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document6320281007214564615.indd 1 05/12/2014 11:25

DREAMINGArizona

Can rocks heal? Can air vibrate with energy? If you’d asked Red ’s editor-in-chief Sarah Bailey before she visited destination spa Mii amo, she would have raised an eyebrow. But after her retreat amid Arizona’s lonesome beauty, she’s opened her mind »Photographs Dav id G ube rtStyling Alexan dra Stedm an

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This story begins with Gwyneth Paltrow, when I interviewed her in her north London living room in January 2013. I had been ill and it turns out she was going through a crisis of her own – though at the time

I couldn’t guess what – and she had just returned from the Red Rocks in Arizona, a trip she’d always dreamt of taking. ‘Every day I sat in “intention” and on the third day I said, “I would like some guidance in terms of these life decisions that are coming up.” I’ll never forget it,’ she told me. ‘I was starting to hike up the Red Rocks and honestly it was as if I’d heard the rock say, “You have the answers. You are your teacher...” I thought I was having an auditory hallucination!’

And as we wound up our chat, she looked at me with her level gaze. ‘You should go there. Really, you should.’

It’s now March, a year later. I am at Heathrow, awaiting my flight to Phoenix, Arizona. My trip to Mii amo, a destination spa in Sedona, is ahead of me. But I’m actually too exhausted to feel much in the way of excitement (wiped out by work, fashion-week travel and life with a toddler). Duly I’ve resolved to combine my Arizona retreat with my first-ever digital detox: my plan is to turn off my communication devices and be at one with nature in the raw.

Now, the universe is a remarkable place and who knows by what kind of metaphysical synchronicity, but this morning also happens to be the very morning that the Paltrow-Martin Conscious Uncoupling has been announced to an astonished world. Twitter has all but melted and Red’s deputy editor Saska is on the phone asking me to write a blog about the whole shebang before I officially unplug.

The odd thing is that as I stand by the granola bar in the BA lounge, picking out my thoughts about D.I.V.O.R.C.E. on my iPhone, I feel peculiarly grateful to be doing something productive. I know my beauty director will laugh as she reads the following, but I have never actually been on a ‘spa break’ before and the truth is I feel guilty: guilty for taking the time out. Guilty for being so self-indulgent. Guilty for leaving my kids behind. Guilty that I am about to flick to flight mode on my devices and (whisper it) leave them that way for five whole days. Keen readers will, of course, notice a gaping contradiction with my espoused philosophy as the editor-in-chief of Red (in short: love thyself and turn off your phone occasionally). But when you have been brought up in a northern Methodist atmosphere and your whole childhood had something of an Alan Bennett-ish hue, this is how it is. And probably goes some way to explain the tension knot in

my left shoulder that could withstand a pummelling by the meaty paws of Steve Backshall without relaxing even a smidge.

IT’S LATE AND VERY HUMID WHEN I TOUCH down in Phoenix. Alex, my handsome, ponytailed driver, who was drawn to Sedona from his native Hawaii by the energy vortices there, tells me that Phoenix never cools down, not even at night. I’m feeling a little drugged by jet lag, so make a poor audience for his personal tales of shamanistic awakening as we drive through mournful-looking cactus fields, into the cathedral-like red rocks.

‘Open yourself up to the powerful energy exchange and you open yourself up to some powerful experiences’ is Alex’s parting shot when we get to Mii amo (which means ‘journey’ in Native American). And when I get to my tranquil, adobe-luxe room, I find a list of intentions on my bed: ‘I release my need to be a victim. Opportunities abound for me always.’ This sounds like a good start. »

‘THE COLOURS ARE ZINGIER THAN

A GEORGIA O’KEEFFE PAINTING; THE LIGHT

IS POSITIVELY VIBRATING’FROM LEFT: Boynton

Canyon holds deep spiritual meaning for Native Americans; Sarah relishes the breathtaking backdrop; Mii amo’s outdoor pool sits in the shadow of the Red Rocks

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FROM LEFT: The pure luxe pool; Mii amo is surrounded by Sedona’s natural beauty

DIY SPA TIPS● Sleep – eat earlier at night to allow digestion, and keep a watch on late-night carbs. Breaking down those sugars could be keeping you awake at night.● Keep your energy clear – when taking a shower, imagine the water going through you, releasing all that you no longer need.● Meditate often to refresh energy.

