Mind and Body Reboot

Perhaps it’s an exceptionally busy time at work, maybe the pressures of constantly keeping multiple balls in the air is exhausting or possibly just the daily routine is taking its toll. A luxury holiday is exactly what you need.

Everyone knows that when the mind and body go into overdrive, it can only be sustained for so long. And everyone knows that the best remedy is a reboot. The chance to experience something different, switch off and and go with the flow. 

So I’ve put my thinking cap on and have come up with my top five luxury holiday destinations to power down, reboot and relaunch:

1.Langkawi: Malaysia holidays

The Langkawi archipelago is the kind of place you imagine in your dreams. Blue skies, dense, green rainforest and a turquoise sea gently lapping at the powder-white sand on crescent shaped beaches.

One Yonder hotel stands out as being the ultimate reboot retreat during a holiday in Malaysia. It’s hard to define perfection, but whilst staying at The Datai that’s what I felt I had discovered. You’ll be levitating after just a few days.

2. Tea country: Sri Lanka holidays

There is something truly magical about upcountry Sri Lanka. The mist swirls in the valleys, the rolling hillsides are carpeted in green and the silence is only interrupted by the chirping of the birds or by the occasional tractor towing sacks of tea leaves.  Perhaps it’s the long drive to arrive there or the mesmerising landscape, but either way this remote part of Sri Lanka leaves one feeling completely detached from the stresses of modern life.

I can’t help but mention Ceylon Tea Trails as my top pick for somewhere to stay. It’s a wonderful experience in its own right and the biggest decisions of the day revolve around what book to read, whether it’s Orange Pekoe or a Bloody Mary to quench your thirst and if the best view is from the sofa in the sitting room or the cane chair in the summer house.

3. Inle Lake: Burma holidays

Inle Lake is stunningly beautiful. A vast expanse of water delicately placed between dramatic hills where the Intha boat people row their skiffs using their legs, leaving their hands free to cast their fishing nets. The tranquility out on the water is spellbinding. Just floating and watching life as it has been for generations is utterly enchanting.

The Inle Princess Resort is ideally positioned to lend a helping hand. With waterfront bungalows overlooking a private canal, you don’t even need to leave your own deck to be immersed in the serenity of the lake.

4. Udaipur: India holidays

If the City of Love can’t cleanse your soul, then nothing can. Udaipur has all of the ingredients to remind you what life is really all about. The Lake Palace with its opulent mirrored rooms, stained glass windows and intricate fabrics is stunning. Lake Pichola, around which the centre of Udaipur is formed, might be a picture of heaven. And to confuse your senses even more, the cuisine is mouthwatering. Combined, all of this is a million miles from life in Blighty.

What talk of Udaipur can be complete without reference to the Lake Palace hotel? It is as magnificent as the photos. After a few nights here, you won’t have a thought for the trials and tribulations of real life.

5. Koh Phangan: Thailand holidays

Things have moved on among Thailand’s islands since the laid-back days of the backpackers, but Koh Phangan still retains its ability to evoke a sense of freewheeling euphoria. Perhaps it’s the overwhelming sense of people having fun (and no, I don’t just mean the Full Moon Party!), the thrill of swimming in crystal clear seas teeming with abundant marine life and colourful corals or just the lazy days spent on the beach watching the comings and goings.

Anantara Rasananda on the beautiful Thong Nai Pan Noi beach is a long-standing Yonder favourite. It’s ability to heal and rejuvenate the mind and body is legendary.