DESTINATIONS WELLNESS HOLIDAYS | THAILAND


3


OF THE BEST


ACTIVITIES Muay Thai


This traditional martial art


steps the energy up a notch, leaving clients sweating and smiling. Eight Limbs in Bangkok and Lanna Muay


Thai Boxing Camp in Chiang Mai are good places to start.


Diving and snorkelling If clients want to experience


life underwater, head to Surin and Similan islands, home to some of the world’s finest dive sites. The superb visibility


(up to 35m), array of canyons and colourful clownfish are worth highlighting.


Hot springs


One of Thailand’s best hot springs is in Pai. About four miles southwest of town, Tha Pai Hot Springs has a scenic stream that mixes in places with hot springs, while the Pai Hot Springs Spa Resort also has hot spring pools.


BOOK IT


G Adventures offers a nine-day TailorMade Wellness Thailand trip visiting Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pai and Koh Samui from £2,769 with a guide or £1,249 without. The price includes eight nights’ accommodation, massage class at Wat Pho, internal flights, yoga, cooking class and stand-up paddleboarding. International flights excluded. gadventures.com


(with plenty of prik nam som sauce, made from chillies and vinegar) and reminds us never to point our feet towards a Buddha statue. Our second stop is Chiang Mai, the former seat of the Lanna kingdom, where we make hot herbal compresses with Pat, whose family are Lanna descendants. Pat walks us through his garden, stopping to pluck lemongrass and ginger. Then we sit around his family table, pounding the ingredients in a pestle and mortar, wrapping them in muslin and steaming them. We hold the hot compresses on each other’s necks and shoulders, feeling our muscles ease with a smell that’s good enough to eat. There is more food in store in Pai, a windy three-hour


drive from Chiang Mai, where we learn to make traditional, soul-feeding dishes.


Lek runs VV Cafe with her husband Charlie, growing much of the produce on their farm. She meets us at the town’s biggest fresh market, pointing out lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime, then we head to Lek’s restaurant where she shows us how to make everything from fresh spring rolls to massaman curry. As we sit down to eat together, everyone smiling and appreciating their creations, I can’t help but feel there’s something wonderfully therapeutic about cooking.


SOUL STRETCHING Tucked away in a lush valley, Pai has a relaxed, hippy vibe, with lively bars, street stalls and handicraft shops. It’s also home to Pai Yoga Shala, an open-air studio flanked by palm trees, where I have my first ‘yoga wheel’ experience, using a circular prop to roll out


44 3 JUNE 2021 Lek points out lemongrass,


galangal and kaffir lime in the market, then shows us how to make spring rolls and massaman curry


the spine, open the chest and side body, and intensify stretches. It’s bliss for backbends – supporting my spine – and fun to try something different. We’re treated to five yoga classes throughout the trip, including sunset sessions by the sea that could make even the most-frazzled traveller find their zen. But it’s these unusual varieties I enjoy most. As well as wheel yoga, I try ‘acroyoga’, a cross with


acrobatics, at beachside Peace Resort in Koh Samui. At first, the prospect of being launched into the air by instructor Kom fills me with fear. But he coaxes me into balancing on his hands and feet, my arms and legs outstretched, doing my best Superman impression. For a moment, I feel like I’m flying, my mind focused but blissfully free. Then I lose my form and am back down again, giddy for another go.


Our final sunset is spent stand-up paddleboarding off Bophut Beach in Koh Samui. Pink light shimmers on the water as I steady myself on my board, paddling in the Gulf of Thailand. As the sun dips beneath the horizon, I can’t help feeling that, after nine days of wellness, this newfound balance might be sinking in for good.


TW travelweekly.co.uk


CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Morning yoga session, Chiang Mai; refreshments in Bangkok; long-tail boat river trip; and a Thai cooking class PICTURES: Ben Glassco Photo


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48