‘Tis The Season To Be Detoxing

12th OF January 2012

By Kirsty Harrison lastminute.com.au

Feeling a bit blah after the festive season? After weeks filled with a few too many cocktails, advent calendar goodness (when else can you have chocolate for breakfast) and more brunch/lunch/drinks/dinner/dessert catch ups than you can count on your fingers and toes, it’s fair to say you might have overindulged just a smidgen.

Now you could go off on a crazy celebrity personal trainer regime or partake in a lemon detox diet but really, how enjoyable does that sound.

The lastminute lovelies don’t like a hard slog so we suggest combining the best of both worlds and booking yourself in for a healthy holiday at one of our fave retreat hotspots. Easy, peasy, relaxy. Rehab should be glamorous shouldn’t it?

The Byron at Byron Resort and Spa

One word: bliss! Set within a subtropical rainforest, start your day with a complimentary yoga class, enjoy the onsite dining options that use fresh, local produce, book in for spa treatment (the outdoor massage gets a big tick from us) and laze by the pool with a good book. Located just out of town, The Byron allows you to do as little or as much as you’d like to while you’re escaping the rat race. If exercise if your thing consider hiring a bike and cycling into town or get out of your comfort zone with a learn to surf lesson or introduction to diving course.

Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary, Koh Samui

Centred on a monk's cave that once served as a place of meditation and spiritual retreat, this award winning holistic spa resort overlooks the gorgeous coastline of Koh Samui (what’s not to love). Combining healing therapies from East and West, a variety of programs are on offer to suit whatever your focus may be including detox, stress and weight loss. With an amazing spa, a variety of fresh and organic (wherever possible) foods and yoga, tai chi, pilates and personal trainers on offer, Kamalaya is the perfect location to recharge and reset.

W Bali Seminyak Retreat and Spa

If you’re looking for a big dose of wow factor in your ‘refresh’ holiday, this is the one for you. The treatments at AWAY Spa are phenomenal! Featuring five treatment rooms, two spa suites, a nail lounge and a hair salon (and it’s open 24/7 – bonus), there are stack of treatments to choose from. Our pick is the ‘Goddess Glow’ – a Balinese scrub and massage that will have you feeling like a princess again in no time. They also have a state of the art gym, twice-daily complimentary yoga, group exercise classes and if you’re really feeling like you need a kick-start their personal trainer sessions.

Top tips for getting the most out of your ‘health-focused’ holiday

Reduce your caffeine and junk food intake in the lead up – If you’re doing a detox, we’re not going to lie: those first days can give you a hell of a headache. Persevere though, it is worth it!

Leave your laptop (and your smartphone) at home
– The world won’t fall over if you’re not checking your emails.

Think about what you want to get out of it
– Do you want to drop the Christmas kilos? Give your poor liver a chance to recover? Focus on your love of yoga? Or simply have some me-time? Figuring out the aim of your trip will help you get the most out of it.

To research more healthy holiday options head to www.lastminute.com.au

To read more from the lastminute lovelies, check out their blog www.liveeverylastminute.com.au