Have you made a New Year’s resolution or two? Want to turbo-charge achieving success at them this year? It’s time to hit the road, dear reader. Whether your goal is losing weight, reducing stress, or learning a language, we’ve rounded up some of the most perfect luxury vacation destinations to help you keep your New Year’s resolutions. If you’re a lifelong learner, or just looking for a kick-start, this one’s for you.
luxury vacation ideas to help you keep your new year’s resolutions
Most of us set some #SquadGoals or New Year’s resolutions. And most of us don’t actually manage to keep them past the end of the January.
This year, in an effort to turbo-charge results and impact, we set out to find some luxury vacation ideas that will also assist in the achievement of your New Year’s resolutions. Because why not multi-task? It could end up being a total win-win.
Here are some ideas that will give you better odds at looking back in June and knowing that this year, you actually kept at least one of your New Year’s resolutions this year.
vacations to help you keep your New Year’s resolutions
health, fitness and nutrition
1. an active “fitcation” in thailand
A Fresh Start Fitness vacation in Thailand might be the perfect catalyst to a healthier new year. One of our friends took such a trip, and he swears by it now. Take a 7-day (or longer) holiday, and you’ll be training beside a waterfall or getting your cardio in by climbing the steps of an ancient temple. Afterward, dine from a menu of freshly-made meals from the onsite organic farm. The resort accepts both solo travelers and couples, and commits to intensively monitoring your progress.
Whether losing weight, reducing stress, or learning a language, here’s the perfect luxury vacation to help keep your new year’s resolution.
2. a de-tox in lucerne
The Waldhotel Health & Medical Excellence is a medical retreat located 2,800 feet above Lake Lucerne in Switzerland. The hotel is one of four within the Bürgenstock Hotels & Resort complex in Lucerne.
With 160 rooms and a 32,000 square-foot spa, the property aims to heal the mind and body with a variety of treatments and a large staff of physicians. Lucerne is one of our very favorite places in Switzerland – stunning views, fascinating local history, and great shopping. All that, plus a supportive environment in which to re-set your health and wellness? Yes, please!
3. a hiking trip in Sedona
Northern Arizona is home to the striking red rocks and lush desert greens of Sedona. And it’s also home to hundreds of hiking routes. At the 11 acre creekside L’Auberge de Sedona you will find experts on hand to help pick the trail that’s right for you. The 4 mile Courthouse Butte Loop Trail offers views of beautiful formations at an easy pace. This trail also crosses the Bell Rock vortex, a spot where mystics say energy swirls out of the earth’s surface creating a sense of serenity. Beyond hiking, the resort offers gentle yoga stretches, music and meditation and stargazing. Here, visitors are encouraged to exercise a playful spirit on the creek and find stillness and meaning in the simple wonder of nature.
Whether losing weight, reducing stress, or learning a language, here’s the perfect luxury vacation to help keep your new year’s resolution.
4. mountain trek fitness retreat
Mountain Trek Fitness Retreat in British Columbia, Canada features Nordic Fitness Trekking, which engages 90% of your body’s muscles, as its predominant form of exercise 3-4 hours a day.
The organic and gourmet spa cuisine is designed to improve gut microbiome health and reduce inflammation. And you guessed it, there is no alcohol, sugar, caffeine and processed food. Screen time is reduced and there is no cheating as the resort’s WiFi is turned off for 8 hours each night. As a result, guests can expect to leave with increased energy, toxin elimination, improved skin, and weight loss. $5,400 a week.
wellness and spirituality
1. simple peace
The ancient Umbrian city of Assisi, Italy is not only the birthplace of Saint Francis, but also the home of Simple Peace. Founders Ruth and Bruce Davis bring together precepts of both Western and Eastern spirituality at their renovated historic monastery. Bruce, a scholar in the teachings of St. Francis, leads mostly silent meditations, while Ruth, a longtime student in Eastern meditation, enriches the silent sessions with guided Tai Chi and “sacred movement” rituals.
Outside of these sessions are one-on-one retreat guidance meetings, hatha yoga classes and several hours for self-exploration in the form of preparing food, journaling, hiking and therapeutic massages. As a bonus, all of the rooms feature fireplaces and terraces that look over the local olive groves.
Whether losing weight, reducing stress, or learning a language, here’s the perfect luxury vacation to help keep your new year’s resolution.
