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Need a quick getaway to jumpstart that depleted body, mind, and spirit after a far-too-long pandemic? Well, thankfully there are wellness resorts that provide the perfect mix of outdoors, yoga, meditation, and nutrition in a good 4 to 5-day spurt. When Ranch 4.0 starts up again in January 2022, plan on hiking some 50 miles over four days in the coastal California foothills and then returning to a 1400 calorie a day plant-based diet. Programs run from Thursday to Sunday and you’ll be staying in comfort at the Four Seasons property in nearby Westlake Village.
Please contact ActiveTravels if you’re looking to rejuvenate this Fall or any other time of year!
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Lisa and I spent two nights in the Berkshires in mid-October checking out the new Miraval property in Lenox that made its debut in early August. The Miraval brand is already well known in the travel world for its two wellness properties in Tucson and Austin, so we were excited to see what they had in store for New England. They took over the former Cranwell property and expanded across Route 20, where they now house a horse farm, chicken coop, gardens, and space for archery, hatchet throwing, and pottery classes. Arriving in the rain, we were happy to see that all rooms are connected indoors via a long corridor with classes, restaurants, and lounge area. This comes in handy during these winter months when you don’t have to venture outdoors unless you choose to snowshoe or hike.
Wanting to take advantage of the two nights/three days we spent on property, we signed up for a busy regimen weeks before arrival that included classes in fitness, yoga, mindfulness/meditation, farming, and nutrition. We ended up taking three walks outdoors, along the shoreline of Stockbridge Bowl and beside a rolling brook in October Mountain State Forest, all glorious during the peak of fall foliage. We also took four meditation courses with Will, known as Chill Will, including an introduction to Qigong and Forest Bathing; a fantastic cardio drumming class with Tariq; a visit to the farm to feed the horses and chickens with Jen; a fun flow yoga class with Mark; and an informative lecture on keeping a healthy gut with Annie. We would quickly learn that all of the instructors are excellent and that most have devoted their lives to their particular passion. Will has taught meditation to people in drug rehabs the past two decades; Annie led the nutrition department at nearby Kripalu; Jen not only owns a farm, but was involved in education at Sturbridge Village. Miraval had to know the wealth of talent they would find in the Berkshires, a hub in the northeast for wellness and yoga thanks to Kripalu and Canyon Ranch.
Thanks for checking in with ActiveTravels during a year when we could barely travel. Like most of you, we had to cancel trips, including Croatia, France, China, and most disappointing of all, our daughter’s college graduation at Bloomington, Indiana. With the vaccine starting to roll out, we’re hoping for a far more adventurous year of travel ahead.
Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous 2021!
Steve and Lisa
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In a move that will hopefully catch on with other airlines and destinations, United Airlines announced that they will offer rapid testing on flights from San Francisco to Hawaii. If the COVID test comes back negative, you are free to travel around Hawaii without a 14-day self-quarantine. Hawaiian Airlines quickly followed suit and is now offering the same rapid tests at San Francisco and Los Angeles airports. It would be wonderful if JetBlue and American start doing this for flights headed to the Caribbean and Central America, especially as we head into winter and demand for warm-weather destinations starts to increase. Bermuda, Turks & Caicos, and Belize are just a few of the destinations that requite a negative COVID test within 72 hours of arrival.
If interested in visiting Hawaii this winter and would like resorts and route recommendations, please let ActiveTravels know and we’ll give you the scoop.
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July in Italy is at the height of tourism in the country. Instead of fighting crowds, we suggest a rejuvenating yoga retreat with our good friend, Checka Antifonario, a talented yoga instructor and owner of Yogaway Retreats. From July 6 to 12, you’ll be staying just east of Rome in the small coastal village of Molise, where you’ll participate in daily yoga and meditation on the grounds of a lovely working farm that doubles as a 20-room inn with views of the sea. When not doing yoga, you’ll enjoy their olive oil and wine tastings, tours of the farm, excursions into the historic seaside town of Termoli, and inland to the charming village of Sepino. Pricing is $1950-$2800 per person and includes 6 nights lodging, 9 yoga and meditation classes, all meals including local wine, two excursions, the olive oil tasting, and transfers to and from Rome’s international airport. ActiveTravels can check availability and happily design a pre- or post-tour of Italy that can include Rome and Florence or south to Naples and the Amalfi coast.
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St. Lucia wellness resort BodyHoliday, one of my favorite properties in the Caribbean, has unveiled the year’s lineup of Yoga Retreats. The weeklong programs, all led by the property’s wellness advisor Hollie Bailey, will include a range of yoga and meditation workshops, as well as spa treatments, and a hands-on cooking class. Participants will meet with Bailey at the beginning of their stay, or talk with a BodyHoliday specialist beforehand if they want to maximize their time at the resort, to plan the retreat and tailor it to the them. During the week, guests can attend a yoga workshop or nutrition talk every day, with classes covering areas like hatha yoga, anapana meditation, vinyasa and more. Outside of these central classes, the Yoga Retreats provide sunrise and sunset yoga sessions and a daily spa treatment (yes, one massage a day). After the program ends, the resort will also provide post-retreat support. Dates for the Yoga Retreats are October 5-12, October 12-19, and December 14-21. The all-inclusive cost is $4,830 per person.
