⭐️ Wellness travel: a unique way enjoy the world and avoid trip burnout
Inspiration Postcard #9: A complete guide to one of the best ways to travel
I need a vacation from my vacation.
This is the quintessential response many people say after they come back from a trip.
Whenever I hear a statement like this, it makes me wonder if it really was a vacation.
Why would you want a vacation when you’ve just had one?
Traveling, despite all its benefits, can send you home with low batteries.
You may be:
Exhausted from taxis, trains, busses, and hopping multiple flights
Overstimulated by so many lights, sounds, and intense experiences
Stressed because you had a strict itinerary and didn’t want to miss anything
Burnt out because you’ve rubbed shoulders with countless other tourists
Irritated from listening to your whole family chatter non-stop
The list can go on and on.
Let’s face it: the world is only getting faster. This means it’s becoming easier to lose internal balance.
But don’t worry!
There’s a kind of travel that does the opposite of many vacation styles because when you come home you can feel:
Nourished
Recharged
Enlightened
Healed
Full of life
(Insert another positive buzzword here)
I’m talking about wellness travel.
In this month’s Inspiration Postcard, we’re taking a journey into the world of wellness travel. You’ll learn what it is, some popular (and random) types of wellness travel, interesting wellness travel destinations, and where to find inspiration.
Keep reading to learn more!
What is wellness travel?
It seems that wellness travel is a recurring trend. I read articles from 2023 and 2024 stating that wellness would be a popular travel trend for that year.
The BBC, NDTV, Hoterlier India, and Condé Nast agree that wellness travel will be popular in 2025.
If you’re wondering what is wellness tourism, the Global Wellness Institute (GWI) defines it as travel to maintain or improve your personal well-being.
This includes improving your mental and physical health.
Not to be confused with medical tourism or health tourism, wellness travel involves proactive pursuits of happiness.
Wellness travel can help prevent disease, lower your stress levels, and jumpstart a healthier lifestyle.
What kind of wellness tourism is there?
Wellness travel can take countless shapes and forms.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to wellness. It all depends on what your mind, body, and spirit need to feel refreshed.
On the one hand, wellness travel can be very individualistic and spontaneous.
For example, perhaps you love nature. Then a wellness trip for you might look like a week of hiking in Zion National Park. It might involve meditating each morning at sunrise in a secluded area.
Maybe it’s detoxing from screens, sober traveling, or going vegetarian.
In these situations, you decide what kind of wellness you want, plan a trip around it, and go for it.
However, wellness travel can also be organized, social, and regimented.
Here are some examples:
Spiritual retreats: No matter your faith or creed, there’s a retreat somewhere in the world for you. Depending on the type of retreat, you can build a stronger connection with God and the community.
Spa tourism: This wellness travel lets you recharge in your own personal sanctuary. There are countless spa hotels or resorts offering a wide range of treatments like massages, facials, body wraps, and hydrotherapy.
Yoga retreats: Although folks may classify yoga as a spiritual activity, for others, it’s a practice to reconnect with your own body. There are countless yoga destinations for travelers to get their warrior pose on.
Surf retreats: You can sign up for surf retreats to get exercise and spend lots of time playing in the water. Don’t worry if you’re a novice. There are tons of options for all levels available around the world. You can even hire a private surf coach.
Dancing bootcamps & congresses: Dancing is one of life’s best forms of wellness. There are lindy hop, salsa, bachata, k-pop, and apsara retreats and events all over the world.
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Calmcations: This new 2025 term is a stew of multiple wellness travel types cooking together. The goal here is silence and peace. A calmcation (calm + vacation) involves connecting with nature like the ocean or a verdant forest. You seek serenity. Nowadays, there are many homesteads, resorts, and villas dedicated to calmcations.
Hot spring therapy: Soaking in natural baths is relaxing and good for you! Benefits include reduced stress, a natural detox, body ache reduction, and improved blood circulation.
Nutritional retreats: If cooking and eating well are your jam, then consider a nutritional retreat. They teach you new ways to have a healthy diet and sustain it. They can also be a culturally immersive experience depending on where you go.
All gender retreats: There are numerous retreats exclusively for your gender or sexual orientation. It doesn’t matter if you’re a cis male or LGTPQ+, there is a community for you. These are spaces to be vulnerable, heal, get emotional support, and build community with like-minded strangers.
Couple’s retreats: There are endless opportunities to better yourself while strengthening your marriage or relationship. You’ll learn to speak the same love language, improve communication, and make a healthier connection.
Bonus: The wonderful aspect of all these wellness types is you can either sign up for these experiences with a professional service or create one yourself.
How can you book a wellness retreat?
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