The Joshi Clinic

The Beaumont is one of those fantastical places you only find in London or Paris. An Art Deco hotel (in what was Selfridges' parking lot back in the twenties), you would be hard-pressed to find a more convenient launch pad to Mayfair, and the rest of Central London for that matter. The (fictional) story is that Jimmy Beaumont, a successful American entrepreneur frustrated by Prohibition, moves to London in the 1920's, and opens up a swanky hotel in London. And though it's fictional, the hotel does ooze that sense of history with Deco furniture, paintings from the period, wood paneling, velvet chairs, a glamorous marble-clad spa, an old-fashioned "Cub Room" just for guests, and an American bar (serving up all those drinks Jimmy couldn't get across the Atlantic). Somewhat anachronistic for the story is the rather grand Antony Gormley sculpture that crowns the hotel—guests can arrange to sleep inside of it. Pro tip: Cancel your reservation and eat your supper in bed—the room service is top notch.

Brown's has epitomized British luxury since the Victorian era. And after its recent top-to-bottom revamp, it started racking up accolades for its elegant, amenity-packed rooms (there's even cookies-and-milk turndown service for kids) and classically British HIX restaurant at lightning speed. Request the Kipling Suite: Legend has it this is where The Jungle Book was written.

Fans of Andre Balazs's other achievements in hospitality (the iconic Chateau Marmont in LA and Mercer in NY) will not be disappointed by his first project in London, which features a Nuno Mendez-helmed restaurant and 26 well-appointed rooms. The décor comes courtesy of the French Studio Ko, who seamlessly integrated original features like the fireman's pole, brick and tilework, and fire doors with velvet seating, glitzy marble bars, and old-fashioned, flower-print carpeting. The rooms, too, offer that fun mix of plush comfort and architectural detail—all meticulously thought through. You'll find plugs for every region, Bose Bluetooth speakers, and a kitted out mini-bar. While the wonderful restaurant and bar are unendingly scene-y, the guest quarters are very private, making it an unexpectedly excellent and restful stay.

It's a great place to stay, and it's also a wonderful spot to duck into for an afternoon tea. Live piano and violin (sometimes even a double bass) accompany the much-acclaimed menus here. You'll find a variety of small-batch Tregothnan English Estate blends, which are the perfect companion to the finger sandwiches, warm scones, and clotted cream. Their famous Marco Polo jelly is not to be missed, neither is a walk through the Art Deco lobby to check out the stunning sweeping staircase.

The Connaught was revamped in 2008, and the interiors are full of subtle and modern surprises while maintaining the institution's old-world charm. The decor is elegant, the service is top notch, and the Connaught Bar and Jean-Georges (the burger is insane) are tasteful additions. The top floor of the hotel is occupied by an exquisite apartment decorated by the late David Collins in his signature shades of blue and grey. It's available to guests for a luxurious stay, and at the very least worth exploring on the website.

Opened by a Frenchman as a restaurant in the mid-1800's, the Café Royal came to be known not only for its wine cellar—at the time, the largest in the world—but also as the intelligentsia's favorite watering hole. Everyone from Oscar Wilde—today, the sleek, green glass-tiled absinthe bar is named after him—to Rudyard Kipling, Virginia Woolf, D.H. Lawrence, and later, David Bowie, Princess Di and Mick Jagger showed up. When the glamour died down, the small hotel chain The Set came to the rescue for a revamp via David Chipperfield Architects and reopened the institution as a hotel and private club. Nowadays, the hotel, café, bar, and club attract a new kind of intelligentsia— namely fashion and media types—and is a hive of activity especially around fashion week, Frieze, and PAD. If you're splurging, don't miss the dreamy, pastel-hued Dome suite on the top floor, which boasts a terrace overlooking Regent Street, and the Akasha Spa, which is an unlikely, peaceful haven in the middle of Piccadilly.

The Stafford is a well-kept secret. So well-kept, that despite a decade of near constant travel to London, many staffers had never heard of it. Hidden down a quiet residential street in Mayfair, the hotel has 107 rooms and occupies a collection of 17th-century townhouses. The rooms are spacious, with beautiful vintage wallpaper, separate dressing rooms, and all-marble bathrooms. And despite being in the middle of the city center, The Stafford is blissfully quiet. History buffs, or anyone else for that matter, shouldn’t miss Winston Churchill’s former home, a few doors down.

This addition to the Zetter Group oozes with character. In fact, it's a very specific character in the form of Wicked Uncle Seymour, a fictional owner whom the hotel staff will gladly tell you all about. He was a traveler, a playboy, a drinker, and an admirer of beautiful things, and the hotel reflects his personality through and through. The bar/restaurant downstairs, Seymour's Parlor, which doubles as reception, shows all of the uncle's collections from his travels—obelisks, statuettes, plaster casts, and quirky old oil paintings. And upstairs, the rooms are all individually decorated with the imposing furniture you'd imagine at a worldly old English gent's home. He was a wonderful host, it seems, for every need is taken care of here, from the Ren bath products in the bathroom, to the sumptuous tubs and rain showers, to the "vintage" satellite radio, to the heavenly beds, to the bar downstairs with its small but thoughtful drinks, snacks, and food menu.

Founded in 1963 by London hospitality legend Mark Birley, Annabel's is something of a London institution. Generations of London royalty from Princess Di and the Rolling Stones to Poppy Delevigne have turned up there to rub elbows on its intimate and tiny dance floor. Annabel's may not be as red-hot as it was in the old days, but it retains its sense of history, its exclusive clientele, and the impeccable service and style that made it famous in the first place. If you're lucky enough to be a member (or a friend of one), do remember the dress code—men will need a jacket to get in.

Owner Arjun Waney (he's behind London favorites like Zuma, Roka, and Oblix) seems to have nailed that special formula for modern dining, which obviously involves great food. If the meals alone don't fully justify the membership fee, the art collection (you'll see a John Baldessari and a Tomas Saraceno sculpture in the stairwell) and exquisitely decorated common spaces for gathering over coffee and afternoon tea definitely do. Members and their friends can also book one of the Club's 16 enormous, gorgeously-appointed hotel rooms, which offer 24 hour butler service. Perhaps most importantly, though, members get access to 1863, the club's intimate bar and performance space, where you can see some of London's best musicians perform literally feet away.

This indulgent arrival comes from the people behind the excellent chainlet, Burger & Lobster. Located in a subterranean space, the elevator doors open to tanks of live Alaskan King Crabs and a meat hanger full of serious Nebraskan steaks, marking the beginning of a meal that's best characterized by the word excess. Three long banquet tables span the cavernous, candle-lit space where diners share the pricey £75 set menu (vegetarians who come along for the ride pay only £25). The meal kicks off with pickled onions, artichoke hearts, olives, and a gigantic chunk of parmesan followed by beautifully marbled steak, undressed crab served family style, and a slew of veggie sides. There’s not a carb in sight, which is a godsend as the portions are huge.

Regional Italian dishes that include a memorably great Osso Bucco are served up at Murano’s more laid-back sister restaurant, where chef Sam Williams has taken the helm. It’s relaxed in an upscale, Mayfair sort of way: Seats at the long marble bar are first-come-first-serve, and the booths are the perfect spot to spend the better part of an afternoon drinking aperitivi with friends. Must order: The truffle arancini. There's also an outpost in Covent Garden.

Like the rest of André Balasz' hotels and restaurants (the iconic Chateau Marmont in LA and Mercer in NY, to name a couple), his first venture in London is undoubtedly one of the sceniest in town. Part of the allure is the decor, courtesy of Studio Ko, who seamlessly integrated original features like the fireman's pole, brick and tilework, and fire doors with velvet seating, glitzy marble bars, and old-fashioned, flower-print carpeting. And part of it is chef Nuno Mendez' brasserie-style menu that's packed with his near perfect takes on the classics like Caesar Salad and Roast Chicken, plus some of the most delicious and inventive appetisers in town—the crab-stuffed doughnuts are a brunch favorite. A private dining room at a hotel like this is a must, and the elegant—though much less splashy—room here ticks all the boxes and accommodates 12.

Like stepping back into old-world Eastern elegance, this beautiful dining room serves exquisitely-executed, upscale Cantonese classics, like their whole suckling pig, which requires 24-hour notice and £150 pounds. It's a splurge but makes for a memorable meal, particularly if it's served in one of the three adjacent private rooms that seat up to 26—Ping, Pang, and Pong—or combined to seat 80. The dim sum, which is less of an investment, is also great, the seafood and veggie sides are as fresh as they come, and they've totally nailed cha siu. A meal here is best enjoyed with an expense account, but you can always hit the swanky bar for one very delicious cocktail.

Even though it's a total gem, you won't find Chisou in any London guidebooks. It's traditional Japanese, and the experience is rounded out with hand towels and a serious sake menu. Make sure you try GP's pick, the spinach salad with spicy shrimp (GP loves it so much she orders two). If you're short on time or budget, try Chisou To Go, where you can pick up sushi, salad, and noodles for the road.

Arjun Waney (of Zuma, Roka and La Petite Maison) took a bit of a departure by opening this Peruvian eatery. The food is fantastic and skews traditional with fresh ceviche and lots of skewered meats and fish. The basement houses the main restaurant while the ground floor and terrace, which includes an open grill and a pisco bar, are members only.

Tucked away in a converted townhouse in Marylebone is one of London's best-kept secrets when it comes to Japanese. While the interiors are nothing worth celebrating—the dark basement seating borders on claustrophobic—the small, tapas-style dishes, make it, and the price tag, worthwhile. The menu is extensive and the good news is they're more than happy to guide you if you don't know where to begin. Our picks: The beef cha-sia bun and the miso glazed eggplant (aubergine).

The sausages and schnitzels are good, but it's really the atmosphere that makes this Marylebone spot worthwhile. Modeled after an old-world Viennese café, it looks like a meticulously considered set from Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel. There are dark wood booths, Tyrolean landscapes on the walls, and an old-school newspaper rack, which all help it achieve the feeling of a time warp. Not surprisingly, it’s from the team behind The Wolseley and The Delaunay, who are known for their cinematic spaces.

This friendly and casual Marylebone institution serves some of the best fish & chips going. Lunchtime is, of course, especially busy, but the fact that it's bustling the rest of the time points to this being one of London's best.

Modeled after a Raj-era Indian sports club, Gymkhana balances old-world interiors with some of the best Indian in London: It was voted the number one restaurant in London in 2013 before going on to win a Michelin star in 2014. The food is served family-style—Tikkas, Biryanis, Saags—but things get really exciting when it comes to the bread. The duck egg bhurji with lobster, for one, is epic. Perfect for intimate, private dinners, the restaurant also has two beautifully appointed vaults that seat 9 or 12: They are tasting menu only so, go prepared for a big meal.

At Hélène Darroze, delicious and traditional French cuisine is served in an airy and elegant setting. The food is reminiscent of lazy meals on weekend mornings in southwestern France, where the chef grew up—the Saturday brunch is not to be missed.

The secret to a great Japanese restaurant is often in the details: Simple, fresh ingredients, delicately-sliced fish, perfectly-seasoned rice, and decoratively-plated fruit. Ikeda does all of these things and more in a small, unassuming room with kimono-clad waitresses. Go for the omakaseif you're a sushi lover. Cooked options, liked the grilled meats and fishes, are excellent as well.

Jikoni owner Ravinder Bhogal is of Indian descent and was partially raised in Nairobi ("jikoni" means kitchen in Swahili). And her food tells the story of her geographic biography: prawn toast freshened up with pickled cucumbers, chickpea chips with Bengali-style chutney, a Scotch egg made with venison instead of pork, scallops and congee. British and African influence is evident, but at its core, Jikoni serves up flavor-packed comfort food that transcends culture. The restaurant itself is a refreshingly colorful break from the cool minimalism sweeping the capital’s interiors. The tablecloths are brightly patterned, the cushions are colorful, and the tapestries that cover the walls are loud and cheerful. Like the food, the décor feels fresh and hopeful, definitely a welcome addition to a stretch of town that often seems akin to a one-note French village of bakeries and cheese stores.

This place goes way beyond the comfort classics to reinvent contemporary Chinese cuisine. From the sophisticated desserts at the start of the menu (enticing you to leave room) to piquant hot and cold starters, delicate broth soups, to an entire abalone section, eating here is an intricate and delicious luxury. Prepare your budget accordingly.

La Petite Maison is another restaurant by Arjun Waney (the investor behind Zuma), and it's based on the restaurant of the same name in Nice, meaning the food has a distinctly southern French soul. Plates come small and to share, so you can theoretically sample it all. The salads and fish carpaccios from the starter menu shouldn't be missed, and for the main course, the fish is always perfect and the macaroni with truffles is to die for. The real star of the show is the black leg roasted chicken, though: Order it right when you sit down. It takes about an hour and twenty minutes, but it justifies the wait.

This offshoot of the Parisian original is nearly identical in look and concept, that being a convivial brassiere serving one meal and one meal only: steak frites (with a special secret sauce), preceded by a green salad with walnuts dressed with a mustard vinaigrette. No reservations, like the original, so come early or be prepared to wait.

Chef Giorgio Locatelli is a real innovator in the food space, but we're also fans of his persistence and strength—he had to close and re-open the restaurant after a traumatizing gas explosion blew through his recently renovated space. It's since re-opened, and is as quiet and comfortable as ever, guaranteeing a perfect grown up night out. Get ready for light, imaginative and seasonal Italian that won't disappoint.

There's Taco Salad, Bircher Muesli, a Shrimp Katsu Sandwich, and some pretty unreal baked goods including the Cardamom bun, on this menu. It's basically the greatest hits of international café cuisine, all brought to you by the editors of Monocle magazine. The space is light and modern, with a cozy living room space that's perfect for meetings.

Murano is the crown jewel of chef Angela Hartnett's growing restaurant emporium, and is also the place you're most likely to catch her in the kitchen making her trademark modern twists on Italian dishes and ingredients. A meal here is a highlight in and of itself, but the private dining room is where it's at. Here, Angela and her team will create a special set menu for the dinner party on request, and if you're lucky, the glass partition in the room can be retracted, allowing guests a direct view into the kitchen. There are also two sister restaurants, Café Murano, from Hartnett's deputy, Sam Williams (one on St. James Street and one in Covent Garden).

Plan to come with a group, as this spot revolves around sharing. The airy, woodsy interior comes courtesy of Another Country, and complements the simple, casual menu of modern Greek food. Mixing salads (we liked the dill-heavy Greek slaw), dips, and traditional breads (koulori and the like) makes for an ideal light lunch or anytime snack. Don’t miss the fresh juices, which they make every day.

This snappy underground Peruvian spot is part of Marylebone's recent reinvigoration. It's great for cocktails—specifically their endless variety of Pisco sours and Pisco based drinks—in addition to lunch or dinner. The food is a fusion of English and Peruvian flavors and inspired by young chef Adam Rawson's trip to Lima a few years ago. Among our favorites are any of the ceviches, this being a Peruvian joint, and the Peruvian Fried Chicken, though there are lots of hits on the menu that come, thankfully, in small, shareable portions. It all adds up to be a great spot for a large group of friends. Pachamama also wins points in our book for its contemporary design.

After months and months of construction and delays, Alan Yau's Park Chinois is finally open. He's known for creating incredible restaurants and then selling them (Wagamama, Yuautcha, the list goes on) and this may just beat them all. At Park Chinois, as they're more than happy to explain, the theme is the 1930's, the era of the Cotton Club, Big Band Jazz, and Shanghai's golden age. After a dinner of Shanghai-style delights like Bang Bang Chicken Salad and Shabu Shabu, it's time to dance to some live big band swing in the gilded ballroom—it's the stuff of pure fantasy.

From Will Lander of the Quality Chophouse fame and Daniel Morgenthau of 10 Greek Street comes this sleeper hit of a restaurant, tucked away on a quiet street in Fitzrovia. In a small dining room with almost no decoration beyond its pretty, dangling lights and the bustling open kitchen, comes some of the most inventive, beautifully presented cuisine in town, where seasonal vegetables are the stars. Order a few plates to share or go for the tasting menu for the whole table—you're in good hands here.

Set in a Georgian building built in 1750, this cool little public house still retains some original features, like the dog-leg staircase and dado paneling. The upscale British fusion cuisine (think chips with aioli instead of HP) is best served with one of their cask ales or fine whiskeys.

The original ROKA restaurant is housed in a large, open space with light wood fixtures, an impressive robata grill in the center of the dining room (it has an oddly hypnotic effect on kids), and floor-to-ceiling windows that open out onto Charlotte Street on nicer days. Grilled items are of course what this place is all about, but not in your usual combination of flavors: asparagus is dressed with sweet soy and sesame and black cod gets a yuzu miso treatment. There's also fresh sushi and sashimi options if you're feeling like something a little less charred. There are multiple locations across the city.

