Healthy getaways

In our increasingly stressed-out world, where everyone’s running around madly to get things done, it’s hardly surprising that health holidays – from yoga retreats to laid-back

spas and detox boot camps – are rapidly gaining in popularity. With fit being the new fashion, hotels and resorts are embracing wellness ideas and healthy menu options and encouraging guests to put away their phones and focus on physical activities instead of sunbathing.



So follow us on a tour from India to Thailand and back again, taking in the top spots that will help you get fit and come away feeling like the best version of you for 2015.

Where will I stay? The resort’s 346 rooms are spacious and comfortable, with large bathrooms, capacious bath tubs and balconies with panoramic sea or mountain views.

What about food? With nine restaurants on site serving everything from healthy seasonal dishes, to buffets and barbecues, even the pickiest eater will find something they like.

What can I do nearby? With pools aplenty and the Dead Sea just opposite there’s plenty to do on site, but take some time out to visit the pink city of Petra, hike to discover the desert or play golf on one of the courses nearby.

Find out more www.moevenpick-hotels.com/en/middle-east/jordan/amman/resort-dead-sea/overview/.

Room rates Superior room with breakfast included from Dh850.

Getting there Royal Jordanian has direct flights from Dubai to Amman from Dh1,600 return.

What is it? An exclusive wellness centre and boutique hotel, Riad Zamzam, at the heart of Marrakesh’s labyrinthine medina, has stupendous views of the surrounding Atlas Mountains and a range of spa treatments.

Where will I stay? In one of seven bedrooms and suites decked out with gorgeous French and Moroccan antiques, local craft pieces and cosy hand-woven Berber carpets.

What will I do? With its mix of exoticism and luxurious comfort, Zamzam is an ideal off-the-beaten-track retreat where you can chill out and relax as you enjoy spa treatments ranging from hot stone massage to acupuncture, or splash about in the pool.

What about food? With its own vegetable garden and soil from its olive groves, Zamzam’s food is a range of wholesome, nourishing Moroccan-inspired dishes – and the centre even offers cooking classes.

What’s so great about it? For an off-the-beaten path health break, Zamzam can’t be beaten.

What can I do nearby? Whether it’s exploring the souqs in Marrakesh’s amazing medina, admiring the minaret of Koutoubia Mosque or checking out snake charmers on Jemaa el Fnaa, you won’t get bored in this vibrant Moroccan city.

Find out more www.riadzamzam.com.

Room rates Double room with breakfast included, from Dh494.

Getting there Emirates and Royal Air Maroc have flights from Dubai to Marrakesh, via Casablanca, from Dh4,225 return.

La Cala Resort, Mijas, Spain

What is it? Surrounded by the Sierra Nevada foothills, La Cala Resort in the Costa Del Sol is a stylish spa and wellness retreat offering a range of health activities overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. With three championship courses on site, this is the best-equipped golf resort in Spain.

Where will I stay? In one of the resort’s 107 spacious, recently refurbished rooms and suites, with marble bathrooms and private balcony or terrace with spectacular sea or mountain views.

What will I do? La Cala’s Thermal Circuit includes a fabulous indoor-to-outdoor hydrotherapy pool, a Turkish steam room hammam, saunas, and the innovative igloo where an Arctic climate – simulated with ice crystals – is designed to stimulate your body.

What about food? The resort has two restaurants serving a range of healthy Mediterranean cuisine.

What’s so great about it? With three championship golf courses on site as well as those excellent spa facilities and plenty of other activities, this is a fabulous place to relax and get fit.

What can I do nearby? La Cala Resort is a 20-minute drive from the ritzy charms of Marbella where you can stroll the charming cobbled streets of the city’s old town, or head to the port of Puerto Banus and hang out with the jet-setters who berth their yachts there.

Find out more www.lacala.com.

Room rates Double or twin room with spa access and breakfast, from Dh634.

