Five Healthy Holiday Ideas
Holidays are always a great an excuse to let go and live a little. We usually go on our vacations ready to sleep, eat, and drink. We come back ten times happier, but also a little bit heavier and more sluggish.
But holidays don’t have to be all about forsaking our healthy habits and gorging ourselves on exotic food. It’s possible to have a restful trip and still be able to fit into your jeans afterward. You may have already planned this summer’s holiday, but keep these healthy holiday ideas in mind for your next vacation.
Hiking in Yunnan
There’s no need to leave the country to get a great new travel experience. Southern China’s Yunnan province is home to many spectacular hiking trails, including the famous two-day Tiger Leaping Gorge trail – an essential visit for anyone who stays in China for an extended period of time.
If you want to spend longer than two days hiking, engage a tour guide and go on a multi-day trek along bamboo forests, banana plantations, and the Mekong River valley. You can stay with local families along the way, and eat delicious homemade food at your hosts’ homes.
Cycling in Taiwan
Beijing may be famous for its bicycles, but it’s hardly the most enjoyable place in the world to bike around. Head instead to the southern isle of Taiwan, where there are 200 km of dedicated cycling paths and plenty of roads with a cycling lane attached. It’s permitted to bring bikes on many of the trains on the island, too.
Bring your own bike, rent a road bike for the duration of your trip, or participate in the local bike-sharing scheme for short-distance rides. It’s possible to pick a spot to stay and do short rides round-trip from there, but you can also tour the entire island by bike, staying in a different place each night. Cycle the coastal cycling route, or head inland for a more mountainous trip.
Fancy yourself something of a mountaineer? Have a penchant for the extreme? Itching for that perfect selfie atop a snow-dusted peak? Few feats are more impressive than climbing the Himalayas and, now that you live in China, you’re not far from their frosty flanks. Hop on a flight to Nepal for some of the best-developed tourist facilities in the region.
If you’re a hardcore hiker and are comfortable with altitude, cross an item off your bucket list and climb Everest. As you hike up to the summit, you can camp, sleep in modest lodges, or stay at some of the luxury chain lodges along the way. If you want to see the Himalayas but don’t feel the urge to climb any peaks, it’s easy to find package tours featuring comfortable accommodation and easier trails that put the Annapurna range on display.
Yoga retreat in Bali
Sweating in the sun and schlepping your stuff around for a mud-filled adventure isn’t for everyone. If you prefer the calmer and more Zen things in life, a yoga retreat might just fit the bill for your next healthy holiday.
Bali is full of yoga retreats, especially in the inland town of Ubud. Stay at a resort that offers yoga classes from time to time, choose a retreat with daily and physically challenging yoga classes, or go all out and sign up for a silent retreat with meditation and yoga all wrapped up in one. Go home with a stronger body and a well-rested mind.
Skiing in Japan
If your summer vaycay is already planned – or has already come and gone – you’re probably already thinking about your winter one. One of the best ways to spend time outdoors in the winter is by skiing, and some of the best slopes there are can be found just a skip and a hop away in Japan’s Sapporo Island.
Do like the Japanese do and ski by day and soak in a thermal bath – onsen – by night. Many hotels offer easy access to ski slopes as well as a private onsen with a view. Some of the best skiing conditions and facilities can be found in the northern island of Hokkaido, with the most famous resort being Niseko.
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