Wellness Travel

Words by Bedsonline

Wellness tourism is all about travel that aims to maintain or improve your wellbeing. According to the Global Wellness Institute, there are two types of wellness travellers, those who have wellness activities as the main purpose of the trip - think booking a digital detox camp to disconnect for a while – and those who seek to mix wellness with other adventures - like taking a dip in an onsen hot spring while exploring Japan. Which type of wellness traveller are you?

Cultural Wellness Experiences

Experiential travel that prioritises learning about culture is a rising trend. Where culinary travellers do this by tasting the local food, wellness travellers look to discover different wellness traditions. In Central Europe, check out Aufguss ritual saunas, where a trained sauna master performs a 10-minute show in the sauna. In Latin America, look for treatments based on indigenous rituals, such as the Mexican folk-healing therapies on offer at the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos in Mexico. From mezcal-infused massages to energy-cleansing rituals, you can unwind while learning about indigenous holistic healing practices.

Outdoor Wellness Activities

Running in the woods, relaxing on crystal-clear beaches or doing yoga on a serene mountaintop - we all have different ways of connecting with nature. Sports enthusiasts can get their heart rates up with physically active trips to outdoor yoga camps and surf retreats, but there are less strenuous options too. How about a rejuvenating float therapy in the healing mineral waters of Iceland’s famous Blue Lagoon? Enrich your Icelandic wellness trip in with a visit to Reykjavik, one of the cleanest, greenest cities in the world. Alternatively, connect with nature on a deeper level by disconnecting from modern life at a silent retreat. By staying quiet, you can engage in mindfulness activities, such as meditation and nature walks, to immerse yourself in the power of quiet.

Sleep Wellness

Hotels are adding tech to the sleep experience, like at the Park Hyatt New York which created a Restorative Sleep Suite offering an AI-powered mattress that adjusts its climate zones to ensure that each guest experiences all the proper sleep stages and cycles to wake up well-rested and ready to explore. Kamalaya Koh Samui in Thailand has a dedicated sleep wellness program, featuring traditional massages, mentoring sessions and IV therapy for better sleep. Luxurious hotel suites aren’t the only places to unwind and sleep better, however. Try star bathing, where spending time outdoors under the night sky, connected with the vastness of the universe, helps to improve sleep by reducing stress and releasing melatonin.

Wellness Technology

With many medical spas, retreats and centres offering high-tech wellness experiences, achieving your beauty, fitness or mindfulness goals is easier than ever. In Alicante, Spain, the Rebalance & Energise Programme at SHA Medical Spa uses ozone therapy to stimulate the immune system, along with personalised diet plans, medical consultations and wellness treatments like shiatsu, nuat boran and sound therapy. A prime example of the blend of personalised wellness enhanced by the power of health technology, COMO Shambhala Estate in beautiful Bali offers an integrated wellness program powered by hyperbaric oxygen chambers, sleep enhancement technology and microbiome facials.