Sometimes you just need to leave your family behind and escape on holiday with your friends. Whether you want your time to involve wellness or something a little wilder, Lightfoot Travel reveals the best places that offer short breaks for girls needing some well-deserved me-time. Bring on the girls trips in Asia!
Pretty, magical and serene, Luang Prabang is not the place for a party; rather a sophisticated go-to for those who want to chill out, discover a new culture, and enjoy quality time together in luxury. It’s practically impossible to feel stressed here. Take a boat trip to the Pak Ou caves, discover the Luang Si Waterfall, and watch the monks collecting their morning alms. Avani + is the ideal stay with a seductive spa, swimming pool, tennis court, and a yoga, meditation and pilates studio. Hide away here gossiping, sipping cocktails, and forgetting about the business of back home for a while.
Combine culture and cool on a girls’ trip to Cambodia. Visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Angkor Wat early in the morning, then explore the colorful narrow streets, art, markets, restaurants, and bars that Siem Reap has to offer. Stay at the luxurious Belmond La Residence D’Angkor where you can hire a bicycle or head on a boat cruise on Tonle Sap lake. Not that it’ll be easy to leave the hotel which comes with an exceptional spa, Martini Lounge, and rooms that boast an oversize bathtub.
Return to collective sanity at The Farm at San Benito in the Philippines, one of the few truly medical and wellness resorts in Asia. The aim here is to restore you with a sense of health and wellbeing and to free your body of toxins and stress with the help of integrative doctors, licensed therapists, and movement consultants who’ll supervise you throughout. The all-vegan, plant-based cleansing food is astonishingly good (so good that you won’t even think about wine!), and there’s also yoga, pranayama, tai-chi and meditation sessions.
With its ancient pagodas and temples, teeming markets, and top-notch restaurants and bars, Ho Chi Minh is a guaranteed great escape for the girls! Make the beautiful Villa Song, your weekend base; it’s located close to the hustle and bustle, but far enough away to feel like you’re in your own bubble. Pitch up poolside and soak up the colonial charm of the property; spend lunchtime enjoying local delicacies and carefully selected wines at Bistro Song Vie, and then relax at the spa with a soothing body treatment.
If you’d like your sojourn to be big on spirituality, head for the Himalayas in India. Ananda Spa is located in the foothills overlooking the Ganges River, and it’s the place to be for total calm, time to switch off, and to the chance to rebalance. Guests sign up for a timetable of time-honored Indian wellness regimes including Ayurveda and yoga, alongside health lectures, wellness classes and activities such as rafting, golf, cookery, meditation and mountain hikes.
Got kids? Little Steps Asia gives you the scoop on all the things to do and see with babies, toddlers, and kids in Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bali, Jakarta, Macau, and beyond. From family-friendly hotels, kids and baby shops, the best schools and after school activities, pregnancy tips and meet-ups and more – we have you sorted.
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