The concept of wellness tourism has set in the travelers’ minds driving them to take a trip to wellness resort. Wellness resorts nowadays are turning out to be the safest havens of travelers with unique offerings and services. If you are planning for one such memorable wellness resort trip, this guide will help you with useful tips and planning suggestions.
There is something for every individual in wellness resorts. During your wellness resort holiday, you will get plenty of chance to free your mind from stress and tension. Wellness resorts offer relaxation through spa, massage and other natural treatments. You can get skin treatments, pedicure, manicure and different types of fitness therapies. When you get back home from your wellness trip you will be ready to tackle the numerous challenges of life efficiently. You should plan your wellness resort trip carefully and choose a resort that caters to your needs completely.
Guide to plan a memorable wellness resort trip, vital tips and what to expect
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It should be more than a vacation
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Determine your needs
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Go through the program list and services
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Think of unique and innovative wellness programs
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Experience wellness through sound and music
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Think of your budget
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Ask questions
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Find a resort that serves your kind of food
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Try to find out the certifications
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Get the details of concierge service
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Book well in advance
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Give your body time to detox
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Move your body
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Learn the lingo, and more!
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Be well prepared
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What to pack
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Have realistic expectations
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Do Carry your journal
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Things to consider when traveling overseas for wellness
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A few takeaways
It should be more than a vacation
A trip to a wellness resort should be more than memorable. If you come back and face the same old stressors and fall into the routine of monotony, your sense of well-being will not last for a day. In fact, you will be planning for your next getaway as soon as you get back.
There are so many wellness destinations, that you have the liberty to pick and choose. There are resorts located high up in the mountains, for those who love lofty mountain scapes, and would love to see the glorious sunrise. The cooler atmosphere of the mountains offers a respite from the heat and dust, for those who live in hot climates.
Resorts on the beach are perfect for you if you love water. The soothing sound of the ocean brings peace and calm to the mind and soul. Or you could just choose a wellness resort just outside your own city that you can drive down to, saving a ton of money in ticket expenses.
But whatever your choice, it should be the one which offers at least one such activity that you can practice after coming back home, to continue your sense of wellbeing. A trip to a wellness resort should enrich you for life!
Determine your needs
There are hundreds of good wellness resorts around the world. You have to find out which wellness resort is most suitable for you. Some people plan a wellness resort vacation for the sole purpose of relaxation and some others like to engage in cleansing diets or activities. Spas, baths and massages are effective in restoring your lost vigor and physical fitness. Many consider taking a trip to the wellness resorts before they go on strict weight loss regime. The facilities provided by the wellness spas and resorts are diverse.
To help you choose, you should think of the following points:
- What is it that you want most out of your wellness vacation? Is there something specific that you are looking for, such as some of the latest treatments to help you detoxify, or some therapy or relaxation technique that you can carry on at home?
- Are you comfortable traveling within the country or want to visit some exotic locale?
- Ala carte services or pre-paid, all-inclusive trip – which is more up your alley?
- Do you prefer non-touch, latest treatments such as cryotherapy, or traditional spa treatments is your favorite mode of relaxation?
- Do you want to participate in some enlightening educational programs?
- Do you want to go shopping? If so, then its best to choose a wellness retreat which is located at a reasonable distance from a city or town, or even a village where you can have the opportunity to check out local crafts.
- Are you comfortable with regular spa treatments – wellness resorts would be providing those with the necessary precautions.
- As for the evenings, some wellness resorts offer workshops. So you can look for a wellness retreat which offer group or individual workshops.
Go through the program list and services
There are countless wellness resorts with diverse offerings but you need to make the right choice. Check the program menu and services offered including the duration. Does it meet your needs? If the duration and price are not specified, make sure to get it clarified before you book any of them.
To get the best value for your money, choose a resort which offers some unique treatments, or a resort which is known for its experienced healers and practitioners. Learning from the best will help you learning better, for example, Yoga asanas have to be learnt well, including breathing exercises such as Pranayama.If you are going with your family or friends, you have to consider their expectations too. So reach a common ground and choose a wellness resort which has something for everyone.
Think of unique and innovative wellness programs
Your trip to a wellness resort can be memorable if you can take some innovative wellness programs trending in the market. It could be biohacking, extreme wellness experiences, positive stress experience, gut health, immunity-balancing, circadian balancing, wellness adventure, ear seeding, moving meditation etc. The list is endless. Even programmed sound and music could be so wellness-enhancing.
Experience wellness through sound and music
Travel gurus are predicting 2021 to be distinguished by wellness brought about through healthy sounds as well as soothing music experiences. Latest studies suggest that music is able to relax the side effects of many mental and even physical conditions. Some amazing music therapy can help PTSD, high blood pressure and anxiety, levels of which have shot up due to the immense pressure of covid.
