When I first started this blog I wanted to visit every single country as soon as I could. Of course, visiting every country is still a dream of mine, I just want to do it differently now. At first, traveling felt like a race to me, I had to prove to other bloggers that I had been a lot of places and that I knew what I was doing. Then I realized that the more I slowed down and truly enjoyed a place the more memorable it was. 35 countries later and the ones that I either spent more time in or traveling more intentionally in are the memories I find my mind drifting off to! Especially at a time like this, when we don’t know when our next international travel will be I am constantly reminiscing of my past trips. So, I wanted to compile a list of mindful and relaxing travel destinations I have visited in hopes to inspire you to visit them when this shit storm is over!
For me, mindful and relaxing travel destinations can mean a few different things depending on what mood I am in. Mindful to our beautiful nature where we can safely explore and enjoy it, diving into and learning about a culture that may be different than what we were raised with, simply relaxing in a beautiful place and focusing on self-care, or simply drinking copious amounts of wine. So here they are, five mindful and relaxing travel destinations, in no particular order!
Dolomites, South Tyrol, Northern Italy
Depending on how much you like to hike and be out in nature, this destination might not be for you. (if you’re not a hiker, scroll down a bit to read about pizza, pasta, and wine!) But I will tell you the hikes aren’t terribly long or difficult and once you get to your viewpoints you’ll forget about them anyway. I had a blast exploring the Dolomites a few years back and still dream of this hike to Lago Di Sorapis often. If you want to learn more about this hike specifically you can get click on the link to my blog post on my adventure The Stunning Day Hike to Lago Di Sorapis.
This hike seems to get busier and busier each year so I can’t stress enough to try to be the first ones there in the morning. Doing this will definitely help it feel more relaxing and serene. When we arrived, there were only a few people there and I had a chance to sit out on the rock and admire the beauty for almost an hour. The blue water is beautiful and you feel so small and calm here!
Another great hike in the Dolomites is the famous Lago Di Braies also known as Pragser Wildsee. Here, you’ll have the option to take a motorless boat out on the water, do a strenuous hike, or simply lay in a hammock and enjoy the view! All three are relaxing in their own way depending on what you’re up for. Once again, get here as early as possible to beat the crowds.
To learn more about this specific hike and where we stayed during our time in Northern Italy you can click the link to read more about Exploring Lago di Braies.
The best part about staying in the Dolomites is you don’t have to hike to see the views if you don’t want to! We stayed at the most beautiful rental in San Candido and although we hiked most days, you can simply sit on the deck here and drown yourself in local wine and stuff yourself with pizza and pasta! Self-care and relaxation have many forms!!!
Uluwatu and Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Uluwatu, Bali
It’s hard to pick one of these over the other because they are both so beautiful! Bali in general is absolutely stunning and a great mindful and relaxing travel destination but it’s also known for many other reasons. You can come here and party your ass off, get your dive certification, find solitude at a retreat, or rent out a beautiful home to simply take a break from this crazy world. The most peaceful place I went to was The Temple Lodge. I was fortunate that my friend I was traveling with knew the owners and we got to stay here for a few nights. The views (picture below) were absolutely beautiful and it was such a great place to reset your mind and body with nourishing food, meditation, and yoga practices.
Ubud, Bali
If you can afford it, this next place is a dream. Once again, I simply got lucky that I had friends that knew the owners and we got to say here for a weekend but these gorgeous houses in Ubud look over the rice paddies and the views are absolutely unbelievable!
The perfect place to relax and take in the scenery.
Water has also been very healing for me on my trips around the world! I have fallen in love with waterfalls and try to spend at least a day or two visiting them no matter what country I am in. Bali definitely had some of the most beautiful waterfalls I have ever seen and most of them are an adventure to get to. This is an awesome way to mingle with the locals because most of the time only they know how to get to them. Here is an awesome post by some of my favorite bloggers about the best ones in Bali! The Best Waterfalls near Ubud, Bali.
Another reason I loved Bali was that I did some homestays and had the opportunity to learn more about the culture. I happened to be here for Nyepi which is “the day of silence”. The day before they throw a crazy and noisy, brash festival known to scare away all evil spirits and then beginning at 6 am and lasting until 6 am the following day, Nyepi is a day intended for self-reflection and anything that might disturb this is not allowed. To clarify you have a full day of silence- literally no TV, Wifi, no planes go out of Bali, no nothing. It is celebrated on the first new moon in March and marks the start of the Balinese Hindu Saka New Year and the arrival of spring and it’s quite something to experience!
If these areas don’t interest you than even in a busier area like Seminyak, I stayed in the cutest little bungalows in Bali! Here I got to reflect on my trip thus far, shower under the full moon, get $7 massages, and enjoy endless giant plates of fresh fruit.
