Banyan Tree expands wellness travel with Manduka
Banyan Tree is expanding its wellness offering beyond traditional spa treatments, introducing small group retreats, visiting practitioners and new destination experiences as travellers increasingly seek holidays centred on wellbeing, connection and personal renewal.
The Singapore based hospitality brand is expanding its Banyan Tree Connections programme with a new series of multi day retreats, additional private wellbeing experiences and a global partnership with yoga brand Manduka.
The move builds on the Connections programme launched in 2025 as a private holistic wellbeing immersion for two. The expanded programme is designed around movement, mindfulness, meditation, local rituals and shared experiences, with each experience shaped by the character and natural setting of its destination.
Among the new offerings are Connections Retreats, which are aimed at small groups looking for a more immersive approach to wellness travel.
The retreats combine guided practices with destination specific experiences, allowing guests to spend several days focusing on movement, reflection and reconnecting with themselves, other people and their surroundings.
One of the featured 2026 retreats was held at Mamula Island by Banyan Tree in Montenegro from May 21 to 25, with Manduka ambassador Nicole Marty leading yoga and mindful movement sessions overlooking Boka Bay.
Another retreat is scheduled at Buahan, A Banyan Tree Escape in Bali from October 29 to November 2. Led by sustainability advocate Nadya Hutagalung, the programme will draw on the Balinese philosophy of Tri Hita Karana and combine meditation, sound healing, mindful movement and reflective dialogue.
The private Connections experience is also being expanded to eight additional Banyan Tree destinations from May 2026.
These include Banyan Tree AlUla in Saudi Arabia, Banyan Tree Dubai, Banyan Tree Lang Co in Vietnam, Banyan Tree Nanjing Garden Expo in China, Banyan Tree Samui in Thailand, Banyan Tree Bintan and Buahan in Indonesia, as well as Banyan Tree Guangzhou Jiulong Lake when the Chinese resort opens.
The expansion gives travellers more opportunities to experience the programme in very different environments, from Middle Eastern desert landscapes and Southeast Asian islands to Chinese cultural and nature destinations.
Banyan Tree is also bringing international wellness specialists directly into its resorts through its Visiting Practitioner Programme.
The programme offers workshops, day retreats and private consultations with practitioners from different disciplines. Among the 2026 programmes are a Vinyasa yoga residency with Yuttana Poncharoen at Banyan Tree Krabi and a residency by Manduka ambassador Florence Piers at Mamula Island by Banyan Tree in Montenegro.
The partnership with Manduka adds another layer to the programme.
Manduka's yoga equipment will be introduced at selected Banyan Tree destinations, while practitioners associated with the brand will participate in selected retreats and visiting residencies.
The partnership reflects a wider shift in luxury hospitality, where wellness is increasingly being integrated into the overall travel experience rather than treated as an optional spa activity.
Banyan Tree is also expanding its Wellbeing Sanctuaries, dedicated room categories designed around restorative stays. These include sleep rituals, nourishing cuisine, destination inspired daily practices and in room amenities intended to encourage mindfulness and gentle movement.
The approach is consistent with Banyan Tree's broader positioning around its eight pillars of wellbeing, with the brand describing its resorts as "Sanctuaries for the Senses" where guests can move, reflect, learn and reconnect.
For travellers, the development points towards a more immersive form of wellness tourism in which the destination itself becomes part of the experience.
Rather than simply booking a massage or visiting a hotel gym, guests can choose retreats built around yoga, meditation, nature, cultural practices and guided reflection, with the setting playing an important role in shaping the experience.
Banyan Tree's expansion also gives its wellness programme a wider geographical reach, connecting the brand's resorts in Asia and the Middle East with destinations in Europe and beyond.
As luxury travel continues to evolve, the focus is increasingly moving towards experiences that offer something beyond accommodation. For Banyan Tree, wellness provides a way to turn that demand into structured travel experiences that combine hospitality, nature, culture and personal wellbeing.
