Is 2021 the year of ‘slow travel’?

Once restrictions lift and we take take to the skies, what will travel look like? Will we travel slower and will want longer, immersive healing experiences?

It seems likely that after a year of stress, isolation and – if you're unlucky – homeschooling, travellers will pine for an immersive and engaging wellness experience as they look to reconnect with the outside world. But to achieve this, and to truly engage with the sights and sounds of our prospective destination, is seven nights, bookended by stressful days of travelling to and from airports and hotels, really enough?

Here, Tempus and travel brand Healing Holidays take a look at a selection of longer, more immersive stays which aim to spark a wellness transformation within travellers and address deep-rooted fears and anxieties stemming from the tumultuous last 12 months.

SEN WELLNESS SANCTUARY, SRI LANKA

28 day personalised programme

Located on an unspoilt, slim sand bar in southern Sri Lanka, Sen Wellness Sanctuary sits mere metres away from the ocean on one side and the safe-for-swimming Rekawa Lagoon on the other.

The resort was founded by renowned Osteopath Sam Kankanamge and offers a unique blend of self-empowering yoga practice and osteopathic healing designed to promote spiritual growth and physical health.

ABSOLUTE SANCTUARY, THAILAND

30 day Lifestyle Change programme

Known for its swathes of backpackers and beach parties, the Thai island of Koh Samui is probably not the first place one thinks of when dreaming of a vacation in silent, peaceful bliss. But Absolute Sanctuary, against the odds, exceeds all expectations on this front.

If you are looking for a wellness and fitness reboot, then this is your place. It takes a comprehensive holistic approach to health, delivering transformative results with long-lasting effects through detox, spa and yoga programs, all set among the gorgeous jungles of southeast Asia and with practically perfect weather year-round.

VANA, INDIA

28-night or 90-night personalised programmes available

One for the detox purists, a stay at Vana can be life-changing. Rather than a chic resort, this is a wellness retreat in the truest sense of the term, hidden up in the leafy, mountainous Indian state of Uttarakhand, often referred to as "Devbhumi" ("Land of the Gods") due to its myriad Hindu temples and status as the widely agreed-upon status as the home of yoga.

Upon setting foot in the Vana retreat you become, as the staff put it, a "Vanavasi", and can choose from a stay based around western or eastern medicine – or both. Guests can expect exceptional yoga practice from Hatha to Yin several times a day, as well as purging Ayurveda alongside Tibetan healing, Chinese medicine and Buddhist teachings.

VIVAMAYR ALTAUSSEE, AUSTRIA

21 night Classic programme

Situated on the shores of breathtaking Lake Altaussee, this impressive medical spa offers guests the complete package when it comes to an wide-reaching wellness retreat.

VIVAMAYR Altaussee’s medical services are provided in a beautifully designed area covering 1,800 sqm. Modern Mayr Medicine, orthomolecular medicine, TCM and homotoxicology are the order of the day here, while cutting-edge diagnostics and personal training, yoga, movement therapy, hydrotherapy, and massages work together to satisfy each guest’s individual needs.

SHA WELLNESS CLINIC, SPAIN

28 night Detox programme

Along the rugged, winding coastline between Murcia and Valencia sits SHA, a self-described wellness clinic that can guide you in your quest to treat your body and soul to a makeover.

This results-driven haven excels across the board; expect knock-out diagnostics and great detox and weight loss programmes from this multi-award-winning retreat.

AYURVEDA PARKSCHLÖSSCHEN, GERMANY

34 night Panchakarma

Founded in 1993 in Germany’s Black Forest, Ayurveda Parkschlösschen offers fantastic packages that can help with the cleansing and rejuvenating of the body, mind and consciousness.

This family-run marvel specialises in traditional Ayurvedic healing, including everything from food plans to carefully curated interiors, all of which are based on the principles of this ancient system of medicine.