Salt Camisole by Rose Fulbright
PHOTO: PATRICK WONG
The C&TH
SPA GUIDE
Follow these pages to find the best spas for everything from a gentle cleanse to a holistic makeover. Edited by Daisy Finer
March 2017 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 97
EDITOR’S LETTER
CONTENTS RADAR 100 SPA Pre-trip tips, news, beauty and more
102
AIR ON MAYR Donna Air sorts herself out at VIVAMAYR
DETOX 104 DETERMINED Purge your digestive
system for fantastic results
FIT Build both strength 106 FIGHTING and stamina DOES IT Yes, it’s a detox but 108 GENTLY without the denial
110 112
OM MY GOODNESS And breathe...
114
WELLNESS WEEKENDS Short, sweet fixes
SPIRITUAL SUSTENANCE Address your mind and soul as well as your body
CONTRIBUTORS Donna Air, Lydia Bell, Lucy Cleland, Harriet Compston, Juliet Kinsman, Olivia Palamountain Anna Pasternak, Caroline Phillips
Salt Camisole by Rose Fulbright
PHOTO: PATRICK WONG
The C&TH
P00-Guide-Opener.indd 47
SPA GUIDE
Follow these pages to find the best spas for everything from a gentle cleanse to a holistic makeover. Edited by Daisy Finer
I
f you’ve felt turmoil during the last 12 months (and who hasn’t?), let the following pages guide to you to a clearer, healthier, gentler place. This year we’ve honed in on those escapes that we believe really work, because a wonderful massage isn’t all we seek. In fact, these days it may even be bottom of the list. Our incredibly busy schedules, our fight against time, our desire to look and feel our best, mean that quick, effective, solid solutions and real self-nurturing are essential when it comes to a healthy holiday. So, we’ve tried to cover everything, from those places that are serious about digestion, detoxing and the power of fasting, to our favourite yogi hangouts, to those actionpacked outposts that work to rev up your fitness. From Thailand to Mexico, these are the stalwarts you can trust, but because we also understand that sometimes long-haul defeats the purpose of your intent (namely rest), we’ve also included a flurry of short and sweet easy escapes which also do a great job at loving you back to life. Appreciating our bodies and minds, and allowing our spirits time to soar, is truly the only path to peace. I for one believe too much emphasis can be put on obtaining perfection, and that while many medi-clinics and spas out there offer advice and rules for living, I speak from experience when I say – take what works for you, for your needs and circumstances. No one else holds the key to your happiness. When I launched my website SPA.Kitchen it was to act as a portal for spas and retreats to showcase how to keep up the good work at home – combining recipes, meditations, yoga, pilates and wise words. None of it is written in stone, the idea is to dip in and take what you need, mix it up, try a new flavour. We hope these pages encourage you to do just that. Make 2017 a year of personal transformation, one where the voices of self-criticism fade into the background and you start to love the true you. Enjoy!
23/01/2017 10:48
ON THE COVER: Salt Camisole by Rose Fulbright TOP RIGHT: Tide Robe by Rose Fulbright at Keturah Brown
Daisy Finer
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PHOTO: PATRICK WONG
T H E S PA G U I D E
GET READY
MAYAN MASSAGE
T H E S PA G U I D E
SPA RADAR
If you’ve made the choice and paid the money to do a proper detox abroad, it’s worth investing time and thought to your pre-trip prep. Sign up for The Detox Kitchen, which will bring you seriously delicious healthy food and snacks, free from wheat, dairy and refined sugar, to your door fresh every day, and you’ll kickstart a good regime that will pay dividends on your week away. Think granola with flaked coconut, pecans and rice milk for breakfast; prawns, buckwheat tabbouleh with promegranate for lunch; and salmon burger with bean tomato stew for supper. From £28.90 per day. detoxkitchen.co.uk
The Yucatán Peninsula’s reputation for spring breakers and cheap tequila has long since faded. The luxury hotel industry has been seduced by its azure beaches, abundant nature and rich cultural industry. Two brand new resorts utilise these aspects to great effect. Chablé, a collection of 38 stand-alone casitas, opened at the end of last year (chableresort.com), while eco-conscious Hotel Xcaret will welcome its first guests on the Riviera Maya at the end of 2017 (hotelxcaret.com). The spas at both are built inside cenotes (natural cave formations) with treatments inspired by ancestral Mayan traditions. The new Ayurveda, perhaps?
