Wellness travel means different things to different people: a yoga retreat for some, a walking holiday for others and meditation to the tune of sound baths (does anyone really know what they are?) for those who are really dedicated. Then there are retreats that run workshops to focus on specifics: sleep deprivation, stress or weight loss. What unites all of them is a rise in popularity following a pandemic that played havoc with both our mental and physical health — we’re all in need of a breather.

But where to go? The good news is that you don’t need to leave the UK, or have loads of spare cash if you’re willing to share dormitories and eat basic meals instead of staying in high-end mansions on low-calorie juice diets; some places such as monasteries even offer concessions if you can’t fund a stay. Further afield, typically bohemian haunts such as Ibiza and Bali tend to over-index in retreats, but nowadays resorts aimed to help recharge have popped up everywhere from the Austrian Alps to the Australian outback.

Think about what you want to get out of it and where you’d really like to go, and, chances are, it’ll be easy to combine the two. Most people tend to go alone and, depending on where you choose, you’ll have the option of joining group classes to cut down the cost and meet new people, or going solo — and even taking a vow of silence.

Main photo: paddleboard yoga in Thailand (Getty Images)