FROM LEFT: Boynton is a garden of Eden; Sarah on one of the daily Red Rock hikes with fellow spa-ers

‘EVERYONE FEELS IN

SOME WAY LIKE A “SEEKER”’

WAKING UP IN THE RED ROCKS (the colour is iron oxide, aka rust; the reflective particles are rock quartz) is nothing short of trippy. The colours are zingier than a Georgia O’Keeffe painting; the light is positively vibrating.

I do a Sunrise Stretch class in a light-drenched studio with huge, architectural windows overlooking Boynton Canyon, where Mii amo is nestled, an area that holds deep spiritual significance for Indian peoples. At the mouth of the canyon is a wind-sculpted Kachina Woman, thought in legend to be the first woman – God’s daughter, who survived the great flood and populated the earth here. Boynton is, in effect, a garden of Eden.

I meet Chris Bird, the manager of Mii amo, later that day at the orientation dinner he likes to host. It’s Chris’ wish that we wear our rather fine Mii amo dressing gowns at all times (even, or should I say especially, at dinner) and I suspect he smiles secretly to himself about some of the fancy kaftans and resort paraphernalia that get packed by the visitors, when all you need for a fully realised Mii amo retreat is a pair of hiking boots, perhaps some Lycra exercise tights and clean pants.

A poetic soul, Chris says that Mii amo was built as ‘a temple to the therapists’ (Sedona has a reputation for attracting the very best in the world). Indeed, we look like novitiate monks in our duck-egg blue robes, but as Chris well knows, a uniform gown policy is a leveller and the social juices flow easily over dinner (as does the organic wine. Our host espouses a surprisingly Sybaritic approach to spa-ing). I chat to a sassy maths professor, who looks like Jodie Foster, and

her equally beautiful daughter (we get on so well they come to visit me a few months later

in London); an oncologist and his partner who run a wellness spa on the road to Fire Island; a digi-advertising whizz from New York. Everyone feels in some way like a ‘seeker’.

There are a few spa singletons like me, but when I get back to my room I wonder whether combining aloneness with my digital detox is just too hardcore... so I send my kids a photo in my exercise get-up on WhatsApp.

The heart and soul of Mii amo is the extraordinary Crystal Grotto – raw red earth on the floor, blue Venetian plaster on the walls, an aperture in the roof like in a James Turrell sky room, through which a shaft of light falls exactly on a giant rock-crystal mandala during the summer solstice. (The architectural fabulosity of Mii amo comes courtesy of Gluckman Mayner Architects, who did the Georgia O’Keeffe museum in Santa Fe and more). I join the daily guided meditation in the grotto, as one of the therapists

burns some sage and we write our intentions for the day on little scraps of paper.

I’m following a programme of classes and therapies I have discussed over email before my arrival. As a spa-break virgin, I’ve shied away from the more exotic-sounding Ayurvedic and shamanist experiences on offer. When I bump into my new digi-advertising friend looking beatific and glowing after doing something called Watsu (underwater bodywork, with ‘only a small area of my face above water!’) I’m momentarily grumpy with myself for not choosing a more out-there itinerary. But in my more reflective moments I concede that my instincts were probably right.

Maybe it’s the radical aloneness, maybe it’s the altitude here in the desert (4,600 feet), maybe it’s the energy in those rocks, but everything is feeling incredibly heightened. Even a relatively vanilla-sounding head and shoulder massage turns out to be more like a past-life regression session. ‘You may see colours, visions, pictures,’ says my therapist, telling me to let them go through my feet. The sensory sensation is so strong, I am practically tasting the creosote on my grandparents’ garden fence; an aroma of wet dog from a weird ex-boyfriend’s terraced house seems to fill my lungs. ‘Don’t live life in the shade of anxiety and worry,’ says my therapist. ‘Look through the branches to the pink sky beyond.’

The actual sky is mostly cerulean blue for the duration of my Mii amo journey. Night falls early, but the clear heavens tempt me to watch the stars from the little plunge pool in my private adobe garden. One night the staff light a fire in my outdoor fireplace, which is impossibly luxurious, of course, but makes me yearn for my homies, so I power up WhatsApp and send them some photos from my day of luscious jacaranda blossom and aloe plants.

The heavy weight of exhaustion I’d been experiencing, all but evaporates after my first night of high-altitude desert sleep; replaced by a supercharged feeling of almost light-headedness. I relish doing my one-on-one Pilates class outside on a lawn in the shadow of the Red Rocks. I love the refined night-time dining at Mii amo’s Che-Ah-Chi restaurant so much that I write a slightly embarrassingly ecstatic diary entry about a pasta dish adorned with sunchokes and caramelised pearl onions.

My mind remains well and truly blown (several months on) by a benign-sounding Releasing Stress session that turns into a wild and profound White Light meditation (yet again, I am an erstwhile virgin in such experiences).