What to wear, how to prepare, who to see and where to be seen
GET PAMPERED
Nathalie Eleni chooses her five favourite spa products
ILA Face oil, £75. ila-spa.com
LEFT: Hotel Xcaret BELOW: Chablé
GET SET
Mineral water with fresh mint, plush velvet sofas, luxury bathroom products – sounds more like a boutique hotel than a fitness club, but thanks to the team behind the Library, The Clock is a new fourfloor Georgian townhouse where the A-list go to get in shape and build up strength – fast and in top-notch style. Zana Morris, author of the celebrated book the High Fat Diet, revolutionised fitness with 15-minute, high-intensity training regimes through her private members’ clubs. Now short-term memberships for this Marylebone space mean transformational time in a wood-panelled workout room with custombuilt brass equipment. theclock.com
WHAT’S NEW IN SPA LAND? Kate Moss designed the Barnhouse
SHEPHERD’S SAVASANA
Super swanky Cotswolds haven The Lakes by Yoo has teamed up with a spate of wellbeing brands to spoil their villa guests rotten in the Kate Moss-designed Barnhouse. The wellness retreat includes a physio session with the Bosworth Clinic (as used by Team GB), treatments by Spiezia Organics and daily yoga with Clare Loughnane, the limber powerhouse behind Cheltenham’s prestigious Studio 13. From £1,150pp, based on ten guests staying in the barn. 17–20 March. thelakesbyyoo.com
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LEFT: Ritz Paris BELOW: Palazzo Versace Dubai
GET DRESSED
DESIGNER TREATMENT
As Chanel opened its first spa at the newly reopened Ritz Paris, Versace announced it was also diving into the industry. The former is a neoclassical playground inspired by Coco Chanel’s Rue Cambon apartment. We imagine it would be close to her heart, as she was a resident there for 40 years (ritzparis.com). Palazzo Versace Dubai promises to be 24-karat glam – as you’d expect of the Italian label – with Granito Nero Assoluto marble floors, elaborate mosaics and incorporating traditional Middle Eastern beauty rituals (palazzoversace.com).
PHOTOS: THINKSTOCK
NEW YOO
Yoga is as much about tuning into nature as it is about raspy breath and tying yourself in knots. Neal’s Yard Holidays’ shepherd’s hut retreat on the Isle of Wight should help you tap straight into that all-important prana, with long coastal walks, horse riding and fields filled with llamas. Courses run through spring, autumn and winter, just beware that they recommend this course is for yogis looking for a challenging practice. £265pp for two nights. nealsyardholidays.com
TATA HARPER Purifying Mask, £52. tataharperskincare.com
There’s no reason why your gym kit can’t be holistic too. Italian athleisure atelier Black Label is renowned for creating fabrics using natural organic materials that work with your skin, like milk protein, seaweed, bamboo and eucalyptus. It has designed an exclusive range for Rocco Forte Hotels using Egyptian mercerised cotton, containing just 20 per cent elastane, and made in Italy, from yarn to finishing, and available to buy from their spas. From £77. rocco fortehotels.com
ESPA Balancing Herbal Spafresh spritzer, £19. espaskincare.com
VALMONT C Curve Shaper Body, £210. whiteroombeauty.com
OMOROVICZA Gold Sugar Scrub, £57. omorovicza.com
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T H E S PA G U I D E
AIR ON MAYR
Donna Air was stressed, so she took herself off to VIVAMAYR in Austria to press the reboot button
Supplementing the regime
A glorious lakeside setting
W
hat a year 2016 was. Like many, I’m sure, I was desperate to get away from it all, leaving the headlines behind and giving myself some serious me time. I had been running on adrenaline and skinny lattes for too long and wanted to rest, re-set and completely reboot. And so to VIVAMAYR. Nestled deep in the Austrian Alps, the newest addition to the VIVAMAYR family was just what the doctor ordered, almost literally. Based on the principles of modern Mayr medicine (fundamentally health based on good digestion) and combining a state-ofthe-art medical facility with a luxurious spa, VIVAMAYR Altaussee promised a complete MOT for body and mind. Thanks to its notoriously strict reputation (did anyone see Michael McIntyre’s skit on his experience there? Google it), I knew VIVAMAYR meant business but also sensational results (Michael Gove, Elizabeth Hurley and Sarah Ferguson are fans). But what to expect? The week began with a consultation with my doctor – daily medical appointments are what sets this place apart – who immediately diagnosed stress. Blood tests and an applied kinesiology session followed, after which Donna gets to grips I was prescribed my bespoke programme with aerial yoga of treatments, therapies and meal plan.
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Daily vitamin infusions left me glowing from the inside and the regular liver compresses were just heavenly (you lie cocooned in bed with a hot water bottle). Not to mention the aerial yoga, which I’ve been meaning to try ever since I met a woman on holiday who waxed lyrical about its benefits. Famous for its emphasis on chewing (oh, the chewing!), I was perhaps most apprehensive about the food – but I needn’t have been. With a head chef who used to work in a Michelin-starred kitchen, the menu was fresh, local and utterly delicious. Yes, the amount of chewing took some getting used to (like most working women I am used to racing through lunch) but making time to enjoy my food is definitely something I’m sticking to at home. But it wasn’t all about the treatments, the stunning location didn’t hurt either. I spent my down time hiking – anywhere that I can climb gets bonus points from me as I’d far sooner be outside than busting my gut in the gym. Food is fresh and VIVAMAYR encouraged me delicious, if modest to really listen to my body – I went to bed early but was up at 5:30am and for once Take the plunge I wasn’t constantly hitting snooze. My mind felt sharper, more focused and, since I’ve been back in London, I’ve felt so much more energised. I’m not going to lie, the sugar cravings were intense but VIVAMAYR helped me to find my rhythm, and I intend to keep it.
