Relaxing Vacations

Can relaxing vacations help when we are stressed out? And if so where should we go?

Sometimes a vacation can be more stressful than relaxing. Travel these days is generally anything but relaxing. And try it with a family! Of course once you arrive at your destination it might be quite different.

There is no one right way to have a relaxing retreat away from it all. It all depends on what works for you. However it might help to get ideas from others so we've included a section below for you and our other readers to tell us about your favorite places to go for a stress free vacation, retreat, or getaway.

I'm going to start the conversation by telling about my favorite place. Please join in and tell us about yours.

Tell us about your favorite place to recharge, relax, renew, or just get away from it all for a while. Or if you know of a great place that others might enjoy, share it with us. Retreat and vacation spot owners, tour guides, and workshop leaders, tell us about your place or trip too.

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

Maho Bay, St. John, US Virigin Islands 
This is a place to "be." Located inside a State Park, there are no commercial activities - no restaurants, shops, media, traffic..just you, your cabin,...

The Himalayan Institute 
A wonderful, converted convent in Pennsylvania that holds yoga and meditation workshops, Ayurvedic studies (and Pancha Karma) and spiritual studies. The ...

Sydney, Australia 
I used to live there in my 20s, graduated there so have many close friends who I don't see often enough due to distance between Australia and the UK. When ...

Tasmania, Australia 
Why do I love Tasmania for a stress-free vacation? Wine, cheese, chocolate...all food for the soul. Then there is the fantastic scenery, Wineglass Bay,...

Mount Desert Island - Maine 
My wife and I have been there several times. Houses for rent are easy to find and even on the water they are pretty reasonable. There’s Acadia National ...

Murren, Switzerland  Not rated yet
"The scenery from Grutschalp to Murren becomes continuously wilder, more astonishing. The passengers rise involuntarily from their seats and, intoxicated ...

Venice, Italy  Not rated yet
Enchanting and romantic Venice is made up of over a hundred islands with 400 bridges and 2,000 alleys. It is filled with adventure, culture, art, shopping,...

Corfu, Greece  Not rated yet
For some... just being by the sea, breathing the fresh air scented with wild jasmine, walking barefoot on the earth, resting in the cool shade of an olive ...

Tuscany, Italy   Not rated yet
Our yoga practice in Tuscany, Italy will include "on the mat" time each day with Kripalu yoga classes and pranayama (breathing techniques) designed to ...

Rome, Italy  Not rated yet
Okay, I have to admit I've never been there, but the idea of warm sun, sandy beaches, and historical monuments is so appealing. I haven't had a vacation ...

Basunti (Kangra Valley), Dharamsala, Rishikesh, northern India  Not rated yet
Basunti is a privately run retreat set in a Nature Reserve and Bird Sanctuary on Pong Dam in Northern India. We practice meditation and yoga in the mornings ...

Plum Village, near Bordeaux, France  Not rated yet
Plum Village is the home of Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk who has been living in exile in France for 40 years. It is the most calm and joyful ...

Port Vincent, South Australia  Not rated yet
Every year for almost two decades while I was growing up in Australia our family spent Christmas holidays and countless weekends at this small, beachside ...

Maine North Woods - Katahdin Region  Not rated yet
Those of you who know me will not be surprised by my choice here. This is one of my absolute favorite places in the world to be. Why?

It's so peaceful ...