But really, what gets me is the landscape. I sign up for as many hikes as my itinerary allows. Each time my guide is Soleil, who tells me she came to Sedona from San Diego after studying Eastern religion and getting into the healing arts. After 10 years of being a masseuse, she admits she is slightly done with other people’s negative chi, so she’s

now mixing up being a walking guide, studying plant- oil medicine and making sacred jewellery.

‘I’ll go ahead, so I can point out plant life and see if there’s anything, like snakes,’ says Soleil.

She is a brilliant guide not just to the landscape, but to unearthing the socio-cultural make-up of the 21st-century Sedona scene – a world of rich retirees, eccentrics, spiritual seekers and sensitives. Oprah has a house nearby. And Walt Disney was one of the early power players who chose this magical landscape in which to chill (the story goes that the indigenous Prickly Pear cactus inspired Mickey Mouse’s ears). Soleil tells me that while Native Americans traditionally did their vision quests in the area, once an ancient tropical sea, they actually regarded the energy as so amped up that to live here too long would turn you mad.

THE THREE OFFICIAL DAYS OF MY MII AMO journey are gone in a heartbeat. I don’t suppose everyone’s definition of a successful break is finding yourself sitting on a lounger gazing at jacaranda blossom silhouetted against a cerulean sky, cheeks wet with tears. Well, mine neither; but in this case I think it’s a good sign. The point of my retreat is not to lose weight or even really to look better (although, mascara streaks aside, I think I do), but to heal and recharge. And I have done both. My notebook is filled with earnest intentions to meditate more, do yoga three times a week (disclaimer: this is not very likely to happen) and most pertinently to ‘be kind to myself’.

Why the tears? Well, just as Alex predicted, the lonesome beauty and drama of the landscape just vibrates with energy and meaning, even for a spiritual oaf like me. I can’t help feeling I have been just a bit closer to the gods, even if they are not mine. I’ve shed so much trauma/psychological junk/wet-dog smells in the past three days, it’s hard to decipher my feelings. But what I do realise – my auditory hallucination, if you like – is that I have nothing to feel guilty about in

taking a trip like this. In fact, I should do it again. Shake it out, shake it out. e

TRIP NOTES A three-night, all-inclusive package at Mii amo, from £1,600 per person, based on two sharing, including full use of spa facilities and six spa services; miiamo.com. British Airways flies direct to Phoenix from London, from £750 return; britishairways.com

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‘MY SKIN IS SMOOTH AND JUICY-LOOKING AND MY STOMACH IS TOTALLY FLAT’Kim Parker visited Jungle Bay, DominicaThere’s a saying in the Caribbean that if Christopher Columbus were alive today, Dominica would be the only island he’d recognise. That’s because, unlike its neighbours in the Lesser Antilles, this tiny island is still a relative wilderness, its mountainous centre swathed in rainforest, crisscrossed by 365 rivers, pitted with hot springs and ringed with black sand beaches where rare sea turtles nest in the summer. But without poisonous snakes or spiders, Dominica’s a friendly sort of Eden and so, I reasoned, the perfect place for a nature lover to reboot body and spirit – in my case, with three days of hiking, yoga, massages and wholesome food at Jungle Bay eco resort.

Day one starts easily enough, as I wake up in my reclaimed timber cottage (rustic but comfy), breakfast on granola, fresh coconut water and cocoa tea (like coffee, but made of ground cocoa and spices) and meet Judy, Jungle Bay’s in-house botanist, for a two-hour nature ramble. Judy has more energy in her little finger than I have in my entire being, and I struggle to keep up as she marches uphill, plucking wild sea grapes, star fruits and guavas for me to taste. We end our walk with a refreshing dip in the White River, before I head to the bijou spa to have the first of many muscular twinges massaged away by the brilliant Verenicia.

The next day, I’m up earlier for a tougher hike to Victoria Falls. It’s a three-hour round trip, scrabbling over boulders and ducking under logs, so by the time I arrive at the Falls, I’m exhausted. But it’s totally

worth it to see ancient bromeliads growing in untouched rainforest and to bathe in the deliciously cool waters beneath the waterfall. Later that night, Verenicia pummels me again during a signature Très Fort massage (as strong as the name suggests) and I fall into bed aching, but happy.

