As life seems to pick up pace every day it's perhaps no surprise that more and more holidaymakers are getting into wellness travel as a way to try to combat daily stress and fatigue.
Whether searching for yoga retreats, spa breaks or fitness-focused fun, holidaymakers have turned the wellness tourism sector into a $639 billion industry, according to the latest figures from the Global Wellness Institute. In response and as that number looks set to only get bigger, hotels and resorts have added treatments, spa facilities, expert therapists and tailored stays to give travellers exactly what they're looking for. This Global Wellness Day, we round-up a wellness escape for every budget.
Budget breaks: India, Slovenia, and Thailand
Embrace silence in India
If getting to grips with meditation has been on your to do list for a while and you’re ready to seriously embrace it, reset your mind on a retreat at Vipassana Meditation Centre. Originating from India, the technique is one of the oldest forms of the practice in the world and practitioners are introduced to it via a ten-day immersion course. Aiming to teach you the basics of the code to help balance your mind, this retreat is not for the faint-hearted. Expect 4am wake-up calls, total silence and no reading, writing or music allowed. On the upside, it’s a complete immersion in mediation and you can find Vipassana centres all over the world from Sweden, Italy and Hong Kong to Nepal, Canada and, of course, India. Accommodation is basic, as is the vegetarian food, but all you’ll pay for is airfare - the entire retreat is free of charge with courses funded through donations from former students.
Introductory courses are free, find locations and dates for coming retreats www.dhamma.org
Thermal respite in Slovenia
It’s all about H2O at the Lasko Thermal Spa resort in Slovenia's mountains where the mineral enriched waters are believed to have healing properties. Soak at the various pools and take your pick from a long list of water-based treatments and therapies. Don’t worry about the weather, if it doesn’t hold up you can still get in the water as the resort has a dome-covered pool. And good news for parents, the resort is also family-friendly. For a weekend of wellness, try the Body and Mind package which includes unlimited entrance to the thermal pools and sauna centre, a cocoa experience massage, access to the fitness studio and a programme of optional activities. You’ll also get half board meals, late checkout, a discount on therapeutic services and a half-price Ayurveda consultation.
Prices start at €196 (Dh811) per person for the weekend package, www.thermana.si
Hideaway on a Thai island
Located on a beach in Thailand’s Ko Pha-ngan, The Sanctuary began life as a hideaway for the owner’s friends but has since bloomed into a respite for travellers looking to get away from it all. Coconut groves and a hillside jungle surround this place which feels a world away from the island's party persona. Check in for the three-night yoga mini break where you’ll have daily yoga classes, massage treatments and access to the steam room. You’ll also get a private one-to-one yoga session and one sanctuary therapy from the on-site Tea Temple spa. If nutrition is on your mind, you can opt to add three days of healthy raw food and herbal supplements.
The 3-day yoga escape costs from THB13,700 (Dh1,606) per person in basic accommodation. The raw food programme is an additional Dh700, www.thesanctuarythailand.com
Affordable escapes: Portugal, England and Taiwan
Rid yourself of negativity in Portugal
Lacking in energy? Book a spot on the self-awakening retreat at the Longevity Cegonha Country Club in the Algarve’s Vilamoura and you might find the remedy you’ve been seeking. Checking-in for five nights, you’ll be introduced to a host of techniques and therapies designed to help you access the positive energy hiding in your body. Hosted by a wellness guru and yoga master, this retreat will help you to eliminate negative energy and create space for mental silence. You’ll have two daily workshops where you’ll learn things like energy routines, breathing techniques, meditative walking, yoga and healing mantras. When you're not in sessions, there's an outdoor swimming pool and a hydro jet pool, an infrared sauna and an Epsom salt room to enjoy, plus an eatery serving healthy meals made from local produce.
