Pioneering and transformative wellness destination, Chiva-Som Hua Hin in Thailand combines celebration and restorative healing for the upcoming festive season, the perfect opportunity to renew the mind, body, and spirit for 2024.

As the cool season descends on Thailand, the seaside destination of Hua Hin is at its most beautiful, with sunny days blessed by invigorating breezes, and the anticipation of festivities in the air. Chiva-Som’s celebrations this year will be a simple yet joyful affair, delivering a time of healthy balance, instead of what is typically a time of overindulgence.

New to the mindful experiences at Chiva-Som is its Serenity Cruise, an invitation for guests to immerse themselves in the healing powers of nature. The cruise is scheduled, depending on weather conditions, every Saturday at 4pm on a traditional junk with characteristic red sails and comfortable seating on deck. Healthy Chiva-Som drinks and snacks will be served as guests enjoy the views of Hua Hin from afar, the lull of the waves, the fresh breeze, and the simple beauty of the sunset.

On Christmas Eve, guests will enjoy a wholesome Christmas feast, complemented by the sweet carol singing of local children. Then on New Year’s Eve, 1960s-themed Peace & Love will reign supreme, as a dinner banquet is followed by dancing and a front seat to Hua Hin’s beach at midnight.

Chiva-Som’s spiritual offering over the New Year gives guests the chance to let go of one year’s worries and begin the next in a healthy frame of mind. On 31^st December, traditional medicine practitioner Chananchida Banyeam will guide guests on a journey to inner harmony with the Tibetan singing bowl. Its harmonic tones and vibrations act to focus the mind, and encourage participants to be present in a state of blissful relaxation.

On 1^st January, the journey continues with a ‘loving kindness’ meditation session with metta healer David Stojanovic. By taking the time to still the mind and bestow loving kindness on both oneself and others, guests can free themselves from the negative while welcoming the positive.

Guests are also invited to make merit on New Year’s Day in traditional Thai style, offering alms to Buddhist monks on their morning rounds along the beach.

To prepare the body for the new year, Chiva-Som recommends its Fitness and Optimal Performance retreats.  The Fitness retreat introduces guests to a healthier lifestyle through purposeful movement and nutrition. Beginning with a fitness assessment, a personal plan will be drawn up for exercise, diet, and recovery, and guests will work with a personal trainer to devise the optimum routine for their current level of fitness and lifestyle. Lasting between five and 14 nights, the retreat incorporates innovative ways to work out, including H₂o Body Complex with water resistance for total-body toning, strengthening, and calorie-burning, and VisionBody which uses electro-muscular stimulation to amplify the effects of exercise.

The Optimal Performance retreat is designed for those who have pushed their body to its limits and struggle with soreness or injury. A kinaesthetic assessment identifies any muscle imbalances or mobility restrictions that may hamper movement. The physiotherapy team will then work with the guest to relearn healthy patterns, for example with the Neurac Method with movements performed while suspended in the air, activating the body’s stabilising muscles. Recovery plays an equally important role in minimising the risk of injury, and the three to 14 days of treatments include Deep Tissue Massage and Vibration Massage Therapy to speed the recovery process.

To celebrate the inauguration of the Serenity Cruise, a special opening price of THB 2,500++ per person applies. Rates for stays over the festive season begin from THB 32,000++ per person per night for double occupancy or THB 42,000++ per person per night for single occupancy.