On my last day, I take on the toughest challenge of the programme, and probably my life: an all-day hike through Morne Trois Pitons National Park and the aptly named Valley of Desolation (a Mordor-like landscape studded with sulphurous fumaroles) to the Unesco-protected Boiling Lake, the second-largest hot spring in the world. It’s a four-hour trek each way, along overgrown jungle tracks, steep mountain paths and rocky outcrops, and at one point, my muscles strain so hard that my entire body shakes. But beneath all the pain, I relish the feeling of my body working so hard; back at the hotel, when I catch sight of myself in the mirror, my eyes are sparkly, my skin is smooth and juicy-looking, my stomach is totally flat and, no joke, I’ve got a huge smile on my face. ‘You look good,’ Verenicia says as she hands me a towel for my final massage. And you know what’s wild? Despite the mud, sweat and bruises, I really do. »

JUNGLE

DIY SPA TIPS● Add two drops of warming bay essential oil to any post-exercise massage oil to reduce aches and encourage muscle repair. ● Invest in a sunlight alarm clock. Mine is a Lumie Bodyclock Starter 30 (£59.95, lumie.com). Waking up with the sunrise did wonders for my mood, so I’m using mine everyday to ward off the winter blues.

TRIP NOTES A seven-night Jungle Spa Adventure package at Jungle Bay, from £2,159 per person sharing a Cottage with Western & Oriental, including full-board accommodation, return flights from London via Antigua, transfers and activities; westernoriental.com.

Rainforest hikes, secret waterfalls and

beachscapes to set your spirit free – nature is the greatest spa retreat of all

MOUNTAINdeep,

HIGH

RIVERCLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT: Kim’s cosy home among the trees; Dominica’s unspoilt coastline; inside a Jungle Bay cabin; Kim out for a ramble on her first day

ELEMIS Musclease Active Body

Oil, £33

CORD AND SILVER

BRACELET, £35, Pandora

LEATHER SANDALS, £55, Clarks

DENIM POUCH,

£70, Koku

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ACQUA DI PARMA Blu Mediterraneo Italian Resort Tonifying Body Mist, £40

Sharon Walker visited Areias do Seixo, near Torres Vedras, PortugalThe first time I saw Areias do Seixo was on New Year’s Day 2014, when I had dinner with friends who were there on their honeymoon. As we huddled around the wood-burning stove in the open-plan restaurant, wrapped in blankets, the wind blowing across the Atlantic, I felt free. Just months later, I was back.

There’s no doubt this is a very special place: unapologetically modern, yet with an unmistakable fairy-tale quality. The architecture is spellbinding, with raw concrete, soaring glass and weathered wood hewn into a daringly futuristic design that frames the nature around it. A walkway leads into a cavernous, light-filled room bursting with wild flowers, where blackboards bear inspiring quotes by Gabriel García Márquez. My ‘Gold’ room – one of 14 doubles, one townhouse and three villas sleeping six people each – is called Ainda, which means ‘I still love you’.

Beyond the reception is the spa, with its sultry Moroccan lighting, the steamiest of Turkish baths and a treatment menu that celebrates the different types of nurturing touch. I choose the 70-minute Touch of the Ocean, and expert therapist Marta sets about polishing my body with an algae-infused scrub. Next comes a slenderising wrap,

Sarah Tomczak visited Forsthofalm, near Leogang, AustriaWhat is it about Forsthofalm that makes the stress of city life just melt away? It could be the mountain panorama (the hotel is 1,000 metres above sea level) and it could be the sound of rustling pine trees. But I think, mainly, it’s the smell. The hotel is built entirely of wood (spruce, to be exact), so the scent of timber is with you wherever you go. It’s a bit like being in a very large, luxe sauna.

Forsthofalm is an eco resort that’s alpine-boutique in style. Rooms are serene and minimalist, with pine bed frames, giant windows, deck

Hannah Dunn visited Lefay Resort & Spa, Lago di Garda, ItalyA 3am wake-up call is never the best way to start a spa holiday, but my grouchiness is consigned to ancient history the minute

I glimpse Lake Garda a few hours later. I’d dreamed of visiting Italy’s biggest lake for a long time, and it’s a beauty.

While most of the area’s resorts are along the water’s edge, Lefay is carved into the hills, and it makes the most of its vantage point. Rooms come with views across the water, two infinity pools hang over the hillside, even the treadmills point towards the lake. The neutral décor means it’s all about the setting and, with everything screaming fresh air and calm, it’s impossible not to give in. Which is why I find myself lying

OCEAN MOUNTAINS

LAKE

‘FOR BROADENING YOUR HORIZONS AND FREEING YOUR HEART’

‘FORSTHOFALM’S MANTRA IS “FREEDOM IN NATURE”’

‘THE FRESH AIR AND STRESS-FREE EXISTENCE MAKE MY SKIN SO SUPPLE’

DIY SPA TIPS● It sounds obvious but Areias do Seixo’s spa manager Marta Oliveira’s top anti-stress tip is simply to breathe. Most of us hold our breath when we’re anxious. Breathe in through your nose, expanding your abdomen and filling your lungs. Hold for a few seconds, then breathe out through your nose.