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Guest Post by Amy Perry Basseches
My daughter Sophie, recently sent me a link to SuperShe Island, and said, "You should go to this, Mom." I laughed and said, "Sure, I’m a SuperShe." Well, it turns out to be a real thing. "Have you ever wanted to run away to a deserted island, breathe fresh air, swim naked in the sea, and sleep under the stars?" That’s what SuperShe founder Kristina Roth had in mind when she bought a private island, hidden-away in the Baltic Sea, off the coast of Finland, one hour from Helsinki. The 8.4-acre island is home to four newly renovated cabins equipped with fireplaces, and it also has spa amenities, Finnish saunas, and facilities for women-only retreats. Vacations here include daily wellness activities such as yoga, kayaking, hiking, swimming, meditation, cooking and fitness classes, plus farm-to-table dining. Finnish beauticians are boated over for facials and massages. Not too shabby, although caffeine and alcohol are banned…A mere 4000 Euro for a week, at latest report.
If you are interested in a health and wellness vacation anywhere in the world, let ActiveTravels know. We are currently assisting a member with one in Costa Rica!
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With fall foliage just around the corner, you really don’t need any excuse to visit the largest yoga retreat in the northeast, Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. Located in the heart of the Berkshire Mountains in western Massachusetts, Kripalu is the ideal spot to relax and replenish in the midst of fall color. You decide how to spend your days to create the best experience for you. Choose from a variety of workshops, outdoor activities, and yoga and movement classes. Or jump-start your fitness routine and go hiking, learn nutrition tips, or savor a soothing massage. The retreat center is also offering a variety of themed events. "Hiking and Yoga" will be offered October 14-19 and November 25-30. Wannabe foodies seeking simple dining solutions should register for "Five Ingredients, No Time," September 28-30, and learn to whip up nutritious last-minute meals. For those who love to laugh, head to Kripalu September 14-16 for "Life Is a Playground." New York Times best-selling author, Kyle Cease, uses his 25 years of performing, creating, and letting go of what other people think to help his audience move past their old stories and into a new vision of what is possible in their lives.
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Guest Post and Photo by Amy Perry Basseches
A favorite activity of mine while in warm climates is the wonderful adventure of “beach yoga.” You do not need to be a yoga aficionado to enjoy it. All you need to like is the feeling of morning sun on your face, the sound of waves crashing in the background, the sight of birds flying overhead, and sharing a good laugh with others about how hard it is to balance on one leg in the sand, using only a small towel as a mat.
Ambu Yoga on Captiva Island is a great example. Founded by Yali Zawady several years ago, Ambu now has a studio at South Seas Resort, open to the public as well as to guests of South Seas, offering 2 to 4 classes a day, 7 days a week. But beach yoga is taught only on Saturday and Sunday mornings (as of now).
According to Yali, “ambu” means water in Sanskrit, and represents the connection “between the flow of energy in our surrounding waters and the mind-body-spirit experience of yoga.” You live this fully on the beach. In December, I brought my daughter, 2 nieces, a nephew, and my son’s girlfriend to class. At one point, Yali had participants (around 30 people of all ages) stand in a circle and lean on one another for support during balance poses; that was a great time. We all wished there was more than one beach yoga class during our stay, but, alas, next year awaits.
An important side note, Yali is from Santa Marta, Colombia. She says she first found yoga and self-inquiry at a very young age through meditation practices with her father in Colombia. Every year I look forward to connecting with her on Captiva. Her welcoming nature and calming voice are a respite from the hurly burly up North. She’s also been very helpful to me as I learn more about Colombia (my son lived there for 5 months; my daughter, my husband, and I all visited, at different times; and we’ve sent quite a number of ActiveTravels members on trips).
Let ActiveTravels know if you’d like us to find a beach yoga class for you somewhere in your travels, whether on Captiva or elsewhere (for example, Martinique in late February or Panama in late April, with our friend Checka. Also know that Yali has offered advice to our clients headed to Colombia as well.
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I had the pleasure of meeting Andrew Barnard last night at an event in Boston. His family has owned the BodyHoliday and Rendezvous resorts on St. Lucia for 50 years. Barnard, an endurance runner, was experiencing gastrointestinal problems on his runs until he consulted a doctor at BodyHoliday who did a detailed analysis of his health, only to discover that he had a severe allergy to eggs. Avoiding eggs these past two years, Barnard told me that he feels better than ever. Now he’s helping his guests. In 2014, BodyHoliday implemented a BodyScience program that combines western medicine with the Indian practices of Ayurveda. Complete a detailed questionnaire at home and send it back to BodyHolday along with DNA samples. Once onsite, each BodyScience guest consults one-on-one with a physician who tests heart rate, blood pressure, body fat, lung capacity, sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, cardio and arterial fitness, hormone levels, and food allergens. Based on the results, BodyScience doctors will provide a unique nutrition and lifestyle plan to help the body handle stress and reduce the risk of chronic disease. Already a leader in the field of active lifestyle resorts, it seems like BodyHoliday is now setting the bar even higher with this wellness initiative.
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