SPRING BREAKworldtravellermagazine.com 37Opposite: Gidleigh Park
This page, from top to
bottom: Four Seasons Resort
Chiang Mai; Santani Wellness
Resort & Spa, Sri Lankagarden, but the highlight is
the Argentinian restaurant by
star chef Francis Mallman.
Four Seasons Resort
Chiang Mai, Thailand
For those who prefer lush
countryside and elephant
sanctuaries to swaying palm
trees and coral reefs, this
tranquil resort in northern
Thailand ticks all the boxes.
Dotted among the rice fields
are 64 pitched-roof pavilions
and 12 pool villas, along with
all the five-star facilities
you’d expect, including a
nirvana-inducing spa and
resident yogi. The signature
restaurant serves lesser-
known local dishes such as
crispy catfish with tangerine,
while the acclaimed
cooking school is a must
for gourmands. But what
really sets this resort apart
are the individually-tailored
experiences, from planting
rice with local farmers to art
classes with a watercolourist.
Santani Wellness Resort
& Spa, Sri Lanka
On a former tea plantation
near Kandy, Santani is Sri
Lanka’s first dedicated
wellness resort. The 20
hillside villas are deliberately
minimalist – think polished
concrete floors, floor-to-
ceiling windows and teak
beds draped in mosquito
netting – to promote rest
and relaxation. There’s a
similarly stripped-back
aesthetic in the spa, with
a thermal salt pool, cedar-
wood sauna and open-air
treatment rooms. There’san Ayurvedic doctor on
hand to diagnose your
dosha, daily yoga, and
meditation classes, plus
hiking trails through lush rice
fields. The dress code for
dinner is ‘barefoot’ and the
customised cuisine – ranging
from cleansing to ketogenic- is healthy and delicious.
Castell Son
Claret, Spain
Set on a rambling private
estate in the foothills of the
Tramuntana Mountains,
Castell Son Claret is
Mallorca’s most exceptional
hideaway. There are just
38 neutral-hued rooms
spread throughout the
18th-century manor house
and former stables; some
boast private pools and
all have sun-trap terraces.
Active travellers can fill
their days with tennis and
hiking, while sybarites will
love the blue-tiled pool
and subterranean spa.
Meanwhile, Zaranda is the
only the two-star Michelin
restaurant in the Balearics.Damask roses on
Al Jabal Al AkhdarPeaking at 2,500 metres
above sea level, Oman's
Al Jabal Al Akhdar
(commonly known as
Green Mountain) is where
one of the world’s oldest
roses adds colour to
rugged mountain terrain.
Indeed, from the end
of March through April,
scores of the dusty pink
damask roses mask
the mountain range,
infusing the air with
their fragrance. Stay
at Anantara Al Jabal
Akhdar Resort at this
time of year and you can
fully immerse yourself in
this seasonal highlight
by meeting the local
families who continue the
centuries-old tradition of
making rose water from
the damask bounty. JTNATURAL
SPRING #3