Yotam Ottolenghi has opened yet another restaurant that Londoners cannot get enough of (his seventh). This time it’s in Fitzrovia—a neighborhood that, until recently, was a kind of a culinary wasteland. The addition of Rovi has changed all that. The magic here lies in the fresh, vegetable-centric dishes slathered in all manner of Israeli and Palestinian sauces and a bright, cheerful dining room with high ceilings and red banquettes. The wine list is stellar and features some rarely seen Palestinian labels.

Heddon Street is the closest thing Mayfair has to a back alley—and nipping down the side street for a feast of full suckling pig and one too many glasses of fine sherry feels suitably illicit. Sabor is flavor—and lots of it. The two-story space cheerily decked out in Spanish tile and exposed brick hits the sweet spot of having both the dip-in-and-out cozy seats at the bar for a few tapas and the communal table packed with your rambunctious extended family for several courses upstairs. From the same people behind Barrafina, the traditional food here is good, really good. Grilled bread with a scraping of smashed tomato; oily, garlicky prawns to tear into with your fingers; and a whole suckling pig (it comes in a half or quarter sizes, too) so meltingly tender it arrives with only a spoon to serve.

Yes, that's correct, Sexy Fish is the name, and it happens to be the sceniest opening of the moment. Fittingly, it's part of Caprice Holdings, Richard Caring's growing empire of upscale restaurants and clubs in town—Annabel's, Marks Club, The Ivy, J Sheekey, and so on. Basically, he can name it anything and the power lunchers, celebrities, and international VIP's will turn up. And to his credit, it is sexy and it is fish. Dishes with a Japanese twist like sashimi yellowtail, prawn gyoza, and miso-glazed Chilean sea bass roll out of the kitchen and off the robata grill and are not just beautifully plated, but served in the bistro-style dining room that basically oozes gold with a side of Damian Hirst and Frank Gehry (their mermaid, fish, and crocodile sculptures dot the room). This is one for a special night out.

Using bold décor choices and a selection of art from some of the city’s youngest talents, Mourad Mazouz has transformed the two floors of this restored 18th century building into an important cultural destination, complete with three lounges for tea and cocktails and two full-fledged restaurants. The Lecture Room, the space’s more formal restaurant, holds two Michelin stars, and the Gallery (famous for its plush pink chairs) features a rotating program of artworks—right now, the walls are covered in more than 200 of David Shrigley's quirky sketches. If you’re not up for a full meal, lounges East Bar and Enchanted Glade (which has exactly the décor you expect) are perfect spots for early evening cocktails. Note: Take a trip to the restroom, as the egg-shaped toilet pods and colorful ceiling make for a pretty unforgettable trip to the loo.

Rose, vermouth, cardamom, and cherry? That’s a Kerala. Fennel pollen, port, and mint: That’s the West Bengal. Welcome to cocktails, as envisioned by Trishna. (The drinks are named after the Indian states their flavors represent.) Like the cocktails, every item on the menu and every piece of furniture and décor was carefully considered. The food is, for the most part, Keralan coastal fare, all the bright, zesty curries and rice dishes brimming with scallops, king prawns, flaky white fish, and spices. If you order the seven-course vegetarian tasting menu you will never question the validity of vegetables as a main ever again. The velvet banquettes are perfect for groups, the mirrored walls and gold-hued lighting give a romantic edge, and skipping dessert for the rose petal lassi is never a bad call.

The kaiseki here is traditional in its form but often modern in its offerings, with a set menu of eight exciting, meticulous, and ingredient-focused dishes and an impressive wine and sake list. With a choice between a regular or a sushi kaiseki, the offerings vary on what's in season, and you can really tell that whatever arrives before you was plucked from a stand that very day. They also have à la carte sushi options, but if you can, go with the set menu, as it's worth it for the experience.

Perhaps it's because Wilton's has been operating in London since 1742 that it just feels so...British. It's definitely an upscale experience (with the clientele to match), but you get what you pay for because the service is warm, discreet, and impeccably precise. You'll want to do the sensible thing and order the classics: oysters from the Essex coast and a buttery Dover sole.

Famed restaurateurs Chris Corbin and Jeremy King's transformation of the Motor Car building spectacularly highlights the original features (marble pillars, grand staircases, and modern arches) of this art deco gem. The grand café boasts a loyal following, delicious European brasserie fare, great brunch, and an excellent afternoon tea. Their breakfast is particularly good: Case in point, the abundant pastries, cappucinos, and poached eggs over salmon on toast.

Fortnum & Mason, which had, of late, started to fall into the "tourist trap" arena, is making a comeback, and a major one at that with their splashy new restaurant, 45 Jermyn St. Suddenly, F&M is a destination for (well-heeled) locals again as well. Once inside the palatial Martin Brudnizki-designed bistro and seated at one of the luscious orange booths, the stuff of old-fashioned storybooks awaits: You can summon a cart of caviar and have your pick of the best, or ask for an ice-cream sundae (spiked, if you like) with the works. Of course, all the basics are available as well from British classics like rib steak to modern favorites like avocado on toast. It's the sort of place you go on a special occasion and wear your "Sunday Best."

Marylebone is full of bakeries, bookshops, and quiet residential streets, despite its proximity to bustling Oxford Street. One of our favorite stops is the bar at the Chiltern Firehouse, which feels almost like spending time in a garden (while being inside). Nearly all the seats and sofas are embellished with colorful florals, and dozens of trailing green plants form a cornice around the room. Afternoon tea is a special treat—a silver tea tray stacked with chocolate and coffee éclairs is presented by the stylishly attired staff. It’s a great place to counteract a midday slump, and for the freelancers out there, to get some work done.

Live piano and violin (sometimes even a double bass) accompany the much-acclaimed tea menus here. You'll find a variety of small-batch Tregothnan English Estate blends, which are the perfect companion to the finger sandwiches, warm scones, and clotted cream. Their famous Marco Polo jelly is not to be missed, neither is a walk through the Art Deco lobby to check out the stunning sweeping staircase.

A well-made martini is hard to come by, and for this alone, Dukes Hotel Bar merits a visit. This quintessentially British bar is an elegant affair and a perfect spot to decompress in Mayfair. Have a seat at one of the tables and take in the hushed civility around you—portraits of notable Brits, prints of city landmarks. In a few minutes, a bartender in a starched white jacket will come by with the martini trolley and mix the cocktail to your exact specifications. It’s ideal for a calm drink with your parents (the cigar and Cognac garden helps), or come alone, sit at the bar, and enjoy the indulgence of a perfectly mixed drink, just because.

There's a regular line out the door at this soon-to-expand cafe thanks to its seriously delicious raw foods, protein-packed offerings, and juices. Recently, they've teamed up in a big way with London's top delivery service, Deliveroo, so there's actually no need to wait as you can ostensibly order an entire day's worth of food to your home or office every morning. Make sure that order includes one of their meatball wraps—both the chicken and vegan versions are delicious and won't make you feel like you're making any sacrifices.

Not only are you sure to find some of the most gorgeous fruits, vegetables, and specialty foods here, but you're also bound to fall in love with their cheese room. Separated by a glass sliding door, the deliciously stinky room is full of cheeses from all over Europe. The designated cheese mongers are incredibly knowledgeable and kind, so don't hold back with the questions.

Treats, sausage rolls, quality fruits, and "veg," are all on offer in the Moxon Street car park in this upscale neighborhood. Don't miss the fresh Norfolk Oysters.

The lobby bar at the new Zetter Townhouse in Marylebone is a characterful representation of its fictional owner, Wicked Uncle Seymour. It's a dark room packed with his collections of antiques, curiosities, and stolen mini bar bottles—presumably from many slightly seedy hotel stays across the globe. It's a cozy, jolly old retreat from the shops and bustle of its surroundings. The short menu of drinks is designed by Tony Conigliaro, who is basically the don of the cocktail scene in London, and is full of wonderful, perfectly balanced tipples that each boast a story. Try the Sphinx, a delicious and light champagne cocktail named after Uncle Seymour's favorite bordello in Paris, as the barman won't fail to mention.

Blush pink walls and a warm grey ceiling complement the beautiful furniture and accessories sold at this relatively new Marylebone shop and design studio. Handcrafted wooden furniture, jacquard throws, simple terracotta ceramics, and beautifully turned-out desk accessories are just a few of the things you'll want to schlep home. While the shop is off the main street it's worth the detour to see. They also take custom orders.

A walk down New and Old Bond Street yields eponymous boutiques from some of the world's best designers in clothing and jewelry. Solange-Azagury Partridge (her store is a must-see), Cartier, Miu Miu, Boucheron, and Yves Saint Laurent are all here.

Credited with breaking designers like Alexander McQueen and Christopher Kane, Browns is one of the biggest fashion megaships in London—and it has been since 1970, when it opened on a single floor of a townhouse.

There's often something interesting going on at the top of the road in Berkeley Square, but you'll also find flagships for Stella McCartney, Diane von Furstenberg, and Maison Martin Margiela.

It's becoming more and more difficult to find classic arcades like this in central London, where you'll find independent stores and extraordinary service. Savor the feel of Mayfair's good old days as you wander between the madness of Bond Street and Piccadilly. And don't miss the golden egg that is Ladurée's London outpost for a macaroon.

Overstuffed couches, unusual ceramics, colorful throws, cushions, bed linens and basically everything else you might need to furnish a home that's elegant in a totally laid-back, modern country fashion. The brand has several branches in France and is sure to take hold in London.

While there are outposts all over the city, the flagship Marylebone location is an original Edwardian bookshop, with an emphasis on incredible travel titles. All locations also offer a great selection of poetry to fiction, biography and more, all organized by relevant country. Fun.

Boasting five floors of designer labels, in its brand-new space on Haymarket where they've taken over a grand old heritage-listed building, this wildly creative, gallery-like space is complete with sculptures, taxidermy, and art objects. Whether you intend to bust out your wallet or not, the store is one of the city's more inspired spaces.

Sure, we hit Frette for the heavenly sheets, towels, and bedding, but when it comes to their new London flagship, we also go here just to admire the space. The luxury Italian bedding company made a genius move enlisting Milanese design duo of the moment, Dimore Studio, to do the space. The two floors shimmer in tones of emerald and gold, punctuated by a grand, black staircase and satin arm chairs dotted throughout. They offer bespoke, personalized sets.

Hatchards has been open since 1797, welcoming guests like Rudyard Kipling and Lord Byron. Hatchards retains a wonderful old bookshop feel, a beautiful interior, and a knowledgeable staff.

On a corner of Carlos Place—arguably the most sublime shopping street in Mayfair—is McCormack’s atelier. The three-floor townhouse is filled with such beautiful furniture and art collection that you forget you’re there for the jewels. Until you see them: necklaces of cascading diamonds, Art Deco drop earrings, and engagement rings galore. And McCormack excels at breathing new life into family heirloom rings by creating modern “jackets” of jewels to surround the older piece to make it wearable for modern styles. An appointment here might involve relaxing on the sofas upstairs, flipping through the dozens of art and photography books stacked elegantly on the shelves for reference, or chatting with the designer about what your aesthetic preferences. McCormack considers herself a family jeweler, which is fair given that once you’ve ordered a piece, you’re likely to continue going back. The entire experience is bespoke, elegant and thoughtful.

While the Queen's "Chemist" (pharmacy) certainly isn't new—the first shop opened in 1798—it's had a major revamp that's worth mentioning. We're big fans of the shop regardless of its looks, but the new lighting, modern display cases, and layout make it that much more compelling. You can find most medicines, tinctures, band aids, wraps, bath accessories, and vitamins here, but it's the fancy English heritage soaps, bath products, and grooming accessories that make it unique: They carry everything from Floris soaps and perfumes—the Royal family's preferred brand—to Mason & Pearson brushes, Grether's Pastilles, and more.

John Lewis is great for home goods, kitchenware, clothing basics, and more. You'd be surprised at what you can find here. They deliver, and very quickly at that, making it so convenient you never even need to step foot in the store. Don't miss their home section for great, affordable, and durable English design.

Founder and designer Melissa Morris (who cut her teeth at Belstaff), spent years researching, sourcing, and designing her beautifully made Italian leather bags. Aside from the luggage, we love the smaller pieces, too, like the card-holders and leather clutches with compartments for phones, money and iPads. The boutique on South Audley street feels like being in a mahogany-clad library and is always a treat to pop in for a bit of peace and quiet while browsing the goods.

Savile Row is pretty much synonymous with bespoke tailoring. The street has been home to the world's finest tailors for centuries, and the primarily family-owned outfitters on the street have been honing the craft for generations. Nearby Jermyn Street also boasts some serious boutiques and tailors with a reputation for excellent shirting. Case in point: Nobody really does it better than Turnbull & Asser (in business for more than 100 years).

Simply put, this is one of the best department stores in the world. While the layout is refreshingly easy to navigate, no two visits are the same as there's always something new in the works, be it a pop-up shop or temporary exhibit. The Food Hall alone is worth a visit...same goes for the legendary Shoe Galleries.

In 1870, this bookshop purchased the library of Charles Dickens and H.C. Folger, the great American collector of Shakespeare (who sourced most of his originals from here as well). Quality books of all kinds and friendly staff make this a stand-out London shop with a museum-like feel.

With more than 11 stores in London, this English staple is a great place to pick up kitchen and picnic materials (though their mens and womens collections are also worth a look). Their streamlined and affordably priced homewares include utilitarian blankets, rustic terracotta bowls, enamel-dipped cutlery, and more. If you're hoping to impress friends from home with seemingly simple basics they can't get at home, this is your spot.

The London branch of this NYC-based gallery operates out of an elegantly restored Georgian townhouse in Mayfair. It's a fittingly grand setting considering David Zwirner's stable of contemporary artists is impressive to say the least: Francys Alÿs, Jockum Nordström, and Luc Tuymans have all shown here.

With successful gallery outposts in New York, Zurich, and London, Hauser & Wirth is one of the most respected names in contemporary art. Rather than rely solely on the heavy hitters (Louise Bourgeoise, Dan Graham, Eva Hesse's estate), they give wall space to up-and-coming talent like Rashid Johnson and Bharti Kher, too.

London is so packed with incredible galleries and cultural institutions that it’s daunting to know even where to begin. Which is why we’d point you here. Lynsey Ingram’s tiny gallery is almost hidden down Bourdon Street, but once you find it, you’ll discover an exciting collection of post-war prints from artists like Francis Bacon, Will Cotton, and Peter Doig. Ingram worked for Sotheby’s for years before going it alone, and her knowledge and eye is evident here. And aside from the art, it’s stocked with catalogues and comfy chairs, and Ingram herself is usually on hand for any questions about the works you find most interesting.

This fabled house offers exhibitions and auctions of a diverse range of modern art, design, photography, and jewelry. The expansive building, right on Berkeley Square is a thing of beauty in and of itself.

Picturehouse is known for taking old movie theaters and jazzing them up with plush decor, all-day cafés, and bars. The newest of the group, right smack in central London in the Trocadero is no exception, with a much more contemporary look that makes you feel like you've walked into a big, clubby bar rather than a movie theater. You sort of have, in that the top floor is an exclusive member's bar with a terrace that provides great views of the bustling surroundings. And oh, there's the seven theaters themselves which have undergone a massive renovation and now have comfier red velvet seats and better screens (with cool retro curtains).

With graduates like J.M.W. Turner, David Hockney, John Constable and many, many others, The Royal Academy is simultaneously one of England's most competitive art schools and also one of its most inventive exhibition spaces. The students and remarkable-in-their-own-right faculty make the Academy more of a community rather than just a space to experience great art. Don't miss their annual Summer Exhibition: A tradition since 1769(!), it's an enormous open-entry show with submissions from around the world that's meant to offer insight into future art-world trends.

Step through the door of this beautiful Mayfair building and into a super sleek space for some great modern and contemporary art. There are some big names here, including Andy Warhol.

A family of great art collectors—the Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace—accumulated art by some of the world's most renowned artists of the 14th to the 19th centuries. Work by Titian, Rembrandt, Rubens, Fragonard, and Watteau is all displayed in their former home. Major pluses: Admission is free and the cafe is stunning.

Fur is the kind of all-knowing healer you want to pull up a chair beside and spill your secrets to. She is that good a listener. A revered osteopath with a quarter century of experience, Fur is highly observant and seriously intuitive. The first time she met one goop staffer, after a few pleasantries, she cocked her head, inquired whether the staffer always lurched to the side like that, and started to work her magic. Fur endorses a 360-degree approach to well-being, one where the patient’s mental state and emotional baggage are treated as thoughtfully as the physical aches and pains. As far as we're concerned, there is no better osteopath in London.