PACKING ESSENTIALS
T H E S PA G U I D E
THE DETERMINED DETOX
You take your health seriously and want a complete reboot
BUCHINGER WILHELMI, Lake Constance, Germany
or – the highlight – a guided 6-7km hike in the hills, forests and mountains surrounding Überlingen). Results start showing around day three or four (whether Don’t be put off by appearances (the building resembles a clinic-cum-1970s accommodation block, but in any case the it’s the downsides of fasting – headaches, disturbed sleep etc, or the lighter feeling of things beginning to shift). You’re location makes up for it by perching above the glorious Lake also learning all the time, taking notes from talks, Constance). Think instead about how you’re going scribbling down cooking hints, gaining insights to feel after a ten-day (minimum) fast, where from nutritionists – there’s a lot to take in and you’ll be surviving on just 5,500 calories it inspires you to make changes to your overall as you partake in the Buchinger everyday lifestyle. Amplius Method (therapeutic fasting), 1 Tap into your natural but Buchinger is a streamlined, slick like each of your fellow bathrobed forgotten ability to forgo food in order to operation. There’s a quiet – and caring guests/patients (some as fat as sumo balance and heal your body – and mind. – efficiency at its core, where nothing wrestlers, others whippet thin). The is forgotten, you are never kept answer is pretty bloody marvellous, 2 Otto Buchinger’s mantra was ‘In daily life, the waiting for an appointment, the bill in case you were wondering. hunger of the soul is often confused with the need to arrives in your room two days before The Amplius Method was devised eat’, so be mindful of the reasons why you’re eating. departure, hot water bottles magically in 1918 by Dr Otto Buchinger, who appear when you most want them; and cured himself from rheumatic fever 3 Moderate exercise is a vital part staff are sweet, proficient and attentive. after a 19-day therapeutic fast. And so, of the detox process – it helps speed You lose weight, you find energy you things up. four generations later, the clinic attracts thought long lost, you feel empowered and the biggest names in Hollywood and beyond strong, heavy eyes are lightened, thoughts are who are on burn out and come to press the clearer. As one guest said, ‘Everyone has a twinkle in reset button; for some it becomes like a religion as their eye at the end of a stay at Buchinger.’ they make their annual pilgrimage. And it’s easy to see why. BOOK IT: Ten-days, from ¤2,440. buchinger-wilhelmi.com The rhythm of your stay here soon takes over. A glass of glauber salts to jig up the elimination process, morning weigh in with the nurse, a cup of herbal tea with honey (savour it), a couple of exercise classes (all excellent), a meeting with a doctor or a chosen therapy (everything can add up, so make sure you’re aware of the pricing structure), a nap with a hot liver compress, more herbal tea, a cookery demo, an art class
Golden Rules
PARKHOTEL, Igls, Austria
This diagnostic detox spa, which practises the modern Mayr Cure, feels zingy and fresh. Glorious alpine views counteract the dreary effects of ‘the cure’. Expect detox headaches while the brilliant team of German doctors get your intestinal tract firing again. You chew on stale spelt rolls until your teeth rattle, then snooze through daily hot compresses to detoxify the liver. If you suffer from a bloated stomach, book now. The German doctors perform a special treatment to activate toxin release and unclog the abdominal lymphatic system, so within days stomachs flatten as energy levels
rise. Uniquely, there are eight levels of nutrition, so if you can’t face deprivation and need nutritional nurturing, you can savour mouse-like portions of outstanding food. The soups are prize-winningly original; mustard, horseradish or olive flavours. Health analysis is cutting edge: they even offer tests to see if you are predisposed towards dementia. The de-stress week includes craniosacral therapy, while psycho emotional stress is dealt with in effective talking therapy sessions with first-rate psychotherapists. This is top notch holistic health and healing. BOOK IT: An all-inclusive week’s de-stress package, £2,459. parkhotel-igls.at
YOLKE Denim lounge suit, £150. yolke.co.uk
EBERJEY Alpine Chic reversible modaljersey and fleece robe, £165. net-a-porter.com
BRORA Linen and cotton cricket jumper, £149. brora.co.uk
ESPACE HENRI CHENOT AT PALACE MERANO, Merano, Italy
A game-changing, fat-busting, life-resetting retreat. The Henri Chenot method is designed to recharge the body, reboot digestion and reinvigorate the mind. Yes, people flock here for weight loss, but others come to tackle more complex issues, from insomnia to recovery from surgery. This is a deeply comfortable environment, a gilt-edged grand palace hotel with a gently institutional mentality – everyone sits at the same restaurant table for every meal. Portions are small but perfectly formed – slivers
of fresh fruit, grilled baby vegetables, one precious serving of steamed fish during a week’s stay. Tea and coffee are offered misleadingly – herbal infusions and barley Americanos. There are mud wraps and hydro-aromatherapy baths, jet showers, aqua aerobics and PT sessions in the gym. More leftfield meridian energy therapies are balanced with clinical blood tests and IV drips. As well as shifting the pounds, there are all sorts of targeted programmes: energy promotion, cellulite busting and even hair loss. BOOK IT: Six-day programme, from €2,650. Seven nights’ accommodation, from €1,540pp. palace.it
CHINTI AND PARKER Breton lounge pants, £275. chintiandparker.com
FITFLOP Banda, £85. fitflop.co.uk
