Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa

"Kamalaya Koh Samui is a renowned wellness retreat offering unique treatments such as the Lanna samunphrai ron, an ancient prescription to improve digestion and lower back pain. The retreat is set on a vertiginous hillside with 50 treatment huts, dark steam chambers, and moonstone-like soaking pools. The on-site restaurant, Soma, provides a peaceful open-air dining experience, and the retreat includes Arjan Cave, a meditation space once inhabited by monks." - Adam Erace Adam Erace Adam Erace is an award-winning food and travel writer, restaurant critic, and cookbook author. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and three maniacal rescue dogs. His favorite country is Mexic

"A group of American hippies turned–real estate entrepreneurs opened this 76-room resort on the palm-covered slopes of Koh Samui. American architect Robert Powell sneaks references to Nepali pagodas into teak-clad buildings and bungalows set between the soaring trees, and strategic design maximizes tropical sea views from every angle. Those who can spare a week or more should sample off the menu of medicinal options at the Wellness Center, where flower remedies to full annual check-ups are available, while travelers on a tighter time schedule might prefer diving straight onto the massage table. The resort takes some simple steps to innovate, like eliminating fixed check in or out times, promising instead to welcome guests whenever they turn up. There's a full roster of aerobic and meditative exercises on offer, but peace seekers don't need to break a sweat as they spend time with the rich diversity of butterflies fluttering among the gargantuan pink lotus blossoms."

"To call Kamalaya a hotel wouldn’t be doing it justice: yes, there are hotel rooms and villas dotted across this bougainvillea-draped hillside on the island’s quieter south coast, but at the heart of this sanctuary is a focus on wellness, both physical and mental. Most guests here book in on dedicated programs, whether it’s detoxes and cleanses or programs such as Embracing Change, in which you’ll spend time with Life Enhancement Mentors, unravelling past trauma with talk therapy and meditation. Treatments—many of them Ayurvedic—are all tailored to your specific issues, with acupuncture and heavenly massages. The site is built around a 300-year-old mediation cave, which you can still use today, plus there’s walking meditation, yoga, and a peaceful stretch of sand for late-afternoon siestas. Solo travelers here may like the communal dining, where everyone from opera singers to burnt out CEOs gather to knock back green juices at breakfast and feast on sugar-free curries in the evening, but you’d also feel entirely comfortable dining solo, reading a book over meals, or simply gazing out at the water."

"This serene retreat sits on a tropical hillside, looking out over the peaceful water of the Gulf of Thailand . The island is no stranger to wellness (nearby Kamalaya and the Four Seasons also have excellent spas), but this spa has served a devoted fanbase for years, loyal to Absolute’s good value and strong results. Founded by a Thai banker-turned-entrepreneur who established Absolute You, a series of fitness and lifestyle studios around Asia, the Sanctuary is well-equipped to handle harried city-dwellers in need of a quick-fix health boost. There is a focus on de-stressing and boot camp training, offered alongside a series of yoga, pilates and meditation classes. The Signature Wellness Program, for example, involves a bio-impedance analysis (fat mass, muscle mass, metabolic age) before having a private consultation to establish a bespoke plan, which could include the likes of gym work, fitness training and daily colon hydrotherapy sessions, as well as massage treatments and reflexology. The spa is run by chief therapist Meaw Tip-anong Tipkanngoen, whose team has spent years honing their treatments and wellness offerings. Jana Braeuer teaches yoga classes with a heartfelt warmth known to bring guests to tears, while a series of visiting practitioners lead group exercise sessions and early morning beach walks. There’s so much going on here – it’s a place that doesn’t stand still, endlessly efficient and remarkably effective. It’s a simple, uncluttered spa without gadgets or gimmicks. – Michelle Jana Chan Book now with Expedia A version of this article originally appeared on Condé Nast Traveller ."

"An herbal compress used during traditional Thai massage at Kamalaya’s spa."