Hands-down one of our favorite places to stay in London, the Connaught in Mayfair manages to strike a balance between charming and yet totally modern. The hotel's 5,000-square-foot spa (the only Aman Spa of its kind outside of the resort group), is just as incredible as you'd imagine swathed in floor-to-ceiling marble. At just five treatment rooms strong, there's a welcome intimacy here—all treatments start with an herbal infusion to help you unwind and then treatments take from Chinese, Indian, and Thai influences. (Each of the treatment rooms has its own private steam room.) During the week, the spa hosts a 20-minute lunch meditation at 1 p.m. that's free and open to the public.

Each floor of this renovated townhouse seems more luxurious, calming, and super-indulgent than the next. The treatment packages are especially amazing if you have an afternoon to spare; if not, The Speed Spa offers 15-minute and 30-minute services like eye facials, firming facials, and massages—all of them fantastic. The spa’s Penthouse is even more luxe: A spa concierge arranges your entire experience, from a door-to-door chauffeur to tickets for a post-treatment show or restaurant reservations.

Several goop staffers are longtime fans of the Lanserhof’s clinic in Austria. So we were delighted when they opened their first UK clinic, across the street from the Arts Club in Mayfair. The custom-tailored programs at this medical spa and gym marry time-honored holistic treatments with modern medicine. Arts Club members and Lanserhof patients can avail themselves of the top-notch facilities that include Britain’s first cryotherapy chambers, treatment rooms for sports injuries, diagnostics with the clinic’s doctors, and a thoughtfully crafted menu of healthy food to tuck into post-treatment.

Nicola is well-known in London and around the world for being a top colorist with a long roster of both male and female celebrity clients. When she's not on assignment, she can be found at the John Frieda in London and more recently at her own, beautifully-appointed brick and mortar salon.

The runners and hard-core exercisers of London know Dr. Fares Haddad as the very best knee surgeon in town. An orthopedic surgeon, he specializes in sports, trauma, and lower limb reconstruction.

After trying out a few locations in London, SKINWORK (formerly known as Face Place) has permanently relocated to the incredibly chic studio in Soho. Though the space is a little more of-the-moment than what you'll find at their other salons (Eagle has spruced up their stark aesthetic with mid-century furniture and sheepskin pillows), their approach to skincare is as clinical and no-nonsense as ever. The signature facial combines a round of extractions with a galvanizing treatment which promises to tighten and rejuvenate skin tissue. They also offer some pretty effective peels.

While you're pretty much guaranteed a solid facial at any of the Four Seasons, it's the Organic Pharmacy treatments at the Park Lane outpost that leave skin incredibly soft and glowing. Packed with anti-aging rose and diamonds, the products shine in particular during the signature Rose Diamond Anti-Age and Lifting facial, which starts with deep exfoliation from diamond powder and an enzyme peel and ends with an intensely lifting massage.

This studio was founded by superfacialist Vaishaly Patel, and the skin-care treatments are incredible. The signature facial combines Patel’s famous techniques (deep cleansing, extraction, microdermabrasion, and high-frequency treatment) to create a custom plan to improve your skin on the day of your appointment. All facials include a craniosacral massage to treat tense areas at the scalp, brows, and jaw—heaven.

Dr. Massoud is an experienced, reliable, and skilled pediatrician. He's wonderful with children and also puts parents at ease. The Portland Hospital location is a private practice, but Dr. Massoud also practices through the NHS at Northwick Park and St Mark’s Hospitals.

Gynecologist Alfred Cutner offers specialist consultations, investigations, and treatments to women with benign gynecological conditions at The Portland Hospital. He also runs an NHS practice at the teaching hospital at University College Hospital London. His main interest is laparoscopic surgery and its application in urogynaecology, endometriosis, fibroids, and pediatric and adolescent gynecology. Sounds complicated but, to sum it up, he's an excellent, well-rounded doctor.

Andrea Hurst, aka the foot guru, is a specialist in reflexology. She's been practicing reflexology for thirty years and has been based in Mayfair for the past seventeen years. Hurst also practices at UME Diagnostics in Harley Street, does home visits, and travels extensively. Her treatments help reset and restore body, mind, and spirit, and a session with her provides a framework for optimizing your well-being.

Quite possibly the most qualified professional in acupuncture we've ever come across, Dr. Tran is trained in both eastern and western medicine, Qigong and even bone-setting. What this means is that he's an incredibly thorough, no-nonsense doctor who can treat a huge variety of ailments from neck and back pain to digestive issues, muscle spasms, and more.

While Dr. Vara can treat just about any musculoskeletal injury, it's his abilities when it comes to pain management—everything from treating back pain to recurring headaches—that make him so popular. He's also great with (and qualified to treat) children. With two clinics in Sussex, he's a busy guy, but he does make it to his London clinic every Monday.

West is a real-life baby whisperer. At the largest holistic fertility clinic in the UK, West, a trained midwife, and her team of medical doctors and holistic practitioners consider and treat the whole person. That treatment can entail acupuncture, nutritional advice, tackling emotional stressors, and IVF. In person, West is both calmly practical and hugely empathetic, with a sense of humor that usually dissolves any nervousness. All courses of treatment start with a consultation and chat on the sofa; for those seeking some of West’s wisdom from home, her informative books and supplements are available online.

The cushiest chairs and the best snacks can be found at Everyman Cinemas which feature kids matinées on Saturday mornings. Each Saturday brings a different film for the burgeoning film crowd.

In addition to being an upscale retailer of quality British products like tea, coffee, and jam, Fortnum & Mason is famous for its high tea. The Gallery high tea is the most traditional, and The Fountain offers a light meal with their tea service. It's a perfect outing for little girls.

This colorful and well-equipped playground with jungle gyms, tire swings, picnic tables, and more is just behind Marylebone High Street at the end of Paddington Street Gardens (where you'll find a beautiful English rose garden). The space is covered with trees and makes a for a supremely peaceful break from errands or sightseeing.

Papouelli—formerly known as Papillon—focuses on beautifully crafted, classic children's shoes that are actually practical. Their bestselling moccasins are adorable, though they also sell loafers, booties, and special occasion shoes for littles of all ages.

The positive affirmations emblazoned on the windows catch your eye first. Then the fluttering pieces of paper taped to the doorframe with words like “gratitude,” “love,” and “forgiveness” (pull off what you need—the equivalent of a wellness fortune cookie, without the cookie) lure you in. Through the Aussie-style café (an amazing spot for a turmeric latte or to plow through emails), down the stairs is Bodyism, a wellness-mecca-meets-private-members’-club. Unlike other private gyms, there isn’t a treadmill in sight; instead, Bodyism is focused on personal training and classes, teaching clients to be kind to themselves with a more low-impact routine than the often punishing cardio regimes found elsewhere. The ballet, yoga, Pilates, and boxing are taught—for the most part—by former athletes and everyone here remembers your name.

This place is incredible for parents. The idea is that of a members' club, but for families. The kids take over the ground floor (with supervised activities, soft play, and a plant-based café to feed them), while the grown-ups have their own spa-restaurant-tearoom oasis upstairs. The top floor is the treatment sanctuary with acupuncture, colonics, a nutritionist, and cryotherapy chambers at the ready. Refreshingly, membership is completely nonexclusive. Anyone can join (for a yearly fee), and having children is not a prerequisite.

We were sad to see Triyoga's beautiful, Primrose Hill location go but are more than satisfied with its new airy, Camden replacement. Beyond the well-known yoga and Pilates classes—by far, some of the best the city has to offer—it's also worth checking out the infrared sauna sessions, craniosacral massage, intuitive readings, and nutritional, EFT, and CBT therapy (depending on what you're after).

The Grace is a boon to womankind as far as we're concerned: A private, women-only club in one of London's upper-crust neighborhoods, it's as great to hit for a business meeting as it is for a spa break, a green juice, a healthy lunch, or any number of holistic treatments with some of the city's most renowned healers. It's a one-stop shop for everything from colonics to IV infusions, and those who have the spare cash might consider the three- to five-day Intensive Cleanse, which includes a nutritional plan and everything from lymphatic drainage to Acqua Calda hammam treatments. It's a pretty great place to kick-start a health and wellness regimen.

While the gym and restaurant are open to members only, the spa at Chelsea's KX is open to the (well-heeled) public who might visit for a wax or face sculpting. We would recommend heading there for a functional medicine consultation with Dr. Georges Mouton. If colonics are your thing, see Michelle Laud. The easy-to-use app makes it easy to book on the fly, too.

While Gazelli is already known for its skin-care range developed by Dr. Zarifa Hamzayeva, you can expect the therapies offered at the sumptuous new HQ to go way beyond the surface. Membership to the beautiful townhouse on Walton Street comes with two signature diagnostic treatments. Whether you go for a facial or a body treatment, each session is completely bespoke and could include anything from microdermabrasion to radio frequency. After that, Gazelli also offers introductions to a variety of other practitioners, from life coaches to hypnotists, to get you glowing from the inside out.

While it's no surprise that one of London's swankiest hotels would have a bejeweled spa and gym to match, it's the treatments on offer that really make the Bulgari stand out. Cupping, Chinese Tui-Na, the Bowen Technique, osteopathy, and even emotional healing with a self-proclaimed "Modern Day Wizard" (price tag to match) are on offer here. In addition, the spa's Trend Room is home to the hottest pop-up wellness concepts and changes every few months.

Though the hotel is located right in the center of the city overlooking Piccadilly, its subterranean spa feels miles away from the bustling streets above. The space itself is gorgeous, and spending a couple of hours between the sleek and modern gym, pool, and hammam facilities makes for a pretty spectacular spa day. When you book in with some of the expert healers—a resident Reiki master, nutritionist, etc.—the spa also doubles as the most luxurious practitioner's office ever.

With a chiropractor, psychotherapist, gynecologist, and even a sports therapist and podiatrist all in the same place, the London Wellness Centre is focused on prevention above all else. With all these services available, it's also taking a completely integrative approach to health care. Co-owner and lead chiropractor Joanna Lowry-Corry is an incredibly thoughtful practitioner who takes the time to get to know her patients and is a font of knowledge when it comes to overall wellness. With locations in Canary Wharf and right near the Shard, it's hitting London's nerve center when it comes to stress-related issues.

Yoga is big in London (as it is everywhere), but there are few places we have enjoyed practicing more than Yogarise. Held on an upper floor of a South London warehouse, classes are large, but the experience feels incredibly intimate. This is no run-of-the-mill Ashtanga. Classes are taught to music that stretches from classical and instrumental to traditional Indian. The yin class, taught by Emma Peel, not only focuses on stretching out the hips and lower back but is a meditative experience unlike any we’ve had. Peel recites poetry, the music seems to ebb and flow with the stretches (which you hold for up to five minutes), and the room smells comfortingly—never overwhelmingly—of incense. Mats, blocks, and blankets are freely provided, and the relaxation area, filled with art house magazines, herbal teas, and works by local artists, is a space you could spend hours in.

A relatively recent renovation to the spa and gym at London’s grande dame the Lanesborough takes wellness to the next level. The gym is first-class and available to guests and members with a slew of performance specialists on hand for one-on-one and class training,as well as full health assessments. Box, run, weight lift, dance, yoga you name it—it’s all available, plus a café that features nutritionist-led dishes and drinks for lunch after a workout. Highlights at the spa include Ila facials, crystal sound healing (pure sound vibrations made using a pestle and crystal bowl), and Tibetan energy healing. The biggest draw however is an energetic healing facial with the renowned Anastasia Achilleos (Achilleos has a residency on Thursdays, be sure to book early). The pool is one of the prettiest in London, and overall, the Lanesborough feels much more like a retreat than a fitness club.

Esther Fieldgrass has a few clinics around London in neighborhoods including Chelsea, Kensington, and St. John’s Wood. The clinics specialize in invasive and noninvasive aesthetic procedures, and the services and beautiful offices make them a favorite of ours for peels, laser procedures, and microneedling, as well as more-intense treatments.

Not to hate on food delivery, but the sevices we really want on demand lean more to the mani, pedi, waxing, and spray tanning side of things. This is where the Salonettes come in. They’re a team of beauty therapists spread out all over London. And setting up an appointment couldn’t be easier: Create an account online, select your service (or services? Nice!), pick a date and time, and give LeSalon the address for your home, hotel, or office. (Fun fact: goop’s VIP guru Kelly fell in love with LeSalon after one of the Salonettes rushed to goop Lab London to fix her failing manicure just in time for an event). Founder Natasha Pilbrow empowers the team to manage their own hours and work when it works for them, so LeSalon’s hours of operation stretch from early morning to late-late. Another reason we love the company and concept: Among Pilbrow’s priorities is making sure the Salonettes enjoy the high commission rates, regular training, and financial stability that are not easy to come by in the freelance beauty therapist industry. If you’re waiting for the catch, it’s not coming—treatments use modern and luxurious products (Vita Liberata spray tans, vegan, nontoxic nail-care products), and many of the services are undeniably more relaxing in your own home (hiya, Brazilian waxing).

More than a gym, Blok is a full fitness complex in Shoreditch, a few steps from Liverpool Street station. There are thirty-two different types of classes spanning yoga, Pilates, boxing, barre, and Blok’s own custom classes. The place is beautiful in a stark, modern way—the studios are all glass, brushed concrete, and textural woods with corridors illuminated by soft lights. The café is an ideal post- or pre-workout spot to fuel up with coffee, protein shakes, and plant-based bites that arrive in the prettiest sculptural wooden bowls. Blok’s store, meanwhile, is filled with natural beauty products and workout gear.

A new discovery for us, Agua Spa is located under the hypermodern Sea Containers hotel (formerly the Mondrian) and designed by Tom Dixon. It’s the antithesis of a normal spa. There are no hard corners, only undulating surfaces that curve into corridors and communal spaces, and the color scheme is white, grey, and silver. The whole vibe is more akin to a spaceship or a futuristic cocoon than the usual wood/cotton/natural-light mix. The manicures and pedicures are both indulgent and blessedly efficient, but of all the treatments, the Soveral Signature Facial is one we come back to again and again. If you’re into lymphatic massage, aromatherapy, and nontoxic beauty, you won’t be disappointed. We also found ourselves in the womblike relaxation area sipping herbal tea and reading newspapers (thoughtfully left by each bed) long after our appointment ended.

Unlike many aestheticians who rely solely on traditional lotions and potions to treat skin maladies, Anastasia Achilleos targets the facial structures, including the lymph nodes, fascia, and muscles. She offers a huge range of therapies, including deep cleansing, steam, extraction, and bespoke massages to lift, depuff, soften dark circles and hyperpigmentation, and reduce congestion in sinuses. Her sessions are relaxing, and she makes sure to teach her clients how to best manage their skin at home.

OG skin whisperer Linda Meredith has worked on everyone from Farrah Fawcett to Kate Middleton, and she's one of the facialists local goop friends swear by. An appointment at her Knightsbridge salon is definitely worth the splurge. Her team identifies, treats, and eliminates skin conditions with restorative algae-oxygen therapy, plumping collagen treatments, and more.

Most treatments consist of a combination of yellow and near-infrared light (longer wavelengths that penetrate skin more deeply and are shown to help stimulate healing and ease pain), but for clients with congestion, courses of bacteria-eliminating blue light are most effective. It's worth making a habit—results are said to be cumulative—and it doesn't hurt that the salon is located inside Harvey Nichols.

Andrea Pfeffer’s passion for glowing, balanced skin led her to create this beautiful, intimate studio with a menu of novel, high-tech facials. The salon started a bit of a craze for collagen-supporting copper microneedling, but what really sets it apart is that no matter how cutting-edge the treatment or how hard-core the extractions, needling, or vitamin infusion, there's an exquisitely relaxing facial massage built in to your session.

Danish skin-care brand Själ incorporates gemstones and high-quality minerals into its formulations, which are said to vibrate at high frequencies that cause cellular regeneration. When those properties are put into action in the form of chief facialist Henrik Gaardsal's facials, you're in for a treat. He uses rose quartz and amethyst wands for a head-to-toe gemstone massage that relaxes the body and stimulates lymphatic drainage, followed by the most soothing facial around. Some call it a bioregenerative treatment; others call it heaven. Book in advance, as London is just one of Gaardsdal's many international stops.

Using a mix of acupuncture, LED light, and even tuning forks (the vibrations have soothing, stress-easing effects), the facials here leave clients with a serious glow, balanced skin, and an even deeper sense of calm. We’re especially in love with the Chi Rejuvenation Facial, fifty minutes of acupressure, gua sha, and jade rolling, all of which energize skin by supposedly stimulating the flow of chi.

Joanne Evans’s Skin Matters is down a flight of stairs on pretty, Holland Park street. The treatment beds emit infrared light, the neutral-tone rooms and relaxation area encourage deep calm, and the facials are skin-changing. Evans has been tending faces for over two decades, and her specialty is problematic and eczema-afflicted skin. She has a beautifully light touch and uses incredible active formulas, along with collagen-supporting microneedling.