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RACK UP YOUR HEART RATE Fit not thin is our mantra
IN:SPA, Marrakech, Morocco
teacher Alan Kelly, the yoga is a welcome stretch in the If you want to re-start, kickstart or just start a detox and morning and very pleasant restoration at the end of healthy living programme, the In:Spa retreat, just 30 minutes each day of vigorous exercise. from Marrakech, is an effective way to do it. For the two half-day hikes, the nutrition lecture and First-timers may not quite grasp what a healthy detox cookery class, as well as mealtimes, all the guests come holiday means in practice until they find their bespoke together to swap notes and life stories on the yellow agenda in their Berber-carpeted, Atlas Mountainstone veranda that faces Mount Toubkal, behind facing rooms. The schedule mixes up group which the sun sets each day. Six specialists circuit and fitness training (often two are flown out to look after the guests sessions per day) with two yoga sessions but the real secret to the yoga and 1 The combination of energising per day (on most days), as well as onefitness mix is the menu free from red yoga classes followed by invigorating to-ones with Alli Godbold, author of meat, gluten, dairy, sugar, caffeine activities is a killer mix and greatly assists Feed Your Health and the ‘resident’ and alcohol. Chef Sara Kempton the detox process. nutritionist, and personal training with is on hand to cook up nourishing 2 Set aside your smart phones and detox your mind either Kath Beesley or Craig Carroll. as well as your body, you’ll get far more out of it. meals full of flavour, each of which Your package also includes two are tailored to any guest’s individual 3 It’s not just about what we eat, but also very deep tissue sports massages requirements. about when we eat what and the nutritionist with Frank Horstmann. His massages is on hand to explain the best food Although not a boot camp, if the combinations and the optimum time are not only welcome but essential and regime is taken seriously, you can see to indulge in different food the only extra cash you may need on this satisfying visible results, particularly if groups. trip are for a few extra sessions. you start letting go of alcohol, caffeine Although there can be between 14 to 20 and sugar before you get there. people on these trips, the fitness and yoga groups BOOK IT: Seven nights from £1,995 (upcoming dates: never seem large as people are divided into two groups 24 February to 2 March, 23–30 March, 10–17 November). based on general level of yoga expertise. Taught by Triyoga inspa.co.uk
Golden Rules
RANCHO LA PUERTA, Tecate, Mexico
Summer camp but for grown-ups. A 4,000-acre resort below Mount Kuchumaa, just over the Mexican border, it’s all about the great outdoors here. A fitness concierge helps you plan your week, which is good as the choice is staggering. It’s hiking central but these aren’t any old hikes – think an ‘intention voicing meditation hike’ or – if you are up for an adventure – you can thrillingly trek the 7.5 miles to the US/Mexico border (there’s no wall yet). Back at ‘The Ranch’, there’s no excuse not to get moving with six gyms and more pools than you can count. Boxing, circuits,
ropes, weights, barre work, hula-hooping, H2O bootcamp)… Cure your aching body with an indulgent massage. Eating is communal and lifelong friends have been made here. But if you’re not feeling it, give the silent dinner a go – you feel like you are tasting food for the first time. Flop at the end of the day into one of the Spanish colonial-style redbrick villas, set amid the sweeping gardens, bursting with wisteria and with fountains under olive groves. It’s three nights minimum but when it’s this good, don’t go for anything less than a week. BOOK IT: Seven days from $3,750. rancholapuerta.com
CHARLI COHEN Laser leggings, £99. charli-cohen.com
BODAS Swimsuit, £115. bodas.co.uk
NO KA’OI Lani performance bra, £105. matchesfashion.com
CHIVA-SOM, Hua Hin, Thailand
Twenty-one years old and still nailing it. This legendary spa retreat on the Gulf of Thailand is hard to beat. With a whopping 70 treatment rooms, it’s life on a big scale – and the perfect place for a life shift. All the classic programmes are here (stress relief, weight management, R&R) and treatments (including botox), then there are the workouts. Boy, it’s good, with world-class personal trainers, super stretch classes, hypoxic training (exercising with reduced oxygen), ta’i chi at sunrise, aqua aerobics and pranayama. Phew! Bring your heart-rate down by flopping
beside the pool, walking along the beach or have a massage with one of the deeply intuitive therapists (the detoxifying balneotherapy, which withdraws toxins and attacks cellulite, is a highlight). Rooms are equally relaxing, coolly understated with triangular silk cushions, gilded ceilings and tropical wood floors. Food will leave you skipping for joy. There’s nothing about starvation here. Tuck into peppered tuna with Thai-herb mushroom salad. You skip off skinnier, rested and beaming. BOOK IT: Elegant Resorts offers seven nights from £3,690pp, based on two people sharing, full board, flights and transfers. elegantresorts.co.uk
ADIDAS Sweatshirt, £60. yoox.com
ASICS Nimbus, £145. asics.co.uk
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GENTLY DOES IT
You want results without the deprivation? Be our guest
CUGÓ GRAN, Menorca The Gut Makeover Retreat