Getting there Etihad has flights from Abu Dhabi to Malaga via Munich, from about Dh3,000 return.

What is it? Surrounded by rice paddies and framed by the tiger-and-elephant-packed Annamalai mountain range, Kalari Kovilakom sits on the dusty outskirts of Kollengode, a bustling hill town known for its shrines. One of Kerala’s top centres for ayurveda, this is also one of the strictest – the minimum stay is two weeks, and trips beyond the centre during the stay are forbidden.

Where will I stay? Built for Princess Datri, daughter of a local king, as a refuge from court life, Kalari Kovilakom is housed in a beautifully restored palace, with high timbered dark wood ceilings and wood panelled walls. Accommodation is in one of 18 spacious villas with gloriously romantic four poster beds, surrounded by manicured gardens planted with ayurvedic herbs.

What will I do? One of the world’s oldest healing sciences, Ayurveda, from the Sanskrit Ayus, meaning life, and Veda, meaning knowledge, has been around for more than 5,000 years in India. Treatments are based on the notion that illness can be treated – or prevented – by balancing the body, mind and consciousness via three energy centres called doshas. Once the centre’s specialised team of doctors have diagnosed your dosha, ayurvedic treatment involves a complex – and at times fairly unpleasant – combination of treatments ranging from herbal massages, to ghee laced detox drinks.

What about food? Carefully meted out according to your dosha and your detox needs – lots of pulses, vegetables and fruit, but portions are small, or non existent if you are doing a detox.

What’s so great about it? Apart from the stunning property, the treatments are strict, but extremely effective.

What can I do nearby? Since you will not be allowed to leave the centre, enjoy on-site activities including lectures, yoga and meditation.

Find out more www.kalarikovilakom.com.

Room rates Prices vary; 14 days from Dh25,700 per person.

Getting there IndiGo has direct flights from Dubai to Kochi from Dh1,662 return.

What is it? A healthy holistic haven surrounded by palm trees and tropical gardens on one of Thailand’s most stunning atolls, Absolute Sanctuary is the ideal place to detox as you slough off the stress of 2014 and reboot mind and body with a range of massages, fitness workouts, yoga classes and other activities led by experienced trainers.

Where will I stay? In one of 38 luxuriously furnished, Moroccan-inspired rooms with pool or sea view and a large private terrace where you can sit and meditate, read or practise what you learnt in yoga class. There are three fully equipped yoga studios, several hydrotherapy rooms, sauna, hammam and an infinity pool with a health bar.

What will I do? Absolute Sanctuary is famed for its yoga programmes and health and fitness activities led by an international panel of specialist trainers. After choosing from programmes ranging from weight loss and detox, to de-stress and fitness, you will meet the centre’s trainers who will put together a programme that suits your specific needs.

Typical programmes include resistance training, different types of yoga and various meditative exercises. Depending on your programme, you will also receive a series of relaxing or invigorating massages on an outside deck refreshed by a gentle breeze from the sea just opposite.

What about food? Diet is an important part of Absolute Sanctuary’s health programme and the resort’s restaurant serves a tasty range of healthy dishes and snacks, as well as delicious fruit juices and smoothies.

What’s so great about it? Less pretentious than many similar health resorts, friendly staff make you feel at home right away, whilst professional trainers and massage therapists are efficient without being fanatical.

What can I do nearby? Unlike a lot of the stricter health resorts, Absolute Sanctuary allows you to get out and explore the surrounding area, and they even provide a shuttle that will take you out to enjoy the night market along Chaweng’s walking street. This beautiful Thai island also has a lot of fabulous beaches, so don’t miss a trip out to swim at sandy coves near Choeng Mon or Bophut.

Find out more www.absolutesanctuary.com.

Room rates Superior double or twin room with breakfast included, from Dh611.

Getting there Singapore Airlines and Silk Air have flights from Dubai to Koh Samui via Singapore, from Dh3,000.