Former Spa Junkie columnist at the Financial Times Inge Theron is the founder of this enterprise. Which makes sense, as only someone who has experienced hundreds of spas, treatments, and Eastern and Western wellness philosophies could have come up with something so smart. FaceGym is not a facial; it’s a workout for the muscles, fascia, and lymph glands that make up your face. And it’s completely noninvasive. A therapist will knead, press, and gently slap your face for thirty minutes, and the result is kind of incredible. Your cheekbones look lifted, your eyes are less puffy, and the rush of blood to the face gives your complexion a healthy glow. The shorter appointment times and convenient locations mean you can squeeze this facial workout into a lunch break.

After a long, dehydrating flight or an intense week at work or really any other time, come to think of it, there are few things we love more than a massage at Agua Spa in the Sea Containers hotel (formerly the Mondrian). Skin specialist Alexandra Soveral’s Signature Treatment is manna to your visage. A deep clean is followed by an intense lymphatic-drainage massage. Hot and cold stones are dipped in fragrant oils and rolled over the face, taking care of puffiness and smoothing out fatigue lines. Soveral’s organic, nontoxic products are made from botanicals grown on her family farm in Portugal—and they smell heavenly. Pick up a jar of Angel Balm, a miracle in a jar that you can cleanse with or smear on as a hydrating mask while up in the air or overnight in bed.

Xochi Balfour is quickly becoming the face of millennial healing in London, working with clients in their twenties and thirties who need coping strategies for stress and burnout. Xochi meets with clients at her home for one to two sessions and uses a range of techniques customized to individual needs. Through anything from guided chakra meditation and sound healing to nutritional and skincare advice, she helps her clients develop their own personal toolkit for wellness and sets them on their way.

Keah Lan has quite a following for her at-home Pilates, yoga, and reflexology sessions, so much so that she's trained an entire staff in her methods to help satisfy demand. She's an exacting teacher and when it comes to reflexology; a session goes far beyond deep relaxation. Integrating her background in Qi Gong and traditional Chinese medicine, she can also identify vitamin deficiencies and posture problems, help with insomnia, and more—though she's probably best known for her pre- and post-natal reflexology and yoga sessions. Bring your kids, she works wonders on them, too.

Will Williams and Jess Cook took a two and a half year hiatus and traveled to India (and then the world) to learn everything they could about Vedic Meditation, only to return to London to bring it to the masses. Learning the technique takes place over three consecutive sessions: they'll give you a personal mantra in the first session, followed by two sessions of meditation training after that. Then, you're ready to practice on your own and reap the benefits—better sleep, less anxiety, focus, the works—or join their popular group sessions in Victoria (no lotus position required).

The trek out to Barnet to see reflexologist Chantal Freegard (she makes North London home visits upon request) is a worthwhile exercise for anyone dealing with stress, insomnia, back problems, and infertility. Some say the energy changes in a room the minute she walks in. Part of her success comes from her long-standing practice in reflexology, and part comes from her foray into crystal healing. At the end of each session, she incorporates sound therapy using vibrating crystals from her personal collection, which she chooses intuitively for each client.

Trained in both the ancient art of Reiki and the modern science of neurolinguistic programming, Light combined the two to create her own approach, aptly named the Light Technique. Light generally sees patients for a course of four to six appointments and combines talk therapy with Reiki, the idea being that the Reiki relieves pain and helps you relax, while the NLP helps to change our own deeply held habits and beliefs—that's when the real breakthroughs happen. Each session is tailored to the client and Light regularly helps people with everything from stress and anxiety to weight gain, hormonal imbalance, grief, and fatigue. Her massages in and of themselves are a treat.

It's rarely a health issue that takes people to Diane MacLelllan, though her lessons in Alexander Technique can certainly help in that department, especially when it comes to back and neck pain. In addition to teaching better posture, she’s an expert in body language, presentation skills, and Neuro-Linguistic Programming, which means you can visit her for the suite. The idea is that if we train ourselves to better our language and posture, we’ll train (or program) our brains to feel better, too.

You might go to Giulia for hay fever and be surprised by the totally non-related questions she asks—about your character, habits, how you sleep—but that's because she's looking for root causes rather than simply treating symptoms. After your first consultation, you'll receive her homeopathic remedy in the mail, which she hand blends herself. The number of sessions depends on the complexity of the issue—a hay fever remedy may just take one visit, while skin disorders, hormonal issues, back aches, arthritis, etc., will take a few. Whatever it may be, she's effective, and incredibly affordable, so it won't break the bank.

Using a mix of yoga, herbal remedies, bodywork, and nutritional therapy, Sunita helps clients through everything from back pain to skin conditions and hormonal issues. It's no wonder she's well-versed in a variety of modalities, as she grew up helping out at her family business, Maitri, a natural food store and holistic health center in South London. Nowadays, she's the clinical director there, where in addition to practicing a variety of holistic therapies, she mixes her own custom herbal remedies for clients.

Trained in yoga, neuroscience, psychotherapy, and medical physiology, Heather is about as expert a yoga therapist as you can find. In fact, she founded The Minded Institute in London, which uses Mason's scientific research in neuroscience to teach yoga practitioners, doctors, nurses, therapist, clinicians, etc., how to integrate yoga therapy into their practice. When she's not steeped in research and running workshops for the Minded Institute, Heather does take on private clients and can help with anything from anxiety and mental health issues to back pain and chronic disease. She recommends a minimum of six sessions, which include a general consultation followed by weekly visits which involve a mix of yoga, mindfulness and general lifestyle management according to each client’s needs. Her practice focuses on providing some immediate relief to a variety of ailments, but is also aimed at creating what she calls neurological resilience, meaning that patients learn strategies to manage their ailments on their own, while re-training their brain at the same time.

Fertility expert Emma Cannon specializes in helping soon-to-be and new mothers at her offices in Chelsea and the West End. A registered acupuncturist and an expert in women’s health, her techniques sit between Eastern and Western healing traditions. The Fertility Rooms are her center of gravity, where she provides nutritional advice, acupuncture, and full-body diagnostics to support couples trying to get pregnant or women recovering from postpartum depression. She also runs an IVF support clinic.

Vanessa Kandiyoti is a polymath—which alone is reason to be fascinated by her. Born in Belgium, with Turkish origins, the former jewelry designer now resides in West London, where she teaches meditation, compassion, and deep calm. Kandiyoti leads group sessions, but is also available for one-on-ones. Aside from having the most calming voice and soothing manner, Kandiyoti is a fascinating and optimistic person, so whether you’re an experienced meditator or a novice, you’ll leave feeling centered and uplifted.

There’s only one word for Estelle Bingham’s practice: transformative. Or maybe two: utterly transformative. Her particular combination of crystal healing and guided meditation melts away the anxieties of modern life. She’s done this for twenty years, and if you choose to surrender and commit some time to exploring her methods of holistic healing, the results can be remarkable. You can book sessions either at Bamford’s sparkling new well-being haven in Brompton Cross or privately.

Astrology is one of those enthralling specialties that we can never quite figure out for ourselves, which is why we have the London-based Nymph of Neptune on speed dial. With several years of experience interpreting client’s birth charts behind her, this astrologist is an expert at illuminating the significance of planetary positions—specifically Mars, Venus, Mercury, and the moon—at the time and date of our births, and what that might mean for us personally and professionally. An hour or two with Nymph of Neptune is truly enlightening. What’s more, sessions can be conducted in English, Italian, or French, the choice—and the path—is yours.

Though she's probably most famous for her six-week weight-loss program called The B, Wake also provides nutritional advice for people who are recovering from serious illnesses, reteaching them how to eat according to their new needs. The reason her nutritional advice works, and why she's so well thought of by people like Lily Simpson at the Detox Kitchen, is her warm personality and her adaptable programs. She prescribes nutritional plans according to your lifestyle and makes you stick with it under her watch so that it's not just advice but habit-forming change. Wake also doubles as a life coach, and invariably, when you're trying to make big life changes, it often starts with making small food swaps.

Having worked in fashion PR, Eve Kalinik understands the crazy pace at which some of her clients live and how they might not have the time to make their own meals, let alone eat at regular hours. This is probably what makes her one of the most in-demand nutritional therapists of the moment. Kalinik focuses on teaching her clients new eating habits that they can actually stick to and introducing foods that are within their reach. Plus, she's into the nitty-gritty, looking into hormone imbalances, food intolerances, and digestive issues when needed to get to the root of her patients' issues.

Gabriela Peacock took an interest in nutrition as a model and now helps clients achieve their model ambitions through nutrition. Beyond prescribing eating plans, Peacock places a strong emphasis on testing for intolerance and hormonal imbalance, to find the root causes of many issues. It helps that's she's based at the Grace in Belgravia, with just about every lab and specialist available at her fingertips.

It's a trek all the way to Harrow to see Raj Bhachu at his practice, Sai Nutrition, but there are converts, including cookbook authors and spiralizing advocates Melissa and Jasmine Hemsley, who are willing to make the trip. Bhachu practices integrative medicine, meaning that he tests for parasites, heavy-metal toxicity, and everything else conventional MDs might not immediately (or ever) jump to. So if you have a health issue that you can't get to the bottom of, a trip to the outskirts of London may be in the cards.

Founded over fifteen years ago by nutritionists Ian Marber and Vicki Edgson, the Food Doctor is to this day an excellent first port of call when it comes to nutrition. All of the practitioners here provide solid nutritional advice, whether you're looking to shed a few pounds or cope with illnesses such as diabetes. You'll leave your first appointment armed with easy-to-follow worksheets, charts, and suggestions for meal plans.

Amelia Freer is a strictly science-based nutritional therapist with a huge demand in London, not to mention two bestselling books under her belt. She's a steadfast researcher, and she won't tout a superfood or a strategy until it's proven to work, which is probably why she has a long list of devotees. There's also the fact she's a great cook, and she won't just reteach you how to eat but will recommend doable and delicious recipes (see our story with her, here) that won't make you feel like you're missing out. Though she's not currently taking clients, her two books—Eat. Nourish. Glow. and Cook. Nourish. Glow.—are a great start and offer her sensible, user-friendly approach to nutrition. Photo: Candida Boddington

Trained as a traditional obstetrician, Dr. Gowri became frustrated with conventional birth methods and has developed her own technique called "The Gentle Birth Method" which incorporates traditional Ayurveda among other modalities. She insists the entire process needn't be as painful and fraught with stress as it has become for many women. Her method is all-encompassing: Through a mix of private consultations and group sessions she helps women with infertility issues to become pregnant, and assists pregnant women through the process into birth and care-giving.

When it comes to bodily aches and pains, there's often more to it than meets the eye, which is exactly what osteopath Kristian Wood addresses. He's well versed in fixing injuries, but his healing practice takes his appointments much further than that. Part of a session with Wood might involve physical touch to release a trapped muscle or nerve, and the rest is a mix of energy healing and therapy, so that aches caused by emotional stresses and blockages can be dislodged for good.

Fabi Waisbort's West End practice is a go-to for the London theatre crowd. Using a mix of osteopathy, acupuncture, and massage, Fabi and his team will cure just about any pain or ailment whether you're performing or not.

With four London locations in addition to their Gloucestershire farm, Daylesford Organic's farmshops—they're also home to small cafés perfect to work or read from—are an amazing place to get a very literal taste of the English countryside. You can pop in to buy the local, organic, and humanely raised groceries, or stick around to try their straightforward (but stellar) menu. Their Gloucestershire farm, home to the largest and most elaborate of their farmshops, is well worth the trip if you have the time (you can also spend the night).

Nicky Kinnaird's beauty emporium has launched more than one of the best skin-care brands known today. Lines like Tata Harper, Laura Mercier, and Eve Lom were virtually unknown before winning shelf space here. If you're looking for some skin-care advice, Space NK is a good place to mix up your beauty regimen. There are locations throughout the city.

One goop staffer visited this tiny but mighty, absolutely perfect general store every weekend while she lived in London. Shelves, baskets, and crates are stocked with produce: heirloom tomatoes from Italy, mangoes from India, lettuces, herbs, and dairy from the English countryside. Everything has been thoughtfully chosen by Merlin and Genevieve, the owners, and every last heirloom tomato and wedge of English Cheddar is the highest quality money can buy. Despite the size of the store—it’s teeny—all the pantry essentials, like pasta, flour, spices, bread, and eggs, are here, as well as an incredible selection of cheese, farm-fresh eggs, good wine, and pastries. The General Store hosts regular wine tastings, and the line is out the door most days.

New Yorkers make the pilgrimage across the George Washington bridge into the New Jersey Palisades for this 24-hour spa, and with good reason: With several floors offering a variety of spa and sauna options, from men- and women-only whirlpools, to a traditional Korean Hwangtoh (yellow mud) Room, to an infrared sauna accommodating several people at a time, it’s the mother of all spa complexes. The Korean noodle bar and over-the-top kitschy decor—fake palms included—are the icing on the cake.

This mini-chain of mega spas offers something called Sauna Valley: You’ll find every conceivable temple—gold, Himalayan Salt, infrared, far infrared, color therapy—and an equal number of pools to match. The Texas outpost is open twenty-four hours a day, while the Queens location is open from 6 a.m. to midnight, making this a fun pilgrimage (and a good girls-day activity). There’s an on-site cafeteria and even a kiddie pool.

Dr. Ilan Bohm is our man and the founder of OIM, which advocates looking beyond—while still using—Western medicine for well-being. Keeping in mind that every patient is unique and not one-treatment-fits-all, Dr. Bohm sees patients on an individual level and aims to prevent rather than just treat illness by incorporating acupuncture, nutritional therapy, and chiropractic into any healthcare routine. They facilitate detoxes, and also offer hydrocolonic therapy.

Dr. Richard Ash, who tragically passed away in 2015, has set up an enduring integrative medicine center in New York City, where you'll be shepherded through an extensive series of tests. After they'll create a totally customized, preventative, and restorative roadmap to optimum health. While it's not necessarily about detoxing, their steps to a healthier lifestyle often involve just that.

As its name implies, Gravity East Village specializes in gravity-based colonics, which means that the in-flow and out-flow of water is simultaneous. Gravity also has a far infrared sauna, which is a nice complement for a full detox.

While hydrotherapy colonics are the specialty here, SanaVita also offers lymphatic massage, acupuncture, and Reiki. They even have an on-staff astrologer.

Beyond the extensive list of yoga classes offered by husband and wife Stephan Kolbert and Ingrid Marcroft and their team, UWS Yoga offers meditation classes and sessions in their infrared sauna. You have to pre-book, so try and snag an appointment right before or after a yoga or meditation session for an extra detox boost.

Founder Tracy Piper brings more than twenty years of experience in Chinese herbology and colon hydrotherapy, which she believes can aid in everything from digestion to skin health in her one-stop cleansing center. For those in need of a recharge, there's also dry-skin brushing, a lymphatic draining detox wrap, and infrared sauna sessions.

WeWork—the round-the-world network of comfy, breezy (decidedly un-corporate) workspaces rented out to people and businesses—has always been an ideal HQ with its meditation rooms, retreats, and fitness class offerings. And now with Rise by We, its new holistic wellness club in NYC's financial district (more locations to roll out down the line), the brand’s dreamed up a respite from the swivel chair where you can get up and move in any number of workout classes (from kickboxing to yoga to personal training sessions), as well as stoke some serious relaxation vibes at their Superspa. There are steam and sauna rooms, amazing massages, a circulation-rousing cold water plunge, and a communal—and coed—hammam area. The spa’s café makes killer juices—and come evening, healthy-ish cocktails. And if you can’t commit to a full-on membership, Rise’s $100 four-class access pass option is a solid option.

Perhaps the chicest yoga studio in NYC, Sky Ting was designed in part by Courtney Applebaum—who collaborated with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen on The Row's Melrose Place store—and has an airy, effortlessly cool aesthetic. The foundation of their signature Sky Ting class is pulled from Vinyasa, Katonah, Iyengar, Kundalini, and Hatha yoga traditions—but each instructor brings their own perspective, so no two sessions feel the same. They also offer specialty classes including infrared-heated and candlelit sessions. The studio also has an on-site spa, featuring two infrared saunas, a cold plunge, and a relaxing lounge with three day beds.

Whether you need to recover from a tough workout or detox after an especially indulgent weekend, there are a variety of high-tech treatments to try alone or build into a package. Try combining a CVAC session, where you sit inside a hyperbaric chamber while the barometric pressure is adjusted to reportedly support circulation and detoxification, with a nap using the NuCalm device, which claims to be a miraculously restorative 30-minute snooze. Finish with a session inside the Sunlighten mPulse Sauna, where you can customize the ratio of near, mid, and far infrared rays.