DIY SPA TIPS● At Forsthofalm, they serve a slice of apple sprinkled with Alpine lavender sugar after treatments. Make your own by mixing one part finely chopped dried lavender with five parts unrefined caster sugar. Add one teaspoon to Greek yoghurt, porridge or muesli.

chairs on balconies and heavy wool blankets. All have thrilling views, especially the Secret Forest room, complete with an open fire, floating bed and balcony sauna.

The restaurant is impressive, too, focusing almost exclusively on organic, local, seasonal produce. Breakfast includes an array of cereals, nuts, seeds and berries; dinner is a five-course extravaganza.

So, yes, the hotel is lovely, and there’s heaps to do, from skiing to hiking and mountain biking, but the real treat at Forsthofalm is the Sky Spa. Stretching across the top floor, it has mountain views from every room, including the two saunas, steam room, hammock room (with its amazing cushion-filled floating hammocks), even the treatment rooms. I had a massage at noon, as the morning mist lifted and sunshine filled the room, then headed straight for the rooftop pool, a summer suntrap that becomes a cauldron of steam in winter. Forsthofalm’s mantra is ‘Freedom in Nature’ and many guests take this to

heart, rolling in the snow before jumping naked into the warm pool.

‘Nature’ is the buzzword at Spanorama, the hotel’s treatment area, too. Claudia, the brusque Austrian earth mother who runs it, is known as the ‘herb fairy’ because she forages for herbs such as wild mint and mountain rose, and uses them in her treatments. As well as an exfoliation and lymphatic drainage, my facial involved colour therapy – bathing my face in sunny, ‘detoxifying orange’ light and tinting the products. My massage was equally rigorous and relaxing. While it’s hard to notice much discernible difference on the outside (apart from skin that definitely feels softer), on the inside I feel calmer and more relaxed than I have in months. And that’s the thing about Forsthofalm. Everything feels so good for you, inside and out. Nature is calling. I’d answer if I were you.

with de-puffing green tea and stimulating mint, followed by a massage – and what a massage. It doesn’t hurt that Marta, dressed in white, looks like an exotic angel. The yoga class is in keeping: meditative, spiritual, outside in the morning sun.

Given the intensely personal nature of the project, it comes as no surprise

that it was dreamt up by Portuguese couple Marta and Gonçalo Alves, who wanted to build a ‘hi-tech, eco, romantic hotel’. The eco-friendly ethos runs deep. The water is heated by solar panels, energy consumption is low, and kitchen waste is recycled in the organic kitchen garden, where chickens provide eggs for breakfast. Restaurant dishes are deliciously simple, cooked in a wood-fired oven.

As I wander from the garden to the beach, I can smell the pines in the heat, and as I pick my way along sandy paths to the crashing waves of the ocean, the salty air fills my lungs. This is not the kind of beach for lazing on a lounger. It is untamed and elemental: somewhere for clambering over rocks and running across dunes; for broadening your

horizons and freeing your heart.

TRIP NOTES Doubles at Areias do Seixo, from £210 b&b, massages from £35, facials from £63, Touch of the Ocean treatments £75; areiasdoseixo.com. Fly to Lisbon and book the hotel car for the one-hour transfer (£67 for up to three people) or hire a car.

TRIP NOTES Doubles at Forsthofalm, from £152 b&b, massages from £27, facials from £47, three-night Wood Whisper packages from £372 per person, including breakfast, tea, dinner and one forest massage; forsthofalm.com. Fly to Salzburg and take the train (two hours each way, £40 return).

TRIP NOTES A three-night Rebalancing Essence Method programme at Lefay, from £800 per person full-board, including treatments and activities (excluding flights), with Wellbeing Escapes; wellbeingescapes.com.

NYLON CAGOULE, £99, Karen Millen

LEATHER TRAINERS,

£130, Fitflop

on a mattress in the spa, watching the clouds roll across the lake, for hours. And why I hang over the edge of the outdoor pool, ignoring the freezing winter rain, then float in the salt pool, forever. It’s the longest I’ve stayed still in ages.

