If you’re keen to get away over the festive season, check out these healthy retreat options.

If you’re looking to swap festive binging for a lighter Christmas and a head-start to your New Year’s resolutions, Health and Fitness Travel, the wellness holiday specialists, share the ultimate collection of the best wellness retreats for the yuletide season. From safari adventures in South Africa and spiritual healing on the tropical island of Bali, to candle-lit treatments in Puglia and tropical hiking in Costa Rica, discover where to go for a wellness retreat during the Christmas and New Year period. Whether you’re an adrenaline junkie, zen yogi, or spiritual gangsta, ditch the ordinary, take time-out from the traditional and head wherever your wellness whims take you. With a host of exotic locations for you to visit, give yourself or your loved ones the gift of well-being with these healthy holidays.

Let It Glow: Rejuvenation at COMO Shambhala Estate, Bali

Take a break from your frantic Christmas preparations and enter the jungle sheathed paradise in Bali. Don’t start the new year frazzled, instead, welcome 2020 radiant with this rejuvenation program that combines holistic spa therapies and sustaining nutrition to help you reclaim your natural glow. Sit back, relax and let COMO’s signature treatments work its wonders. With specialised consultations, you won’t be leaving empty handed—you’ll return home with the right tools for a new and healthy beginning.

Health and Fitness Travel (1300 551 353 healthandfitnesstravel.com.au) offers an exclusive solo discount for guests staying on any 5+ night wellness program and 30% discount on accommodation for travel up to 23rd of December when booked before 30th of November 2019.

Re-wild in 2020: Safari & Spa at Karkloof Safari Villas, South Africa

Swap tradition for something more memorable this year. Journey to South Africa for a one of a kind ‘spafari’ experience set in a beautiful 3,500-hectare nature reserve. When you’re not out spotting diverse wildlife or afoot cascading waterfalls, spoil yourself with an unlimited selection of daily spa treatments including body scrubs, facials, herbal baths and massages. Here, there are no schedules to contend with, so you can enjoy every offering at your own pace, whether it be relaxing at the spa, going on private safari tours or celebrating with delectable healthy cuisine.

Cleansing Christmas Detox: Detox at Palacio Estoril, Portugal

What better way to transition through the end of the decade than with a reinvigorating cleanse? Give your body and mind the gift of replenishment with a detox retreat set in the coastal town of Estoril. This program combines bespoke nutrition to amend your dietary habits and specialist spa treatments to further enhance your body’s natural cleansing process and reduce mental clutter. On top of your daily detox juice, enjoy holistic activities including sunrise yoga and fresh morning walks along the beautiful Estoril coast.

New Year, New You All-Inclusive Wellness Retreat at Phuket Cleanse, Thailand

If you’re looking for an all-encompassing wellness getaway that includes everything from fitness, nutrition and mindfulness, this retreat has you covered. No experience is the same at Phuket Cleanse as the program is tailored for everyone’s goals and perfect for a flexible transition to an effective lifestyle change. Following an active cleanse and food-as-medicine philosophy, the retreat champions the power of movement to help you lead a healthier life. Guests can choose to be as active as they wish with a multitude of fitness classes or as relaxed with massage treatments, meditation and mindfulness workshops.

Weight Loss Wonderland: Weight Management at Sante Wellness Retreat, South Africa

With all the Christmas treats up for grabs, it’s harder to keep your diet on track. Beat the Santa belly this festive season with a weight management retreat at this luxury wellness hideaway in South Africa where game drives and detoxing are not mutually exclusive. The program is designed to improve your metabolism using specialist detox treatments and bespoke nutrition. It also aims to correct eating habits by working through your emotional triggers on lifestyle and nutrition workshops, giving you the right tools to continue your weight-loss journey long after your stay.

Festive Fitness: Sense of Functional Fitness at Zighy Bay, Oman

Escape to the warm weather of Oman on a fitness retreat perfected with private sandy beaches and spectacular mountain views. With customised training, the functional fitness program focuses and delivers on personal goals whether it be toning, fitness, strength or flexibility. Enjoy an array of exhilarating experiences as you swap the daytime TV for trekking and tandem paragliding, then bring the New Year in in style with a chartered yacht or sunset cruise for the holiday of your dreams.

Holistic Healing Getaway: Happiness Like Nowhere Else at Borgo Egnazia, Italy

Set in a rural castle in beautiful Puglia, Italy, this decadent retreat finds itself quietly removed from the frantic buzz of city life. Experience wellness in the lap of luxury with private fitness sessions, lavish spa treatments and a healthy gastronomy for the senses. Following a holistic approach, indulge in an extensive list of natural body care therapies to soothe you into deep relaxation. Candle-lit walkways spread throughout the grounds, multiple restaurants suit any taste buds and an array of health and wellness facilities accommodate a wealth of complimentary activities.

Happy New You: De-stress Spa & Wellness at Amatara Wellness Resort, Thailand

A luxury hotel turned dedicated wellness resort, Amatara has become a benchmark for luxury wellness in Phuket over the years. Set atop a cliff overlooking Cape Panwa, almost every corner of the retreat is bound to jaw-dropping ocean views and extraordinary sunsets. De-stress in the most idyllic surroundings while sampling a range of relaxing spa therapies, including the world’s first Thai Hammam. Backed by ‘wellness cuisine’ and a variety of functional fitness activities, it’s the ideal healthy break that checks all your boxes.

Yuletide Yoga: Yoga at Atmantan Wellness Resort, India

Give yourself the gift of wellness this festive season during a holiday of yuletide yoga in India. With private yoga sessions tailored to suit your goals and skills, this specialist yoga retreat is suitable for both beginners and experienced yogis alike. Including instruction in asana (physical posture), pranayama (breathing) and meditation, start your New Year feeling physically renewed and mentally inspired. As well as daily yoga practice, allow your body to be nurtured with personalised Ayurvedic spa therapies and nutritious, organic cuisine from the on-site farm.

Holistic Holiday Season: Revive & Renew at The Retreat, Costa Rica

Reconnect in Costa Rica on a holistic holiday, set upon a quartz mountain with breath-taking views of the Pacific Ocean. Reduce stress with The Retreat’s organic farm-to-spa therapies and regain the balance of a healthier lifestyle with nutritionally dense, clean cuisine. Begin Christmas Day with a reviving yoga session and forest hike, before swapping the traditional turkey for a superfood smoothie and fresh, farm-to-table ingredients. Enjoy a healthier, more relaxing holiday, where spiritual connectedness, healthy living and self-care are the ultimate focus.

Find out more at http://www.healthandfitnesstravel.com.au