Nowhere in the world does wellness quite like the countries of Asia. After all, many of the wellness practices enjoyed today originated in this part of the world: yoga can be traced back 4,000 years to northern India, while Indonesia has a long tradition of holistic healing therapies, and Thailand is renowned for massage. What’s more, Asia’s breathtaking tropical scenery provides the perfect backdrop for reconnecting with the natural world.
Despite the luxury experience offered by many health and wellness retreats in Asia, the price tag is often much lower than comparable resorts closer to home. This means that by choosing affordable wellness retreats in Asia, travelers can experience true luxury and rejuvenation on a budget. Furthermore, they can make it part of a once-in-a-lifetime Asian adventure.
Read on for our top picks of affordable wellness retreats in Thailand and beyond.
Stay Wellbeing & Lifestyle Resort, Thailand
Focus on fitness at Stay, an oasis of tranquility on the high-voltage Thai island of Phuket.
Choose from three retreat packages: Fitness, Muay Thai, or Yoga. Each option includes multiple daily group classes, spa access, and private tuition, as well as accommodation and breakfast. Decide between three-, seven-, and 14-night options.
After an action-packed day, rejuvenate at Lespa by Stay. The spa’s wet area boasts all the expected facilities, as well as an infrared sauna, micro bubble bath, and walls made of ice and himalayan salt. Floating therapy, phytomer treatments, panpuri treatments, and traditional Thai massage are also on offer.
At the Stay Well Clinic & Physio, guests can select anti-aging and wellness, physiotherapy, and aesthetic and beauty treatments. These range from IV therapies and heavy metal detoxification to botox and fillers.
A seven-night wellness retreat at Stay costs $166 per person per night.
De Moksha Eco-Friendly Boutique Resort, Bali
Embrace the serene spirit of Bali with an eco-friendly retreat at De Moksha, set amidst rice fields, forests, and local villages. Yoga, meditation and Aryuvedic wellbeing practices are blended with a deep appreciation of Balinese culture at this lush resort.
De Moksha offers a variety of retreat packages, including yoga teacher training and pre- and post-natal yoga. The Yoga, Meditation and Balinese Culture Retreat includes dance, cooking and a traditional Balinese healing session. Treat the body and indulge the mind after a day on the yoga mat with a wide range of treatments including manicure, massage, reflexology and avocado body scrub.
There’s plenty to do in the area too. Spend the day with a traditional Balinese fisherman, take a sunset horse ride, or indulge in a chocolate-making course. Watching the sunset nearby at Tanah Lot Temple–one of Bali’s most iconic landmarks–is a true highlight.
The week-long Yoga, Meditation and Balinese Culture Retreat starts at $895 ($127 per night) for a shared twin room.
Dreamsea Surf Camp, Sri Lanka
A heady mix of surfing and yoga is the order of the day at Dreamsea. Located on the south coast of Sri Lanka, this is not a luxury experience, but is perfect for adventurers looking to reset and engage with nature.
The weekly package includes six surf lessons, and three hours of yoga lessons against a soothing ocean backdrop. Yoga practices available include Vinyasa, Hatha, and Yin. The camp’s beachfront villas feature rustic balconies ideal for relaxing after a day catching some waves.
As the sun descends behind the waves, head to the beach bar to meet like-minded people and choose from a selection of smoothies, cocktails, and international wines.
Prices for the weekly package start at $821.62 ($117 per night).
Absolute Sanctuary, Thailand
No list of affordable wellness retreats in Asia would be complete without Absolute Sanctuary. This resort aims to help guests live their best lives, with 21 different programs covering fitness, health, lifestyle and weight management on the blissful Thai Island of Koh Samui.
Packages include Anti Stress, Pilates Reformer Bootcamp, Detox, Men’s Vitality, and Women’s Holistic Health. Or opt for the three-day Wellness Getaway to choose a tailored plan comprising nutritional meals, group fitness classes, yoga, pilates and massage.
A detox and spa facility, fitness and pilates studios, swimming pool, and infrared sauna are also on site. Guests can access wellness practitioners too, from an art therapist and astrologer to a sound healing therapist and palmistry practitioner.
Mediterranean-inspired rooms range from cozy superior accommodation to suites.
A three-day Wellness Getaway Package starts at $498 ($166 per night) in low season.
Tattvam In The Hills, India
Looking for an affordable wellness retreat in India? Welcome to the verdant mountains of Bangalore. Tattvam In The Hills offers guests the chance to unwind, indulge and adventure in this exceptional setting–at a very affordable price.
