland

The Chenot Molecular Lab for Optimal Living employs ground-breaking epigenetic technology to analyse gene activity and determine guests’ biological ageing. This is then used to prescribe a personalised treatment plan that will maximise longevity, health, and wellbeing. The future-forward clinic utilises mRNA-based molecular tests to analyse the body’s stress and imbalance at a cellular level, with treatments including scientifically proven therapies such as photobiomodulation and HRV biofeedback training to improve mitochondrial function and strengthen the nervous system.

There are also acoustically engineered sleep suites, NASA-designed anti-gravity treadmills for effective exercise without joint pressure, and a neuro-acoustic treatment that uses soundwaves to divert the nervous system out of ‘fight or flight’ mode and into a state of deep relaxation.

Panchakarma at Ananda in the Himalayas, India

Drawing upon the traditions and therapies of Ayurveda, Ananda’s USP is to prolong life through its comprehensive wellness program, detoxifying and restoring healing from the inside out. Understanding the gut is essential for overall wellness, and Panchakarma is a three-week delve into your digestive health, employing Ayurvedic science to heal the gut to create a glow from the inside out.

Three stages include cleansing prep, elimination of toxins, and rejuvenation of the digestive tract with the help of herbs, oils, and more. In tandem with yoga and meditation, this comprehensive reset addresses emotional and mental barriers alongside physical ailments for a truly restorative experience.

Sound Healing at Joali Being, Maldives

With wellbeing at its core, Joali Being is billed as the first ‘nature immersive wellbeing island’ in the Maldives. Utilising the therapeutic qualities of sound, vibration, and resonance, sound healing is incorporated into each wellness experience. Drawing on the wisdom of experts and artists, the team have created a sound discovery path that traverses the jungle – a self-guided trail that spotlights nine instruments along the pathway, each creating different remedial vibrations.

At the resort itself, two dedicated meditation spaces employ sound therapy. Within your private villa, instruments encourage interaction with sound, whilst in each treatment room Joali Being’s signature sound – aligned with planetary frequencies per specific location on the island – facilitates more profound healthful benefits.

Imagine breezing into one of the world’s most exclusive spas for a complimentary treatment. Or sitting down for a consultation with industry-leading practitioners and experts. You’ll feel your best inside and out with a Quintessentially membership – find out more here.