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The beachside outdoor pool at Chiva-Som.

The Road to Renewal

Destination spas are one of today’s hottest travel trends.

Destination spas are one of today’s hottest travel trends.

Luxury spa treatments and desert naturalism combine at Mii Amo.

Luxury spa treatments and desert naturalism combine at Mii Amo.

Need a recharge for your over-partied liver after the holidays? Or a break from the winter cold?  Spas are the antidote. Aspen is filled with global nomads who travel to the best spas, even when they’re long haul away. Hot-stone massage or Mother Yoga? Ayurvedic or Western pampering? Here are some must-visit destination spas.

Thailand
Six Senses Destination Spa
This temple for body, mind, and spirit in Phuket offers everything you could want in an authentic Eastern wellness experience: Chinese medicine, including acupuncture, Shiatsu, and Chi Nei Tsang; Indian Ayurvedic, incorporating Himalayan hot-stone massages and chakra balancing; traditional Thai, focusing on massage that uses restorative yoga-like moves; and Indonesian, using modalities such as crystal healing, wraps, and a Watsu pool. Power walks on the beach keep you fit, and the no-meat, no-dairy, no-caffeine cookery is as localtarian as it gets. There’s a stringent detox diet, too, but relax: It’s optional. Wines—organic of course—are available, but only in the evenings.
+66-0-2631-9777

Thailand
Chiva-Som
Called the "Golden Door of Asia," this beachside spa is a standard-setter on seven lush tropical acres near the Gulf of Siam, two and a half hours south of Bangkok. It merges alternative medicine (with medical doctors on staff), Ayurvedic treatments, acupressure, Thai massage, beauty offerings (plastic surgery consultations are even available), Thai spirituality, yoga, Western fitness, and just plain relaxation.

India
Ananda in the Himalayas
Though it’s the perfect place to relax after a trekking odyssey, the spa is worth its own pilgrimage. With the Himalayan foothills as a backdrop and therapy rooms overlooking the holy River Ganges, the spa is located in the cradle of Ayurvedic medicine, so that's the focus, along with yoga and some contemporary Western spa [Note repetition of “spa”] treatments. After a consult with an Ayurvedic doctor who sorts out your [ital\] pitta [/ital] from your [ital\] kapha, [/ital] head for the spa, where your chakras can get adjusted and your aura protected with an array of new treatments using crystals. And what more spiritual a place to practice your downward dog than at its source?
+91-1378-227-500

Mexico
Maroma
Here is the height of luxury: eco-chic combined with New Age treatments. This is a spa for spiritual soul searchers as well as those looking for a beautiful beach retreat. Located on the Mayan Riviera, Maroma’s Kinan Spa menu draws from the area's ancient Mayan past. Treatment rooms are even aligned to the stars, and there's a Mayan version of the Native American sweat lodge called a [ital\] temazcal [/ital] to purge your physical and spiritual toxins. Mayan ideas also inform the architecture; a three-story keystone arch that crowns the spa entrance was inspired by one of the Mayans' greatest architectural works, the main portal of the Governor's Palace at Uxmal.
800-237-1236

Hawaii
Pure Kauai
Here is a totally bespoke vacation in your own private Hawaii. It combines action, adventure, and pampering in your own villa on the gorgeous north shore of Kauai. You are even assigned your own trip host to keep you on schedule as you’re pushed and pampered. Expect your customized sport-and-spa experience to put you in contact with the island's best healers, yoga gurus, therapists, trainers, and guides. A private chef will cook healthy organic meals using the best of local ingredients. In between massages, enjoy any of a dozen different sports, from surfing in Hanalei Bay to hiking the Na Pali Coast.
866-457-7873

Arizona
Mii Amo
This red-rock haven in magical Sedona is an intimate enclave of just 16 rooms within the larger Enchantment Resort. Indigenous Native American culture imbues the programs. A winter-solstice celebration December 18–21 features traditional Native American ceremonies. Explore the red-rock landscape of surrounding Boynton Canyon, or participate in traditional healing and spiritual practices such as the pipe ceremony and the sweat lodge.
888-749-2137

California
Ojai Valley Inn & Spa
Owned by the Crown family, Ojai is a classic Southern California retreat in a beautiful setting at the foot of the Topa Topa Mountains. There's a championship golf course and lots of outdoor biking and hiking. But its 31,000-square-foot spa, which reflects the resort's original California Mission–style buildings as well as Moorish and Mediterranean influences, is a retreat in itself. This is a place for coddling; some massage rooms even have cozy fireplaces. Its menu is full of mind/body treats, with its star the Kuyam, a mud-and-heat ritual inspired by the Chumash Indians, who once called the area home. It feels more Turkish [ital] haman [ital] than Native American sweat lodge, and it includes guided meditation that lets you soar. Ojai offers flight therapists, imaginative treatments that pamper your senses, and plenty of privacy options for the privacy obsessed.
800-422-6524