Aboriginal-inspired ‘Kodo’ massage. A private consultation with Jeannette. Or attend informal chats on the gut: you’ll No calorie counting, no low fat, no deprivation. Just excellent, soon be well acquainted with the needs of the microbiome – the trillions of bacteria living in the gut and weighing 3.3lbs. abundant gourmet meals. Who knew that losing weight There are normally around 11 (Lululemon and upmarket was so much fun? Or who realised that the gut is the control beachwear clad) clients, including one or two men, and centre of good health? That there are the on-going clinical almost as many staff as guests, offering superb service trials that have used a gut-friendly diet to reverse early onset in smart shorts. As for the food – superb. It’s all very Alzheimer’s, improve diabetes and treat depression? colourful, a plant-based diet with protein at every And that you can sort out digestive issues and meal. Breakfast is eggs from chickens that improve sleep and skin conditions with food? roam the property, and a bowl of fruit with Welcome to The Gut Makeover Retreat coconut kefir – a fermented milk that’s in Menorca. The brainchild of Jeannette 1 Eat as much variety and as many beneficial to the gut. For lunch perhaps Hyde, an erstwhile journalist turned different colours and textures of fibre in homemade gazpacho, prawn curry, nutritionist. And author of The Gut your diet as you can – e.g. aim for up to and several super tasty salads with Makeover – a four-week programme 30 different veg, herbs and fruit in a week. ingredients plucked from the garden. to revolutionise your health. She’s Dinner may include molten chocolate 2 Slow down, relax and chew evangelical about the gut – having every mouthful properly. pots (with just a smidge of honey). burnt out ten years ago and, finally, It’s so good you’ll hardly notice healed herself with ‘real’ food. 3 Have an easy 12-hour overnight fast that you’ve given up caffeine, alcohol The retreat takes place in Cugó each night – gives a long stretch for and sugar; have gone gluten, dairy and Gran, a 19th-century sandstone villa the gut to repair itself. grains-free; are not snacking between with 11 bedrooms. Think manicured meals; are chewing each mouthful 20 times gardens, lavender fields, olive trees and to keep those gastric juices flowing; and are a pool that looks out to sea. Inside is very observing a 12-hour overnight fast. On a seven-day Daylesford – uplifting and airy – with taupes, creams retreat, you’ll likely lose 3lbs. You’ll kick-start your health. and exposed stone walls. Re-set your gut. And, best of all, feel as if you’re on holiday. There’s lots of rest time. Sometimes you’ll do gentle BOOK IT: The next dates run from 28 April to 3 May, and 4–9 pilates and yoga. Have a great October 2017. Costs from ¤3,500 pp for a five-night retreat based on two sharing. cugogranmenorca.com
Golden Rules
BODHIMAYA, Cotignac, France
A storybook setting with a bespoke, scientific approach to detoxing run by Harley Street-based nutritionist Cornelius O’Shaughnessy and his brother Daniel. The turreted towers are lit up like a fairytale castle and princess-like rooms come with four-poster beds, crystal chandeliers and their own dressing rooms. After the first night’s three-course candlelit supper, there are two days of juices, tailored to each guest depending on their ailments, and packed with power foods such as red cabbage, spinach and pineapple. The programme is informal, so you can opt in or
out of hikes, yoga and meditation sessions (do try some meditation though: Cornelius teaches breathing techniques to calm chaotic minds). There are also one-on-one nutritional-based consultations, group workshops and cooking demos where you learn to make sauerkraut and Indian favourite, ghee butter. On day three, you move on to smoothies before – yippee – reintroducing food with a tiny dinner (courgette and spinach soup with ghee). On leaving you get a nutrition plan and supplement suggestions, to make sure you keep on it for when you get home. BOOK IT: Seven days from £2,595, including accommodation and meals. bodhimaya.com
ELIZABETH HURLEY BEACH Neptune swimsuit, £165. elizabethhurley.com
PENHALIGON’S Hammam Boutique eau de toilette, £97. penhaligons.com
OCTAVIA HIX Kaftan, £159. octaviahix.com
SHA, Alicante, Spain
A sleek medical spa overlooking the Med, which looks the business and delivers too, with its seamless mix of cutting-edge Western science meets ancient Oriental therapies. Treatments cover everything from weight loss and insomnia to genetic testing and quitting smoking. And they pull out all the stops with programmes combining diet, phytotherapy (the use of plants for medicinal purposes) and a long list of therapies (Shiatsu massage, reflexology, reiki and lymphatic drainage massage). Don’t miss the stellar list of visiting masters – a session with naturopath, Karen Himlok, formerly head
honcho at Chiva-Som in Thailand, is a must. Beauty issues are tackled too, including varicose veins, cellulite, frown lines and sunspots. There’s even a dentistry unit for hardcore polishing. The macrobiotic diet provides the backbone to this retreat. Wholegrains, vegetables, soya protein, seaweed and seafood are in. Dairy products, sugar, caffeine and alcohol are out. The best thing is that all this takes place in pretty perfect surroundings. BOOK IT: Four-day Discovery programme from €1,190 (not including flights but Monarch flies all year round). Suites start from €340 per night. shawellnessclinic.com
PLÜMO Sarouel pants, £98. plumo.com
RAE FEATHER Monogrammed sliders, £185. raefeather.com
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T H E S PA G U I D E
OM MY GOODNESS
Perfect your pranayama and excel at your asanas
SILVER ISLAND YOGA, Silver Island, Greece
