You’ve heard the saying: You need a vacation from your vacation. Sometimes you make the mistake of overloading your travel itinerary, so by the time you arrive home, you’re more tired than ever.
Vacation should be a time to re-energize your body and mind, not an occasion for stress. That’s why there’s a growing trend for wellness travel.
What is wellness travel?
Wellness travel is any trip whose activities are designed to promote your health and wellbeing, both physical and mental. If that sounds a lot like a boot camp with spare facilities and strict diets, relax. The objectives are to help you re-energize, rejuvenate, and find your balance.
Group of women doing morning yoga in the garden
Vacations can be an exercise in overindulgence. With wellness travel, you get to experience a new activity or learn a healthier diet, and that may inspire you to incorporate them into your daily life.
Thanks to its broad definition, there are many different kinds of wellness travel you can experience. It also allows wellness travel to evolve quickly and branch into new areas, and we’ll see where it may be headed in the future.
For the body
Active travel retreat is becoming popular with those who don’t like to skip their daily workouts while on vacation. These people need not squeeze their exercise into the itinerary; physical activity is the focus of their travel.
- Hiking – You get to discover a place on foot, so there’s more time to stop, admire the view, mingle with the locals, and experience their culture. Wheel & Anchor has a hiking tour around and above Lake Como, one of Italy’s most picturesque lakes, in September 2019.
- Surfing – Riders of the waves often seek the best swells and will travel to the best surfing spots around the world, depending on the season.
- Yoga retreats – You get to attend yoga classes in a zen location, and indulge in healthy, often organic meals. Many are offered in India, where yoga originated.
- Spa vacation – Instead of spending an hour or so in a spa, you now have all the time in the world to indulge in rejuvenating your body and mind. In April 2019, Wheel & Anchor kicks off its very first wellness program, for women only, in a gorgeous Austrian health resort.
- Running – It’s going on a marathon in a gorgeous location, making the run so much more fun. Active travel also requires preparation and training, so make sure you are fit and ready to take on the challenge.
While such vacations look packed with activities, enthusiasts recommend that you allow your itinerary to be fluid at times. The joys of travel include taking your time, being open to new experiences, and making new memories.
For the mind and spirit
These travels are designed to lift the spirits and relax the mind. They’re not necessarily sedentary, though.
- Meditation retreat – While you may be among other people, meditation retreats are actually a solo affair. Everyone is silent, gadgets are switched off, and you learn to focus on observing your mind.
- Writing getaway – Writers know the importance of a place conducive to writing. Why not make it a vacation too? It’s going to work and taking a vacation at the same time. Even better, you can commune with fellow writers. Here are some writing retreats that are reasonably priced.
- Culinary food trips – Culinary tourism is the exploration of food and local cuisine. It is experiencing memorable dining and drinking moments. Wine tours in Italy and California are examples of this.
- Art appreciation –The focus here is to appreciate different art forms, whether it be visual (painting, sculptures, etc.) or performing arts (music, theater, dance, etc.) and their history. Several New York museums have also combined art appreciation with wellness. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), The Rubin Museum of Art, and the National Jazz Museum in Harlem have offered yoga classes amongst their works of art. It’s relieving stress through a combination of art and meditation.
The future of wellness: Wellness sagas
Welcome to wellness sagas, where the journey is the narrative, and the traveller is the hero of the story. Travellers are more immersed and invested in this emerging trend.
- For a more active combination of art and exercise, the dance troupe Monica Bill Barnes & Company offered “The Museum Workout,” a 45-minute journey that’s described as “part gallery tour, part dance performance, part workout”. Participants worked up a sweat as they went through two miles of The Met exhibits.
- Six Senses Bhutan is a wellness journey spanning five lodges located in the western and central valleys of Bhutan. Guests can enjoy any one of the lodges, but for a more holistic experience, they can embark on a tailor-made journey that goes through all five lodges, embracing the guiding principles of Six Senses: spa, wellness, healthy eating, comfort in sleep, and a journey of self-discovery. In the process, guests also encounter and appreciate the country’s beauty, culture, and nature.
Are you excited to embark on your own wellness travel? Then become a member of Wheel & Anchor. Check out our upcoming trip to La Pura Women's Health Resort in Austria as an example of our wellness programs. If you want to travel with passion amongst like-minded travel companions, then join our community today.
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