The duplex spa is enormous and luxurious, with high ceilings, plush couches, and a posh aesthetic that manages to be both modern and comfortable. There’s a hair salon, nail studio, and fourteen treatment rooms where you can get a variety of skin-perfecting therapies like the Fix-It-All facial, an over-the-top combination of micro-current, microdermabrasion, LED therapy, and more to lift, tighten, and smooth. A facial with founder/skin-whisperer Danuta Mieloch is transformative—her touch is exquisite, and you emerge looking beyond glowy.

There are tons of treatment options at this wellness hideout inside the penthouse on a particularly hectic block of Midtown. From a targeted acupuncture and cupping session with founder Joel Granik to a float inside a sensory deprivation tank (that's thought to mimic the body’s experience in the womb) to Reiki healing and yoga classes taught in a gorgeous white room with a glass ceiling, everything here aims to balance and restore the body’s chi. There’s an infrared sauna and a salt cave; the walls of the latter are made from hundreds of pounds of Himalayan salt bricks, which infuse the air with negative ions while you relax on a massage bed.

This urban sweat lodge has three locations in the city and one in East Hampton, all with the spa’s signature infrared sauna wraps. After putting on the provided uniform—a light cotton top and pants—you’ll be snugly bundled inside an infrared blanket (the material it’s made of feels similar to the bib you wear for x-rays at the dentist) and left to watch Netflix while you seriously sweat. The far infrared waves gently warm the body, increasing the core temperature. You emerge from the cocoon 55 minutes later completely drenched. If that isn’t enough, schedule a consecutive lymphatic drainage session, where you’re wrapped in a full body suit that applies targeted pressure to points on the arms, legs, and waist to encourage circulation and detoxification.

This spa inside the swank 11 Howard hotel has somehow managed to make sweating in an infrared sauna sexy. You get an entire hotel room to yourself, with a spacious personal sauna kitted out with music and even chromatherapy (everybody looks better in a red-tinted light) that combines near-, mid-, and far-infrared waves to heat the body from the inside out, resulting in a major detoxification sweat. The rooms have private bathrooms, so you can rinse off in the shower and start (or end) the day feeling utterly renewed.

The space is an eco-haven, designed with renewable, sustainable flourishes (the walls are made of cork, seagrass, and recycled wood)—and the facials are healing, pampering, and just: beyond. The Custom Superfood Facial floods skin with nutrients from tamarind, acai, turmeric, and manuka honey, while the Light “Isun” facial features a miracle trifecta of microcurrent, LED light, and nurturing essential oil blend that thoroughly revives skin. The infrared saunas are each tucked into a cozy private room with a shower—and they aren’t hooked up to Bluetooth, which means the promise of a genuine digital detox, too.

Infrared saunas are an incredible way to get a great sweat. At Breedlove Beauty Lab, each sauna is customizable, so you are in complete control of your experience. We love sweating it out in the Sunlighten 3-in-1 mPulse infrared saunas, and Breedlove has three of these. There is also chromotherapy—or light therapy—which draws on the hypothesis that color affects how we feel. Before you leave, check out the bright and airy apothecary—it stocks plenty of aromatherapy, beauty, and wellness products.

For thirty-odd years, this Santa Monica institution has been focused almost singularly on colon hydrotherapy (to the extent that they train and certify practitioners). There is also an on-site infrared sauna.

The first thing you'll notice when you walk into this sauna studio is how spotless it is. Impeccable, in fact. That can be said of the décor, as well: A streamlined, all-white aesthetic reigns—up until you enter one of the sauna suites. Here, you can choose to cast a colored light based on your mood (we chose orange for its mood-elevating, stimulating, feel-good effect) during your sweat. Then you sit back and do just that—sweat—for forty-five minutes. Each suite comes with an iPod and a vitamin C–infused rain shower. Given the potential benefits of using an infrared sauna, there are plenty of reasons to come here. But what keeps us hooked is simple: We always leave feeling calmer, clearer, and just all-around better. (An added perk: HotBox just started carrying goopglow.)

You can book infrared sauna sessions at this Mar Vista studio in either thirty-minute or one-hour increments–we like the full hour, so you can take advantage of the in-room shower. The private-room lighting can be adjusted to pitch black, and the saunas themselves are high-tech enough to connect to a playlist on your phone via Bluetooth. Also cool: The main event here are the “float pods," which are personal sensory deprivation tanks you can book for an hour at a time. There’s a small parking lot in the back, plus really easy street parking at night.

Deenie Leon Robbins's locale is a well-kept secret among members of LA's serious cleansing scene. A drive out to Tarzana proves worthwhile for a session in her high-tech infrared dome—it looks like an MRI scanner—which fans somtimes complement with a colonic or lymphatic massage. Those wanting to take it to the next level might consider her twenty-one-day cleanse in combination with a series of treatments.

This spot is famous for its custom-made infrared saunas. In the personal pods, which look super futuristic, you lie on a bed of jade stones while your body is bathed in red infrared light. Your head is outside of the pod during the entire the forty-minute session, and the surrounding air is diffused with a custom blend of aromatherapeutic oils. The lymphatic compression massage and unique Magnesphere machine, which aims to improve your balance and sleep by way of deep relaxation, are so very worth exploring.

This spa is fairly no-frills, yet totally transportive once you walk through its Santa Monica doors. There’s amazing Reiki, traditional Thai massage, and they have a small infrared sauna you can use before or after your treatment. Everyone who works here is kind and accommodating: They’ll offer you tea, dates, or apple wedges if you want to stay and relax for a bit before heading out.

Surya Spa is no joke—in fact, it's one of only a handful of Panchakarma spots in the States (now, up and running at the beautiful Proper Hotel in Santa Monica). That said, it takes a pretty intense level of commitment that's a bit out of reach unless you have the vacation time and budget: It requires three to four hours a day, for three, five, or seven days (we recommend the full week, though it's tough, as you have to abide by the very ascetic menu that they prescribe). The house-made organic food and authentic Panchakarma treatments reach far beyond what you'll find in a traditional wellness spa (people come here for help with parasites, for instance). The results—which can range from better skin to weight loss—speak for themselves. Beyond being a wonderful detox resource, mothers, babies, and mothers-to-be are in for a treat with Surya Spa's special approach to pregnancy and babies' first six weeks.

With full-on wood paneling throughout most of the space, this Hollywood spot has a hip sweat-lodge vibe. You can book the infrared saunas here solo, or with a friend (at a slightly cheaper rate). They also have hot (infrared) yoga classes—at varying levels of intensity.

Tikkun is the next level when it comes to Korean spas, combining high-tech far-infrared heat with traditional Korean sauna therapies. So if you want to lie down in a Himalayan-salt-brick-tiled sauna or sit in a Hwangto clay room, you get the added benefit of far-infrared heat. And in addition to the sauna rooms, there's a long menu of massages and kick-ass body scrubs to complement the sauna time. We're burying the lede though, because the real golden ticket here is the Mugworth V-Steam: You sit on what is essentially a mini throne, and a combination of infrared and mugwort steam treats you to an energetic release. If you're in LA, you just might have to try it...

Veda's approach centers around the ancient healing modalities of Ayurveda and Panchakarma in space that evokes a modern and organic aesthetic. Appointments start with an in-depth consultation for Veda’s experienced practitioners to assess what treatment will best serve you. We loved experiencing Shirodhara—streams of warm oil pour onto the portion of the forehead known as the “third eye”, which is said to help stimulate an overall sense of calm. Conveniently there are post-treatment showers in the back, but, we like to keep the oil on for an added nourishing dose of calming aromatherapy.

It’s hot and dark, and it can get crowded—but honestly, because of the candlelight-only policy, plus the booming soundtrack of Drake and Cardi B, you can neither hear or see other yogis. It sounds a bit corny, but we’re saying it anyway: It’s incredibly fun. Between the beats and the wildly encouraging teachers, an hour flies by. Prepare for a serious sweat—the infrared heating system gets the room between 80 and 90 degrees—and stretch. Mats and towels are available for rent at the desk, the lockers are the combination kind (so you don’t need a lock), and there are showers (as well as deodorant, face wipes, and hair ties to freshen up) on the premises. Y7 now has a location in Silver Lake, too, as well as the original outposts throughout New York.

Fans of traditional Korean spas—kids included—tend to feel right at home here, with its clean, meditative "Jimjilbang" communal room, it's spacious, super hot saunas, and its no-nonsense massages and body scrubs. Head to the sauna, get a massage, and your nails done, too.

The Corinthia in Covent Garden is one of those places that generally lives up to all the hype. As soon as you enter the space you immediately understand why: the interiors are dark, it's covered in Italian marble, and the vibe is moody but polished. The ESPA is one of the city's largest with twenty-nine treatment rooms and even a stainless steel swimming pool. Along with a robust roster of treatments—signature facials and massages—there's also a selection of customized treatments that focus on detox, sleep, and pregnancy. The best part? Their day spa offerings include access to everything from the gym and thermal floor to the sauna and steam rooms and relaxation areas.

Recently partnered with the renowned Lanserhof group—which runs exclusive medical retreats in Austria and Germany—expect a completely revamped experience from this longtime-favorite spa. They’ve brought in medical specialists, holistic practitioners, physiotherapists, nutritionists, and fitness experts. Just an hour outside London, it’s ideal for anyone looking for an intense holistic reset, or for those looking to get a glimpse of the state-of-the art Lanserhof methods. Their treatments range from traditional therapies—massages, facials, acupuncture and physiotherapy—to scrubs, floats, and hydrotherapy. We love the stress-busting “Detoxifying Envelopment” treatment.

We couldn’t be happier with this new addition to the KX brand, which combines a bare-bones, super-social gym with detoxifying wellness experiences. Down the street from the membership-only KX Life, KXU has pay-as-you-go group classes, including cycling, barre, and yoga. With the workout, you can add on fantastic infrared sauna or cryotherapy sessions, which can help with muscle soreness. We love the modern, darkly lit, neon-everywhere aesthetic, too.

Allyu (pronounced eye-you) is the Quechua word for community, and this Riverwalk-neighborhood spa's commitment to community spreads far beyond its clients. Sustainability manifests itself in nontoxic beauty products, cabinets made from reclaimed barn wood, and locally made soaps for sale. Besides a range of more traditional services, the incredible facials incorporate healing grape stem cells, rose-quartz massage, and smoothing enzyme masks, plus an amazing chakra balancing treatment.

This British import, located inside the Soho House in Chicago's buzzy West Loop, offers extraordinarily comfy treatment chairs and farmhouse vibes. It's particularly popular for its indulgent manis and pedis (60 and 75 minutes, respectively): Each of the chairs features its own TV and freshly brewed tea served in a teapot is available upon request. There are only five treatment rooms, but they'll do everything from facials (some with SkinCeuticals products) to body wraps, scrubs, and deep tissue massages.

The Peninsula’s ESPA spa is perched high above the city on the 19th and 20th floors of the hotel, and as can be expected from ESPA, the products and services are top-notch. And, since it’s the Peninsula, you won’t be disappointed by the amenities either—there's a eucalyptus steam room and a relaxation room where you can curl up next to a working fireplace. The facials can absolutely stand alone (ask for Sunny), but if you're splurging, invest in one of the famous half- or full-day spa journeys.

The sleek subterranean spa beneath the the Joule hotel offers both traditional and experimental spa treatments in a relaxing environment. Many of the facials use Tata Harper products; body treatments include Swedish massage, cupping therapy, and Thai table massage; and there are brow treatments from threading to microblading by local brow expert Rula Sharkawi. There’s a steam room with a giant amethyst shining in the corner (thought to encourage tranquility), a sauna, showers, and the Vitality Pool, a body-temperature pool with jets that gently massage the skin. Book a 50-minute or longer service and get a free spin, kickboxing, or yoga class at the neighboring Vital Fitness Studio.

This sprawling spa complex operates out of the Hotel Crescent Court, so a full day is well spent here: They offer private yoga and Pilates classes, a health-centric café, and treatments that range from the basic (manis and pedis) to the intense (hardcore lymphatic-draining treatments). We love that the spa is open to kids, too, with a full menu of kid-friendly treatments (and snacks in the café).

This mini chain of mega spas offer something called Sauna Valley: You'll find every conceivable temple—gold, Himalayan Salt, infrared, far infrared, color therapy—and an equal number of pools to match. The Texas outpost is open twenty-four hours a day, while the Queens location is open from 6 a.m. to midnight, making this a fun pilgrimage (and a good girls activity). There's an on-site cafeteria, and even a kiddie pool.

Lisa Breitenwischer opened her yoga studio in 2012. There, she teaches highly individualized classes and runs a program of personalized holistic treatments and nutritional counseling. Among the treatments available at her intimate studio is a new IR sauna, which is gratifying before or after a yoga class. (It's also relatively affordable here.)

This studio takes its mantra of “yoga for all” very seriously. There are ten types of classes, at all different levels, as well as options for kids and teens. Some of the best: deep stretching, an energizing vinyasa flow set to rock music, and sculpt classes warmed with an infrared sauna. There’s even a class for families to take together, where kids sing “Row Your Boat” while parents hold the boat pose.

B-12 shot happy hours, lymphatic massage, rolfing, structural integration, acupuncture, cupping, dry brushing, craniosacral therapy...the treatment menu at this sprawling San Francisco institution reads like a detox how-to. They also offer a host of other options, including facials, waxing, and peels.

Nestled at the foot of the Golden Gate bridge, Fort Baker is spread out over acres of prime Sausalito real estate, which up until recently has been left at the mercy of the elements. Then in 2008 a hospitality group stepped in and teamed up with the National Park Service to completely restore and preserve the area. The resulting 142-room lodge, healing arts center, and spa, are spread out over a cluster of Colonial buildings that meet and exceed all of LEED's sustainability requirement.

(Note: Revel & Rose is currently closed but reportedly opening back up soon.) We think the concept behind this one-stop-shop for beauty and wellness is genius: If you're booking in for colon hydrotherapy or an infrared heat session, why not get your nails done, too? The salon offers everything from waxes to spray tans to intuitive readings, which make memberships here extremely worthwhile, whether you're beautifying, detoxing, or both.

Michelle Bravo is a certified holistic massage therapist (HMT) and certified aromatherapist (CAT), two skills that she expertly combines in her signature treatments, which are all trademarked to her unique EOS technique. She's celebrated for a lymphatic massage that incorporates aromatherapy. Clients also love that Michelle is a kind, intuitive sounding board and love talking to her during their treatments—for the full experience, you can book her for a lifestyle coaching session.

The Tata Harper Spa in San Francisco (the only spa of its kind) is tucked into the back of Credo, a clean beauty shop in Pacific Heights. They offer a variety of treatments using Harper's signature products, including hydration therapy, and even back facials, and in true Tata style, you'll snuggle up under a vintage quilt that's reminiscent of her Vermont farm. There's just one tiny room in the back of the shop, so book ahead, though they will take walk-ins.

The great thing about Psoas is that founders Jennifer Lighthouse and Scott Schwartz bring so many different types of massage under the same roof; they offer everything from neurokinetic therapy to orthopedic massage. They're particularly great for sports massage (Jennifer is a former gymnast and diver) and pre-and post-natal bodywork.

Juliana does acupuncture, cupping, herbal work, and fantastic massage. She's also well known for her excellent bedside manner; she's kind, warm, and a pleasure to be around, which makes the entire experience all the more pleasant.

This minimalist, Korean-style communal bathhouse has two separate spa areas, one for men and one for women. Bathing suits are optional but you'll likely find that most guests opt not to wear them. For an affordable price, you can get a four-hour pass to Imperial's hot jacuzzi, dry and steam saunas, and cold plunge. Their wet spa body treatments focus on various purification scrubs, wraps, and oil massages, while their dry spa fixates on acupressure-focused massages. One great thing about Imperial is the spa stays open late (until 10 p.m., with the saunas shutting down at 9:45 p.m.), so you can head there after the office on days that warrant it.

TMI actually makes getting a colonic not so rough. (For more on the nuts and bolts of colonics, see this colonics Q&A with Dr. Alejandro Junger, and check in with your doctor to see if they're right for you.) In addition to colonic sessions, which is obviously what TMI is known for, they also offer infrared sauna sessions.

An all-inclusive hot yoga studio, Ritual gives you everything you need when you step through the door: mat, towel, yogitoes, water (as well as shampoo, razor, toothbrush, etc.). Ritual classes are choreographed to some pretty rad music—from 90's soul to hip-hop and pop remixes. And each session (50 minutes long) is run by two teachers—one leading the group, and then another providing one-on-one, hands-on adjustments and support throughout the session. Every week, a new "peak posture" move is introduced, so regular students continue to build up their yoga practices. What's even better: Sessions at Ritual end with a neck massage.

