For your next vacation, consider these retreats that are dedicated to wellness for both the traveler and the earth. By doing so, your travel dollars will go toward luxury eco health and wellness retreats that promote a personal and global sense of balance.
For the vast majority of travelers, a vacation can be wasteful, with a focus on disposable convenience, rapid consumption, and splurges (on food, souvenirs, and the like) that cumulatively create an experience that’s anything but eco-friendly.
But for the conscientious consumer, retreats exist where the traveler can relax and recharge, while simultaneously preserving the local ecosystem, culture, and traditions. These eco health and wellness retreats are just the thing to scratch your recharge itch with a clean conscience.
1. Re-center at the Bali Bliss Eco Luxury Yoga and Wellness Retreat, Alila Villas Soori
Take a deep breath. Exhale. Repeat – all against a beautiful Bali backdrop. This summer, the Alila Villas Soori—an Earthcheck certified hotel—is sponsoring a Bali Bliss Eco Luxury Yoga and Wellness Retreat featuring five days of twice-daily yoga sessions with yogi Jocelyn Kay Levy, four spa sessions, and the choice of an outing ranging from a horseback ride on the beach to a Segway tour through rice paddies. Also included are six nights’ accommodations, daily breakfast and lunch, two dinners, and a discount on additional spa treatments or dining credits. This year’s yoga retreat will be held from August 26 through September 1; if that doesn’t fit with your schedule, a variety of additional getaway packages are also available.
2. Experience Sustainable Architecture Firsthand at the Juvet Hotel, Norway
Fresh mountain air, crisp and clean water, and quiet contemplation await travelers in northwest Norway. Situated in the conservation lands of Nordaal municipality in the town of Valldal, the Juvet Hotel is a marvel of sustainable architecture. Built as a “landscape hotel”, the property features 28 rooms that seem to blend into the natural surroundings, with extensive glass, perched vantage points, and reclaimed materials – and indeed, this harmony with the surrounding environment is entirely purposeful: The construction did not involve any rock blasting, and upkeep of the hotel does not alter the terrain in any way. Minimal energy consumption continues the hotel’s sustainable practices on a daily basis. Juvet’s bathing area sits right at a riverbank, and features a “quiet room” to sit and reflect, a steam room, and an outdoor hot tub. If you’d like a traditional spa experience, the hotel staff can arrange private on-site appointments with a local masseuse.
3. Swoon Over Sunrise Yoga, Spa Treatments, and Select Ecoboutique Hotels in Peru
When traveling, it’s always best to tread lightly – and that’s exactly what the walking-focused trips with tour operator Country Walkers aim to do. Luxury eco travelers, check out the eight-day Destination Peru trip, which features daily guided walks through secluded villages and gardens of the rainforest, yoga sessions, organic meals, and spa treatments featuring locally sourced products. All activities are curated both by local guides and the editorial team at Organic Spa Magazine, and accommodations include stays at ecoboutique hotels such as the LEED-Certified Tambo del Inka Luxury Resort and Spa in Urubamba and the Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel in Aguas Calientes (a Lonely Planet Top 10 Eco Hotel for 2014). This trip is slated to depart in mid-September, but should this not be of interest, many other walking tour options around the world are currently on the Country Walkers’ schedule.
Which ecologically friendly wellness retreats appeal to you? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below!
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Photo courtesy Mukashi Mukashi Photography via Flickr Creative Commons