Photo: Marta Drozdziel/Shutterstock

Matador Travel Awards 2022: Wellness Destination

Bali Palm Springs Wellness Travel
by Matador Creators Dec 13, 2022

Tie: Bali, Indonesia

Bali’s beauty is no secret, and neither is the wellness that it brings. But that focus on improving travelers’ state of mind and general wellbeing is getting renewed attention — at the G20 Summit, Sandiaga Uno, the minister of tourism and creative economies, indicated that there will be more investment in health tourism over the next couple of years. So it should come as no surprise that Bali, Indonesia topped the list of our panelist’s favorite wellness destinations.

Chances to dip your toes into wellness experiences are already just about everywhere on the island, from massages at some of the best spas in the world to flower baths. And that’s to say nothing of the island’s natural abundance.

Wellness will soon expand from the traditional spas. A new, government-designated special economic zone, Sanur Beach, will highlight medical tourism projects, including resorts among medical facilities and an ethnomedicine botanic garden.

There’s already something wellness related on offer in Bali for many types of travelers. Increased investment, plus the increased opportunity for remote workers to live on the island, makes Bali somewhere to watch as the focus on wellness and local experiences converges in coming years.

Tie: Palm Springs, California

Palm Springs Mountains at Sunrise

Photo: Todamo/Shutterstock

Nature can often do what no high-tech treatment or cutting edge spa can. And Palm Springs offers nature in abundance just a short drive or flight inland from Southern California’s coastal cities. Natural hot springs, Joshua Tree National Park, and the beauty of the surrounding desert are reason enough to explain why our panelists chose Palm Springs as one of the top wellness destinations in the world.

Still, the man-made experiences in Palm Springs are nothing to scoff at. Perhaps a desert sound bath is what what you’re looking for. Or maybe it’s a more curated experience from resorts like Two Bunch Palms (which focuses on plant-based food and natural hot springs), The Spring Resort & Spa (full cleanse programs), and Azure Palm Hot Springs (pools of geothermal water). More intensive programs, like the all-in retreat at We Care Spa, are also available.

All in all, Palm Springs is a prime example that you don’t have to travel abroad to a coastal destination to find wellness.

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