All the treatments at Roha are based on ancient Ayurveda practices to help restore energy, detoxify, release stress, and enhance wellness. The downtown San Francisco spot is all about full mind-body rejuvenation, with personalized protocols that include dietary adjustments, herbal remedies, and oil therapy treatments. If you’re not looking to make any lifestyle changes, the nourishing, warm-body-oil massage will leave you immediately relaxed and recharged.

The breathtaking Art Deco stained glass panels, gilded details, and winding wrought-iron staircase at this canal-side sauna were rescued from Au Bon Marché in Paris before it underwent a top-to-bottom renovation—the resulting space is a hybrid of immaculate Dutch craftsmanship and Parisian refinement. In addition to the various baths and relaxation rooms there are infrared saunas, a solarium, and the option to book a private massage. Fair warning: The unisex saunas and baths follow a strict no-swimsuits-allowed policy (towels are okay).

The design at Löyly (which is Finnish for the steam that comes off hot rocks at a sauna) is distinctly Scandinavian, with beautiful hardwood floors and minimalist wooden lounge chairs set around the communal space. The facials, though, are decidedly unminimalist: There are nourishing masks; steamy, aromatic compresses to calm skin; layer upon layer of oils, creams, and hydrosols; detoxifying facial steams; and more. There’s a second location in Northeast Portland.

The Faena Hotel's Tierra Santa is a burst of color: A rainbow-striped rug runs through the spa’s lobby, which is outfitted with bright Juan Gatti artwork and floral-printed poufs. Inspired by an array of South American (and some South Asian) healing traditions, Tierra Santa has a gorgeous Turkish-style hammam and offers a full wet spa experience (waterfall shower, herbal steam room, wet scrub, sauna, and ice parlor); many of the treatments include ritualistic wellness aspects. The Hammam Rose Ritual is one highlight: During the treatment, as you lie on top of a warm marble slab, a therapist will scrub your entire body for what is likely to be the most thorough exfoliation of your life. Following this, you’ll be covered in ridiculously soft foam and then a soothing clay and later treated to a massage. The Tree of Life Vibrations treatment takes place on a heated sand bed and incorporates handmade Himalayan singing bowls into another supremely relaxing massage. Other massage options are more conventional, as are the facials—the Triple Lift Advanced Facial concludes with the Remodeling Face Machine from French brand Biologique Recherche. The Hyper-Customized Facial uses Naturopathica, one our favorite clean, nontoxic brands, and begins with facial steaming and gentle extractions, followed by lymphatic drainage, a congestion-soothing calendula mask, and a glycolic peel. The glow you leave with is...unreal. Led by two doctors, Tierra Santa also has a holistic, preventive medicine program that includes digestion-focused health therapies.

The only 100 percent organic spa in Boston (on pretty Newbury Street, no less), Balans specializes in plant-based treatments. This is a full-service outfit with an adjacent wellness center for nutrition, meditation, and exercise needs. The facials are customized entirely to your skin and accompanied by a complimentary nutrition and health consultation (if you like). Aside from the aesthetic treatments, Balans has a flotation tank to help fully relax the mind, the idea being to remove any kind of stimulant—unless you want to listen to music or a guided meditation. This water is Dead Sea–level salty by way of Epsom salts, to permeate the skin with essential minerals, so floating isn’t something you need to think about—it just happens. The massages can be boosted with body brushing, too.

This super authentic Ayurvedic spa and retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains is both rustic and luxe. Everything here, from the cooking classes to the yoga sessions, aligns with Ayurvedic principles. The beyond amazing, recently renovated spa has tons of different treatments, but we like the Signature Facial. All of the nourishing products are made on the premises and work to bring harmony to your doshas. Bonus: You can add on a warm-oil scalp massage to any treatment.

This spa's holistic energy approach combines traditional Japanese and Egyptian treatments with a little bit of Southern hospitality. The menu isn't so expansive that you'd lose valuable time picking a treatment, but if you need a real quickie, the thirty-minute massage is a revelation. (And it's the only place in Houston offering yoni steams, at least that we know of.) The seaweed wrap for dry, flaky skin cocoons the body in a layer of kombu, aloe, and green tea for some light exfoliation. And the Off-the-Menu facial customizes products to your skin type.

This onsen in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo sources its pristine waters daily from Naikazu in the Izu Peninsula. Pure soaking pools aside, there's an infrared sauna, as well as bedrock baths. The latter involve lying on beds made of rock salt, said to release energizing negative ions. The massages here are completely worth it, rigorous in a hurt-so-good kind of way.

Whether you’re lounging on the heated marble steps of the enormous, coed Turkish-style hammam, sipping fresh-pressed green juice while the ocean glitters before you, doing serious yoga or Pilates, or all three plus an astrology reading and a pedicure, a few hours here truly takes you out of the everyday. Located inside the Standard, the spa's sleekly modern ashram meets sybaritic retreat has everything. Within the hammam, there are shiny metal tubs for individual pretreatment baths; beyond that, there's a Roman-style waterfall hot tub, a mud lounge, a Finnish sauna, an infinity pool, and an arctic plunge. There’s every sort of massage and facial, plus goopier options, like crystal-infused masks, biopuncture, and workshops on hypnocoaching, sound healing, crystal healing, and more. The food couldn’t be healthier or more delicious, and the on-an-island setting is about as gorgeous as it gets. Photos: Adrian Gaut.

This gorgeous villa in the picturesque spa town of Baden-Baden has only fifteen suites and is the ultimate place to detox in private. The nine-day program starts with a medical examination, followed by a custom regimen of ninety-one treatments created by Dr. Harry Konig that range from bracing lymphatic massages and fitness classes to relaxing mud baths and meditations. If you’re interested in a less-immersive path, you can stay in town and instead purchase a day pass for spa treatments and, if you prefer, simply lounging on the perfectly manicured lawns.

Having recently undergone extensive renovation, this 1840s neo-Gothic hideaway—just thirty minutes from Shannon airport—sits on 842 acres of manicured gardens, lush rolling fields, and medieval ruins; it's reason alone to travel to Ireland's verdant southwest (although the dozens of nearby historical sites, lively pubs, and quaint villages don't hurt, either). Each individually designed room is palatial in size, decked out with authentic mahogany Georgian-era furniture, sumptuous fabrics, nineteenth-century artwork, and a roaring open fireplace to ward off the inevitable Irish chill. The generously sized marble bathrooms are finished in vintage wallpaper and include deep stand-alone tubs, many of which overlook the grounds. As far as dining goes, there are two solid options on the property, but the Oak Room is hard to beat. The elegantly appointed Drawing Room is the perfect spot for morning coffee or a pre-dinner aperitif by the fire, while the subterranean David Collins–designed, vault-ceilinged Tack Room is the spot for wine and whiskey connoisseurs (Guinness lovers, too) to retreat for a few drinks. Activity-wise, choose from golfing, fishing, archery, and horseback riding, alongside dozens of country hikes and cycle trails. The spa (stocked with 111SKIN) is a tranquil space to indulge and unwind after a long day, accompanied by the comforting scent of autumnal fig that pervades the entire property.

Even if you’re not in Cusco preparing for the journey up to Machu Picchu, this beautiful, cobbled city is well worth the visit. The Belmond Hotel Monasterio, a former monastery and now national monument—built in 1592 on the site of an Inca palace—turned luxury hotel brimming with character is, without question the most atmospherically beautiful spot to room in Cusco. The candlelit, cloistered courtyard is perfect for a pre-dinner pisco sour or morning coffee surrounded by trees. Be sure to wander into the restored Baroque chapel as you make your way to one of the hotel's two excellent restaurants nestled in the cloisters (Illariy is the Peruvian fine-dining option, while the more laid-back El Tupay hosts live opera a few nights a week). Besides visiting Machu Picchu, the hotel can arrange any number of activities, from white water rafting to cooking classes (Peru is a hotbed of culinary activity, after all). An additional draw is the live oxygen pumped into each room, a godsend for those adjusting to the altitude.

Buttermilk biscuits with a view. Equal parts luxury hotel, world-class kitchen, and working farm, this 4,200 acre foodie resort in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains is a slice of heaven for those hungry for rest, relaxation, good music, and, of course, incredible Southern cooking. Check their calendar before booking for events that may be of interest like truffle hunts, photography workshops, wellness weekends, and featured celeb chefs like Joanne Weir and Daniel Boulud.

They say you get to know a culture best through its food. And no one knows food better than the chefs who make it. That’s the idea behind Tasting Notes—a bunch of high-end trips created by Black Tomato, in which you travel to Basque Country or Peru or the Lake District in England or any of a handful of places to eat, taste, and immerse yourself in that particular culinary world. The trips are incredibly luxurious, designed by chefs, and often offer access to the places and the kitchens that are closed to the public. Come curious, and come hungry.

Massimo Bottura’s flagship restaurant Osteria Francescana has three Michelin stars, but Bottura is probably just as well known for saving the Parmigiano Reggiano industry after the catastrophic 2012 earthquake. Now he and his wife, Lara, have extended the Francescana experience into the Emilian countryside. Casa Maria Luigia has just opened and is the Call Me by Your Name dolce far niente escape we spend most of the year fantasizing about. A restored country home with tennis courts, a pool, expansive gardens, and of course—Francescana. Dinner takes place in the carriage house and includes a nine-course tasting menu of all the Osteria’s greatest hits. After this feast to end all feasts, simply cross the courtyard, climb the stairs, and tumble into queen-size bed surrounded by contemporary art from the Botturas’ own collection.

Though it offers incredible views of the Tuscan countryside and an excellent spa, the 12th-century castle-turned-hotel is really about food. The owner, Aurora Baccheschi Berti, is a world-class chef who specializes in Northern Italian cuisine (check out her cookbook here). In addition to whipping up a daily breakfast spread she holds cooking classes (fresh pasta making, for example) using organic ingredients grown right on property. There’s also a working vineyard and an olive grove where you can witness the harvests firsthand.

At this point—several documentaries, World’s Best Restaurant awards, and multiple cookbooks later—chef Rene Redzepi of Noma fame is a cult figure in the food world. Despite several residencies from Oaxaca to Tokyo and a new restaurant with greenhouses, a roof garden, and a fermentation lab, Redzepi is still steadfast in his dedication to the New Nordic. The culinary practice is resolute when it comes to seasonality and indigenous ingredients which, given Denmark’s frigid winters, is no small feat. The new Noma splits the year into three menus—game in autumn, seafood in the winter, and vegetables in the summer. A table in the farm-style, nearly all-glass space is one of the most impossible seats to snag anywhere in the world. A few tips: Plan months ahead. Consider the number of food-obsessed friends you might have who will get on an international flight to eat with you. And stay at the design-forward SP34 hotel. Then prepare to eat the most creative, delicious (and expensive) meal of your life—with wine pairings, of course.

The minute you set foot in Copenhagen and take a look around it’s obvious: The Danish know design. So it makes sense that the luxury travel company Indagare paired up with Architectural Digest to mastermind the perfect trip for the kind of people who know Eames is spelled with an E. The trip is six days long (September 16 to 21), and the itinerary includes touring the best design museums in Copenhagen as well as private design studios, visiting the archives of Georg Jensen, seeing the best of the city’s architecture by boat, staying at Hotel Sanders (one of the nicest in town), and did we mention the food? There’s room for only two dozen people, so get to it.

Casa Teo is an Airbnb that moonlights as a creative space for artists, chefs, and regular travelers. It’s also the latest culinary concept by chef Enrique Olvera of Mexico City’s legendary Pujol. This well-appointed, Scandinavian-style, two-bedroom apartment perched atop the former Pujol location in Mexico City’s achingly chic Polanco neighborhood, is a food lover’s dream. And as in many households, the action (and in this case, design focal point) centers around the kitchen—namely, a long communal kitchen table, where gorgeous breakfast spreads and elaborate evening tasting menus are prepared by an in-house chef. Prefer to go out? Who knows what kind of near-impossible dinner reservations the Casa Teo team might be able to snag for you.

A city redevelopment project of gargantuan proportions, this 10km stretch of green space along the city's Manzanares riverbank replaces the former M-30 freeway, which now runs underground. Its completion in 2011 brought local Madrileños back to the riverbed with a system of restored bridge monuments, new footbridges, or Cáscaras, an urban beach for sunbathers, 17 new playgrounds, and kayak docks. What's more, it's stitched neighborhoods like Arganzuela, Carabanchel, and La Latina—once dissected by the city's traffic—back together, making them all completely walkable. Rent a bike or stroll the riverbank to check out the park's features, such as the fruit tree arboretum recreating that of the formal royal palace, or the pine walk which is almost directly above the now submerged M-30. All of this is the work of an impressive, 4-year collaboration between the Dutch firm West8 and Madrid's own MRIO. Photo: © West8

If Napa is a pilgrimage for foodies and wine-lovers, then Meadowood in St. Helena—officially one of the world's best hotels—is most certainly the mecca. There's no better place to sleep off a day of wine tasting than in one of their cozy rooms by a roaring fire (unless you count the massage table at the seriously idyllic spa).

Hovering somewhere between a bed and breakfast and organic co-op farm, LA-transplant Calvin Zara’s refurbished four-bedroom Thacher house and its four private cabins is where you want to be for a fully-immersive, get away from it all experience (it accommodates no more than 20 guests at a time). If you stay here, be prepared to share the lush grounds with chickens and a family of goats, in addition to citrus and pomegranate trees and a garden. Needless to say, all the food served at the beautifully appointed dining room is sourced locally or from the Thacher House farm itself. Also on offer: classes in cooking, baking, olive-oil pressing, wine-making, and so much more.

Tucked in the heart of Chilean wine country, Viña Vik is a hideaway just two hours south of Santiago. The ultra-modern design, which offers wholly uninterrupted views of your surroundings—amidst some 11,000 acres of unspoiled land—is reminiscent of Frank Gehry. Winemaking is the primary focus here, and the Vik family (which also has Estancia Vik and Playa Vik in Uruguay), but the organic garden, which cultivates more than 250 different varieties of fruits and vegetables (kale, mint, lavender, peaches, and avocados, among them) is equally notable. There's a dedicated culinary education program for guests around harvesting and cooking the produce. Come December, well-known Argentinean pastry chef Osvaldo Gross will host a series of classes for guests, too.

Safaris have gotten a real makeover in recent years as travelers have become more discerning about the environment and welfare of the land, the animals, and the people who safeguard it . Chobe Game Lodge in elephant-rich Botswana is Ecotourism-certified by TKTKorganization, and despite being a five-star operation (Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton honeymooned here), sustainability and the delicacy of the ecosystem is taken very seriously. Accommodations are absolutely stunning—even standard rooms have private terraces overlooking the landscape with binoculars to spot the giraffes among the treetops, four-poster beds made up with local textiles, and deep tubs for late-night soaks. Emissions-free, electric game drives start early, when the lions, leopards, and crocodiles are still hunting (hot coffee and warm throws for your shoulders make these cooler sunrise drives extremely pleasant), while solar-powered boat safaris are best in the early evening when herds of elephants come to the river to drink. In between, head to the lodge with a book, cool off in the pool, or wander the gardens and get acquainted with the monkeys.

Kin understands that seasoned travelers care about sustainability, cultural sensitivity, and offsetting their carbon footprint. Kin Travel’s trips (it offers itineraries in Kenya, Wyoming, Cape Cod, and Haiti) are varied and a tad unusual. The Haiti trip is maybe the most remarkable: It takes guests off the grid to the beaches along the northern coast reachable only by boat. Travelers sleep in a camp designed to soak up as much of the natural beauty as possible, hike to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of La Citadelle Lafferiere (a fortress from the 1800s), and take a boat to see reef restorations up close. This also comes alongside swimming, snoozing, and yoga, of course. Proceeds from trips go toward funding eco-sanitation throughout Haiti and community health in isolated villages, plus building access to education. Any carbon footprint generated is offset by Kin Travel with Terrapass.

Laikipia, a county in central Kenya, is vast. Stretching across millions of acres between Mount Kenya and the northern deserts, it’s not necessarily a game park, but many ranchers have removed fencing and barriers to allow the wildlife to roam free. Reachable by plane—a small prop plane—this trip, led by Pelorus who excel in planning experiential expeditions is an educational one. Rather than spending days in a four-by-four, hoping to catch sight of the big five, you’ll bear witness to elite antipoaching operations and conservation efforts led by the people who live in Laikipia. From there you could fly down to Amboseli National Park in the shadows of Kilimanjaro, trek with the Maasai, and experience firsthand their efforts to safeguard the endangered elephant herds native to the region.

