10 healthy foodie holiday.!!
1. Vegan fare in Majorca
This island has plenty on offer beyond sun, sea and nightlife. It’s also a marvellous place to unwind, with relatively untouched areas, such as the small coastal village of Deià. In recent years, several health-focused restaurants and retreats have opened up. There is even a vegan cooking school in Palma called Sabor Vegan Culinary Academy, which teaches guests how to create tasty dishes against the backdrop of one of the Mediterranean’s most glorious islands.
2. German spa break
Nestled in the mountains of southern Germany, Lanserhof Tegernsee is a sleek and modern spa. It’s touted as a “medical facility” – there are doctors, dietitians and personal trainers on hand – but it’s also a wonderful retreat, a stone’s throw from Lake Tegern, where cycling routes and walking trails abound. A team of nutritionists will put together a menu featuring dishes that are organic, locally sourced and, best of all, tasty.Healing Holidays (020 3372 6945; healingholidays.co.uk) runs a seven-day Lans Med Basic Programme in Lanserhof Tegernsee. Depart any time from £2,815 full-board, including the full programme.
3. Detoxify in Tulum, Mexico
From yoga sessions to swimming in the detoxifying Mayan cenotes, it’s difficult to go wrong with Tulum if it’s rest and relaxation you’re after. Many vegan, vegetarian and paleo options are available in restaurants in the area, such as the Real Coconut, Raw Love Tulum and Hartwood. End your trip with a Mayan temazcal steam bath at a “sweat lodge” to improve blood circulation and clear the digestive tract.
4. Rural life in Switzerland
Switzerland produces some of the most amazing produce and what better way to try it than with a local Swiss farmer who will invite you to her home to sample traditional Swiss cuisine she has prepared with produce from her own farm. You can choose from more than 35 farms around the country.Swiss Tavolata offers a dining experience with Swiss farmers from 96 Swiss francs (£70), including food and wine.
5. Go Ayurvedic in Kerala
This south Indian state boasts 370 miles of magnificent Arabian Sea coast and beaches; the “backwaters”, a network of lakes, rivers and canals; and emerald tea plantations. It is also the land of Ayurveda, an alternative form of medicine based on 5,000 years of ancient Indian tradition, which features vegetarian food and medicinal plants native to Kerala. Enjoy pampering Ayurvedic treatments before heading on a backwaters cruise followed by an Ayurvedic picnic on the beach.The Healthy Holiday runs an eight-day trip based in Surya Samudra from £1,795 full-board, including flights and 90 minutes of Ayurvedic treatments each day.
6. Healthy eating in Bali
While it may not be as traditionally “Balinese” as neighbouring Ubud, Seminyak in Bali offers some of the most incredible food I’ve ever had. Earth café, Sisterfields, Sarong and Revolver are some of the best healthy restaurants I’ve come across. The place is lined with arty shops and galleries, and has a wide, sandy beach where you can go riding or simply bask in the sun.Hayes & Jarvis (01293 762456; hayesandjarvis.co.uk) is offering a seven-night holiday to Bali, staying at the five-star Oberoi Bali, with prices from £1,849 b&b. Departing June 12, including flights.
7. Truffle hunting in Alba
Home to the “slow food” movement, Piedmont is the only region in the world where tartufo bianco, the coveted white truffle, grows. Meet a truffle hunter to learn more about its history before venturing into the Alba woods with truffle dogs leading the way. After your hunt, enjoy a rustic lunch of home-made pasta, local cheese, meat and some truffle paired with wines produced in the surrounding vineyards.A one-day White Truffle Hunting and Wine Tour from Piedmont Food and Wine costs £150, based on two to four people, and includes transport and tastings. Available April to September (summer black truffle), and mid-September to December (white truffle).
8. Organic and local in LA
Los Angeles is by far the easiest place in the world to lead a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. Every street, especially in West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica, is lined with shops and cafés selling locally sourced and organic food. The city might be big and brash, but there’s peace to be had, too: a beautiful beach or hiking trail is just a 20-minute drive away. After a dip in the sea, head to Café Gratitude for pad thai kelp noodles, followed by a trip to Erewhon Natural Foods market to stock up on some of the city’s best produce.Intrepid Travel’s day-tour company Urban Adventures ) can put together bespoke food tours of Los Angeles, taking in the healthy hotspots, from £75.
9. Somerset retreat
Closer to home, Amchara offers three to 30-day retreats in Somerset, focused on finding a food plan that works for you, with chef Mike Davies whipping up phenomenal raw food dishes. The programme includes talks on topics such as balancing your blood sugars and heart rate variability as well as raw food demonstrations. There are yoga and t’ai chi classes and rambles through the countryside.From £888 full-board, excluding travel to Somerset.
10. Peace on the French Riviera
Close, easy to reach and absolutely breathtaking, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin is set against a clifftop and offers wonderful views of the Mediterranean Sea. It’s a relaxed option for a food and wellbeing holiday, especially in the summer months when the south of France is heaving. Close to great running and cycling trails, the commune is also just a 10-minute drive to the beach. Walk through the old village with its 10th-century fort, offers an eight-day Undiscovered French Riviera Walk, which departs on selected Saturdays from April 2016 to June 2017. From £999 b&b, including flights.