Wellness resorts have started to incorporate wellness music therapy into their programs so you can seek out resorts which have live music programs and even teach the basics of an instrument. If there is a music teacher, you may start learning the rudiments of guitar or piano in the evenings, and fulfil a lifelong dream of learning a musical instrument. Or maybe they have group singing therapies or listening to white music or other cam inducing sound therapies.
Whatever innovative wellness programs you choose, make sure your body is suitable to take that program and the outcome is assured. Better to go for an initial wellness consultation before finalizing a program.
Think of your budget
You can book a get-away at any wellness resort in the world in exchange of money. There are several luxurious wellness resorts around the world where you will get the facilities of a five-star hotel. Some resorts have fountains, waterfalls, lush gardens and marble mosaic. There are also functional and moderate wellness resorts that offer good spa, massage and herbal therapies. You have to select a wellness resort that fits your budget and gives you best value for the sum you pay.
It might be better to compare the all-inclusive price and the A La Carte price, which would help you take an informed decision. Paying all-inclusive might help to budget better on the trip, as you would have already paid for the food, spa treatments, educational workshops etc and you do not have to keep paying for everything. You will only have to pay for any shopping that you do, or other extras.
Ask questions
You should do good amount of research both online and offline before selecting a wellness resort. Never hesitate to ask the right questions.
- Ask about the internet connectivity and recreations available. If you plan to take your work along with you, as most people are working from home, then you might change the location of your work into something much more exciting. For that however, you have to ensure that there is a good connection to the net, which will make your work smooth.
Wellness resorts have woken up to the fact that people are looking for staycations, or working from locations away from home, so they have upgraded their facilities. But still, do read the reviews of other travelers, or visit a resort which your friends and family had visited, to know the reality of connectivity!
- Ask if they have any recent videos of the resort – even a low-resolution video made on a phone will be enough for you to know whether safety protocols are being followed, regarding sanitizing and social distancing. In fact, you should ideally travel to resorts which are following the directives laid down by the government, Indian or the country in which the resort is located.
- What kind of adventure activities do they have? If you love an action holiday, then maybe your idea of a wellness resort holiday has to include exciting activities such as river rafting interspersed with evening meditation and relaxation activities. Maybe some dangerous hiking in a rainforest is what your idea of solitude and wellness is! To each his own, as the idea is to de-stress and let down your hair.
Find a resort that serves your kind of food
Ask about the menu or cuisine – it should have choices which will help in eating healthy. Many people are under the wrong impression that when they visit a wellness resort, they have to give up eating delicious food, and stick to eating bland vegan or vegetarian food, or just survive on salads.
Food at wellness resorts is healthy, wholesome food which is prepared by the finest chefs. Usually, the food would be made from the choicest vegetables and meat, which are preferably organic. Do ask about the kind of food served, as enjoying your meals is important when you’re on holiday. Eating food not to your taste would ruin the whole experience of a wellness resort!
Look for a wellness resort which offers a menu of immunity boosting foods, as it is crucial to keep to your healthy diet goals. The global healthcare crisis has shifted the focus on boosting immunity through food, and if you want to know how to do that, search for a wellness retreat which has special immunity boosting menu – you can learn a few dishes which you can cook once you get back home.
Try to find out the certifications
When you are going to a wellness retreat, they should be staffed by people who have the certifications for the treatments they offer. The retreat must have the proper licenses too. The certifications attest to the fact that you will not be at the receiving end of half-trained and raw professionals. Usually, resorts list their health workers along with their qualifications/certificates on their website. Or else, you could just pick up the phone and call.
Get the details of concierge service
A great concierge service can make your trip to wellness resort really memorable. Get the details of the service and charges whether it is suitable for your itinerary or budget. You can also for personalization if you have some unique needs. Check with concierge services of other wellness resorts to get a better idea.
Book well in advance
Booking in advance can give you some great deals, both for the resort as well as flight tickets. You have the option to pick and choose flights, and save some money. As for retreats, early bookings might give you some great discounts or a nice upgrade to a better room. Some wellness resorts offer extras when you visit, if you pay the entire amount beforehand. But do this at a resort which has good reviews and always provide good service, no matter when you book!
Give your body time to detox
Another reason for booking your trip to your wellness resort in advance, is because you must give your body and mind time to get used to the idea of not having any kind of stimulants containing caffeine (including coffee!). Your wellness resort might have silence retreats or silent meditation, and you should get used to not talking to anyone for a length of time.
You don’t want to be the fidgety person disturbing everyone, if you can’t sit for a long time on the floor for yoga or meditation! Reduce your coffee consumption, for example, a few days before your trip, as you might suffer a caffeine crash during your resort holiday.
Move your body
This might sound like strange advice for a holiday trip, but your trip to a wellness resort might be quite different from a regular holiday. As we mentioned before, you may need to do some serious stretching exercises, or low intensity exercises, or go hiking or walking. Most wellness resorts will not involve any strenuous activity, but being fit will help you keep up!