In case the setting isn’t working its magic, a series of facials gives me a much- needed energy shot, and an early-evening massage dissolves any lingering stress. It’s not just the therapists at work here: Lefay has also created a range of brilliant products. I can’t work out whether it’s the fresh air, good food and stress-free existence, or the wonderful products that are making my skin feel so supple and my hair so shiny. Whatever it is, Lefay seems to agree with me.

The food is sublime. The Grande Limonaia restaurant takes a fine-dining approach, with a special ‘Lightness of

Being’ menu for the calorie-conscious, while Trattoria La Vigna offers regional dishes from across the country. Even

at breakfast there’s an abundance of choice.

Nor are the treats confined to the massage table, with guided walks through five energy gardens influenced by Eastern medicine, bikes to explore the hills, and a shuttle bus to take

you to the sleepy town of Gargnano. A combination of classes, gentle hikes

and lots of lazing around means my skin and head feel clearer and my body is back to its best. And a few days with your head in the clouds, it turns out, does wonders for clearing your mind. »

DIY SPA TIPS● Squeeze lime on to your morning eggs or juice to get your body moving. And don’t eat anything acidic at night. Your muscles will tense, stopping you sleeping.

A sauna with a view at Forsthofalm

Areias do Seixo’s concrete and wood architecture is spectacular

Sharon (below) found an inspiring wilderness in Portugal

The spa gardens at Lefay Resort TOP: Sarah with daughter Coco

POLYPROPYLENE SUITCASE, £395,

Samsonite

VOYA Body Buff, £20

NEOM Great Day Wild Mint

& Mandarin Body Oil, £32

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SPA SPECIAL

BESTIN UK

LUXE FOR LESS

Saska Graville visited Domaine de la Baume, Provence, FranceA log cabin in the woods is about as back-to-nature a massage location as you can get. And at Domaine de la Baume, a log cabin really is just that. No mod cons, no muzak: just you, a treatment table and your therapist in a tiny shack in the trees.

Though the rest of the hotel is pure boutique luxury, with honey-coloured stone walls and cosy interiors, you leave all that behind when you head to the woods. At the end of the gardens, across a log bridge over a waterfall and up some rocky steps, you’re a world away from other guests. And it’s bliss. Ever so slightly chilly, maybe (as I said, there are no mod cons, not even heating), but as I laid there listening to the birds and the waterfall, I drifted off into unadulterated relaxation.

There was more natural immersion to come. Massage over, my therapist suggested I jump into the waterfall pool. The freezing waterfall pool. ‘Jump’ would be an over-statement,

FOREST

TREEHOUSE

‘THE LAVENDER INHALATION BATHS ELIMINATE ALL TRACES OF TENSION’

‘I DRIFTED OFF INTO UNADULTERATED RELAXATION’

Hannah Dunn visited Aqua Sana, Center Parcs Woburn Forest, BedfordshireCenter Parcs is probably the last place you would think of when you’re in need of R&R, but times are changing, with a new on-site spa concept, Aqua Sana, designed to turn the holiday villages into sanctuaries for adults as well as children.

The fifth Center Parcs opened last June under the cover of Woburn Forest, with the spa at its edge for peace and quiet (it is strictly no-children). It still makes the most of the setting: all windows point towards the forest, the terrace is furnished with comfy loungers, and an infinity pool hangs over a lake.

Tearing myself away from the views, I negotiate the biggest spa I’ve ever seen. Spread across two floors, with six mini-spas celebrating different natural elements, it’s initially a little overwhelming. But experienced over two days, it is utter bliss – and because it’s so huge, I am often gloriously alone.

Dipping in and out of salt baths, saunas and icy-cold rain showers, I forget all about my partner, who has fallen asleep in the Salt Inhalation Room. A lingering cold is quickly cleared with a session in the Mineral Room, while the lavender and sage inhalation baths in the Herbal Spa eliminate all traces of tension. In the Aqua Meditation Room, I sit in a soft leather armchair, listening to the sound of rain and thunder, and quickly find myself napping, too.

I feel calmer and healthier than I have in weeks. And that’s before my bespoke full-body treatment and mini-facial, with rose-based products to calm my sensitive skin. I sleep better, too, in our comfortable modern Luxury Spa Suite, with its floor-to-ceiling windows, gargantuan bathtub and balcony.

The only time we leave the spa, in fact, is to hop on the complimentary bicycles left outside our suite, and head

to the restaurants on the lakefront. Here you can’t avoid the kids, but you can join them – and freewheeling down the tree-lined streets, zigzagging in front of all the little wood chalets, is one of the most therapeutic things I’ve done in years. The food is nothing special (nor remotely healthy at the spa’s Vitalé Café) but hey, nowhere’s perfect. This spa is all about treating yourself, so while I may leave a few pounds heavier, I feel truly rested and have so much more energy than I’ve had in weeks.