is no mains water or electricity on the island. Solar power heats the water and the generator is only on for three hours each evening. At ten o’clock, lights go out, so it is essential Staying on this idyllic, family-owned island gives you a to bring torches for night-time reading. With no pollution, flavour of living on a private paradise. The downside is that the darkness is velvety and the stars blindingly bright. heaven isn’t easy to reach; a three-hour coach journey from The sensational food is a massive draw. Think Athens, an hour’s ferry ride, 20 minutes on another the Hemsley sisters with a Greek twist. Every bus before, finally, a speed boat drops you at meal is a colourful take on clean eating with Silver Island’s tiny jetty. But the minute you robust, zingingly fresh produce. Freshly walk through the undulating groves of squeezed juices for breakfast, with a working olive farm, clocking the two homemade granola and organic pristine white beaches and realise that 1 Experiencing the feeling of relaxation sheep’s yoghurt and local honey. you have 60 acres shared among and wellness during a retreat is remembered Lunch is a riot of homemade flat ten guests, any travel niggles melt on many levels by body and mind. breads and salads. Garlic bread with away. There are five bedrooms, so 2 A week devoted to yourself will leave you a more olive tapenade, homemade tzatziki, all guests share a room and not all centered, restored and joyful version of yourself. while a typical salad might be black have en-suite bathrooms. This is ecoquinoa, roasted baby beetroot, luxe, Greek style, with a profoundly 3 An appreciation of your body as it is, as well drizzled with pomegranate and fig touching attention to detail. Every as tools that will help build a meditation syrup. Chocolate cravings are sated table setting is different. Freshly picked and self-practice for life, on and with nut-covered fig balls. Dinner is wild cyclamen are placed on linen napkins, off the mat. warming stews with an amazing array of creating an atmosphere of nurtured beauty. vegetables; spicy aubergine casserole with Silver Island attracts a brilliant roster of stuffed peppers or vegetarian moussaka. You don’t superb yoga teachers who offer week-long yoga realise until you leave, how deeply you have connected retreats, from April to the end of October, with everything with yourself and nature here. It’s jarring to hit civilisation from yin to dynamic to postural alignment to vinyasa with all that halogen light. You crave the simplicity of Silver flow. Days are well planned with space in between yoga Island; a special, spiritually uplifting escape. to sunbathe, kayak or swim around the island. The sea is BOOK IT: From £1,150 per bed, per week, all-inclusive. Aegean perfection; glassily still and clear. With its impressive silverislandyoga.com green credentials, you feel totally plugged into nature. There
Golden Rules
ROSA YOGA RETREAT, Santa Eularia, Ibiza
‘An island within an island’ is how Rosa Klein describes her Ibizan retreat, a tranquil haven, set amid pine trees. Rosa, a beautiful, serene woman, turned to yoga after a car accident 12 years ago, and it transformed her health. Now her mission is to help others. Every morning begins with therapeutic yoga, held in the open-sided sala, surrounded by fragrant bushes. The session starts with sun salutations and continues with asanas – the repetition helps with your equilibrium. A sumptuous brunch follows with divine porridge, fresh eggs and imaginative smoothies.
Afternoons are spent relaxing with massages and in hammocks. After an hour of meditation and pranayama, tuck into a magnificent threecourse dinner with delights including courgette spaghetti with rich tomato and chickpea sauce and crema Catalana. Accommodation, beautifully plastered over roughly hewn stone walls, have timber rafters and red floor tiles and come with sitting rooms and fully-equipped kitchens. After a week at the retreat, Rosa’s gift is the rediscovery of your own wisdom and the confidence to continue your daily practice at home. BOOK IT: Three nights from €750, all-inclusive (excluding flights). healingholidays.co.uk
BALLET BEAUTIFUL Belle stretch-jersey wrap top, £76. net-a-porter.com
COCHINE Travel candle, £20. fortnumandmason.com
EILEEN FISHER Organic cotton jumper, £255. eileenfisher.com
BOTTEGA VENETA Butterfly-print cashmere scarf, £620. matchesfashion.com
ABSOLUTE SANCTUARY, Koh Samui, Thailand
Sprawled over a hillside, less than a mile from the coast, this tropical retreat ticks all the boxes: feel-good food, beach walks, weight loss, all while being tended to by tip-top practioners. There are plenty of programmes to get stuck into but it’s the yoga to really get excited about, and it doesn’t matter whether you are a beginner or a limb-twisting yogi. Just take your pick: detoxing yoga (to stimulate digestion), hatha, hot flow, ashtanga, restorative (to help with stress and fatigue) and yin (where postures are held for five minutes,
calming the pelvis, hips and lower spine). The Sanctuary has its own type of yoga, too – Absolute yoga, circuit-training in style, which hits your core hard. Book your stay for when yoga teacher Jana Brauer is in town – you’ll never have felt so stretched. There are lots of lovely treatments to break up the day – scrubs, wraps and delicious massages. The diet is happy-making, too – low carb and high in fibre so think super fresh soups, Thai-spiced salads and double-dark-chocolate cake made with cocoa, palm sugar and soy milk. BOOK IT: Five-night yoga package from approx. £2,000. absolutesanctuary.com
SWEATY BETTY Urdhva reversible yoga leggings, £85. sweatybetty.com
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PACKING ESSENTIALS
T H E S PA G U I D E
SPIRITUAL SUSTENANCE Address the mind as well as the body
ASTLEY CLARKE Evil Eye earrings, £80. astleyclarke.com
VANA, The Himalayas, India
