Holiday or Wellness Travel? When the Perfect Vacation Isn't Enough
On a recent tropical holiday, I realised my valued vacation time wasn’t giving me what I needed. The resort was stunning, the activities were amazing, and the gourmet chef’s cuisine was delicious. I looked like I was in the middle of the perfect Instagram shot every single day. But we all know that what you see on social media isn’t always the reality. I was no exception.
After a particularly traumatic breakup, I simply didn’t feel connected to anyone or anything. Paradise posts filled my socials, but I still felt exhausted every afternoon. I still struggled to put on a happy face and banter with my dinner guests. Nothing about that trip was helping me with my emotional and health issues.
The Illusion of the “Perfect” Escape
Their resort reels certainly made it look like it would be impossible to feel anything but happy in a place like this. It was a slice of heaven that could solve all of your problems. To be honest, I wasn’t even sure what my problems were. I just thought pulling a geographic might magically get me out of my funk. But the classic saying is true, "Wherever you go, there you are." I was trying to outrun everything, but the universe reminded me that it’s impossible to escape the thoughts in my head or the constant feeling of anxiety simply by changing my physical location.
The marketing material and location might have been magical, but the emotional baggage was exactly the same. I tried to snap out of my funk in all the usual ways: sunrise meditation, yoga on the beach, keeping a gratitude journal, indulging in full-body massages under the palm-thatched sala, and making an effort to get enough sleep. However, nothing I tried was really working as I thought it would. I arrived with “me” and I left with the same old “me”. Nothing had changed. I just came home with a slightly sun-kissed look, but felt as anxious and exhausted as ever.
I know I’m not the only one who has come home from a trip thinking “I need a holiday after that holiday.” We’ve all heard it.
While my holiday was indeed a gorgeous and luxurious distraction, I decided my next holiday needed to focus on my health and wellness in a decidedly different way. Sure, I wanted paradise! But I also needed more than a weekend retreat of meditating with kombucha under a palm tree—I yearned for a total reset. Somewhere that I could focus on total mind-body-soul healing and restoration. I needed to feel whole again.
The Rise of Wellness Travel
Twenty years ago, if someone used the words “wellness” and “travel” in the same sentence, you could pretty much guess they were going to a spa. But not today.
These days, wellness travel typically involves fitness, healthy food, immersion in nature, and—most of all—a mental reset.
In a post-COVID-19 world, the concept of travelling for your mental or physical health isn’t anything new. But sometimes the reality isn’t that helpful or something you’re particularly interested in. Let’s get real, very few people want to spend their valuable vacation time feeling like they signed up for a bootcamp with insane workouts and juice fasts—even if the setting is straight out of paradise.
As health and wellness have become increasingly important, more and more people are combining their holidays with wellness travel. Can you do both? Is it possible to work on yourself and experience personal growth on a holiday?
What is Wellness Travel?
Retreats have now moved beyond just yoga and meditation to encompass mental health awareness, including things like trauma therapy, mindfulness, life coaching, nutrition for health, and clinical therapies provided by licensed professionals.
The Global Wellness Institute defines wellness travel/tourism as “travel associated with the pursuit of maintaining or enhancing one’s personal wellbeing.” Once just a buzzword, wellness travel is now a well-oiled and skyrocketing movement. According to global data from Statista, wellness travel and tourism is projected to reach $1.4 trillion by the end of 2027. But beyond the rapid growth, it’s a clear reflection of the post-COVID-19 shifting priorities: These travellers don’t want a simple vacation.
Today, a new wave of emotionally aware, health-conscious travellers wants more than a spa holiday or a weekend at the beach: they want experiences that are clearly focused on their overall wellbeing. According to the Wellness Tourism Association, travellers today are choosing health, mindfulness, and connection over the traditional travel checklist.
They seek deep, fulfilling experiences that focus on nurturing their body, mind and spirit. Whether that means immersive nature experiences, holistic therapies, and somatic body movement, or a centre that combines all of these with clinical therapeutic services, today’s traveller demands a unique adventure with a broad spectrum of activities that will leave them refreshed and restored.
This doesn’t mean giving up the joy of travel—it means adding something more meaningful to it. More people are asking: Can I come home from this trip feeling different inside, not just tan and tired? This is where the new hybrid model of holiday + wellness travel stands out.
What If Your Holiday Changed You?
What if a holiday didn’t just offer a temporary escape—but became a turning point?
What if you returned home not just rested, but different?
Clearer. Lighter. Reconnected to who you really are.
That’s the real power of intentional travel. It’s not about transforming yourself in seven days or becoming a completely new person. It’s about giving yourself the space, support, and stillness to begin something deeper. It’s about finding a place where you can finally stop pretending everything’s fine and actually feel safe enough to explore what’s really going on beneath the surface.
The truth is, it’s hard to do that kind of work on a typical holiday. You’re surrounded by distraction, small talk, and expectations to be “on” and “happy.” But when you step into an environment where healing is the priority—not just pampering or performance—something begins to shift.
At The Place Retreats, I found “something different”. Yes, there’s beauty, nature, and tranquility. But more importantly, there’s space to process. Space to talk. Space to be met exactly where you are, whether you’re navigating stress, grief, anxiety, burnout, heartbreak—or just the subtle ache of not feeling like yourself anymore.
For me, the magic happens when therapy, mindfulness, community, and rest are woven together in a way that feels human, not clinical. At The Place Retreats, I was treated as a real person, not a patient.
This is what meaningful wellness travel looks like. And once you’ve experienced it, it’s hard to go back to anything less.
At The Place Retreats, I was given the time and space to reconnect with myself. Nestled in the natural beauty of Bali, the retreat felt like far more than just a wellness escape; it was a luxurious therapeutic sanctuary. With a team of experienced psychotherapists, bodyworkers, and holistic practitioners, the tailor-made programmes combine evidence-based therapy, mindfulness practices, and restorative treatments designed to help clients heal on every level.
Whether you're navigating a major life transition or simply longing for deeper peace, The Place Retreats offers the tools, strategies, support and care to guide you back to your centre and maintain your transformation. I returned home not just rested, but ready to live my life.
That’s what a holiday focusing on wellness travel should look like.
If you'd like more information on how a wellness retreat at The Place Retreats Bali can help you, contact us to schedule a free 15-minute consultation with a member of our team.