DIY SPA TIPS● The next time it rains, take the time to sit down and listen. Sounds simple, but it’s amazingly comforting and therapeutic.

TRIP NOTES A one-night, two-day Luxury Spa Break at Aqua Sana, Center Parcs Woburn Forest, including breakfast, one lunch and one £20 evening meal voucher, plus full use of the spa and a 55-minute treatment each, from £219 per person; centerparcs.co.uk. Take the train to Flitwick (50 minutes from London St Pancras), then take the shuttle bus, or a taxi.

ELASTANE SWIMSUIT,

£24, Speedo

but in I went, tip-toeing gingerly in, dunking myself under. It was wonderfully refreshing.

Of course there’s more to Domaine de la Baume’s spa than a single log cabin: the original tennis house has been converted into two pretty treatment rooms offering a full range of pampering. But the massage hut in the woods still gets my vote.

I loved the main hotel, too. Squashy sofas, piles of books and artworks make you feel like you’re in a private home – a feeling amplified by the all-inclusive room rates: the wine at dinner flows as it would at a generous friend’s house. Not that any of my friends have their own waterfall. You have to go to Domaine de la Baume for that.

The outdoor pool at Aqua SanaABOVE: The lake at Woburn Center Parcs

Cross the waterfall to reach Domaine de la Baume’s log-cabin spa

TRIP NOTES Classic rooms at Domaine de la Baume, from £440 per night sharing, including breakfast, apéritif and dinner with wine; domaine-delabaume.com. A Relaxing Massage in the log cabin is £150. Fly to Nice (British Airways and EasyJet both fly direct) and hire a car for the approximately 90-minute drive to the hotel, or the hotel can arrange a transfer.

WELEDA Lavender Relaxing Bath

Milk, £12.95

L’OCCITANE Amande

Expert Cellulite

Control, £29

Natasha Lunn visited Silver Island Yoga, Aegean, GreeceI like spending time on my own, but seven whole days, without television or Twitter? Secretly, I found the idea of a yoga retreat on a private island in the Aegean terrifying. And that’s without the four hours of yoga a day. I can barely touch my shins, let alone my toes.

I’m game for a challenge, though, so I pack as many books as my suitcase can stomach and surrender to the charms of Silver Island and its intriguing owners, Greek-South African Lissa Christie (a former producer of Bestival) and her Namibian husband, Corne Uys.

The island has been in Lissa’s family for 50 years and her connection to the land is infectious. Every day, after a breakfast of granola, fresh fruit and the occasional pancake, I’m free to roam. No phone, no to-do list – just me and 60 acres.

A morning kayak around the island initially takes two hours, soon cut down to an hour and a half as I get more practised at paddling. Out at sea, with nothing but the ocean breeze and my thoughts for company, everything seems simpler, somehow; anxieties melt away. And there are other ways to clear your head: by hiking to the island’s old lighthouse, snorkelling in cloistered

ISLAND‘AS WELL AS TONING YOUR BODY, IT RESETS YOUR MIND’

TRIP NOTES Six-night Silver Island Yoga Retreats run mid-April to early October, from £1,100 per person full-board sharing, including 20-minute boat transfers from Oreoi on the mainland; silverislandyoga.com. EasyJet offers return flights to Athens from London Gatwick, from £80. Transfers from Athens to Oreoi (four hours by bus and ferry – a long trek but worth it) cost £16 each way. You may also need to stay overnight in Athens on the way out (try the Fresh Hotel, where doubles cost from £48; freshhotel.gr).

DIY SPA TIPS● Rub a few drops of peppermint oil into your hands, cup them over your mouth and nose, and slowly breathe in and out, 10 times. This simple exercise will clear your airways – and your mind.

coves, or napping in a hammock to a soundtrack of creaking olive trees.

As for the yoga, it is transformative. Before the trip, my mind and body had become distant strangers. A week later they feel rebalanced and in sync.

Decisions I had been trying to detangle seem clear and uncomplicated. I am sleeping soundly for nine hours a night. And despite my apprehensions about the vegetarian menu, I don’t once feel hungry, thanks to Lissa’s wholesome and colourful meals.

