Victoire de Taillac-Touhami, co-founder of Buly 1803 
“I go to Buchinger Wilhelmi, near Lake Constance in Germany, to fast. If you have a complete break from rich food, drink and coffee for seven days, you feel much, much better. I also walk when I’m there – it has the same effect as meditation for me. It’s something I got into when we lived in Japan, where the only things open in the morning between the school drop and the office were either temples or gardens. If I can, I try to walk at least once or twice a week.” buchinger-wilhelmi.com

Sofitel Quiberon Thalassa Sea & Spa
Sofitel Quiberon Thalassa Sea & Spa

Angela Missoni, fashion designer 
“I have been going to the Sofitel Quiberon Thalassa Sea & Spa in Brittany for years. It is one of my favourite spots in the world because of the scenery – the rocks and beaches are spectacular – and the thalassotherapy massages, salt scrubs and seaweed wraps. It’s a very healthy, holistic place – not a beauty spa or a place of deprivation – and I always leave feeling refreshed, energised and a bit slimmer. It is one of the only spas I know that also appeals to men, which makes it a wonderful escape for my partner Bruno and I.” thalassa.com

The courtyard at Samode Haveli
The courtyard at Samode Haveli

Daniel Humm, chef
“My recent trip to India was life-changing. Everything is different: the weather, the food, the smells, the architecture, the spirituality. I stayed at Samode Haveli, which felt very of the place, and practised yoga and meditation. I was out of my comfort zone, but in the best – very freeing – way.” samode.com

7132 Thermal Baths & Spa in Vals, Switzerland
7132 Thermal Baths & Spa in Vals, Switzerland © Global Image Creation – 7132 Hotel Vals

Roksanda Ilincic, fashion designer
“7132 Thermal Baths & Spa in Switzerland is an incredibly designed place that combines modern architecture by Peter Zumthor – there’s a lot of concrete, of which I’m a big fan – with the landscape and nature. It is a perfect mixture of design and physical sensation. I went to visit for an afternoon and wished I could have stayed longer.” therme-vals.ch

The Integratron, California
The Integratron, California

Lindsey Adelman, lighting designer 
“The Integratron in the Mojave Desert in California is a giant wooden dome where you go for relaxing, healing sound baths. The architect – who built it in 1954 – claimed he received the plans from aliens. My sound bath could have been as short as 20 minutes, but it felt like 20 hours, with all of us lying on blankets in a circle and looking up at the ceiling. I was transported somewhere else entirely. 

I also recently went to Bali for a yoga retreat near Ubud, organised by a group called Oneworld Retreats. It was incredibly authentic and I felt immersed in the Balinese way of life, from the belief systems to the ceremonies. I stayed in one of its stone dwellings that are built into a cliffside – it’s like a terrace in the jungle with little altars everywhere, moss growing on everything and billowing smoke for added effect. I don’t like anything fancy or forced, or the western idea of luxury being imposed on another country, and this place felt like it was coming from a Balinese idea of beauty.” integratron.com. oneworldretreats.com

The Lanserhof clinic, Austria
The Lanserhof clinic, Austria

Lauren Gurvich King, CEO of Lauren Gurvich Lifestyle
“I recommend the Lanserhof clinic in Lans, Austria. Having never been to a full-detox medical clinic, I didn’t realise what I was in for, but after nine days of fasting, unusual treatments and the most beautiful scenery in the Tyrolean mountains, I was hooked. I came back better, stronger, healthier and clearer.” lanserhof.com.

Itha108, Ithaca, Greece
Itha108, Ithaca, Greece

Marc Newson, furniture designer
“In Ithaca, I love the yoga retreat Itha108, which is run by my friend Ingrid Gottschalk and overlooks the sea.” itha108.com.

 


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