* Though we are honoured to have been ranked the #1 destination spa by National Geographic magazine, Ulpotha is not your usual fluffy-white-towel spa experience. It is an untouched, immersive experience that will rebalance and reconnect you to your natural environment.
From Sri Lanka to Switzerland: five of the best destination spas for 2022.
Wellness is something worth travelling for. These destination retreats offer some of the best rejuvenating experiences in spectacular locales.
#1. Ulpotha Yoga & Ayurveda Retreat, Sri Lanka. For yoga in the wilderness
A rotating roster of yoga teachers and masseurs offers two-week stints of pure relaxation at this spa retreat that sprung up in the lush jungle in the midst of a traditional agricultural community. The yoga takes place in an open-sided shala, with curious monkeys peering in, and the massage table can be set up in a multitude of outdoor locations — perhaps on the peaceful banks of the beautiful ‘tank’, a lake man-made thousands of years ago, or beneath the surrounding trees. Expect delicious vegetarian food from local produce, showers open to the sky — and no electric light. Go to bed as the sun sets and wake as it rises to see buffalo ploughing the mist-drenched rice fields from your hut. A programme of expert ayurvedic treatments is available and part of the proceeds raised are used to fund a much-needed medical clinic for the villagers, so you’re doing some good for others, as well as yourself.
#2. Les Près d’Eugénie, Eugénie-les-Bains, France.
#3. Body Holiday, St Lucia, West Indies.
#4. Wolgan Valley One & Only, Australia.
#5. Guerlain Spa, The Woodward, Geneva, Switzerland.
Sam Lewis / National Geographic Magazine