There’s much talk today of finding balance and tuning When this 66-room retreat in North India opened in 2014, into nature, but what does that mean? Time at Vana there was nothing like it – and there still isn’t. Vana refuses teaches you that everyone’s path to equilibrium is unique. to be called a spa. Spiritual development is at the heart Their detox retreats are a safe bet to get you on the road of this chic holistic retreat in the Himalayan foothills. to enlightenment and the signature 21-night traditional Bold contemporary architecture is more European Panchakarma cleansing programme is customised art gallery than ashram; the Ayurvedic organic to individual constitutions. menu resembles that of a fine-dining But can Vana change your life? It can restaurant; and it’s the only health centre certainly help switch off the noise to practise this combination of therapies from life’s many distractions so that 1 Start your journey to spiritual with such authenticity and integrity. you can stop, slow down and truly wellbeing by experiencing ancient healing Your journey to wellbeing starts process what the wise therapists tell therapies and through connecting with nature. with a doctor’s consultation to you. They can inspire you to think 2 Balance your metabolism through create a bespoke programme. intelligently about your own mental a healthy, nourishing Ayurvedic diet Their winning a ‘Best Life-Changing and physical wellbeing in a way that suited to your body type (dosha). Retreat’ award had inspired high gives you a better understanding of expectations. Floating from treatment causes and not just symptoms, so that 3 Leave with lifestyle, health, to treatment in this tranquil forestyou can live a life that better suits your nutritional and philosophical hugged compound, it was clear that the health, head and heart. And if God is in learnings to last a lifetime. way in which Vana might change your life the detail, it is a near-religious experience is different for each individual. Some come spending time in Vana’s five-star suites and seeking medical fixes, others crave mental amid this elegant sandy-toned palette, specially or emotional development. Whatever your ailments commissioned art and organic environment. or ambitions, Vana eases you into its slow, soothing BOOK IT: Seven nights, from approx £2,740, including pace, insisting its kurta-pyjama-clad Vanavasis switch all-inclusive accommodation, treatments and transfers. off for at least a fortnight. vana.co.in
Golden Rules
ARRIGO PROGRAMME, Somerset, UK
The value of an Arrigo Programme retreat is not to be found in a moment of pure bliss and indulgence. What Fiona Arrigo offers is something more profound, something that stays with you for the long haul, the chance to rebalance, nourish and get back to your deepest self. Fiona checks you into one of her cosy cottages in Somerset, with fresh flowers, glowing with open fires, fluffed up with sheepskin rugs and cleansed with salt candles. Your ‘angel’ – aka housekeeper – is a fairy godmother of sorts who brings you tea in the morning and makes your
breakfast before clearing everything away, and leaving lunch and dinner to be warmed up later. Everything you eat is wholesome, organic and nourishing. Based on chats and questionnaires beforehand, Fiona designs a course for you, which includes daily visits from herself, or another of the top intuitive psychotherapists in her mould. This is no one-size-fits-all approach – this is an experience that is all about discovering the uniqueness of you, and because of that, it blows people’s minds and changes their lives. BOOK IT: A four-day programme, with four treatments daily, starts at £5,395 all-inclusive. thearrigoprogramme.com
LILLIPUT & FELIX Maroon marble kaftan, £350. lilliputandfelix.com
PAULA CADEMARTORI FOR KARTELL Bag, £253. 020 7584 3923
KAMALAYA, Koh Samui, Thailand
Overlooking the coast of southern Koh Samui, this spiritual retreat is all about self-discovery with a solid dose of relaxation on the side. Founded by former monk, John and his traditional Chinese medicine master wife, Karina, this is a place which knows its stuff and gets results. The hillside setting has you hooked from the get-go, with a cave at its centre that once served Buddhist monks as a place of meditation. It’s no longer used but the healing journeys continue here and many of the counsellors are former monks. A state-of-the-art diagnostic centre uncovers all
BAMFORD Balasana essential oil blend, £25. bamford.co.uk your troubles and then you’re off on a run of spa treatments, therapies and holistic medicine: ayurveda for de-stressing, acupuncture for insomnia, cognitive healing to cope with loss and bereavement. Start the day feasting on museli with flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds and goji berries then skip off to yoga, t’ai chi or a meditation session with Rajesh, where you experience peace like never before. Suites are equally zen-inducing, nestled amidst the tree with natural furnishings and sea views. BOOK IT: Three nights (minimum), from around £1,090, including full-board accommodation, treatments and transfers. kamalaya.com
MALONE SOULIERS X NATALIA VODIANOVA Neva slipper, £395. malonesouliers.com
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T H E S PA G U I D E
WELLBEING WEEKENDS
Short on time? Mix a spot of spa with a mini break
THE CLOVER MILL, Worcestershire, UK
EPIC SANA, Albufeira, Portugal
HOTEL GRAND TREMEZZO, Lake Como, Italy
It’s the family touch that makes the difference at hotels and this lakeside jewel is no exception, where the devil is in the detail and they know what you want even before you do. Eating and drinking is de rigueur but you can restore some balance: stroll through the Italianate gardens and head steeply upwards till you find Bobo the bear. Take a selfie with him, then bring it back and you’ll get your own mini version. There’s also the spa, not just any old spa, but an Espa spa, which boasts an infinity pool, hammam, yoga studio and some of the most effective treatments around. And if you’ve forgotten your togs, the hotel shop is to die for. BOOK IT: Elegant Resorts offers two nights B&B from £890pp, including flights and transfers. elegantresorts.com