Kick off the retreat with a doctor’s consultation before launching into an enticing mix of yoga, Ayurveda, meditation, spa treatments, and rain dance. Accommodation and all meals—including a daily high tea–are included in the cost.
Choose between a variety of packages, from yoga and Ayurveda retreats to corporate wellness and Ayush detoxes.
A seven-night Ayurveda Rejuvenation package costs $776 ($110 per night).
Ashiyana, Goa
Discover true inner peace amidst a grove of tropical palms at Ashiyana on a truly inexpensive wellness retreat. This nurturing sanctuary aims to help guests detox from technology and embrace nature.
Colorful, characterful accommodation is complemented with three affordable wellness retreats. Opt for either a structured yoga retreat, yoga teacher training, or a simple yoga and spa holiday, where guests build their own itinerary.
Alternatively, the Detox & Panchakarma nutrition program employs Ayurvedic plans designed to detoxify and improve metabolism. A range of massages are on offer in the spa, as well as Reiki healing.
Dine on a fusion of Indian, Nepalese, Thai and Western cuisine in the restaurant. There are two meals a day–post-yoga brunch and dinner–and the food is mostly vegetarian and sourced from local producers.
Basic yoga holidays start at around $60 per person per night, and include drop-in yoga classes, two meals per day and all creative activities.
Kingfisher Ecolodge, Laos
At Kingfisher Ecolodge, the vibe is all about achieving wellness through proximity to nature. This off-the-beaten-track forest lodge is located in Xe Pian National Park in the south of Laos.
Welcome the day with a sunrise yoga class looking out over the breathtaking Kiet Ngong wetlands, before embarking on a wildlife tour. The ecolodge offers jungle trekking around Phou Asa mountain, mountain biking around local villages and waterfalls, and a bird watching tour, which involves a thrilling wetlands trek.
Guests sleep in traditional stilted lodges with large balconies, while close-up views of the stunning wetland scenery are available from the pool.
A seven-night stay at Kingfisher Ecolodge starts at $664 ($94 per night).
Balitrees Retreats, Bali
It’s hard to beat Balitrees for a traditional Balinese Watu Karu yoga retreat. This retreat puts the local community firmly at the heart of its wellness practices, with guests accommodated in a homestay or bungalow-type homes within Sesandan Megati Village.
A dream for adventurous yogis, Balitrees has access to one of the oldest spiritual ashrams in the world, Pasraman Seruling Dewata, which conserves the original 13 types of yoga dating back thousands of years.
This retreat includes a daily morning and afternoon Balinese Watukari yoga session, a beach yoga class, a Balinese traditional massage and three Balinese meals per day. What’s more, guests are taken to village activities every morning, and on an excursion every afternoon. Access to a meditation garden is included.
The traditional Balinese Watu Karu Yoga Retreat starts from around $80 per person per night
The Sanctuary, Thailand
Embark on a wellness experience like no other at The Sanctuary. This renowned detox center on a remote Thai beach combines ancient science with integrative practices.
A steady flow of vegetable juices, herbal supplements, and healing elixirs are on the menu in the fasting programme, which draws inspiration from Ayurvedic medicine. A daily colonic, yoga, and access to a lymphatic drainage support machine are included.
The Sanctuary’s approach aims to help guests cultivate healthy habits, improve digestion and gut health, reduce inflammation, and lose weight. Stay for between three and ten days, and receive a personalized post-program plan.
A seven-day Detox Retreat starts at $966 ($138 per night).
Alba Wellness Valley by Fusion, Vietnam
Sink into mineral-rich hot springs at Alba Wellness Valley. Bubbling with calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate, these thermal waters are central to the resort’s revitalizing wellness plan.
Enjoy movement therapies such as yoga and tai-chi, as well as forest, water and walking meditation. Hot spring water is sourced from the depths of the Truong Song mountains in the minimalist spa, with a range of onsen baths to be enjoyed. A vast range of therapies are on the menu here, from chakra balancing and coffee scrubs to face yoga and bamboo massage.
Alba Wellness Valley is located in the UNESCO-crowned city of Hue–once Vietnam’s imperial capital–so there’s a wealth of history to explore in the surrounding area, too.
Rooms at Alba Wellness Valley start at approximately $162 per night.
Looking for more options? Check out our range of yoga trips and wellness tours in Asia to find your perfect health-focused getaway today!
