Where Wellness Experts go to Unwind

We tracked down some of the world’s leading mindfulness experts and authors, fitness professionals, celebrity advisors, and researchers to discover their favorite places to visit and unwind. And, where they want to go — next.

Favorite place to visit: “Anywhere I can trek in the mountains. Hiking in the mountains from small village to village carrying only essentials like clothes and a day’s worth of food is really grounding. It helps me connect with nature and enjoy the solitude. It also provides fertile ground for my mind to reflect on and contemplate life.” 

Favorite place to stay: A tiny hotel nestled in nature. 

Bucket list destination: Trekking in the Dolomites in Northern Italy.

Brewer is a psychiatrist and neuroscientist. His New York Times best-seller is titled “Unwinding Anxiety”. He is an associate professor at Brown University and the executive medical director of mental and behavioral health at Sharecare Inc.

Favorite place to visit: Acadia, Maine

Favorite place to stay: “A remote cabin in the mountains.”

Bucket list destination: Tilos Island, Greece

Campbell of AC Kitchen is also the author of “TB12 Nutrition Manual”, “The Game of Eating Smart”, and co-author of the “TB12 Method”.

Favorite place to visit: Prince Edward Island in Canada

Favorite place to stay: “Cavendish was where I would stay although the whole island and people are lovely.”

Bucket list destination: “New Zealand, although I’d also love to road trip through all the states of America.”

Williams is the author of “It Begins with you: transform your mind to excel as an alternative leader” and host of The Alternative Leader podcast.

Favorite place to visit: “Bologna, Italy. This is the city that gave us the notoriously rich luncheon meat, only they call it Mortadella. Bologna is the capital of Emilia-Romagna, one of Italy’s most famous culinary regions, and it is a city obsessed with food. The chamber of commerce keeps a perfect Tagliatella noodle made out of gold. It also has a repository of more than thirty official recipes for dishes such as lasagna, gran fritto miso (a meal in which every dish is fried) and its famous ragu alla bolognese.”

Favorite place to stay: “Since it’s a city for eating, I prefer to recommend restaurants. Antica Trattoria della Gigina and Ristorante Diana.”

Bucket list destination: “A culinary tour of Japan. I visited when researching my book on steak and have seared to return ever since. Like Italy, it is a land of astonishingly good food and astonishingly trim, healthy people.”

Schatzker is the author of “The End of Craving”, “The Dorito Effect”, and “Steak”.

Favorite place to visit: “I love Tuscany.  Drinking wine, sitting on the terrace of a charming medieval village overlooking the rolling green hills and dotted with cypress trees fills me with awe.  It offers perspective—spanning across time, as well as joy in the moment.”

Favorite place to stay: “Hotels so I can truly be on vacation–without the chores of the day-to-day, like preparing meals and making the bed.”

Bucket list destination: “A little seaside village with blue roofs in Greece.”

Holmes is the author of “Happier Hour” and a professor at UCLA Anderson.

Favorite place to visit: “I love traveling to experience different cultures and customs. I traveled to the Nordic region a few years ago and had the great fortune of being invited by a friend to meet their family. They welcomed me into their home for ‘hygge’, or warm, cozy time with loved ones before bed. It made me reflect and consider changes in my own life. That to me is the point of travel, to experience something that (hopefully) changes us all for the better.”

Favorite place to stay: “Anywhere where I can spend most of the day outdoors in the natural light, exercise, and sleep well so I may return home refreshed.”

Bucket list destination: “With my passion for yoga and meditation, I have long wanted to visit India, the birthplace of many of these practices.”

Robbins is an Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Associate Scientist at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and co-author of “Sleep For Success!”. She’s also the Sleep Expert for The Benjamin Hotel in New York City.

Favorite place to visit: “Mallorca, the gorgeous Mediterranean Island off the coast of Spain, is my favorite destination. It’s the perfect blend of beaches and mountains, and the views are absolutely breathtaking!”

Favorite place to stay: “As far as hotels and resorts, I love anything near the water. The views and close proximity to the water is what usually makes my heart sing!” 

Bucket list destination: “I would love to go to Thailand – I’ve never been, but can imagine it’s as beautiful as it seems. I want to be able to peel back and enjoy the simple things in life, which I believe is one of many things Thailand has to offer.”

Oyeneyin is a New York Times bestselling author. Her book is titled, “Speak: Find Your Voice, Trust Your Gut, and Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be”. She is also a Peloton Cycling and Strength instructor, a Nike Athlete, and one of the faces of Revlon.

This is a new wellness series by award-winning journalist Julie Loffredi.