Lonely Planet - Wellness Escapes (Lonely Planet)

Contents

Introduction

Wellness Festivals Around the World

Active yoga - outdoor adventure - fitness classes

Calm yoga - nature - meditation

Healthy nutrition - nature - spa treatments

Indulged spa treatments - food & drink - luxury

Inspired creative classes - personal growth - culture

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Once a upon a time we went on vacation to treat ourselves to indulge in
food and drink, tour sights and maybe partake in a little retail therapy. But
recently there has been a shift in the reasons many of us go away. More and
more of us are seeking a new kind of break one far from the stresses and chaos of modern
day life, where we can focus on our health and wellbeing. Wellness tourism has become a
booming industry, with retreats opening faster than a high-intensity yoga vinyasa.

For this book we asked wellness experts and travel writers from around the globe to tell us about their
favourite wellness holiday spots. We soon discovered that wellness means different things to different
people while some want to slow down and concentrate on sleep and nutrition, others want to be
energised by creative endeavours. Our book covers the full array of wellness escape, from yoga retreats in
India and hot spring resorts in Australia to Buddhist meditation temples in Korea and writers retreats in Paris.

Dont know where to start? Our five chapters will help you navigate the vast choice of retreat out
there. Each corresponds to how you may want to feel: Active, Calm, Healthy, Indulged or Inspired. Within
each chapter, the profiles are labelled with the main wellness features you can enjoy while at the retreat
be they outdoor adventure, spa treatments, nutrition or others. The practicalities panel gives you an
indication of the price and type of food served at the retreat, while the On Your Doorstep feature lets you
know what there is to explore in the region beyond the retreat itself.

We hope that this book will inspire you to start planning the new you. To book a trip that will help
improve your health and wellbeing, and make changes that should last long after your holiday is over.

Fitness on the Rocks

USA // Some 10,000 people fill Colorados famed
Red Rocks Amphitheatre for this day-long,
mountain-surrounded fitness fest. Participants
stretch in yoga classes, dance in Zumba classes
and kick in martial arts classes, while DJs stoke the
sweat and tears. Cool-down is via an epic water
gun fight. // www.fitnessontherockscolorado.com

Wanderlust

Various Locations // Wanderlust holds mindful
triathlons that feature yoga, meditation and a
3-mile (5km) run in 25 city parks from Santiago,
Chile to Calgary, Canada. Need more? It adds
mountain biking, paddle boarding and DJs
to the mix at its multi-day fests in adventure
towns. // www.wanderlust.com

Bhakti Fest

USA // The otherworldly landscape of Joshua
Tree, California, sets the scene for six days
of hardcore yoga, meditation and devotional
music. Workshops cover tantric practices,
the contemplation of existence and personal
growth. World-renowned teachers pack the
schedule. // www.bhaktifest.com

Envision Festival

Costa Rica // Set in a humble Costa Rican
village where the rainforest meets the beach,
Envision is all about consciousness-raising and
transformation. Its a four-day extravaganza of
fire dancers, performance artists, yoga classes,
astrologers, environmental workshops and
dreamy beats from international musicians.
// www.envisionfestival.com

International Yoga Festival

India // Held in Rishikesh, India the birthplace
of yoga this week-long festival draws yogis
from around the globe. They come for lectures
and training, to flow in enormous group classes,
to bliss out to chanting and tabla drums, and to
meet yogas spiritual masters.
// www.internationalyogafestival.org

Bali Spirit Festival

Indonesia // Over 6000 wellness seekers descend
on Ubud for a week of health and wellbeing
workshops. There are yoga classes across all
traditions, sitar-led meditations, dharma talks
and trippy concerts featuring everything from
gamelan music to bamboo flutes and
tribal rock. // www.balispiritfestival.com