Rebalance Your Mind and Body with a Thailand Health Retreat
If you’re feeling a little run down, out of energy, frustrated, or bored with life, you could do worse than reconnect with your inner self at a health resort in Thailand. The country is ideally suited for a rejuvenating experience with its balmy climate and awe-inspiring scenery.
Moreover, the Thai people are welcoming and embracing, and their cultural practices are grounding and soothing. So whether you require some relaxation or you’re training for your next triathlon, there’s a Thai health resort to suit your needs and pocket. We look at three that offer specialized programs at a range of prices.
1. Thanyapura Sports & Health Resort, Phuket
The Thanyapura Sports & Health Resort in Phuket is the ideal, affordable sports holiday destination with six world-class tennis courts, three gyms, and an Olympic-size swimming pool. Several national swimming teams camp here for training during winter in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s away from the bustle of life, however, so if you want an authentic taste of Thailand, plan to spend time elsewhere in addition to your health retreat.
Thanyapura is a lifestyle destination that employs a three-dimensional coaching model focusing on the mind, body, and soul. The resort offers 4-day, 7-day, and 10-day programs that include a mix of one-on-one activities, lessons, and spa treatments, as well as complimentary attendance to group classes. Guests can choose to focus their programs on four areas: cardio, strength and sport, mind and body, or renewal. They can also choose a mix of the four.
Other programs include detox, weight management, family holiday, and specialized sports. There are 7-day and 14-day triathlon training programs for triathletes, including private lessons and guided group classes. Alternatively, you’re free to create your own program with assistance from the resort’s professional staff. Options range from Zumba and kettlebell workouts to Thai boxing and guided meditation.
Nutrition is a fundamental element of Thanyapura wellness, and there are two restaurants at the resort. The Booster Deli and Café offers plant-based cuisine, quick meals, and takeaways. It’s ideal for those on restricted diets. The vegan tacos are particularly delicious. DiVine restaurant, meanwhile, offers diners a stunning mountain backdrop with food prepared from the freshest, organic ingredients.
2. Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa, Koh Samui
This award-winning sanctuary is dedicated to the long-term health and wellbeing of its guests. Visitors to Kamalaya, which sits in a valley overlooking the coast of Southern Koh Samui, are immediately struck by the calming energy of the resort. Buddhist monks once used the cave temple at its heart, and perhaps their presence lingers.
The resort’s resident mentoring and life coaching team spends time with guests to ensure they can sustain the program’s benefits once they return home. Kamalaya also has an in-house naturopath and offers several detox-oriented programs. But even detox program meals are delicious, filling, and beautifully presented. For example, the signature Kamalaya detox juice mix of coconut water, fresh pineapple juice, and basil leaves is much-loved by guests.
Kamalaya even puts a spiritual spin on its hardcore sports training. The 5-day, 7-day, and 10-day Mindfulness Triathlon programs offer personal training with Qi Gong to enhance consciousness and include holistic traditions such as yoga, Tai Chi, Reiki, massage, and meditation.
Although a digital detox is highly encouraged, Kamalaya recognizes that some guests may need to stay connected. If taking extended time off from your professional commitments isn’t possible, the 21-day Wellbeing Sabbatical may be just the program for you. Working with a physiotherapist, life coach, and naturopath, you’ll learn practical life enhancement strategies to balance your health and professional life appropriately.
3. Chiva-Som International Health Resort, Hua Hin
It’s impossible to find fault with this high-end health resort situated on the Gulf of Thailand amid acres of tropical greenery. Hua Hin is a three-hour car commute or a 25-minute private plane trip from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi or Don Muang Airports to Hua Hin Airport. The beach town’s popularity as an ocean-front destination for Bangkok residents dates back a century when the Thai royal family built summer palaces there.
Chiva-Som’s staff is focused on individualized attention, and privacy is paramount — no cameras or phones are allowed in public. The resort’s in-house practitioners include an acupuncturist and naturopath, in addition to physiotherapists, traditional fitness instructors, and visiting consultants.
Chiva-Som offers various programs, including the Cell Vitality retreat, a naturopathic program designed for guests who are in remission or have recovered from cancer. Meanwhile, the Art of Detox program will educate you about balancing the nutrients and supplements you require for optimum digestive and metabolic health.
Those wishing to improve their golf stroke can partake in the Total Golf Enhancement retreat. It includes rounds at Seapine Golf Course, but Black Mountain and Banyan Golf Clubs are also available for an extra fee. Players at all levels can benefit from golf fitness training and golf biomechanics.
The Chiva-Som philosophy advocates for environmental wellness in addition to personal wellness. As a result, the resort’s operations and initiatives are environmentally and ethically responsible, and the resort itself has won numerous sustainability awards.
