Tag: guide

  • South East Asia’s Best Wellness Sanctuaries

    South East Asia’s Best Wellness Sanctuaries

    Asia is the epicentre of wellness travel, home to some of the world’s most exclusive sanctuaries for mind, body, and soul. From jungle hideaways to tropical island retreats, each of these wellness havens hosts holistic healing, cutting-edge spa therapies, and serene design. Here are the top retreats across Asia where rejuvenation meets indulgence…

    Chiva-Som Hua Hin — Thailand

    Chiva-Som Hua Hin Rooms (Image Courtesy of Chiva-Som)
    Chiva-Som Hua Hin Rooms (Image Courtesy of Chiva-Som)

    A pioneer of wellness since the 1990s, Chiva-Som is a celebrity-favoured retreat set on a tranquil beach in Hua Hin. This “haven of life” (its name’s meaning) offers tailored programs for everything from detox and weight loss to stress management and mindfulness. Days here flow between sunrise yoga by the ocean, macrobiotic gourmet meals, and holistic treatments ranging from Thai herbal massages to high-tech physiotherapy. With Thai pavilions tucked amid lush gardens and a ratio of staff-to-guest that ensures utterly personalised service, Chiva-Som remains the gold standard of Asian wellness resorts. Insider tip: Don’t miss the seaside hydrotherapy pool and the cooking class to bring the holiday diet back home.

    Book your stay: chivasom.com/en/book Address: 73/4 Petchkasem Road, Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan 77110, Thailand Phone: +66 32 536 536 Email: reservations@chivasom.com Instagram: @ChivaSomResort Facebook: Chiva-Som

    COMO Shambhala Estate — Bali

    COMO Shambhala Estate (Image Courtesy of COMO Hotels)
    COMO Shambhala Estate (Image Courtesy of COMO Hotels)

    Tucked in Bali’s emerald jungle outside Ubud, COMO Shambhala Estate is a “retreat for change” offering immersive wellness in a resort setting. Guests stay in lavish villas and suites that come with personal assistants, infinity pools, and open-air terraces facing the Ayung River valley. The estate’s resident experts—yoga gurus, Ayurvedic doctors, nutritionists—curate multi-day programs for each guest. Mornings include yoga in a treetop pavilion or a guided rice-field trek, followed by an Ayurvedic massage in a riverside gazebo. The cuisine is famously hearty and healthful, think raw food workshops and local fare. With its combination of Balinese spirituality, contemporary design, and world-class spa facilities, COMO Shambhala is where one reconnects with nature in style. Insider tip: Ask for a water blessing at the estate’s sacred spring – a cleansing Balinese ritual few tourists get to experience.

    Book your stay: comohotels.com/bali/como-shambhala-estate Address: Banjar Begawan, Desa Melinggih Kelod, Payangan, Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia Phone: +62 361 978 888 Email: shambhala@comoshambhala.com Instagram: @COMOHotels Facebook: COMO Shambhala Estate

    JOALI Being — Raa Atoll Maldives

    Maldives beach (Image Courtesy of Unsplash)
    Maldives beach (Image Courtesy of Unsplash)

    For an ocean-side wellness escape, JOALI Being is a private island retreat pioneering wellness in the Maldives. With just 68 villas – all with private pools and airy design that blurs indoor-outdoor living – this sanctuary centers around the Four Pillars of JOALI Being: Mind, Skin, Microbiome, and Energy. Personalised programs include sound healing sessions in a botanical sound garden, marine fitness — like paddleboard yoga in crystal lagoons— and skin therapies using mineral-rich sea ingredients. The property’s design is breathtakingly biophilic: bamboo-clad overwater treatment villas, a hydrotherapy hall with a marble hammam and salt inhalation room, and architecture that mimics waves and shells. Despite the deep focus on wellbeing, guests talk about attaining a feeling of “weightlessness” here, luxury is never compromised – gourmet healthy dining, mood-boosting cocktails, and sunset cruises remind you that pleasure is a key part of wellness. Insider tip: Don’t leave without experiencing the Discovery Sound Path at dusk, where you walk through jungle clearing and play healing gongs and bells – a magical, soul-soothing finale to your stay.

