BEST WELLNESS RETREATS ACROSS THE GLOBE

While The Olive Guide is pleased to bring you the best in top dining spots, hotels and holidays sometimes it’s important to take a step back from life and re-set. 

Increasingly, wellness retreats are becoming de rigueur for the busy jet-setter with ‘self care’ and mindfulness not just something hippies talk about.

For thousands of years yoga, which originated in ancient India, has been 

practised to promote well-being and spiritual health and the beauty of it is you don’t need a gym, you can downward dog pretty much anywhere. So to help you on your journey to being your very best self, we have put together a guide to the best wellness and yoga retreats from around the globe.

REJUVENATE YOUR SOUL HATHA YOGA RETREAT Zanzibar 

Set in the superb Baraza Resort & Spa and the Breezed Beach Spa guests can enjoy a seven-day yoga experience in super luxe and tranquil surroundings. Their resident yogi has more than a decade of experience and specialises in Hatha Yoga, holding two one-hour sessions a day, in the morning and evening, with some sessions on the powder sand beach overlooking the Indian Ocean. The six-day course includes pranayama, the formal practice of controlling the breath, yoga nidra for deep relaxation and yoga shala meditation. 

Prices start at £2,278/$2,689 per person based on two people sharing an oceanfront one-bedroom villa

ONE WORLD RETREATS Bali 

Splendid accommodation in the heart of the jungle and excellent yoga make this a top choice for a well-earned break. You can immerse yourself in Balinese culture and retreats are offered all year round. ‘Escape The World’ is one of their signature offerings where guests can ‘touch base with the self’. Highlights include a purification ritual at the Tirta Empul temple and a yoga session overlooking the Batur Volcano. And if you can handle it, a Day of Silence. Gandhi swore by one day of silence every week to encourage inner peace and to make him a better listener. 

Prices start at £1,391/$1,752 for a single. 

ATZARO HOLISTIC BEAUTY RETREAT Ibiza 

This fabulous new yoga retreat only opened in 2017 and can be found on a luxury cliffside villa on the north of the island. It’s a gorgeous mix of yoga and and daily facials with the world famous Su Man - her treatments have even been said to be the ‘holistic alternative to Botox’. Aztaro is a leader in agroturismo and visitors can relax in tranquil surroundings and partake in Pilates as well as enjoying the spa’s sauna pod, hammam and massage. 

Day passes with lunch from £133/ $167

ULPOTHA Sri Lanka 

This one is for the serious yogi who wants to a total digital detox and to reconnect with nature. Your accommodation is a mud hut in the jungle where your neighbours are likely to be monkeys and reptiles - so it’s not for the faint hearted. Ulpotha ia Buddhist agricultural community where world class yoga is practised as well as traditional Ayurveda healing. There’s a beautiful lotus ringed lake to swim in and it’s so safe and tranquil there are no locks or doors. Retreats are focused on both Hatha and Ashtanga yoga and if you really want to get into the swing of things, you can try Panchakarma - five-step, total mind-body rejuvenation experience. 

Prices start at about £1,000/$1,260 for eight days. 

THE BODY CAMP Mallorca

Lots of traditional ‘fitness retreats’ look military grade hard and exhausting but this offering by The Body Camp incorporates wellness, a plant based diet, activities and exercise plans while still seeing definite results and still being able to do your own thing in the evenings (clubbing not recommended!) The brand’s flagship retreat is Ibiza but Mallorca offers a more rustic countryside feel with lush panoramic views from a stunning 12 en-suite room hotel. 

There’s a disco gym, hikes, games and each guest has access to a mountain bike for exploring. It’s more flexible approach allows guests to book for shorter periods - Ibiza is a purposeful seven-day stay - and The Body Camp prides itself on giving clients access to some of the Balearic Island’s most discreet and renowned healing specialists – from masseuses and physios to holistic doctors and osteopaths. 

Prices start at £1,950/ $2,454 per person for seven nights. 

SHA WELLNESS CLINIC Spain 

The SHA method encourages you to take a step back and take better care of yourself. This is achieved by their famous approach to nutrition, which combines healthy eating without losing the flair of haute cuisine. SHA also offers a ‘Fitness Academy’ to get your body back to optimum shape and a program that promotes anti-ageing by lifestyle changes, natural therapies and Oriental medicine. The location isn’t bad either: on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea between the bay of Altea and the natural park of Sierra Helada. 

Prices start at £3,295/ $4,151 for seven nights