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Where do I even begin with Chiang Mai, Thailand?! Maybe it’s because out of all of these places it’s the one I visited most recently, but I tell you what, this country and city specifically has my heart for many reasons! I spent 3 weeks in Chiang Mai and when I left yes, I loved the other places in Thailand but I’d be lying if I didn’t think of turning around and going right back to Chiang Mai! The city itself is getting quite touristy and it’s filled with ex-pats but if you drive just a bit outside of town you’ll find some gems!
Suan Sati
My first stop in Chiang Mai was Suan Sati Yoga and Meditation Retreat. Now, I could write an entire post about this (and I did, click here if you’d like to read more) but I will keep this short and sweet! Suan Sati changed my life. It’s the reason I started focusing more on mindful travel and it’s the reason my life is the way it is today.
To quote from my Instagram, “I am almost speechless. Nothing could have prepared me for this amazing experience. If you are seeking growth, clarity, compassion, mindfulness, acceptance, contentment, and so much more look no further. If you’re looking to strengthen your mind and work through your pain and honor it with a soft and open heart, I couldn’t recommend this safe space more.🦋 The family I met, the beautiful and hard-working staff, and most importantly the teachers, thank you. I love who I am at @suansati and I will forever hold this week so deeply in my heart.”
Can you imagine walking through this every morning!?
And eating this every morning!? Some of the best vegan food I’ve ever had in my life!
Chai Lai Orchid Lodge
From Suan Sati, I made my way to Chai Lai Orchid Lodge and spent a week getting to know the staff and their elephants. Once again, an experience that left me speechless. They hire young girls to work at their lodge and teach them hospitality skills and English so they can have a better future. They also rescue elephants from unethical tourism companies. I had the opportunity to have a photoshoot with James of Chiang Mai Photo Memories and Seavoy, the elephant. It will forever be one of the best experiences of my life. You can click on the links to learn more about my stay at Chai Lai Orchid and my photoshoot with James and Chiang Mai Photo Memories.
Doi Inthanon National Park
If hiking sounds more mindful and relaxing than elephants and yoga, no worries! There are options for you! It’s a bit less known but Thailand actually has some incredible hiking experiences. My personal favorite was the Kew Mae Pan Trail in Doi Inthanon National Park. This park is famous for its sunrises and beautiful views. Click the link if you want to learn more about my experience here in Doi Inthanon National Park.
Click the link to learn more about my trip and experiences in Thailand.
Cape Reigna, Northland, New Zealand
To write all the reasons down why New Zealand is magical would take me 50 years. In my opinion, visiting the whole country is amazing but the most retreat-like and relaxing area was Northland. This area is about 5 hours North of Auckland. The drive alone is stunning but once you get to this area you feel like you are in a fairytale.
Here you’ll learn about the Māori culture and what this area means to them.
At the most Northern tip you can witness the tidal race as the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet and Clash. 🌊 The Māori believe that the cape is the point where the spirits of the dead enter the underworld.💫
Matai Bay, KariKari Peninsula
After camping at Cape Reinga, make the drive an hour South to Matai Bay and enjoy the beautiful beach. You can then walk the length of the beach where there are thousands of these giant smooth stones. It’s beautiful and relaxing but watch out for the crabs, they are everywhere but so awesome!
To this day this is still one of my favorite beaches in the world!
Machu Picchu, Peru
It’s hard to get more magical than New Zealand, but if you want to try Machu Picchu is a great place to do just that! I love this area because you can witness it no matter what your interests are. We hiked the four days to get there, but you can also stay in town and take the bus up for a day trip.
If you do hike, it will kick your ass, but damn do these views make it worth it! If you do decide to hike, I couldn’t recommend Alpaca Expeditions more. They are so organized, professional and their porters and guides made our experience unbelievable. Click the link if you want to read about my experience hiking the Inca Trail with Alpaca Expeditions.
On our last night, it had just stopped raining and we looked out our dinner tent and saw a little rainbow starting to show on the side of the mountain. A few minutes later it looked like this! Even the guides and porters were going crazy taking pictures. Apparently, the rainbow is very sacred for the Inca, it brings good luck and fertility
Take about the most breathtaking views…
If you’re up for it I recommend taking the 4 or 5-day hike. On the way to Machu Picchu, you learn so much about Peruvian food, culture, and the country in general. That alone was worth the trip but then you get to your destination and it’s the most surreal experience. It’s hard to put the feeling of seeing this place in words. I’d seen a thousand pictures but once I was in front of it I felt so calm and speechless.
If you have time I highly recommend making the extra hike to Huayna Picchu. It gives you a different perspective of Machu Picchu and it is so worth it. They only allow 400 people a day to hike this so make sure you reserve your ticket way in advance. Oh, and the stairs are straight up so be prepared to get your ass kicked!
I almost changed this blog post to the six most mindful and relaxing travel destinations because I hated that Vietnam wasn’t included. So, Vietnam gets honorable mention and if you want to learn more about it check out my blog post here, Ten Places You Don’t Want to Miss When Visiting Vietnam. Well, that’s it! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about some of my favorite places I’ve visited! If you’re looking for mindful and relaxing travel destinations for when you need a break these are some great places to start!
