The Joy of Flex
Ready to get down? Hong Kong’s very own Flex pilates and yoga studio is hosting a wellness retreat this May in collaboration with co-founder Heather Thomas Shalabi and Flex instructor Michelle Ricaille. The gurus will be on hand to lead participants through five days of relaxation at all-inclusive Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary in Koh Samui, Thailand. The programme includes daily spa treatments, but it won’t be all lounging and leisure. Get ready for a detox nutrition plan, meditation, daily yoga and Pilates, and easy access to kayaking and watersports – all in a gorgeous tropical setting.
May 4-9. From $29,990, including accommodation, roundtrip transfers, individual analysis and consult, daily programme activities, and meals; flexhk.com.
New travel bites
Hong Kong-based Blueflower travel concierge has just launched a new Wanderer Club, aimed at passionate travellers. Each month, founder and chef Andrea Oschetti hosts four-course dinners on a travel topic – think family-friendly inspiration or environmentally conscious travel. Each talk features insights from a mix of experts, from artists and activists to family gurus and filmmakers. It all goes down in a loft-like salon that doubles as a private kitchen in Wong Chuk Hang where members are welcome to stop in for a spot of travel planning over a bottle of wine (just be sure to BYOB). Coming up next is “Trips That Make an Impact: Conservation & Wildlife” on April 10, where a safari specialist will give you the lowdown on how you can make a difference on your next trip to Africa.
From $450 per person for dinner. $280 for Wanderer Club Members. Blueflower’s Travel Salon, 20D, Yally Industrial Building, 6 Yip Fat St., Wong Chuk Hang, www.blueflower.la.
Choose your own Adventure
Bangkok isn’t usually the first place that jumps to mind for a wellness holiday, but COMO Metropolitan Bangkok makes the case. Home to award-winning Nahm restaurant by Australian chef David Thompson, the newly renovated hotel aims to offer a calming urban retreat for city slickers. At the hand of Singaporean designer Kathryn Kng, the rooms feel almost Japanese in their Zen, minimalist look. Meanwhile, the COMO Shambhala Urban Escape has been updated to include a teak pool deck, lap pool, new gym, yoga studio and relaxing hydro-pools. To mark the revamp, the hotel just launched a new “Wellness a La Carte,” which is pretty much what it sounds like: a two-night DIY wellness retreat where travelers can choose from a long list of spa and health sessions (including Thai boxing!) to suit their personal needs.
From $4,771, including breakfast, wellness activities, cookbook and yoga mat. 27 S Sathorn Rd, Sathorn Bangkok 10120, Thailand, +66-2-625-3333, www.comohotels.com.
