Aqua Sana, Longleat, England
Recently relaunched, the Longleat Forest spa makes the most of its gorgeous surroundings. With five unique sections inspired by some of the world's most incredible natural phenomenons (you'll want to pay special attention to the Northern Lights steam room and the volcanic sauna), it's entirely a world to itself and well-worth the visit.
Hotel Ofutei, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan
Hotel Ofutei in Tomonoura Onsen, Hiroshima, has a host open-air hot spring baths, where guests can enjoy clear sunlight and mornings whilst bathing, overlooking the calm sea of Tomonoura.
Lazy You Spa at C Lazy U Ranch, Granby, Colorado
Some people want to disappear to America and ride a dude ranch, others want to relax in a forest spa. At The C Lazy U Spa in Colorado, you can do both. Surrounded by acres of untouched land, the spa is a collection of beautiful log cabins. Their signature treatment is called the Cowboy Copper Tub Soak, where guests can relax in a bathtub and enjoy incredible views of the Continental Divide mountain range in complete peace and tranquillity.
‘The Shingo Onsen’, Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, Japan
Legend has it that an injured eagle was found in a local hot spring nursing a wound. Soon, the spring had cured it. The Shingo Onsen sources its water from the same spring, which claims to aid with muscle pain, poor circulation and other ailments. Tucked away in an idyllic mountain location, it’s as magical as its mythical history.
Grotta Giusti, Pisa, Italy
Grotta Giusti takes practical, medicinal approach to healing therapies, all without compromising its beautiful surroundings and stunning property. The best example of this is their crown jewel; the largest underground cave in Europe, which sits underneath the property and is a staggering 130 million years old.
Sendai Akiu Spa, Hotel Iwanumaya, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan
Water straight from Akiu's main spring feeds into the hot-spring baths at Sendai Akiu Spa. If you're travelling around the Tohoku region, it's one to look out for.
Thalasso Spa, The Islands of Tahiti
The Thalasso Spa finds home in one of Bora Bora’s best resorts. Their spa is the only spa in the entire country that drives fresh seawater from 3,000 feet below the surface to use as healing waters in hydro-massage baths, pearl rain massages and a ‘water journey’ treatment, which involves deep-relaxing jacuzzi’s and cold seawater pools with massaging jets.
Detox at Osmosis Day Spa, Sonoma County, California
You may not have heard of it since Year 9 science, but Osmosis is back in a big way. A California-based, Japanese-inspired spa, the Osmosis Day Spa has five relaxing garden areas and a host of interesting treatments. Experience a restorative treatment overlooking the meditative gardens while bathing in a mix of fine cedar shavings, rice bran and plant enzymes where temperatures reach up to 48 degrees. Don’t worry about overheating – attendants have cold cloths and ice water at the ready.
The Scandinave Spa, Whistler
Great for long-haul travellers, skiers or snowboarders, the Scandinave Spa moves through a cycle of hot-cold-relax, proven to both energise and rest the body, improving blood circulation and aid detoxification. Hot cycles take place in eucalyptus steam rooms, outdoor hot baths, Finnish wood-burning saunas or dry saunas. The spa also hosts a Nordic waterfall, rain showers and cold plunges, as well as solariums beside outdoor firepits.
Credit: Roberto Patti
Pisa, Italy: A wellness haven of ancient thermal baths, historic Italian villas and deliciously healthy food
Pisa's termes have long been the retreat of royalty and the famous, attracting kings, queens and a good number of
Credit: Joali
Joali, Maldives: An immersive art hotel founded in the name of peaceful wellness and quiet decadence
The latest addition to the Raa Atoll, Joali is the perfect spot for those looking to sit back and recharge
Constance Le Prince Maurice, Mauritius: A paradise on the water
Victoria Marston discovers the wonders of Mauritius, complete with bespoke cocktails and famous reef sharks.
Cheval Blanc St Tropez: A place where everything is taken care of — except, perhaps, the colour of your yacht
St Tropez's newest hotel has every luxury touch imaginable, from the smartest chauffeur service you've ever seen to its own
Credit: Skigebiet Grebenzen
St Lambrecht, Styria: Skiing, race car driving and thermal springs, all in the green heart of Austria
Deep in the foothills of southern Austria lies a quiet town as-of-yet undiscovered by British holiday goers, a fact which
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Brockfield Hall, the great Yorkshire house that's gone from Regency mansion to modern family homeBrockfield Hall in North Yorkshire is the family home of Charlie Wood and Hatta Byng, editor of House & Garden, who have transformed it since they came here in 2020, winning multiple awards in the process. John Martin Robinson reports on the restoration project that revived this compact Regency house as a modern family home. Photographs by Paul Highnam for Country Life.
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Barbour’s heritage jackets get a floral makeover courtesy of ErdemUtilitarian outwear has taken the fashion world by storm and now Britain's world-famous wax jackets are getting in on the act, inspired by some of our greatest countryside icons.
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Bucket List dreams for life after lockdown, from the dazzling plains of Antarctica to a treehouse in BotswanaCountry Life's Travel Editor Rosie Paterson speaks to adventurers, artists and those who've spent their whole careers obsessing over seeing the world about the places they want to visit when travel restrictions lift and the world gets back to normal.
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Armchair travel: Tour Yosemite, go to the zoo and visit museums, all from your homeIt may not be possible to leave your house or cross borders, but you can still plan what you'll do when business-as-usual starts again.
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A fresh perspective on Ibiza: An island of quiet charm, a thin split from the party capital of the worldMark Hedges explores Isla Sa Ferradura, a Garden of Eden just a short distance from one of the world's most infamous destinations.
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Country Life's best travel stories of 2019: Skiing in Gstaad, a steam train in Dartmouth and 72 hours in New YorkWe take a look back on our travel highlights of the last year, from alpine retreats to city escapes.
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Suvretta House, St Moritz: The birthplace of winter sports, with pre-warmed boots and excellent pistesDamien Gabet visits a city with a chequered history.
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Gstaad, Switzerland: ‘The last paradise in a crazy world’, a fairytale still untouched with pistes aplentyRosie Paterson travels to Gstaad–once described by Julie Andrews as ‘the last paradise in a crazy world’– to find out what lies behind the jet-set façade.
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Port Fairy, Australia: The former whaling town with more bite than its name suggests, on Australia’s Great Ocean RoadCruising down Australia’s Great Ocean Road, Matthew Dennison discovers a former whaling town well worth visiting.
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A seaside estate in Montego Bay, where you can swim with horses and sample local herbal remediesSwimming with dolphins might be the norm, but Nigel Tisdall bucks the trend to frolic with horses in the surf.