Rates start from €1,200 (Dh4,967) per person for five nights, longevityvilamoura.com
Unwind in the Lake District
The Lake District in the north west of England teems with mountains, forests and, quite unsurprisingly, lakes making it the perfect setting for a wellness stay. The swanky Gilpin hotel, set in 25 acres of woodland on the banks of a private lake, has a two-night Magical Moments mini-break package where you’ll be bedding down in one of the hotel’s five cedar-clad spa lodges. Perched off the ground for maximum Lake District views, your private sanctuary comes with a log-fire and en suite spa which has a steam room, sauna and rainmaker shower. Out on the deck, there is a 27-jet hydrotherapy hot tub with serious countryside vistas. The two-night package includes a tasting menu at the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant, bespoke couples’ aromatherapy massages, afternoon tea and leisurely breakfasts.
Rates start at £1,505 (Dh7,025) for two people for two night
Taiwan’s natural hot springs
Set in a mountainous region by a valley carved by the waters of the Daja River, the newly opened Hoshinoya Guguan in Taichung is a stunningly beautiful place to escape the stresses of daily life. The nature-rich environment and ever-present sound of water welcomes travellers checking-in to what can only be described as a haven of serenity. Every room at this hotel has its own hot-spring bath, so you are never far from the therapeutic benefits of the region’s low alkaline waters. Outside, naturally carbonated bathing pools surrounded by cherry blossoms in spring and cone covered cypress trees autumn are the perfect hot-spring experience. Dining here is artful, meals are Japanese Kaiseki-style created using ingredients from the local region and the minimalist interiors are perhaps the antithesis of stress-inducing.
A 3-night stay in a Fen room includes flights from Dubai with Emirates starts from Dh7,168 per person, hoshinoya.com/guguan/en
Splurging stays: Sharjah, Vietnam and California
A holistic house in Sharjah
Do you have three days to dedicate to your inner wellness? According to the experts at Al Bait Sharjah, that’s all you need. Check-in for three consecutive nights at this new hotel in the emirate's historic district and be prepared to discover a host of wellness secrets gleamed from ancient traditions and cultures. From a holistic Ayurveda Abhyanga massage to a personalised guided yoga session or aqua aerobics with a wellness expert, it won’t take you long to turn on relax mode. Feast on healthy organic dishes that will help to promote well-being from within, and round-off your stay with a nurturing hammam treatment.
Rates start from Dh2,752 per night excluding taxes, ghmhotels.com/en/al-bait-sharjah/gallery/
In-house healing in Vietnam
Slow things down by checking-in to a place that feels like it is steeped in the past at The Anam, the first beach colonial resort in Vietnam. Nestled on the Cam Ranh peninsula, the hotel has just unveiled its private spa villas, geared at those seeking a detox from daily life. Wake up each morning to amazing views of Long Beach, enjoy treatments on your private massage table and bathe in your huge outdoor pool. Next door, the 10-treatment room Anam Spa has a whole menu of therapies, but if you prefer to say put, you can simply book an in-villa treatment. All the therapies follow a ‘high-touch, low-tech’ philosophy to encourage guests to take a bit of a digital detox and embrace Asian holistic healing traditions. Whether you need to energise, heal, detox or relax, expert therapists will take care of you. In-villa yoga and meditation sessions with Umesh, the resident yogi, mean you don’t need to stroll too far from your hideaway unless you really want to.
Stays at the two-bedroom spa villas start from $730 (Dh2,680) per night, including one spa treatment per day, breakfast and airport transfers, www.theanam.com
Getting fit with Four Seasons in California
Check in to Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village in the scenic Conejo Valley, not far from Malibu for a long weekend of wellness, fitness and healthy eating at the Ranch 4.0 experience. This isn’t a chill-out stay, so expect about eight hours a day of exercise including four hours trekking through the Santa Monica mountains. Body toning workouts, group yoga sessions and daily massages are also part of the experience. If you’re looking to shift some weight, the vegetarian diet will set you on the right path and cooking demonstrations will give you the tools to continue the routine when you return home. There are also lots of diagnostic fitness tests that you can undertake including a body composition assessment and a metabolic test as well as therapies such as acupuncture, dermatology and energy healing to chose from.
