Rejuvenation in the Middle East as Chiva Som resort opens

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Rejuvenation in the Middle East as Chiva Som resort opens

By Julietta Jameson
Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som in Khasooma, on the coast in the north of Qatar.

Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som in Khasooma, on the coast in the north of Qatar.

It's a big year for Qatar, with the FIFA World Cup happening in November and a massive amount of new infrastructure and hospitality facilities accompanying it.

Just opened at the end of March is Msheireb Properties' Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som in Khasooma, on the coast in the north of Qatar.

When Chiva-Som opened in Hua Hin, Thailand 27 years ago, it is no overstatement to say that the high-end family-owned retreat began the global luxury wellness travel trend. After closing for six months and then rolling out a staged renovation in 2018 and 2019, it continues to win prestigious awards.

Now Chiva-Som is taking its special brand of rejuvenation to the Middle East, only rather than transporting its tried and true treatments and health modalities holus-bolus from Hua Hin, at Zulal, Chiva Som is managing "the world's first contemporary showcase of Traditional Arabic & Islamic Medicine (TAIM)".

Traditional medicine has been used in the Middle East since ancient times and continues to be a choice for many in relation to certain ailments.

In practical terms at Zulal, that means programs and treatments with an emphasis on restoring life balance through herbal medicines, spiritual therapies, traditional dietary and mind-body practices utilising ingredients indigenous to the region.

Expect nutrition, fitness, spa treatments, physiotherapy, holistic health and aesthetics on a stay, with the 60-room Zulal Serenity focused on adults-only and 120-room Zulal Discovery on families. All rooms have ocean views.

Facilities include thermal and hydrotherapy suites, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, spa, gym and an aesthetics centre.

Tech addicts might want to engage in some prehab though: there's a "digital-detox policy" in public areas.

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From around $1400 a night, minimum two or three-night stays. That includes initial consultation, three meals and one treatment a day. See zulal.com

IN OTHER NEWS ...

FOOD, WINE AND THE QUEEN

Cunard's inaugural Great Australian Culinary Voyage features Australian celebrity chef Matt Moran leading the culinary festivities (and a team of other foodie luminaries) onboard Queen Elizabeth for a five-night itinerary of food and wine experiences. The round-trip Sydney cruise departs January 28, visiting Melbourne and Burnie, Tasmania. From $1349 a person twin share. See cunard.com

DELATITE HARVEST MOON

Delatite Wines at Mansfield in Victoria's High Country opened a beautiful new cellar door and restaurant mid-last year and in May, hosts its inaugural Harvest Moon Festival, a three-day event "exploring earth, air, fire, and water, with a focus on sustainability". Expect yoga in the vines, meditation sessions, hot air ballooning, fine-dining and of course, wine. On May 13- 15. See harvestmoonfestival.com.au

THE ANTI-GUIDES

Lonely Planet is calling its new series of travel books "the anti-guidebook". The Experience series is based on research that identified the things travellers want – being self-guided and connected authentically to a destination among them. The first Experience books cover Japan, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, Scotland, and Iceland. A further 29 titles will be published this year. RRP$34.99; See lonelyplanet.com

TOUCHDOWN FOR BA

The British are coming – and that's good news for travellers. British Airways has resumed flights between the UK and Australia with the first in two years touching down at Sydney on March 29. BA15 (London-Sydney) and BA16 (Sydney-London) are now daily services via Singapore. Fun fact: this is the airline's longest route, covering 10,020 nautical miles (18,557km).

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