    Book your stay: joali.com/joali-being Address: Bodufushi Island, Raa Atoll, Maldives Phone: +960 658 4400 Email: reservations@joali.com Instagram: @JOALIBeing

    Four Seasons — Singapore

    Four Seasons Singapore (Image Courtesy of Four Seasons)
    Four Seasons Singapore (Image Courtesy of Four Seasons)

    Nestled on Orchard Boulevard, Four Seasons Hotel Singapore is blending Asian-inspired elegance with cutting-edge rejuvenation. Its signature Chi Longevity experience draws from Traditional Chinese Medicine and modern holistic therapies, with in-house medical staff and clinicians on site. Guests have the option for bespoke treatments from herbal-infused massages to mindfulness rituals designed to nurture both body and spirit. With its serene ambience and commitment to well-being, Four Seasons Singapore redefines luxury travel for those seeking rejuvenation and serenity in the heart of the city.

    Book your stay: fourseasons.com/singapore Address: 190 Orchard Boulevard, Singapore 248646 Phone: +65 6734 1110 Email: reservations.singapore@fourseasons.com Instagram: @FSSingapore Facebook: Four Seasons Hotel Singapore

  • Bangkok Highlight: Where to Play, Stay, and Spa

    Bangkok Highlight: Where to Play, Stay, and Spa

    Long celebrated for its gilded temples and vibrant street life, Bangkok is now wooing design-conscious, high-net-worth travellers with a refined blend of opulence and authenticity. Modern art spaces, cutting-edge hotels, and wellness havens are elevating the city’s profile. The result is a vibrant metropolis, offering new places to play, stay, and spa in style.

    Where to Play & Stay

    Luxury Hotels on the Rise: 

    The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok – the brand’s first foray into the capital – recently opened its doors in the new One Bangkok development. Overlooking the leafy expanse of Lumphini Park, this sanctuary blends cutting-edge design with classic Ritz-Carlton service. Not far away, in Bangkok’s tallest skyscraper, The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon is making a splash with its eclectic style and social buzz. Swapping marble-clad formality for vibrant hues and a high-voltage scene, The Standard draws the city’s creative in crowd– and boasts one of Thailand’s highest rooftop bars. By the Chao Phraya River, Capella Bangkok offers a more tranquil brand of indulgence with a two-Michelin-starred restaurant by chef Mauro Colagreco. Even more casual newcomers signal Bangkok’s boom: Marriott’s Four Points by Sheraton Sukhumvit 22 debuted in early 2025, a comfortable urban oasis that underscores the city’s hotel boom.

    Photo By Frida Aguilar Estrada
    Photo By Frida Aguilar Estrada

    Cultural & Culinary Adventures: 

    Beyond the plush pillows, Bangkok’s cultural and dining scenes are flourishing. The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) stands as a testament to the city’s artistic rise – one of the largest contemporary art museums in Asia, showcasing an expansive collection of Thai modern art. Design-forward eateries like Sarnies, a chic café set in a renovated 150-year-old boatyard, fuses Thai ingredients with Aussie café culture. Across town on the river, Sala Rattanakosin offers dinner with a view – a minimalist dining room and rooftop bar gazing at the lit spires of Wat Arun as an unforgettable backdrop. For retail therapy, the newly unveiled EmSphere mall is a “sleepless metropolis” of luxury boutiques drawing a mixed bag of shoppers looking for anything, and nothing at the same time.

    Aerial view of a hotel pool surrounded by green palm trees and lounge chairs, with a river and boat visible in the background.

    Where to Spa

    At the legendary Oriental Spa, set in a century-old riverside teak villa at the Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok’s first hotel spa remains among the world’s most acclaimed – a haven of timeless Thai massage and gracious five-star service. For a uniquely local twist on well-being, Yunomori Onsen & Spa transports visitors to Japan without leaving Bangkok. Touted as Thailand’s first authentic Japanese onsen, Yunomori marries communal hot-spring bathing with the country’s infamous massage therapy. In this zen-like sanctuary, guests soak in mineral-rich baths and then surrender to a traditional Thai massage – a blissful Eastern ritual epitomising Bangkok’s inventive spa scene.