Rates for the all inclusive 4-night programme start at $3,800 (Dh13,955) per person, theranchmalibu.com.
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Read more:
Silence is golden but it can also be elusive
How halal holidays became one of the world's fastest-growing travel trends
5 top halal holiday destinations around the world
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Company profile
Name: Tratok Portal
Founded: 2017
Based: UAE
Sector: Travel & tourism
Size: 36 employees
Funding: Privately funded
In the Restaurant: Society in Four Courses
Christoph Ribbat
Translated by Jamie Searle Romanelli
Pushkin Press
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Intercontinental Cup
Namibia v UAE Saturday Sep 16-Tuesday Sep 19
Table 1 Ireland, 89 points; 2 Afghanistan, 81; 3 Netherlands, 52; 4 Papua New Guinea, 40; 5 Hong Kong, 39; 6 Scotland, 37; 7 UAE, 27; 8 Namibia, 27
The major Hashd factions linked to Iran:
Badr Organisation: Seen as the most militarily capable faction in the Hashd. Iraqi Shiite exiles opposed to Saddam Hussein set up the group in Tehran in the early 1980s as the Badr Corps under the supervision of the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The militia exalts Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei but intermittently cooperated with the US military.
Saraya Al Salam (Peace Brigade): Comprised of former members of the officially defunct Mahdi Army, a militia that was commanded by Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr and fought US and Iraqi government and other forces between 2004 and 2008. As part of a political overhaul aimed as casting Mr Al Sadr as a more nationalist and less sectarian figure, the cleric formed Saraya Al Salam in 2014. The group’s relations with Iran has been volatile.
Kataeb Hezbollah: The group, which is fighting on behalf of the Bashar Al Assad government in Syria, traces its origins to attacks on US forces in Iraq in 2004 and adopts a tough stance against Washington, calling the United States “the enemy of humanity”.
Asaeb Ahl Al Haq: An offshoot of the Mahdi Army active in Syria. Asaeb Ahl Al Haq’s leader Qais al Khazali was a student of Mr Al Moqtada’s late father Mohammed Sadeq Al Sadr, a prominent Shiite cleric who was killed during Saddam Hussein’s rule.
Harakat Hezbollah Al Nujaba: Formed in 2013 to fight alongside Mr Al Assad’s loyalists in Syria before joining the Hashd. The group is seen as among the most ideological and sectarian-driven Hashd militias in Syria and is the major recruiter of foreign fighters to Syria.
Saraya Al Khorasani: The ICRG formed Saraya Al Khorasani in the mid-1990s and the group is seen as the most ideologically attached to Iran among Tehran’s satellites in Iraq.
(Source: The Wilson Centre, the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation)
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Blah
Started: 2018
Founder: Aliyah Al Abbar and Hend Al Marri
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and talent management
Initial investment: Dh20,000
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 40
'Nope'
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Non-oil%20trade
%3Cp%3ENon-oil%20trade%20between%20the%20UAE%20and%20Japan%20grew%20by%2034%20per%20cent%20over%20the%20past%20two%20years%2C%20according%20to%20data%20from%20the%20Federal%20Competitiveness%20and%20Statistics%20Centre.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIn%2010%20years%2C%20it%20has%20reached%20a%20total%20of%20Dh524.4%20billion.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ECars%20topped%20the%20list%20of%20the%20top%20five%20commodities%20re-exported%20to%20Japan%20in%202022%2C%20with%20a%20value%20of%20Dh1.3%20billion.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EJewellery%20and%20ornaments%20amounted%20to%20Dh150%20million%20while%20precious%20metal%20scraps%20amounted%20to%20Dh105%20million.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERaw%20aluminium%20was%20ranked%20first%20among%20the%20top%20five%20commodities%20exported%20to%20Japan.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ETop%20of%20the%20list%20of%20commodities%20imported%20from%20Japan%20in%202022%20was%20cars%2C%20with%20a%20value%20of%20Dh20.08%20billion.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
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Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
