Holiday periods are fleeting as time passes us by in a snap, so as we enter into the fourth quarter of 2018, let’s think about our overall health and wellness. A little rest and relaxation can go a long way, especially if you’ve been slogging away at your 9 to 5 job. Coupling travelling with pampering vacation packages, here are some places in Asia that would be perfect for you to get away for a while and recalibrate your life, either alone or with loved ones.

Swim with the Stars in Tokyo, Japan

Palace Hotel Tokyo’s new fitness-focused package, Energizing Tokyo, pairs pampering with some pretty novel pursuits. Want to brush up on your strokes? Book a private two-hour swimming session with former Japanese Olympic swimmer and Asian Games medalist Hanae Ito in the hotel’s indoor pool.

Fancy learning more about meditation? Schedule two hours of private zen meditation with the head monk of a 400-year-old Buddhist temple. Kayaking, running, and biking excursions, along with the hotel’s new Aqua Relaxation Experience, round out the body-focused offering, while a Japanese tea ceremony or shodo (Japanese calligraphy) class focus on the mind.

Guests can choose to add on as many (or as few) of the activities as they wish while enjoying the core elements of the package: two nights of accommodation in a Deluxe Room with a Balcony or Executive Suite, daily breakfast at guests’ choice of Grand Kitchen or In-Room Dining, and the choice of one of three 90-minute experiences at Japan’s only Evian SPA. Package rates start from JPY 172,000 (approximately RM 6,340), based on single occupancy and not including add-on options.

Website: en.palacehoteltokyo.com

Voyage into Wellness in Phu Quoc, Vietnam

Fusion Resort Phu Quoc, an all-spa inclusive resort on Vietnam’s largest island, promises a journey of mind, body, and soul with their three-, five-, and seven-day, Wellness Voyages. At least two spa treatments per day form the daily regimen with the first therapy on everyone’s agenda being the “Pepperation” program, developed in-house and inspired by the island’s most popular export.

Participants get hands-on, making their own pepper scrub, to be used in their therapy, while surrounded by the spa’s orchard of 88 pepper trees. Also part of the packages are accommodation in a spacious one- or two-bedroom villa with its own private plunge pool and secluded tropical garden, a wellness consultation, all nutritious meals and drinks (including detox juices, daily sunset smoothies and herbal teas, exclusive of alcohol), daily wellness sessions including yoga, Tai Chi and meditation, cooking classes and cultural excursions (five and seven-day voyages only), round trip airport transfers and priority check-in.

The packages are available year-round with rates for a Garden Villa starting at USD 2,116++ (approximately RM8,680) for two for a two night/three-day package.

Website: fusionresorts.com/fusionresortphuquoc

Stay, Spa, Shop in Saigon, Vietnam

Forget eat, pray, love. Stay, spa, shop is the mantra behind this girls getaway at The Reverie Saigon. The three-night package marries a three-hour personalized shopping experience in Ho Chi Minh City, with three spa treatments in The Spa at The Reverie Saigon – hailed by CNN as one of the world’s best new spas in the year of its debut.

Guests get to choose three treatments from a selection that include Classic Vietnamese, a combination of Vietnamese cupping and massage techniques, Thai Oriental with gentle Thai-style stretching, Aromatherapy using gentle Swedish and deep-tissue techniques, Five Elements, a Tibetan-style massage with cupping, kneading, hot stones and herbal poultices, or Seaweed Hot Stone utilizing seaweed-based product by Voya.

Haute HCM guests also get access to The Reverie Lounge, where afternoon tea is served daily and cocktails and canapés are offered every evening. Rates start from USD 1, 656 (approximately RM 6,800), inclusive of tax and service charge.

Website: thereveriesaigon.com

Follow a Mantra for Mantra in Koh Samui, Thailand

When Mantra Samui Resort launched a new natural spa last year they also added the wellness experience “A Mantra for Mantra,” to attract spa-goers to the peaceful perch overlooking the Gulf of Thailand. Developed to help guest delve deeper when it comes to their overall wellness the three-night stay package features two treatments per day from an extensive range of facials, massages, scrubs, and wraps.

Upon arrival guests meet with the spa manager for a private consultation so they can chart the best course for relaxation during their stay. Optional package extras include a private meditation and/or yoga class for two.

Rates start from THB 19,680 (approximately RM2,481) and the offer is available till December 15, 2018.

Website: mantrasamui.com

Experience Moor Mud in Taipei, Taiwan

Moor mud may not be one of the most glamorous forms of treatment in the world, but it’s certainly one of the oldest. The mineral-rich, black mud was first used by ancient Romans for its unique healing properties and celebrities like Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and Sarah Jessica Parker are all big fans.

Perfect for detoxifying the skin after a long haul flight, the 180-minute “Calm” signature experience on offer at the Grand Hyatt Taipei’s Oasis Spa uses moor mud from Hungary’s Heviz Lake, the largest mineral lake in the world. The treatment includes a therapeutic “moor mud” body wrap to promote circulation and release toxins, a Swedish-style deep tissue massage to knead away aches and pains, followed by a moisturising “moor mud” mask to lift, firm, and hydrate the skin.

Round off the ultimate cosmopolitan-cool girl’s city break with champagne and live music at Ziga Zaga or get your tan on at the hotel’s stunning outdoor swimming pool. “Calm” moor mud signature experience at the Grand Hyatt Taipei’s Oasis Spa is priced at US$473 (approximately RM1,941).

Website: taipei.grand.hyatt.com

Written by Balcony Media Group.