Every spring hundreds of whale sharks swim to Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula to feed off the nutrient-rich plankton in the area. The site is incomprehensible: dozens of gently curved, grey, polka-dotted whale sharks, most the size of a school bus, churning up the clear blue water. It's a playground of gentle giants—and it's safe to join. Whale sharks aren't a threat to humans—only to plankton—which makes swimming with them not only safe but a truly transcendental experience. And because the species is facing extinction, it sadly may be a fleeting one. The Blue Sphere Foundation, a nonprofit that advocates for oceanic health and endangered marine life, hosts dive expeditions off Isla Mujeres: You can see the whale sharks from the boat or snorkel among them.

&Beyond is an eco-tourism company that operates twenty-nine of the most luxurious safari camps in Africa. Since 2013, &Beyond has been involved in an ambitious attempt to save South Africa’s rhinos from extinction through poaching. In partnership with Rhino Force and Great Plains Conservation, the company has been translocating white rhinos from their South African game reserves to Botswana’s safer, relatively poacher-free Okavango Delta. &Beyond now offers visitors the opportunity to sponsor these translocations and witness the complexity—rhinos are carefully sedated and tagged to ensure their well-being before being transported to neighboring Botswana—of the operation. While the process of finding and tagging the rhinos can be extreme, accommodations on the Phinda Camp are incredibly luxurious, and the feeling of helping safeguard this vulnerable species for the next generation is something that stays with you forever.

Habitat for Humanity was among the first to make volunteer travel what it is today. And not only did Habitat make it viable; the company made the idea of using your vacation to bring good to the world a more attractive option than just: Get on a plane; land on an island. The ethos of the company is to provide housing for low-income families, and to do that, it relies on volunteers. The Global Village trips are relatively short—a week to ten days—and are available in dozens of countries all over the world—Paraguay, Zambia, Kenya, Cambodia, Mexico, and Nepal. Decide where you want to go, explain what skill sets you bring, and go make the world a better place. After one trip, you’ll almost certainly plan another.

Much like Marlon Brando fell in love with Tetiaroa while filming Mutiny on the Bounty (he purchased the land for him and his wife Tarita in 1967), guests are instantly charmed by the island’s coconut palm groves and white-sand beaches. To further his commitment to sustainability, Brando enlisted the help of hotelier Richard Bailey to build the world's first ever post-carbon resort. Though by no means cheap (the all-inclusive rates start at $2,700 per night) The Brando’s lengthy list of activities (snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boarding) and indoor/outdoor accommodations—complete with sleek decor, plunge pools, and outdoor bathtubs—mean the pricetag makes sense. The island’s restaurants serve dishes comprised of ingredients plucked from the resort’s own organic fruit orchard and veggie garden.

Beyond the high-tech camping fabrics and unglamorous tents, this is our pick for the most design-worthy camping site out there. Located about an hour west of the park’s boundaries, beneath Lone Peak, this collective of beautifully built canvas tents is roughing it at its best (and to say roughing it is a stretch). Each teepee-like tent is outfitted with chic, rustic furniture, a plush king-sized bed, and tribal decor. To make the entire camping experience pretty much labor-free, the full-service company schedules farm-to-table breakfasts and dinners cooked on site by a nearby chef.

The relationship between the Fogo Island Inn and the beautiful community and physical landscape in which it exists is pretty incredible. Conceived as a social enterprise to support the tiny, yet sturdy outport community on the island, it provides jobs, celebrates local cuisine, and donates all of its proceeds to community programming. The inn itself is a gorgeous, simple, modern building that juts out in juxtaposition to, yet somehow at harmony with, the rocky outcroppings of the landscape. For visitors, the quaint quality of the place inspires plenty of hand holding: In the summer and fall, you can hike the idyllic trails in search of wild berries and local wildlife, like caribou, foxes, puffins, and migrating whales—in the winter, you'll find ice fishing, picturesque snowfall, and plenty of cozy fires. The décor (not surprisingly, all of the furniture was built by the locals) is modern but cozy, with Scandinavian-feeling wooden shapes and warm, hand-made quilts. As you might expect, the views out of the wide, modern windows are nothing less than jaw-dropping.

Born from the imagination of James Bond novelist Ian Fleming, GoldenEye is rooted in such cultural lore, it’s hard not to feel like you’re playing a part in a glamorous spy story. It was here Fleming penned all fourteen Bond books (the author’s home, the Fleming Villa, can be reserved separately), and this is also where Bond’s cinematic debut, Dr. No, was filmed. But if these cultural muses don’t inspire a trip, consider that the collection of villas was also constructed by an all-star cast. Chris Blackwell, the founder of Island Records, enlisted Ann Hodges, one of Jamaica’s most noted architects, to produce the property’s supremely comfortable accommodations, fitted with hardwood floors, outdoor showers, and lush, secluded gardens. Go for one of the six lagoon cottages, which were built to hover above the tranquil water and have private docks for midnight swims and morning paddleboarding. In the spare, octagonal bedrooms, louvred windows welcome natural sea breezes to replace air-conditioning.

A private, guided “slack-country” ski itinerary that’s tailored to you? That’s the Parom Camps calling card. One or two weeks, off-piste or touring—the choose-your-own-adventure vibe is exactly what Finnish transplant Inka Haapala’s epic ski-guiding company offers. The incredibly knowledgeable guides are powder chasers at heart; they go where the best snow goes—or, in Japan, where the Japow (that’s local for powder) dumps day in and day out. That means skipping out on the crowded resorts in search of that impossibly perfect, untouched terrain. Take over the lodge with your crew or tuck into one of the cozy cottages in the woods near some of the best backcountry in Niseko—Parom Camps will hook you up with lodging, transportation, and suggestions for where and how to après like a local. Which, if you’re doing it right, means soaking for hours in a traditional onsen (hot spring), slurping up the richest miso ramen Hokkaido has to offer, and washing it all down with a glass of Yamazaki whisky.

For a beginner mountaineer, Kilimanjaro has many advantages. The mountain’s proximity to the equator makes for a tolerable climate (serious storms are rare). The 19,000-foot climb will take you through rain forest, tundra, and desert—and the crescendo is the snow-capped glacier above the clouds. Be prepared: Catching your breath becomes harder as the oxygen decreases and the air thins out; experts recommend a nine-day climb to adjust. The Machame route is the most scenic (admittedly with a few steep climbs), while the Lemosho route is the least traveled for those craving solitude and quiet. Abercrombie & Kent is an expert tour operator that caters to small groups only (no more than twelve) and climbing with one of its teams comes with helpful luxuries like chefs, porters, and guides who know the mountain better than anyone else. All you’ll need to carry is a backpack of essentials—lip balm, a camera, sunscreen, maybe some toilet paper—to summit Africa’s tallest peak.

Some trips are so far off the grid that just a little advance planning doesn’t quite cut it. Take Mongolia. Cazenove+Loyd are pros at crafting bespoke experiences in the far reaches of the world, and there is no team better equipped to get you acquainted with the Mongolian wilderness. You’ll set up camp and sleep in comfortably outfitted gers (traditional yurt-type structures) complete with memory-foam mattresses, wood-burning stoves, bathrooms, and exquisite, handmade Mongolian personal-care products. Getting up close with the Mongolian steppes means roughing it, but the mobility of the set-it-up-anywhere ger ensures a warm night’s sleep accentuated by spectacular vistas and the odd rustling bird. If you decide to venture into the wilds of the Gobi Desert, Three Camel Lodge has got you covered. The Cazenove+Loyd team will handle every detail, from saddling up the horses to procuring local delicacies, like mutton dumplings, for supper under the stars.

If you were to drum up an image in your mind of what an Old West homestead should look like, you’d probably conjure up The Ranch at Rock Creek. And for good reason, as it was one, dating back to its original function as a mining claim in the 1800s (nearby Philipsburg was home to a major silver boom). It was homesteaded in the early 1900s and has been a working cattle ranch since, though it now doubles as a luxury guest ranch—and it is really, really well done. Though it’s been tastefully rehabilitated, much of the main lodge is original, and the log homes and tent-style accommodations that dot the valley seem like they could have been from that era as well, thanks to period-appropriate (though cushy) fixtures, and an incredible body of photography, all sourced from the state archives in Helena (19th century boy with pet bear? Check.). It’s all-inclusive here, and you can pick from a range of activities every morning, so if your kid falls in love with a particular horse, he can ride that horse everyday. (As a nice extra, they accommodate more advanced riders, too, which means you can actually get out and run.) There’s fly fishing, paint ball, shooting, archery, an on-site spa, and a rodeo every Tuesday night—they can also arrange for rafting, helicopter trips to Glacier or Yellowstone, or heli-hiking into the back country (those cost extra). And the food? The food is the perfect balance between comfort ranch and modern healthy— and all as locally sourced as possible. There’s a weekly post-rodeo barbecue, an evening of cooking outside in Dutch Ovens (a neat culinary trick that the chef, Josh Drage, picked up from his grandmother), interesting spins like sweet potato sandwiches, and the occasional night of wine pairings and fancy food.

This is another Chris Blackwell property (the other is GoldenEye), and as the founder of Island Records, Blackwell keeps the walls of these white wooden cottages lined with an array of historic rock-and-roll memorabilia. (This is the place Bob Marley chose as an escape when he faced threats to his life in the mid-1970s.) It feels like a secluded mountain village tucked high in the contours of Jamaica’s Blue Mountain Range, over 3,000 feet above sea level. The nineteenth-century Georgian architecture has a sophisticated, laid-back charm, matched by hand-dyed batik linens and four-poster beds with billowing drapes. And it’s almost a magical experience to stroll through the morning mist in the private gardens before breakfast. The hikes (led by expert staff members) give you a real sense of what the interior of the island is all about; afterward, unwind with an aloe wrap at the spa. But our favorite thing to do was to take in the views—every last heart-stopping one of them.

Everything about this safari camp is achingly chic (to the extent that it's Michael Kors' favorite vacation destination), from the leather and canvas washed interiors, to the long pool. Of course, that's kind of just a side note to the fact that it's in the middle of South Africa's Kreuger National Park, meaning that you get to take your laps in the morning to the sound of giraffes tussling nearby. There are also incredible views of the N'wanetsi river. While they allow kids over 10, keep in mind that a safari isn't for those who don't want to wake up early in the morning (or hate being confined to a car for most of the day). Rates include two game drives per day, walking safaris, and all meals and drinks (there's a great wine cellar).

Tavarua is the island you see when you daydream about the South Pacific: sand as fine as confectioner’s sugar, a break that looks like the cover of a surfing magazine, and good god, so much blue. This tiny island in Fiji is home to one resort (which itself is home to a pool, hot tub, spa, fitness center, and Ping-Pong table), and caters to a very specific kind of traveler—the one who likes the quiet that you find at the edge of the world. Actually, it also caters to surfers, tennis players, and people who want to be in beautiful tropical places. We also love it because Tavarua puts a huge emphasis on sustainability, from a rain-catchment program to locally sourced food.

Nothing but you, a few friends, a family of elk, and a bald eagle. That—plus a lot of fresh air in a series of jaw-dropping locations—is the general idea of this trip. While MT Sobek offers excursions and hikes and adventure travel all over the world, not much can beat a view of the Rocky Mountains from 10,000 feet. You’ll hike up to a dozen miles a day and raft for about eleven miles—but this isn’t the kind of Outward Bound–style trip where you have to pitch your own tent and kill your own dinner. (You stay in a hotel every night.) After a week, you’ll come home a stronger, fitter, more well-adjusted human.

We have it on good authority that Zion Mountain Ranch is a total gem. Go here for canyoneering, night campfires, and horse back riding, as well as the incredible, life-changing landscapes and scenery. In fact, this National Register of Historic Places member is the only place to stay within the confines of Zion National Park. Top-notch restaurants and modern amenities are above and beyond what one might expect from such a remote location.

Eat, pray, and love your way to wellness at this palatial mountain estate in the foothills of the Indian Himalayas. For those curious about yoga, meditation, Vedanta, or Ayurveda, it's a magical wonderland where you can experience a variety of disciplines and learn from a range of philosophies every day. You'll be present to the history and tradition that surrounds you with every view of the Ganges, each meal prepared in accordance to the Dosha, and every walk through the palace grounds. You can read more about this magical place, here.

This Rosewood-managed property is located in Hawke's Bay, deep in the heart of New Zealand's rich wine country—which, geographically speaking, looks as if one took the rolling hills of the Napa Valley and set them down on the edge of a dramatic seaside cliff. The internationally known golf course (which meanders its way along the aforesaid cliffs) is part of the draw here, but guests also spend their time exploring the 6,000 acres of pasture—The Farm is actually a working sheep and beef operation, and touring around by foot or on a four-wheeler, to see the full acreage and get a glimpse of the sheepdogs at work, is highly recommended. The architecture features worn wood panels on the inland side and glass, view-facing windows on the other, achieving a barn-like effect that's tempered by modern features like a sleek infinity pool. Interiors echo the modern farmhouse vibe, with cozy wooden fireplaces in every room, rustic beams crossing the vaulted ceilings, and curtains done in soft blue French ticking. The owners have two other properties in New Zealand (Matakauri, a lakeside retreat a short drive from Queenstown, and Kauri Cliffs, which has beach access in Mauri Bay), so if you're making the trek from the United States, it's worth hitting more than one over the course of the trip. P.S. Everyone's obsessed with the chocolate chip cookies from the kitchen here, for good reason.

With an emphasis on holistic wellness, this stunning retreat calls upon certified specialists in yoga, Pilates and qigong, to personalized mountain biking, hiking and circuit training guides. In the Estate's main kitchen, you can design your own three-course menu (go for an authentically Indonesian dish) to cook with chef. During your stay, you’ll likely live at Glow, an all-day restaurant/café serving pressed juice, organic salads, and fresh Mediterranean fish.

Three hours from Bangkok along a beachy stretch of coast, the Chiva-Som spa staff greets you with lemongrass tea, a cold towel, and a garland of jasmine and roses. You can relax here. This wellness retreat opened nearly 30 years ago, and it remains one of the world’s best.

We’re not the only ones who get that making profound connections, spiritual growth, and emotional well-being are all things that modern men crave. We started goop Men. Lucas Krump started Evryman. This B Corp’s mission is simple: to help men connect. Connect to what? That’s where it gets a bit more complex. In connecting to the wilderness through intensive guided retreats and expeditions to spiritually charged places like Joshua Tree and Yellowstone, men forge deeper connections to themselves. There’s meditation, overcoming physical feats, sleeping outdoors, yoga, group work, and much more. Back home, by attending weekly groups, they develop bonds with peers to support and nourish and maintain their hard work in a totally destigmatized environment.

This is the perfect place to decamp with a group of friends: The spa is fantastic (treatments involve local and endemic ingredients), the food is even better, and the scene—the northern edge of New Zealand—couldn't really be more spectacular. A lot of golfers stay here, though there's plenty to do that doesn't involve a set of clubs: Horseback riding, surfing, fishing, and mountain biking are all easily accessible (though it's also the kind of resort where they make wishes into realities, so if there's something you're dying to do, just ask). And starting in November, you can book your own private four-bedroom enclave.

Tucked into the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Miraval Arizona is a one-stop shop for all things wellness. This 400-acre desert retreat is the kind of place you can go on a girls' getaway or a solo journey—and return home feeling totally reset. The guest rooms and villas have recently had their own reset, of sorts—the design weaves in the fabric of the surrounding Sonoran Desert with natural fibers, wood and stone textures, and big French doors that take full advantage of the views. In early 2018, Miraval is launching the Retreat—a collection of 22 residences equipped with indoor-outdoor showers, a private pool or spa—each designed for larger groups traveling together, or those seeking a bit more living space. The rugged, cacti-dotted terrain is the backdrop for a host of activities, including horseback riding, hiking, and botany-focused tours. The spa, with its army of healers, wellness practitioners, and massage therapists—is obviously the main draw. And all programs are fully customizable: Guests can begin their morning with reiki, try an aerial yoga session in the afternoon, and wind down with a hot stone massage in a temperature-controlled outdoor tent.

They call him the “Tarzan” of today. But MovNat founder Erwan Le Corre’s real-life MO? Getting back to nature—specifically, helping people move instinctively in nature. You can think of his workshop as a next-level workout, except that it’s in the wild. Bouldering, scaling rocks, climbing trees, deep-sea swimming, lifting fallen logs—it’s the kind of stuff you can’t do or find even in the most tricked-out gym. His challenging weekend and weeklong retreats—held all around the globe in jungles, on beaches, near mountains—are for adventurers; designed to get you out of your comfort zone, back to nature, and back in your body.

