The wellness traveller’s guide to a balanced New Year

New Year’s resolutions have become a bit of a fad… Who wants to stop eating chocolate? Not us. They shouldn’t be about punishing yourself, the whole ‘New Year, new me’ vibe is about things that will make your life better! So, time to transform this year’s resolutions with ✨ wellness travel ✨

Resolutions = habit-building, and when it comes to prioritising your wellbeing, that can only be a good thing. Travel can reduce stress and improve happiness, turning those Jan blues into pure jet-setting joy. Plus, planning a trip in advance also creates that sense of anticipation and motivation – nothing quite beats the holiday countdown. When it comes to wellness travel, think beach yoga, hiking in the mountains and a treat-yourself spa trip. You get all that gorgeous holiday happiness, just levelled up with even more self-care benefits!

Sunny destinations are an obvious way to combat SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) with a Vitamin D top-up, while other places and new cultures can offer an insight into different ways of living. If wellness travel isn’t a resolution in itself for you, think about how it can still support you achieving the ones you have chosen. If you’re trying Veganuary this year, why not visit a place that’s predominantly vegan?

Top tip – Travel vision boards are the latest trend and the perfect planning tool to help you prioritise wellness travel this year. You don’t have to book anything yet, just get some ideas down – make a Pinterest board, scroll Insta, anything that gets you feeling inspired!

Download your fave vision board template from Canva, read our best tips for embracing wellness travel and get manifesting…

Ready? So, here are a few New Year’s resolutions you might be considering and how wellness travel can help you absolutely smash them.

Veganuary

Top destinations:

Thailand – Thailand’s got a great history of plant-based food and the curries here mainly use coconut milk. The major cities have loads of options, like Bangkok, where there’s a range of western and Thai food.

Germany – Germany’s capital, Berlin, is a bit of a global hotspot for vegans. It’s known as the capital of veganism in Europe, thanks to not only its vegan cafés, but vegan bars, hotels and shops. Veganz is Europe’s first chain to sell zero animal products, so stock up on a city break here.

Portugal – Where there’s surf culture, there’s usually a good vegan food scene. While fish is a huge part of Portugal’s cuisine, there are loads of vegan cafés in Lisbon and vegan versions of the national dishes.

India – India has the lowest rate of meat consumption in the world and a huge concentration of the world’s vegans and vegetarians live here. From thalis to dhals, there are plenty of vegan options here that are full of flavour.

If you’re more of an All Inclusive person or like to eat at your hotel for a full day of poolside lounging… these hotels cater to vegans and veggies like no other.

Top hotels:

Hotel Xcaret Arte, Mexico – There are 10 restaurants here and Apapachoa is 100% plant-based.

Reethi Faru, the Maldives – This place has six bars and six restaurants, including one called Veggie N Vegan. You’ve got to book 24 hours in advance to eat here, but then you’ve got your pick of everything on the menu.

Tsamis Zante Suites, Greece – Seek out some vegan picky bits from the buffet, or there’s the Elaia vegan restaurant, where you can guarantee everything’s plant-based.
St Raphael Resort, Cyprus – Out of eight restaurants, this hotel has a vegan spot right on the beachfront and a street food place, too. It’s called Seashells Healthy Living and is open for lunch and early dinner, plus some of the menu comes as part of your All Inclusive package. There’s also a Thai restaurant, which means great vegan options, too.

Fitness routine

This one’s a New Year classic and holidays are often where we bin off our routines. That’s all part of the holiday switch-off mode and completely fine, but if you’re just starting out and need a bit of consistency, it’s all about knowing where to look… These hotels have great fitness facilities and beat any PureGym back home. Funnily enough, when the treadmill’s got a sea view, you tend to enjoy your workout a bit more, too.

Top hotels:

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic – This place is fully prepped for a NY workout, with cardio machines and kickboxing equipment – there’s nearly 5,000 square feet of space to find your own little corner, too. And, if you haven’t quite got your routine sorted yet, book a Les Mills HIIT class and one of the instructors can just tell you what to do instead.

Secrets The Vine Cancun, Mexico – 12,500 square metres of gym space here looks right out to sea. There are also 14 treatment rooms, 2 of which are couples suites, and there’s a sauna and steam room. Recovery is key, right?

Pantokrator, Greece – The gym here is conveniently located right above the pool bar – don’t think you can’t do a bit of both – and has the most amazing panoramic views of the Ionian Sea. It’s out in the open air, too, so there’s no need for air-con… you can cool off naturally with that sea breeze.
Playa Park Zensation, Fuerteventura – Sunbathing is so on the cards here, but as well as a gym with treadmills, cross-trainers and weights, you can also do yoga classes and play volleyball. There’s a whole daytime activity programme to stay active by doing something new every day.

