Places for active destressing, not only a massage and a pool. Places for mindfulness, meditation, movement and a complete detox or reset.
There isn’t a single number one destination to improve everyone’s mental wellness. Everyone is coping with different challenges and will benefit from a different style of wellness holiday.
It could be a guided wellness retreat, with a specific program for mental wellbeing. It could be escaping into silence and privacy, be it an island, desert, mountain or savannah. Or an active challenge that helps to refocus the mind.
Here are eight holiday ideas designed to boost long-term mental wellness.
Ananda in the Himalayas, India
It’s a tranquil retreat in the Himalayan foothills of North India, a spiritual location where Ayurveda, yoga and meditation are considered to have been born.
Ananda is more like a place of pilgrimage than a typical holiday destination, a place for rejuvenation, de-stressing, detoxing and complete focus on your mental wellness.
We like Ananda’s holistic and focused approach. Nowhere else in the world has such a comprehensive menu of programs dedicated to mental wellbeing. Each can be customised for every guest and both yoga and meditation are incorporated into them all.
Es Racó d’Artá, Mallorca
The mindset at this converted finca (farm) on the island of Mallorca is distinct. They told us:
We do not believe in disconnections, in taking breaks to come back. We do believe in a lifestyle connected with oneself and what surrounds us, aware of the details and discovering the authenticity of things.
This sets the scene for a slow-paced island holiday, which mixes spa treatments and relaxation with activities and creative workshops.
Watsu is a particular focus in the spa and activities could be creating your own sandal, basket weaving, art therapy, sound therapy and breathwork sessions.
Safari with a Spa – Xigera & DumaTau, Botswana
Is there anything more rejuvenating than watching elephants at a waterhole.
Safari is most commonly seen as an adventure. It can also be one of the most relaxing holidays you could ever have, sitting back and enjoying animals in their natural habitat.
For a relaxing safari it’s important to select a lodge that’s in the heart of a busy wildlife area, rather than a lodge with a focus on longer adventurous activities.
The relatively new Xigera and DumaTau are so peacefully located in the Okavango Delta waterways, where animals literally come to you. Plus they have two of the best spas anywhere in Africa.
Spend one week at either, in the animal kingdom, and you can quickly gain new perspectives.
RAKxa, Thailand
RAKxa is an excellent medical wellness hotel, firmly focused on improving long-term health. Unlike Europe’s best medical wellness hotels such as SHA, RAKxa has a more dedicated focus on mental, emotional and spiritual wellness.
Their all-encompassing programs combine this with physical wellness, working towards creating long-term routines.
Like all medical wellness destinations, RAKxa is about initiating lifestyle changes that help you live longer and healthier.
The retreat is located on a quiet island in the Chao Phraya River, only an hour from Bangkok, so it’s an urban rather than a remote getaway. Which does create opportunities to combine a stay at RAKxa with a beach resort in Thailand, for further rest and relaxation.
Lefay Resort & Spa Dolomiti, Italy
The Dolomites is always a good choice for a spa break. A world-beating collection of spa hotels make this one of the world’s premier wellness destinations.
Spa rituals have become popular here in the last decade. Now some of these spa hotels are also looking more pointedly at mental wellness.
Lefay Resort & Spa Dolomiti recently launched their Active & Balance program, based on classic Chinese medicine, outdoor activities and spa treatments.
The program is focused on rebalancing energy flow. Combined with the excellent food, suites and facilities, this could be an easy solo holiday that’s close to home.
Dwarika’s Resort, Nepal
Another approach to boosting mental wellbeing is to set an ambitious physical challenge.
Hiking in the Himalayan mountains is an example. Multiday hikes are especially good for mental wellbeing because there’s nothing other than the activity – day after day you wake up and are only focused on walking, as demonstrated in this Everest trip report.
Nepal has many of the world’s highest mountains and literally thousands of potential hikes, so there’s the right challenge for everyone. And Nepal also offers mountain resorts with a dedicated focus on mental wellbeing.
Dwarika’s is the best of these, with programs dedicated to rejuvenation and revival. They describe their resort as:
Inspired by a blend of Vedic philosophy and Buddhist medicine, the resort focuses on the complete wellbeing of an individual, drawing on the knowledge and holistic lifestyle of the Himalayan region.
JOALI BEING, Maldives
For some people, escaping to a private island resort is an annual way to reset and fully recharge the batteries. Space, silence and a complete change from the everyday.
Many private island resorts have good spa facilities, especially in the Maldives. JOALI BEING brought a new concept when they opened their immersive wellness resort.
It’s not a dedicated resort for mental wellness per se, but the entire resort is designed around the pillars of mind, skin, microbiome and energy. And the individualised wellness programs can be tailored specifically for mental wellbeing.
We especially like the sound and water therapies, plus the stunning JOALI BEING villas and healthy food. Overall it’s ideal for travelling solo and finding space to fully focus on yourself.
Lanserhof Sylt, Germany
The medical team at Lanserhof clears the path towards healing and prevention. Our therapies activate your regenerative powers…the active engagement of every single guest is vital.
Lanserhof is another of Europe’s top medical wellness operations and for over 30 years it has been known for its excellent medical facilities.
The new Lanserhof Sylt is especially interesting from a mental wellness perspective, for its striking modern architecture. There are no corners or straight edges, with everywhere designed to flow harmoniously.
While the programs aren’t as comprehensive as other properties on this list, this new haven on the Wadden Sea is certainly worth exploring for a quiet few days focused on yourself.
A Holiday to Boost Your Mental Wellness
These eight properties inspire us with their innovative and holistic approaches to mental wellbeing. There are more too.
Everybody benefits from a different type of holiday. And that’s just one reason why at EliteVoyage we tailor holidays individually for every client, every time.
