1. The Sarojin, Phang Nga, Thailand
The best way to detox? Lie down on a sun-kissed Thai beach (preferably one with a top-notch hotel close by) and don’t move. Head over to The Sarojin, a tropical treat with 10-acre gardens, spacious suites, two excellent restaurants and a cosseting spa. You won’t have to expend any energy wondering what to do here (our choice: not a lot), since the hotel has a dedicated “imagineer”, who will put together a personalised itinerary for your stay. Pick from elephant treks, scuba diving, deep-sea fishing and other adventures. If all that sounds too tiring, don’t worry: just run a bath in your room’s imperial oval terrazzo tub and stay put, stirring only to summon room service. You’re here to detox, so we won’t dwell on the open-air Cellar Bar’s stash of wine and cigars (though we do recommend medicinal champagne Sarojin cocktails).
2. Capella Singapore, Singapore
Two words: Auriga Spa. Capella Singapore’s shrine to wellness has four signature treatments, designed around the cycles of the moon. It also has a wet area that’s well worth losing hours in: hop between the herbal steam room, ice fountains and vitality pools in a garden setting – then do it all over again. This crowd-pleasing Sentosa Island hideaway has plenty of other refreshing tricks up its sleeve: an eye-pleasing marriage of colonial and contemporary architecture, styling by Indonesian designer Jaya Ibrahim, three pools and a family-friendly beach. Try Chinese fine dining at swish Cassia restaurant, decorated in black, beige and ivory; for more casual meals, the Knolls offers all-day dining (pick from an East-meets-West menu). If you’re off the sauce, post-partying, swap champagne and cocktails for the hotel’s house-made (and deliciously fiery) ginger beer. (Ginger has long been acknowledged as a handy hangover buster.)
3. Tree of Life Resort & Spa, Jaipur, India
If you’re craving the blissed-out serenity of a maharajah with his own magnificent mansion, book a stay at Tree of Life in Jaipur, a colour-pop palace in the Rajasthan desert. This is a pleasingly decadent place to while away January: expect vast villas dotted amid gorgeous grounds, a bell-shaped infinity pool and the potential to try trekking with elephants or other adventures. Naturally, service is brilliant, the spa is pampering and the food and drinks are excellent – try pan-Indian specialities at Ashtam restaurant, followed by Passion of Amer cocktails in the chilled-out bar. To get optimum relaxation out of your room, book a Luxury Pool & Spa Villa, whose charms include: a suburban-sized backyard complete with plunge pool, Jacuzzi, marble bath tub, waterfall shower and massage pavilion. Honeymoon heaven.
4. La Reserve Ramtuelle, St Tropez, France
St Tropez: A+ at the high life; A+ at the spa life, too – if you check into La Reserve Ramatuelle, that is. Here, you can pick from a mind-boggling array of treatments (24 – we counted), including balneotherapy and fangotherapy (that’s volcanic-mud fun for the initiated, and much less painful than it sounds). Other items for your to-do list include wallowing in the steam bath, having muscle knots meticulously unknotted on a massage bed and indulging in a Creme de la Mer facial. When you’ve had your fill of the spa, venture outside for the pretty beach in Pampelonne, 15km away. You’ll also want to save time for meals in the hotel’s restaurant, which serves Southern French staples such as grilled sea bass and local roast lamb, with healthy, holistic leanings – the kitchen will work with the spa to offer you a menu attuned to your body’s biorhythms.
5. Amangalla, Galle, Sri Lanka
If you want proof that it’s possible to age gracefully, look at Amangalla, Sri Lanka’s oldest, most famous hotel (known as the New Oriental Hotel), which once welcomed throngs of travellers from globe-traversing P&O steamers. Its modern incarnation includes a seductive day spa, the Baths, whose candlelit treatment rooms lead off an arched hallway of low-lit cloisters. After your massage, idle lazily in the plunge pools, steam baths and saunas in the heavenly Hydrotherapy Rooms. Succumb to the ancient indulgences of Ayurveda with three- to 14-day packages – there’s also a resident Ayurvedic doctor on hand to diagnose your dosha (three energies believed to circulate the body), give lifestyle advice or help heal ailments. Rooms are just as serene as the spa – spy on the Dutch Reformed Church, 180-year old Para Mara trees, the ramparts and the sea from the Church Street Wing.
Adapted from SilverKris.