Train travel

Being mindful of the environment is on everyone’s list this year. Refillable shampoo, natural deodorants, recyclable toothbrush heads – being eco is in and it goes beyond everyday products. So, why not try going flight free by travelling by train, bus or boat to get to your next destination? Our partners in flight-free adventure, Byway, offer readymade itineraries or you can build your own. You also get free disruption rerouting and help via WhatsApp on the go. See if any of these routes are a bit of you…

Get **£100 off** a flight-free trip when you book before the 31st January 2025. Use our exclusive code FIRSTCHOICE100 when you check out. T&Cs apply.

Top trips, in partnership with Byway:

Epic Morocco, 23 days

London > Nimes > Madrid > Cadiz > Tangier > Chefchaouen > Fez > Marrakech > Casablanca > Cadiz > Zaragoza > Nimes > London

Interrailing isn’t just for your gap yah… it’s a way of life. By travelling through Europe, you get to see Morocco as well as other places along the way, like Madrid, Cadiz and Nimes. Hop off, stay over in each place and suddenly, you’ve ticked off a decent chunk of your bucket list in one go. Morocco is also a hot pick for winter sun, so this itinerary works all year round to top up your Vitamin D.

Dalmatian Coast and islands, 17 days

London > Ulm > Graz > Zagreb > Split > Mljet > Dubrovnik > Korcula > Split > Opatija > Venice > Basel > London

Train travel isn’t all about city breaks. You get a good mix of city and beach along Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast, visiting places like Split, which is on the water with a gorg old town. You even get a ferry to the island of Mljet, known for its National Park. Korcula’s another island in the Adriatic and its scenic paths are perfect for cycling, then you already know Venice’s rep for boat trips, which you get to experience on your way back – this whole itinerary’s all about outdoor adventure.

Stockholm citybreak, 10 days

London > Cologne > Hamburg > Copenhagen > Stockholm > Hamburg > Amsterdam > London

You’ve heard of Danish hygge culture – AKA the cosy lifestyle – but Sweden’s version is called mys. It’s a feeling of warmth and comfort, which is just what everyone needs for a bit of me-time to reflect on our wellbeing. This tour by train takes you to all the cosiest capitals – Copenhagen, Stockholm and Amsterdam. Think tasty bakeries, canal walks and chunky scarfs.

Cornwall, 8 days

London > Penzance > St Ives > Falmouth > London

You don’t always have to go abroad to get a break… Cornwall is home to some of the UK’s best beaches, so beaut you could think you were in France or Greece in summer. It’s also not as far to travel and this route starts you off with a sleeper train anyway to waste no time. Get yourself out on some coastal walks to take in that fresh sea air in Penzance, St Ives and Falmouth, try surfing and start your mornings with a swim.

Getting back to nature

Sometimes, it’s just all about being outdoors. Being on our phones is practically an unconscious activity these days – you don’t even realise you’re doing it. The solution: get out somewhere that excites you more than the latest app. Those stories you’re scrolling every day of your mate in Mexico? Make that you IRL instead.

Top destinations:

Mexico – Mexico’s Caribbean Coast is serious postcard material, with turquoise waters, lush palm trees and dramatic cenotes. The Tulum Ruins sit pretty on seaside cliffs, ready to explore, or Cenote Azul is one of the most popular cenotes – a natural sinkhole turned swimming spot – in Riviera Maya. They make for an amazing daytrip, where you can jump into their blue waters for one of the most unique swims in your life. Mexico’s also known for its incredible snorkelling scenes or from June to September, you can even swim with whale sharks.

Albania – Albania has burst onto the scene for its natural beauty. Gjipe Beach and Dhermi Beach are coastal highlights on the riviera or inland, you’ve got Mount Dajti and its national park, as well as the stunning Komani Lake. Even as a daytrip from the capital, Tirana, you can be at Karavasta Lagoon in an hour by car. It’s surrounded by pine forest, wildflowers, wild pelicans and flamingos. If you love hiking, wild swimming and the beach life, Albania should definitely be on your list.

Costa Rica – Costa Rica’s got it all – dry forests, savannas, rainforests, mangroves, marshes, coral reefs. Hikers usually spot sloths, howler monkeys and anteaters around the Area de Conservacion Arenal. Take a tour into the Venado Caves, follow a trail through the rainforest of Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio to reach the water and go chasing waterfalls – specifically, Arco Iris, AKA Rainbow Falls.

Slovenia – Forests cover 60% of Slovenia and Lake Bled is an absolute icon. The water’s surrounded by mountains and it has a little island with a church in the middle. It’s the perfect daytrip from Ljubljana or you can head into the Julian Alps, which overlook lakes and waterfalls, or explore the Soca Valley. Hut-to-hut hiking is a big thing here – you follow self-guided routes with hostel/hotel huts to stay at along the way that provide beds and food. It’s a real Wild moment to navigate nature yourself and the views are amazing.