2. yobaba lounge
Yobaba Lounge is a beautifully-styled Chateau in the medieval French village of Chalabre. It’s best known for its rotation of intense yoga retreats and the delicious food that accompanies them. It’s one of the best ways to experience silence in luxury wellness travel. Each of the retreats offered here include a period of “noble silence” which lasts from 8:30P to midday the following day. If that’s not enough quiet time for you, the owners just launched silent weekends, where no speaking at all is permitted for the duration of your stay.
3. cal-a-vie, san diego, california
A favorite of Natalie Portman and Oprah Winfrey, this San Diego health spa is renowned for its special focus on mind-body-spirit wellness. Stays at the retreat include 20 class offerings like Calm Mind & Body Tai Chi, Aqua Yoga, Muscle Melt, and Tension Release Exercise.
Furthermore, spiritual experts assist guests with daily guided visualization and expanding mind meditation. All in an intimate, exclusive 500-acre haven resembling a serene French village.
4. ananda spa in the indian himalayas
This spa, tucked away in the foothills of the Himalayas in the Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal’s former palace, is consistently ranked at the top of any list of luxurious wellness destinations.
It has hosted tycoons Bill Gates and Melinda Gates, royalty like the Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Hollywood stars, Kate Winslet and Nicole Kidman. More than just a passive spa experience, the two pillars of a stay revolve around yoga and Vedanta – an ancient Indian philosophy of peace which can be found by keeping the mind and intellect in check.
Pack lightly because all guests are issued white pajamas for the duration of their stay. And the detox can be digital as well, so no phones. Meals are prescribed according to your dosha type, as diagnosed by an Ayurvedic doctor-in-residence.
mastering a new skill
1. learning to cook in Paris
La Cuisine Paris offers cooking and baking classes, as well as tasting tours, in English. One key advantage to taking a class here, as opposed to much fancier locations in Paris, is that this is a non-professional cooking school, set up just like a kitchen in a normal apartment. So you’ll be training on equipment that you can easily replicate at home.
Classes are usually capped at 12 students maximum. The macaron-decoration class and Versailles food tour are among the most popular. But if learning new kitchen skills to nurture your inner chef is your New Year’s resolution, then the three-hour-long French Technical classes are for you. It focuses on either poultry or sauces is for you. It’s geared for beginners who really want to learn. There are courses that end in a lovely meal, like the French Bistrot Lunch and French Gourmet Soirée classes. Bon appetit!
Whether losing weight, reducing stress, or learning a language, here’s the perfect luxury vacation to help keep your new year’s resolution.
2. learning to speak Spanish in Mexico City
The elite Fluenz Immersion program in Mexico City takes places in a complex of colonial mansions in the Polanco district. The week-long program includes five hours a day of one-on-one instruction with an accomplished team of Spanish coaches.
CEO and founder Sonia Gil designed the program specifically for English speakers trying to learn Spanish. Fluenz’s high-profile clients have included the Navy Special Warfare Command, the United Nations, and Google. Each session—offered 26 times a year—is limited to ten guests. Traveling companions who don’t want the language classes can enjoy an individualized itinerary of daytime excursions to museums, pyramids and other historic Mexican landmarks.
3. Taking a deep dive into the study of language and culture
Language & Luxury offers customized language-learning experiences with upscale accommodations. Stay from one to three months, receiving two hours per day of one-on-one instruction in your chosen language. Options include French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. The destinations include Paris, Rome, Porto, and San Sebastian. Students are urged to join in activities designed to encourage conversation as they’re out exploring their host city.
4. increase your photography skills with a pro
Exodus Travel is expert is designing luxury vacations where photography is the main focus. With itineraries in the Arctic, the Masai Mara, Alaska and more, they’re particularly good if your goal is wildlife and nature photography. The company’s 7-day Photographic Safari in Kenya promises “early starts, long days and plenty of advice and enthusiasm” for those keen to rapidly learn and practice new skills. Expect to see lions, elephants, hippos, and giraffes during the best light conditions.
luxury travel ideas to help keep your new year’s resolutions
That’s it. A dozen ways to experience the joys of traveling while also getting closer to keeping your New Year’s resolutions.
If you’d like more inspiration, or if there are other skills you’d love to build to keep your New Year’s resolutions while on a luxury vacation, you should also check out the offerings from Road Scholar. It is a not-for-profit organization specializing in adult learning vacations. They have trips for every interest, including skip-gen vacations for grandparents and grandkids and women-only group tours.
And if, like us, your New Year’s resolution is to spend more time with your close friends, family, and loved ones, these ideas will be great!
