6 Luxurious Wellness Breaks to Try in the New Year

With the year coming to a close, it’s once again time to get cracking on that new year’s resolution list. If taking a well-deserved break is one of them, why not start planning to slow down with a luxurious wellness holiday? Slowing down doesn’t have to be boring—wellness holidays can be as fun and exciting as they are great for the mind, body and soul.

Whether you’re going solo or with family, these 6 wellness holidays will help you hit your health and fitness goals for the new year.

Dive Via A Luxury Yacht In Indonesia

For a dive trip with a difference, set sail on the Kudanil Explorer and discover some of the most beautiful islands in the Indonesian archipelago all year round.

When you’re not using one of the three custom launches available for diving trips, you can book a treatment in the yacht’s spa, cuddle up with a good book in the library, or go ashore to discover the island villages and find out more about the customs of the local people.

If you’re flying out from Jakarta, why not make a short stopover with Fraser Residence Menteng, Jakarta as your base. Located in the heart of the city, you can enjoy quick and easy access to the best attractions, food and activities in the Indonesian capital from here.

Follow A Legendary Explorer’s Footsteps To Shangri-La

You can now follow in the footsteps of famed Austrian explorer Joseph Rock and join an Exploration Caravan from Shangri-La in Yunnan to the majestic Yading Mountains in South Sichuan.

On this nine-day journey following ancient trade routes, you will join your guides—plus a dozen Tibetan muleteers and their 30-odd horses—and trek alongside breathtaking views of the Chinese countryside and mountain ranges. Swop tales of your adventures each night over a candlelit dinner before retiring to your bell tent.

The Exploration Caravans experience is held twice in November every year.

Go Sandboarding In The Oman Desert

Fly to the desert of Oman for a luxurious outdoor experience you’ll never forget. Begin your Oman adventure by driving out in a 4WD to a bespoke Bedouin camp in Wahiba Sands.

Start your day with breakfast among the dunes. Then drive through date, banana, mango and papaya farms before you reach Wadi Bani Khalid, a dramatic canyon filled with rock pools. You will need to try your hand at bouldering and hiking to reach the cool natural springs, where you can go for a dip. Then you’ll be driven back to the dunes where you can burn calories sandboarding down the soft sandy slopes.

Round up your trip by learning more about Omani culture—stop by the many places and attractions in Muscat showcasing the city’s history and modernity.

Cycle Through Ancient Cities In Japan

Go back in time as you bike through tea fields, visit temples and UNESCO World Heritage Sites on a seven-day tour of Japan’s Nara region. Spend the night in a temple on the holiest mountain in the country and wake up to a ritual morning meditation with Buddhist monks. After a day in the saddle, you can relax in a traditional onsen before you learn how to make traditional sushi and enjoy it with sake.

Can’t get enough of Japan? Less than an hour away is Osaka, also known as Japan’s food capital. From culinary delights to historic architecture and buzzing nightlife, there are more than enough things to do in Osaka to keep you full and occupied before your journey home.

Practice Your Triathlon Technique In Thailand

Take your fitness to the next level and book a Triathlon Getaway at Thanyapura Health & Sports Retreat. The expert sports coaches will give you tips to help improve your technique in the state-of-the-art sports centre, while guidance on the appropriate nutrition for your race is also available.

You can make a splash in its 50m pool, go for a run on its 500m cushioned athletic track and clock up the kilometres with a bike ride through the rolling, green countryside. And if you need a good break from it all, there’s always the beach.

Enjoy A Digital Detox In An English Manor

Switch off your Snapchat, Instagram and WhatsApp, and relax in the English countryside. Yoga teacher Emma Henry offers a Yoga & Digital Detox retreat in a 17th-century manor in Bedfordshire. Enjoy challenging Jivamukti yoga, nourishing food and an absence of your friend’s cat pictures for three days. Retreats run in the last quarter of each year.

Upon return to the city, don’t be too quick to jump back into the hustle. Instead, leave your zen mode on and get lost in the many parks in London. While best visited in spring, the parks stay open all year round, offering winter visitors a beautifully quiet space to rest, reflect and recharge in. Then come home to Victorian elegance and your own private garden at the luxurious Fraser Suites Kensington, London.

With the festive season just around the corner, it’s never too early to start combating the holiday weight gain. And if you’re wondering how to stay fit while travelling, here are some health and fitness hacks for the family to try while on the move.  

Adapted from Fraser Cachet Issue #35 © Frasers Hospitality and SPH Magazines