Being fit helps in other ways in travel, such as tugging your own luggage. If out of the habit of travel for a long time, it would be good to stretch the rusty joints before travelling. Start with a simple morning walk or a balanced cardio-weights routine.
Learn the lingo, and more!
The fun of an international resort destination is to experience the culture, language and customs and more. You can’t be an expert in the language but do learn a smattering of it before you leave. Free apps and sites such as Duolingo are great for learning languages.
Locals love it when you interact in their own language, and might direct you to some lesser known but magical locations near your wellness resort.
Be well prepared
Any trip is fraught with anxiety as well as excitement.
- If you are traveling out of your city, taking a flight for a domestic or international wellness resort, you have to collect and ready all your documents, from your passport, tickets, visa, ID proof, hotel information, etc.
- Check whether your selected wellness resort has pick up and drop off service.
- Check the kind of transport available if your resort is remotely located.
- Check whether medical facilities are available or not.
- Stock up with vitamin C and other immunity boosting supplements, as well as some basic OTC medicines for fever, stomach upset etc.
- Do not forget your medical records, allergy medicines and latest lab reports if you’re visiting an integrated medical resort.
This checklist is a basic idea to help you organize yourself before you leave, you can add more to it depending on your needs. Be sure to add all your contact numbers including the numbers of the wellness resort, so that your office and others can contact you in time of emergency.
What to pack
Packing for a wellness resort trip would be slightly different than packing for a normal holiday. If your resort is located in the mountains, you would have to pack some warm clothes or sweaters or jackets so that you do not feel the chill. You might call the resort and ask about the weather before you leave so that you’re well-prepared.
Pack a sanitizer spray as well as a small sanitizer that will come in handy during your flight as well as your stay. Do pack a pair of comfortable slippers as well as clothes which you can sit easily in for long hours at a stretch such as track pants, loose t shirts, yoga pants, comfortable walking shoes for nature trails and so on. Do the packing according to the resort and location.
Have realistic expectations
Whether it is your first trip to wellness resort or not, you need to have fixed realistic wellness goals. Though reputed wellness resorts provide outcome-based programs and you need to keep your expectations accordingly. For example, if you are going to a weight loss camp held at a resort, then you should not expect to lose weight just in a few days. These camps will only teach you weight loss strategies that you can continue once you get back home.
If it is a medi-spa you are visiting, you may not experience that all your physical conditions such as pain or mental issues to get resolved instantly. The treatments may need follow ups which can be done in your hometown or city, or you might have to go back to the wellness resort periodically, in order to get relief using the same treatments.
What we are trying to say here, is that you should not have extremely high expectations from your wellness resort, but of course, it should be one which would really bring some respite from your daily life.
Do Carry your journal
The experience of a stay at a wellness resort is an incredibly special one. Hopefully, it would help your connect with your inner self, and you would be able to inculcate some useful habits such as sleeping early and eating healthy.
Write down your thoughts and experiences, recipes, meditation practices and more while you are there. Once you get back home, the experience will steadily fade away. Whenever you feel that you need the same reconnection to yourself, as you did during your visit, you can just open your journal and refresh everything!
Things to consider when traveling overseas for wellness
When you decide to travel overseas for specialized wellness care, it is essential for you to verify the quality and safety that a wellness care facility ensures to provide to the foreign tourists. You must consider some vital aspects before finalizing the right wellness care center or resort for alternative treatment and wellness care.
Services and facilities typically required by travelers include elective alternate procedures as well as specialized therapies or services, such as traditional Thai therapies, yoga, Ayurveda and wellness care.
- You have to think rationally instead of depending on your feelings. Select centers according to your requirement and budget. You can arrange a conference call with the specialist in the selected centers. Ask them about the facilities, type, therapies and procedure of treatment or wellness care they provide.
- You should prefer to choose a clinic that is affiliated by the local government or a responsible authority. In addition to this, confirm that your selected center is certified to provide international-level services to international wellness tourists.
- It is important to check the success ratio of wellness facility before finalizing it for your tour. For this purpose, you can refer to center’s published outcomes. In addition, also check whether your chosen center is ready to support you with travel services such as private transport, lodging, special food and sightseeing options. These are important and special considerations, especially when you are going on a wellness trip. You can request the wellness service provider to provide you a detailed itinerary or schedule.
- It is important to verify whether your chosen center would provide excellent required aftercare by trained and well-qualified professionals or therapists. It is also essential for you to take all the precautions that your therapists have prescribed. The wellness center should provide updates on your condition to your companion. If you are satisfied or receiving all these kinds of services and support from your chosen wellness care center, it would definitely become the right choice for you.
A few takeaways:
- Define your needs, take your time to find out exactly what you are looking for
- Do you want to stay in the same city, or in your country, or visit an international wellness resort
- Do your research online
- Clarify all your doubts with the resort, check their licenses and certifications before you shell out money for booking
- Do ask for deals and discounts
- Ask for the kind of food that will be served
- Make a checklist for documents, and make at least 2 copies of documents
- Take along your journal