A new year means a new you…and the same old spa, wellness, and gym experiences of the past aren’t going to cut it in 2024.
It’s time to try something new like off-the-grid hiking, wild swimming, desert bathing, and more to get your mind, body, and spirit in check for the new year with 2024 travel destinations that take wellness beyond the spa!
Go off-the-grid in the Dutch Caribbean | Saba
Tucked away in the Caribbean Sea, the five-square-mile Dutch Caribbean island of Saba sets the stage for a lush getaway where guests can reset bad habits and recharge for their 2024 wellness resolutions in an off-grid destination surrounded by Mother Earth. Saba’s nature-immersive offerings can help any wellness-seeker feel rejuvenated, refreshed, and ready for the new year.
Those on a 2024 fitness journey can find serenity on land exploring 20 hiking trails – a gratifying physical and mental challenge for anyone up to conquer it. Meanwhile, below the ocean’s surface, an entirely unique world awaits.
Saba plunges below as steeply as it rises above and is home to 30 protected dive sites. What better way to disconnect from the world than to escape into the pristine ocean waters of a remote island?
Mayan Ceremonial Wellness in Cancun | Mexico
There’s nothing better than a retreat to the mystical, sparkling blue Mexican-Caribbean to hit restart and heal your mind and body from the previous year, and the JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa uses Mayan traditions to help guests find a serene escape.
The resort itself lures travellers with its Mayan-inspired spa, state-of-the-art fitness centre, and Health Bar…but the most authentic experience that blends Mexican culture with wellness are the resort excursions to local cenotes.
Cenotes are natural sinkholes filled with water historically revered by the Mayans as sacred spiritual sites. In addition to “mystical” properties, cenotes are filled with minerals that have therapeutic and detoxifying effects on the body.
JW Marriott Cancun offers guests the chance to snorkel, bathe, or dine within the peaceful confines of the jungle, just like the ancient rituals of the Yucatan Peninsula.
Get Zen in the AM | Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort | Kauai, HI
There is no better place to appreciate the beauty of nature and focus on wellness than on the eastern coast of Kauai at the Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort.
For those who like to start their day off on a peaceful, meditative note, the resort offers an exciting and unique Sunrise Experience Menu, which features a “Morning Light” package with a yoga mat, fresh juice, and an Acai Bowl to help guests recharge for the day ahead!
To really balance your chakras while on vacation in 2024, the resort also offers morning yoga classes on the beach. There is no better way to get zen than with the natural background music of ocean waves and peaceful birds chirping bright and early.
Desert Bathing in Aruba
Forget forest bathing – it’s time to desert bathe.
The Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino has taken forest bathing and put a fun twist on the concept, introducing Aruba to the game with its natural backdrop of the desert.
This wellness experience, complete with yoga mats and a healthy picnic basket at one of two local national parks, allows travellers to slow down and become immersed in the natural environment, helping them to clear their minds while boosting mood and immunity.
Here, travellers can find zen while enjoying their favourite meditation or yoga podcasts or simply bask in the sun and serenity to disconnect and unplug.
Calm in Cabo | Corazón Cabo Resort & Spa
The newest luxury resort in Cabo, Corazón Cabo Resort & Spa, has a lot to offer those who find their serenity on the water. The resort’s new Aqua Yoga “golden hour” activity welcomes the dawn atop a paddle board overlooking the famous Cabo Arch from the city’s highest rooftop.
2024 wellness-seekers can perfect their pose at the infinity pool while simultaneously enjoying views of endless shades of blue while meditating and practicing their balance on the water.
An Ayurvedic Experience – Wellness Concierge / St. Lucia
Arguably one of the most breathtakingly beautiful resorts in the Caribbean, Jade Mountain guests not only enjoy sweeping views of the twin Piton mountains & Caribbean Sea but can book a solo Ayurvedic ritual.
Guests can book a dedicated Wellness Guru who determines their Ayurvedic body type, or dosha, and designs meals, spa treatments and meditations tailored to their specific needs.
Based on whether they’re vata, pitta, or kapha, the Wellness Guru will work with the guest to recommend nutrition plans, yoga stretches, and Ayurvedic spa treatments (all offered at the resort!), as well as how to incorporate healthy practices into daily life back home.
Mindful Stargazing in Iceland | Hotel Rangá
“Star bathing” is an emerging wellness trend for 2024 in which stargazers connect to the ancestral cosmos. In addition to stress relief and better sleep benefits, the art of soaking in the awe of starlight also provides a broader perspective for those struggling mentally.
To truly connect to the sky, Hotel Ranga, a boutique property nestled under the unobstructed night of Iceland’s South Coast, not only offers one of the country’s most advanced onsite stargazing observatories but also employs an astronomy expert to guide guests through the worlds above on clear nights from September through April.
The hotel offers cozy snowsuits to keep them warm while meditating under the Milky Way, geothermal hot tubs and wooden recliners for relaxing, nightly hot cocoa, and, of course, Northern Lights wake-up calls.
Back to Evolutionary Basics Aboard Ecoventura | Galapagos, Ecuador
Ecoventura‘s three incredible 20-guest mega-yachts sail through the protected Galapagos, immersing guests in the raw nature of the archipelago and every comfort of a luxury cruise.
Operating the only Relais & Chateaux luxury yachts to sail in the Galapagos, guests take a course through the rich Ecuadorian archipelago by both land and sea, indulging in the peace and serenity of the destination that made Darwin contemplate evolution.
Ecoventura offers its sailors daily excursions and educational briefings led by two certified naturalists, and daily adventures include snorkelling with marine iguanas, kayaking alongside sea turtles, strolling the beach or hiking tours that bring you up close and personal to the destination’s most fascinating species.
Sip and Sway the Stress Away at Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve | Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico‘s newest wellness offering for 2024 goes back to basics, with a tried and true vacation staple known around the world… the property’s new “Sip and Sway Hammock Garden” invites guests to kick up their feet and enjoy some antioxidant-rich, cell damage-fighting fresh resort branded coconuts while they rock in an ocean-side hammock.
What most may not know is that this simple outdoor furniture classic has been scientifically proven to be a wellness tool, shown to improve sleep, reduce stress and reduce back pain and insomnia just by rocking! So the resort is inviting guests to gather their loved ones in hammocks in style and embrace the resort’s motto: “Doing nothing, means everything.”
In this case, doing nothing in the Sway Garden could be the perfect out-of-the-box wellness offering you might be missing!