What strikes me most about Silver Island, though, is the combination of luxury (elegant, whitewashed rooms, postcard-perfect views) and homeliness (meals are family-style affairs shared with the other nine guests). Other things I might normally balk at (like sharing a room with a stranger) make me more mindful of everyone else around me – my roommate turns out to be someone I hope I’ll know for years to come. That’s the magic of Silver Island: as well as toning your body, it resets your mind. My legs and arms felt stronger from the kayaking and, as a result, I wanted to move more. Sure, I might not have dropped a jeans size, but I felt at peace with my body – and myself. By the end of my trip, my suitcase is still full of books, but it feels much lighter. And so do I. e

Book a Red-approved spa break at… REDONLINE.CO.UK

RAYON KAFTAN, £48, Seafolly at CocoBay

RUBBER SANDALS, £70, Ancient

Greek Sandals

FROM FAR LEFT: The remote Silver Island; Natasha discovers a new kind of me timeBELOW: Traditional whitewashed buildings are your home from home

METAL AND ACETATE

SUNGLASSES, £211, Chloé at

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KORRES Basil Lemon Body

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SPA SPECIAL

Book a Best of British getaway at… REDONLINE.CO.UK

NORTH The Western Highlands are one of Europe’s last great wildernesses and Stardust – a unique bolthole for two on Loch Ewe – just adds to the magic. Located in the old crofting village of Poolewe, it combines a Harris Tweed-clad boathouse (for sleeping, bathing and cosying around the wood-burner) with a vintage-inspired shepherd’s hut for cooking and eating – potentially, langoustines caught on a jaunt with the local fi sherman. Guests can also canoe on the loch and walk on the sandy beaches, though the real treat is the sunset views from the outdoor hot tub. � From £850 for a long weekend for two (around £140 per person per night) with uniquehomestays.com. Getting there: Fly to Inverness or take the train from London Euston (scotrail.co.uk), then hire a car for the 90-minute drive there (enterprise.co.uk).

SOUTH Sennen Cove is equally sublime: a fi shing village on the south-west tip of Cornwall with a never-ending sweep of golden sand. Overlooking the beach is Chy-an-Gargo (‘house on the cliff ’), a contemporary,

all-white home with four double rooms and a hot tub with sea views. After a day in the surf or walking the South West Coast Path, unwind with a Spiezia facial by therapist Beverley Brooks (£70 for 60 minutes; mybreathingspace.co.uk). Then curl up by the wood-burner with a bottle of local Camel Valley wine. � From £1,194 (around £50 per person per night between eight) for a long weekend with boutique-retreats.co.uk. Getting there: Take the train to Penzance (� rstgreatwestern.co.uk), then hire a car from the station (europcar.co.uk).

EAST Closer to London, but still beautifully out-there, is The Raft at Chigborough, a wood cabin set in a tranquil lake near Maldon in Essex. The Blackwater Estuary is an easy walk away; back at The Raft there’s trout in the lake (which you can catch and cook on the outdoor gas hob or barbecue), as well as an outdoor shower and a vintage telescope for stargazing. Or jump in your boat and row to the wood-fi red hot tub on the shore; massages with therapist Martina Gentry cost from £30 for 45 minutes. � From £195 per night (around £48 per person between four) with canopyandstars.co.uk. Getting there: It’s a 40-minute drive from London, or take the train to nearby Witham (abelliogreateranglia.co.uk).

WEST Snowdonia is home to the highest mountain in Wales, the golden

No distractions, just glorious wild country. Here are the UK havens guaranteed to restore all of your senses

openWIDE

SPACES

beaches of Cardigan Bay and The Water Mill (dating back to the 12th century), a rustic-chic home for six (plus two in a cottage annexe). Inside, the restored wheel mechanism extends from the kitchen to the fi rst-fl oor sitting room; outside, the gardens include a stream, mill pond and waterfall. Walk to Portmeirion, enjoying the views across the estuary, then return for a sauna, a dip in the ice-cold pond and an in-house treatment (from £120 for 60 minutes; mypersonalsanctuary.co.uk) – their packages can be split into shorter treatments and shared between friends and family. � From £720 for a long weekend for six (around £40 per person per night) with sheepskinlife.com. Getting there: Take the train to Tygwyn (arrivatrainswales.co.uk), or it’s a four-and-a-half-hour drive from London. e

CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE: The Ra� at Chigborough; indulge with GREEN & SPRING Revitalising Light Bath Oil, £24; stay at The Mill (inset) and walk to Portmeirion

Switch o� the mobile and get back to nature on Loch Ewe in the wild Scottish Highlands

BEST OF BRITISH

CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE: The hot tub at Chy-an-Gargo; ILA SPA Bath Salts for Inner Peace, £49; golden Cardigan Bay

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YSPA SPECIAL

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