8 Top Travel Gratitude Retreats

Last updated on January 23rd, 2019 at 10:36 am

It’s that time of year when travel dreamers begin to dream about possible travel destinations for the coming new year, coupled with the holiday season itself, where we are reminded to be grateful for another year and all its blessings, I’ve put together 8 top travel designation retreats where you can practice being grateful.

These travel destinations offer the perfect peaceful environment in which to rejuvenate, reconnect, and practice gratitude.  Think of adding these to your travel dream bucket list.

8 Gratitude Retreats for your Travel Bucket List:

1. Ananda–In the Himalayas

Located in the Indian Himalayas, overlooking the Ganges river, not far from the towns of Rishikesh and Haridwar, Ananda–In the Himalayas is India’s first luxury destination spa.

Positioned near the birthplace of yoga and the place where The Beatles’ discovered transcendental meditation, the premises includes the royal palace of Narendra Nagar, of the Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal. At the heart of Ananda–In the Himalayas is a focus on Yoga and Ayurvedic practices.

Ananda–In the Himalayas was rated as the number one destination spa in the world by Travel + Leisure magazine and was stated as being one of the best spas in the world in the The Daily Telegraph newspaper.

2. St. Vincent and The Grenadine in the Caribbean islands

Saint Vincent is the main island and the Grenadines are a chain of smaller islands stretching south from Saint Vincent Island to Grenada. One precious gem in St. Vincent is the “family-run, home-away from-home” boutique hotel the Beachcombers. The hotel is located on Villa Beach in Kingstown, which is near Spanish Wells, Gaulding’s Cay, Tarpum Bay, and Rock Sound.

Secluded islands offer beaches that make you grateful to be alive. Feeling the sun on your face, the smell of sea air and the sand between your toes offer extended moments of pure bliss.

3. Bernese Oberland, Switzerland

The Bernese Oberland, also known as the Bernese Highlands, is located at the higher part of the canton of Bern, Switzerland. It encompasses the areas around Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, and the valleys of the Bernese Alps.

Recharge your batteries high in the Alps where gratitude for being alive grips your senses.

Spend a day hiking in the Berner Oberland.  The regional transportation system is fantastic with railways and cable cars to drop you near a scenic hiking location.

4. Argentine, Patagonia

Patagonia is a thinly populated region at the southern end of South America. Known for its spectacular trekking experiences, Parque Nacional Los Glaciares has incredible visual natural wonders to take your breath away. Most hiking trails are for the moderate trekker with a few challenging sections worth the effort.

There are plenty of accommodations in the Patagonia region to suit any travel needs from golfing resorts to traditional hotels to hosterías. Hosterías are small hotels that typically were created from abandoned sheep ranches.

Go trek on a glacier and be grateful!

5. Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Don’t be disappointed by the “touristy nature” of getting to see Ha Long Bay in the Gulf of Tonkin in Vietnam, as it is one of the more wonderful places on the globe. The incredible limestone karst scenery, the golden sunsets, the little floating villages, and fruit selling boat people–all a glory for the senses and a great place to practice being grateful.

Ha Long Bay has twice been recognized as World Natural Heritage by UNESCO and one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World. Because of this there are a few luxury hotels, high-altitude rooms with views of Ha Long Bay and a variety of mini-hotels that require booking well in advance of your planned trip.

6. Pamukkale, Turkey

Pamukkale means “cotton castle” in Turkish and is located site in the Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey. Pamukkale is a mineral-bath spa created by terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water. Say your gratitude mantras in the Sacred Pool.  Be prepared to walk barefoot and be sure to wear sun glasses as the white hillside can be as blinding as fresh snow.

The Pamukkale site was registered as a first degree natural and archaeological site in 1980 and has earned its place on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. There are plenty of budget-friendly hotels the town of Pamukkale that are within walking distance to the entrance to the pools. You can be grateful for that!

7. Machu Picchu, Peru

What travel bucket list would be complete without mentioning Machu Picchu, Peru? Located in Aguas Calientes, Peru Machu Picchu is the ruins left behind by a large 15th-century Inca city. Known as the “Old Mountain” by the Inca people who built it, Machu Picchu is the perfect location to close your eyes for a moment of gratitude and breathe in the crisp, high-altitude air.

Whereas I would be the type of traveler to trek the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, you don’t have to hike to get to the mountaintop and can be grateful that there are also bus and train options available. If you do want to hike the trail, you are not allowed to hike on your own, instead you must hike with a licensed tour company.

8. South Luangwa National Park, Zambia

South Luangwa National Park is located in eastern Zambia, Africa and is furthest south of the three national parks in the valley of the Luangwa River. This is the place to go if you want to see the last remaining African wildlife. For this reason, South Luangwa is considered to be one of the greatest wildlife sanctuaries in the world.

Spending time staring at the stars that sprinkle across the night sky will be one of your most cherished moments of your lifetime. It will make you grateful to be alive.

I hope this list of possible gratitude retreat ideas helps you with your travel bucket list ideas for the coming new year.

And in the words of John Muir:

“Hiking–I don’t like either the word or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains–not hike! Do you know the origin of that word ‘saunter?’ It’s a beautiful word. Away back in the Middle Ages people used to go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and when people in the villages through which they passed asked where they were going, they would reply, ‘A la sainte terre,’ ‘To the Holy Land.’ And so they became known as sainte-terre-ers or saunterers. Now these mountains are our Holy Land, and we ought to saunter through them reverently, not ‘hike’ through them.”

And tell them how grateful we are for spending time in magnificence.

Natasha von Geldern
Go travel the world!

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