RELAX, RESTORE.REVIVE, REPEAT

A pioneer in holistic wellness, Thailand's Chiva-Som retreat ups the ante when it comes to healing mind, body and soul in a setting that is simply sublime, writes Cathy Wagstaff.

- Cathy Wagstaff

More than 11 million people live in Bangkok, the addictively chaotic capital of Thailand. Landing here can be a sensory overload – the aromas of lemongrass and frangipani, the constant hum of traffic, the whiplash between gleaming towers and gilded stupas. It’s rather remarkable that within 2.5 hours of departing this metropolis and driving south, my backdrop is one of total Zen: a private beach, saltwater pool, jangly wind chimes, cool breezes. ChivaSom has been around for almost three decades (it celebrates that milestone in 2025), and had a major renovation in 2019. It is still as fresh and, more to the point, refreshing as the day it was built by forward-thinking entrepreneur Boonchu Rojanastien in 1995.

Back then, the coastal town of Hua Hin was a sleepy fishing village on the Gulf of Thailand. And while colourful wooden boats still bring hauls to shore daily, Rojanastien’s vision 30 years ago has transformed the area somewhat – when he knocked down his holiday house here with the intent of creating a cocoon dedicated to wellbeing, he sparked a trend. Not only in Hua Hin, but across Southeast Asia.

He had foresight – the wellness tourism industry today is booming, estimated to be worth US$814.6 billion (AU$1,207.7 billion) in 2022. And yet Chiva-Som remains deliciously humble and inviting, void of modern-day stressors (including kids – this is for adults only) but completely packed with ways to invest in healing – of all kinds.