This old whaling island off the coast of Cape Cod is where you go if you want time to slow down—but not necessarily stop altogether. A day can be as mellow or as active as you wish: Pick a beach to lie out on or pick up a SUP; wander aimlessly through the immaculate little streets on a self-guided architecture tour or wander into the Nantucket Historical Association to learn a thing or two. With eighty-two miles of coastline to wade through, countless secret beach dunes to climb, three authentic New England lighthouses to gawk at, and one goop MRKT to work your way through, there’s no risk of getting bored. For a home base, choices are limited (the island is small), but the ones that exist—like the White Elephant (a landmark property right in the center of the harbor), Greydon House (designed by Roman and Williams) and a sprinkling of idyllic bed-and-breakfasts—are all perfect in their own uniquely Nantucket ways.

Sitting on 3,000 acres of ancient sacred grounds at the foot of Mount Kuchumaa in Tecate, the ranch has been welcoming those seeking a head-to-toe reboot since the ‘40s. Unlike a hardcore medical spa, the focus of a basic seven-day retreat is on spiritual wellness and gentle de-stressing by way of diet (there’s an organic farm and a cooking school on site), rigorous physical activity, mindful meditation, and a slew of world-class treatments performed at one of three stunning organic spa complexes. For more intense healing, there’s acupuncture, chiropractic services, Craniosacral therapies, and more.

Somewhere in the Gulf of Thailand, there are three islands called Koh Phangon, Koh Yao Yai, and Koh Chang. The three of them comprise Santhiya Resorts & Spas. And the natural beauty of the islands can’t be overstated—the perfect beaches, the perfect views, the perfect jungles. You’ll feel like you’re in an Alex Garland novel—only with sunrise yoga, farm-to-table meals, Ayurvana facials, and your own private villa overlooking maybe the entire ocean. The resort is an eco-luxe resort, which means that your bed may be made of reclaimed wood, but your sheets will have very high thread counts.

What sets this spa apart is its range: People come looking for help with sexual health, long-term cognitive ability, better skin—and somehow SHA does it all. SHA was established to put guests on the road to optimal well-being. The founder rebounded from chronic health problems after aligning diet, natural therapies, and contemporary medicine, and the marriage of all three remains part of SHA’s core philosophy.

When you find yourself reaching for your iPhone to check emails in the middle of the night, it's time for The Ranch. This weeklong boot camp in Malibu encourages you to power down, let go of stress, and break less-than-healthy habits. Every day starts with several hours of hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains, and guests clock up to 60 miles a week. That has benefits for the body, yes. And if you’d like, the practitioners here will do a cholesterol check and body scan at the beginning of your program and again at the end. But all that physical exertion is mentally and emotionally cathartic, too.

Cal-a-Vie was designed to look like a rural French village—and it does a pretty convincing job. This wellness resort on the northern side of San Diego is made up of a collection of villas with terra-cotta tiled roofs, citrus groves, lavender fields, and hundreds of acres of quiet. The focus here is on wellness—and visits are organized into three-, four-, and seven-day packages. In addition to hiking, tennis, yoga, and an incredibly comprehensive, seasonal food and nutrition program, the spa has over 150 treatments—some of which you’d expect (detox wraps, rejuvenating facials) and some of which you couldn’t possibly (Hydrorider, say, or Piloxing). However long you stay, you’re basically guaranteed to leave feeling better than you did when you arrived.

We’ve heard great things about this recently revamped spa, which comes complete with onsite Japanese gardens: If possible, you'll want to check-in for a full week, and accordingly, a full reset, thanks to a daily menu of exercise and spa treatments. Styled after a Japanese “ryokan” or inn, the rooms here all resemble traditional Japanese houses—with an impressive collection of art and antiques from the 18th century to match. The decorations are simple, with sliding doors, dark wood, and Asian-influenced accents. While weight loss isn’t necessarily the goal of a stay, bring running shoes, as there’s a packed schedule of hikes, yoga, and fitness classes to choose from. The Golden Door is meant to be place for detoxing both mind and body, and the food is accordingly local, organic, and healthy—so much so, that you may even spend time in the vegetable garden picking your own greens.

Chill out surrounded by lush, tropical gardens at this historic Maui compound and learn to live Aloha for a while. Here you can practice mindfulness, learn to meditate, take an aromatherapy class–or learn about the land through their horticulture programs. The beauty and serenity of the island attracts yogis of all disciplines and from all over the world to practice, so check the calendar for upcoming retreats and workshops. You'll leave feeling completely refreshed.

A week-long holistic retreat on the beach, The Pearl offers guests a luxurious way to detox and decompress with daily hikes, yoga, and restorative massage, as well as introductions to new practices like Tai Chi or chakra balancing. After a week of clean eating, days full of exercise, quality time in nature, and lots of sleep, you'll leave here feeling lighter in every sense of the word.

When Larry Ellison bought the Hawaiian island of Lanai—the red clay, mountains, mist, palms, and Cook pines make it unlike anywhere else in Hawaii—he partnered with doctor and biomedical researcher David Agus to turn the island’s inland Four Seasonsinto a spectacular destination spa, Sensei.

Less is more when it comes to this detox program in Desert Hot Springs, California. Check in for three, six, eight, or more days and prepare for many, many beverages (green drinks, fresh juices, hot tea, soups, detox drinks, and water), along with colonics and massages every day. Read a book or relax by the pool while your body cleanses and recalibrates. There are yoga classes, sound baths, Reiki, nutrition classes, and more on the roster. And if you'd like, you can add a bit of therapeutic pampering to your stay with a mud wrap or lymphatic stimulation. Though there's also nothing wrong with just taking a lot of naps and hanging out in the infrared sauna.

Though a weekend at Canyon Ranch is arguably about exercising restraint, there’s nothing spare about this wellness retreat, which is situated in a gorgeous, fully-restored 19th-century manor nestled in the Berkshires. The understated rooms here are designed to be relaxing, and to that end, there’s not much to distract you from your weekend of centering and healthy living. That’s no problem, though, since you won’t be spending much time in them: Days at Canyon Ranch revolve around the spa, working out, and a wealth of activities, including cross-country skiing. There are about 50 classes on the roster, along with myriad pools, a full gym, and assorted extras like a ropes course and squash courts. When you’re not working out, you might be taking a cooking class or learning how to diagnose your dreams. The food is healthy, but it’s also delicious—and all-you-can-eat.

Situated on a lavish estate outside downtown Miami, the Pritikin has all the creature comforts of a luxury hotel, which is good considering you’ll likely find yourself beat after a day packed with exercise classes, lectures, nutrition demonstrations, and spa visits. The one- and two-week programs are popular choices for those looking for an intense overhaul. Meanwhile, the Family Health Camp gets the whole family involved, and the center also offers nutrition-centric programs that focus on teaching healthy cooking skills.

Shou Sugi Ban House is the kind of destination spa—on three acres of lush Hamptons woodland—that you visit to skip the socializing and reset. The programming here is relaxed: Guests bounce between thermal pools and enjoy a lengthy menu of massages, scrubs, wraps, baths, and facials. There’s a roster of wellness treatments focused on present-moment awareness and healing emotional wounds. A roster of visiting holistic experts and healers keeps the programming fresh, and the property blends so discreetly into the surrounding landscape, you can barely tell it’s there—which is entirely the point. And the restaurant is so good, we wouldn’t bat an eye if someone told us they came for the food alone.

If you’re looking for an escape to a luxury spa, you may want to look elsewhere, but if you're up for a rustic retreat that really lets you focus on resetting your well-being, Canyon Ranch in Tucson is an excellent choice. They have wonderful roster of in-house experts—from spiritual gurus, to fitness instructors—and a varied weekly schedule of group classes and events--everything from spinning, yoga, circuit training, mind-body-soul workshops, etc. Canyon Ranch has a casual atmosphere—you won’t need to bring much beyond your workout gear, and when you get there, the absence of bells and whistles is refreshing. The Arizona desert locale is vast and serene. There’s a two-mile loop of the campus, which you can walk or run (best early in the a.m. before the day heats up) that shows off the area’s incredible array of desert plants. If you want a guided nature tour, they have morning walks, hikes on the surrounding trails, and river-path bike rides. We suggest having a packed schedule so you can go to bed with that all-over, deep-good-tired feeling. While the food program isn't the most revolutionary of its kind, you won't go hungry.

The same way the spiritual vortex of Sedona draws seekers, it draws healers—and you can work with the best of them at Mii Amo. For 3, 4, 7, or 10 days—no more, no less—visitors follow personalized programs designed by a guide. Depending on a guest’s needs, a journey might include traditional spa offerings, like enzyme wraps and lymphatic facials, as well as specialty services, like shirodhara and Reiki healing. Spiritual treatments—meditation, hypnosis, past-life regression, and more—can be emotionally intense and incredibly cathartic. During downtime, you might explore intuitive watercolor, hikes in the canyon, dry sauna, or private pickleball lessons.

Forty minutes from downtown on a particularly spectacular bend in the river, Lake Austin is as amazing a day spa as it is an overnight retreat. Either way, you can use all the spa facilities, the restaurant (many ingredients come from an on-site organic garden) and participate in daily fitness activities from water yoga in the stunning, barn-enclosed warm pool, paddle boarding, and hikes to river-based workouts). There are more than 100 services on the extensive mind- and body-nourishing spa menu—everything from standard Swedish to Chinese-medical cupping treatments—with specific options for mothers-to-be, couples, and groups. The facials are particularly incredible: herbal enzyme peels, fractionated laser treatments, and luminizing vitamin C therapies, plus specific options for mothers-to-be, couples, and groups. Post-treatment, you can lounge by the series of swimming pools in the large hillside garden.

More active vacation destination than full-on wellness retreat, Red Mountain Resort sits just a stone's throw from several national parks (the sweeping views of red cliffs and the surrounding wilderness from the mountain-view rooms are worth the splurge) and is ideal for anyone looking for a bit of adventure rather than an all-day spa deal. Retreat packages can be customized to address any number of needs, from boot-camp level ass-kicking, to daily gentle yoga, to consultations with a shaman. For sustenance, there’s Canyon Counter for quickie meals and room service, or Canyon Breeze restaurant, where the largely gluten-free menu is healthy but not detox-level (you’re free to have coffee at breakfast and wine with dinner). Also worth mentioning: the resort is famously welcoming to pets.

Joali Being, on its own private island in the Maldives, has a guiding philosophy of weightlessness. Here, that means letting go of your regular habits for a more intuitive way of life. It’s easier to sacrifice your attachments here, digital or otherwise, and it’s no mystery why: The island, covered in immaculate palm groves and dotted with modern Maldivian architecture, is so beautiful that you wouldn’t want to miss a moment. There’s an antigravity yoga pavilion, immersive wellness experiences, therapeutic and alternative healing therapies, an herbology center, a hydrotherapy hall that includes a sensory-deprivation room, sound therapy hall, and more.

Kamalaya, on the lush Thai island Koh Samui, combines Eastern and Western medical treatments for as full a reset as you want. When you’re not busy with past-life regression therapy, Reiki, sound baths, herbal soaks, and massages for everything (head, hands, feet, you name it), spend some time floating around the verdant grounds: You’ll find coastal yoga pavilions, cold-water plunge pools, otherworldly steam rooms, and a contemplation cave once used by Buddhist monks.

Located inside the ancient walled city, steps from the Mehrangarh Fort, this was once the home of a Rajput aristocrat. Built in the traditional Haveli style, with multiple stories constructed around a courtyard, the original carved stone panels and antique shrines of the thirty-nine suites and common areas, including a breathtaking pool, were carefully preserved during renovation. The elevated position over Jodhpur lends a panoramic view of both the old and new cities. For a complete reset, the Ila Spa at RAAS Jodhpur is an Ayurveda-centered healing retreat. Try the Ky Nye, a treatment meant to balance the five elements (earth, wind, fire, water, and ether), using five essential oils and a combination of massage and acupressure, while crystals and herbal poultices are placed along your meridian energy lines to ease tension.

A short flight from Delhi in Dehradun, India, each guest at Six Senses Vana is supported in developing their own wellness experience, incorporating aspects of yoga, sowa rigpa (traditional Tibetan medicine), Ayurveda, spa treatments, and exercise to reach a place of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual balance. A big part of one's personal program could be simply to relax—if that's the case, definitely muster up the energy to stroll through the forests, gardens, and orchards; they are gorgeous.

The entire team of wellness specialists at Ann Wigmore’s eponymous Natural Health Institute in Puerto Rico is well-trained in her revolutionary approach, which lauds the use of wheatgrass and “living foods” (strictly organic, raw, plant-based, and nutrient-rich foods) for nourishing and ultimately healing the body. While the accommodations are comfortably minimal, the beachside grounds make for an idyllic setting for the one-week intensive and two-week immersive programs—all of which are supplemented by customizable treatment plans of colonics, lymphatic massages, and more. You’re likely to feel an instant transformation but the institute’s goal is long-term education, effectively preparing graduates of the program to maintain the lifestyle back at home.

Fun and cleansing don't have to be mutually exclusive. There are plenty of activities to keep your mind off the detox process during this week-long retreat in bohemian hot spot Sayulita, Mexico. The menu for the week is planned to ease you in and out of two days of a liquid diet so it helps to have a packed schedule with yoga, massage, hiking, Pilates, Crossfit, acupuncture, and clay treatments with breaks built in for juices, snacks, and meals.

Costa Rica’s Talamanca Mountains are home to two-toed sloths, vibrant pink hummingbirds, and hill after hill of coffee farms—and Auberge resort Hacienda AltaGracia. You could, if you wanted to, come here just to hang in the spacious casitas and enjoy the resort’s leafy, vivid-green surroundings. But we’d argue the real magic happens at the destination-worthy spa, The Well.

The only advice we have to those seeking to push themselves through the original back-to-basics boot camp? Stick it out. The seven days of crazy-long hikes, intense workouts, and a cleansing, vegetarian diet will be hard work, but it will also whip you into shape. Not for the faint of heart (or the fussy), this no-frills, no-excuses program is no less grueling (or cushy) than at its original location in Calabasas, California—but the fact that it's in Mallorca definitely makes it more palatable.

From the outside, this massive Swiss chateau looks pretty storybook, but inside, there's serious healing going on. The in-house doctors and therapists customize every wellness program—points of focus include everything from basic stress relief to careful post-op care—to revolve around taking in its prized, anti-inflammatory thermal spring waters—by way of pools, steam rooms, and saunas. They're pumped in from an ancient gorge and are said to ease everything from arthritis pain to eczema.

Step back in time and settle into a restored Byzantine mansion on an eighteen-acre estate perched overlooking the castle rock of Monemvasia in East Peloponnese, Greece. Log some serious hours in the Ottoman-style Hammam and try treatments that incorporate local olive oil, honey, and ingredients derived from grapes or fill your schedule with activities like hiking, biking, and wine tasting—depending on the time of year, you can even join the grape or olive harvest efforts. Or, there's also the very appealing idea of just doing nothing at all.

Leaning heavily on founder F.X. Mayr’s theories that diseases stem from imbalances in the digestive system, the custom tailored wellness programs at this SciFi-looking forest compound in Austria, all marry modern medicine with time-honored holistic methods, and center around intense detoxification (colon cleansing, lymphatic draining, even light psychotherapy). If it all sounds like serious business, that’s because it is—but so are the results: the programs are said to have life-changing regenerative effects. Thankfully, it’s all balanced by ample spa time for salt scrubs and massages, and custom meal plans that while skimpy, border on gourmet. In addition to the original, there’s a brand new, 70-room resort, Lanserhof Tagernsee, on Lake Tegern in Germany and a city outpost in Hamburg called Lans Medicum.

At Lanserhof, guests embark on an intensely challenging, doctor-guided protocol for cleansing the digestive system. It goes like this: You fast, drinking only tea and water. Then you detox, drinking Epsom salts to purge the system. And then you eat—at first, according to a radically restricted diet—and learn to chew properly. (Thirty to forty times for each small bite.)

People have traveled to Fiuggi for centuries just for the natural spring water, which, legend has it, is healing. At Palazzo Fiuggi, you’ll drink it, soak in it, and shower in it. But the real force behind this destination spa is the medical team, who will tailor your experience according to your goals and the health evaluation you take upon arrival. Your results inform the rest of your stay: Will you spend long mornings trekking through the countryside and afternoons in the thermal baths? Or will you spend the week detoxing, following your doctor visits with lymphatic massage and cleansing rituals in the hammam?

Beyond the perpetual unst-unst of Ibiza's club scene, at the northern tip of Cala Xarraca, there’s a destination for spiritual seekers and wellness lovers: Six Senses Ibiza, a deeply peaceful destination spa with panoramic views and gorgeous suites.

Take a breather in the name of beauty. Ila, the makers of the much-loved luxury organic skincare and spa products, teamed up with The Lakes, a new private residential estate created by Philippe Starck-led design group Yoo to create this retreat in the Cotswolds. Bunk by the lake, do yoga, hike the countryside, meditate, eat healthy, and most importantly, relax with four indulgent treatments during the four-day, three-night stay.