A spanking new – and already awardwinning – resort of sprawling buildings, all white, modern and pristine. But the spa is the place to hang out. Book a week-long programme (weight-loss, fitness, yoga, mindfulness...) or simply indulge in the long list of treatments that range from bamboo massage to anti-ageing facials. There are excellent free morning and evening classes, too. BOOK IT: Health and Fitness Travel offers three nights from £690pp, including breakfast, a BodyBreak programme, flights and transfers. healthandfitnesstravel.com
HOTEL CAFÉ ROYAL, London
Next time you hurry across Piccadilly Circus, think about the healthful relaxation you could be having in a secret space right under your feet. The Café Royal, now a sleekly modern hotel with a calm, Eastern influence to its décor, has been a centre of London dining and entertaining for over 150 years and has conserved its ornate, gilded, Belle Époque public rooms. But the underground Akasha Spa has a 21st-century sense of luxury and serenity. Based on the four elements, with holistic treatments that link Western innovation with Eastern tradition, its natural materials, warm colours and fresh aromas exude wellbeing. Nine treatment rooms, including one for couples, a gym, fitness and yoga classes, a sauna and hammam and a beautifully lit pool with London’s first Watsu pool for private hydrotherapy sessions make this a place to linger. BOOK IT: Day spa packages from £95. Doubles from £440. hotelcaferoyal.com
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The UK’s first boutique ayurvedic retreat. Set in a restored 17th-century water mill in the rolling hills of Malvern, it’s all very idyllic here, with exquisite treatments, home-cooked food and log fires. And that’s before you’ve even got started on the spa, which is a stroke of genius. Programmes tailored to your dosha will make you leap with excitement, packed with ayurvedic treaments and yoga sessions, which take place underneath wooden beams. Take time out in the steam room, read a book beside the pond or put on your wellies for a stomp around the weir. Bed is an eco lodge, surrounded by woodland, kitted out with floor to ceiling windows that open out onto private decking, with a deep bathtub and walkin shower and a super comfy bed. It’s a quiet retreat, with only six guests at a time, and that’s its magic – peace, quiet and solitude. BOOK IT: From £550 fully inclusive. theclovermill.com
CHÂTEAU ST PIERRE DE SERJAC, Puissalicon, France
After a €25m revamp, you would expect this magnificent 200-acre château and vineyard in the Languedoc to be good. But it is even better. Re-opened last year by winemaker Laurent Bonfils and hoteliers Karl and Anita O’Hanlon, it’s a picture of grand historic splendour with whimsical turrets and suitably opulent furnishings. There are eight rooms – laidback chic with French grey walls, terracotta tiles and rolling views. But, wherever you lay your head, don’t miss the Mediterranean-inspired spa overlooking the vineyard. With treatments by French botanical skincare brand Cinq Mondes, the stress-busting Moroccan massage must not be missed. BOOK IT: Doubles from €220. serjac.com
ONE AND ONLY THE PALM, Dubai
Intimate by local standards and regarded as the most elegant resort in Dubai, One & Only The Palm will definitely make an impression. But look further than the magnificent setting, private beach and fabulous restaurants, and it’s the Guerlain spa that will blow your mind. Therapists get to work with a series of rituals, inspired by a fusion of Arabic culture and French savoir-faire. Désert d’Orient is a typical journey, taking in a silky milk scrub followed by a cleansing body wrap and steam, topped off with a lush personalised massage. Where Guerlain triumphs in the treatment room, it’s One & Only that sets the bar in terms of service, with all staff expertly trained and sensitively informed to provide the ultimate spa experience. BOOK IT: Premier rooms from approx £700. oneandonlyresorts.com
PUENTE ROMANO BEACH RESORT, Marbella, Spain
Within earshot of crashing waves and within view of Marbella’s Golden Mile’s palm trees lies the Six Senses Spa at the heart of this resort located near Puerto Banús. And, wow, what a spa with dizzyingly good treatments such as a vitamin C and papaya enzyme facial and delicious Indian head massage. Posttreatment is fantastic, too – relax into your fluffy robe nibbling on fat medjool dates while sipping ginger and cinnamon tea. Then retreat back to your spacious spa suite by crossing the first century Roman Bridge. BOOK IT: Doubles from €250. puenteromano.com
RIAD FARNATCHI, Marrakech, Morocco
It’s hard to get much better than this ten-suite oasis tucked away in a quiet alleyway, created from five smaller riads. And now award-winning hotelier Jonathan Wix has even more to celebrate with a fantastic new spa. Boasting two marble hammams and four treatment rooms, indulge in blissful therapies from British spa brand ila and Moroccan aromatherapy line, Nectarome. Emerge into the tranquil collection of courtyards, adorned with bougainvillea and chill by the tiled pool scattered with rose petals (perfect for quick dips). But it’s at night where the magic really comes alive: dine on traditional fare in the courtyard to the flickering shadows of ornate lanterns accompanied by the soundtrack of the local mosque’s call to prayer. BOOK IT: From £690 a night. riadfarnatchi.com
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