Health Update: Health Update: Layan Life By Anantara Review: Wellness Retreat In Thailand – What Experts Say– What Experts Say.
If your health is in need of a reboot, Layan Life by Anantara is a wellness retreat that provides the full mind and body MOT. The purpose-built centre – set within Anantara Layan Phuket, a five-star resort on the island’s northwest coast – infuses ancient wisdom with advanced medical treatments. One minute you could be having cryotherapy, the next a centuries-old-traditional Thai massage, all in the knowledge that you’re moments from a pristine beach, sunset-facing infinity pool and imaginative restaurants. Here’s why Layan Life by Anantara should be next on your wellbeing holiday visit-list.
What is Layan Life by Anantara Wellness Retreat?
Layan Life by Anantara, set within the grounds of the five-star Anantara Layan Phuket resort, is one of the most exciting wellness retreats in Thailand. The purpose-built two-storey wellness pavilion, which opened in late 2024, takes spa-ing to a new level, combining three key pillars under one roof – Traditional Thai Medicine (TTM); alternative medicine such as nutrition, physiotherapy and energy healing; and a more scientific approach with specialised high-tech medical equipment that rivals leading medispas worldwide. It’s a one-stop-holistic-shop, a wellness sanctuary that promises a hyper-personalised pathway to ‘physical vitality, mental clarity and emotional alignment’ for every life stage, delivered by a kind, deeply knowledgeable team of doctors and wellness practitioners. What makes Layan Life different from other wellness retreats in Thailand is this unique combination of Traditional Thai Medicine, alternative therapies and cutting-edge medical technology.
As I board the plane from London to Bangkok to Phuket with perimenopausal digestive issues and niggling back twinges, my mind whirring with the everyday, I’ve never needed a body (and mind) MOT more. The fact that Layan Life is part of an idyllic beachfront resort, run by the same hospitality brand that owns Mai Khao Phuket Villas where the third season of White Lotus was filmed, is all the better. Located on the tranquil northwest coast of the island, you can as easily lie on the crescent-shaped beach and swim in the warm Andaman Sea, as you can have a colonic or immerse yourself in a cryo chamber.
Layan Life by Anantara Hotel facilities
Layan Life is a short buggy ride from the hub of the main Anantara Layan resort, set in a standalone wood-and-glass building that’s sympathetic to the tropical landscaping. A tinkling water feature welcomes guests to the ground floor where there’s a reformer Pilates studio, dedicated yoga and meditation studio, fully-equipped Technogym fitness centre, vitality pools, Himalayan salt dry sauna and traditional hammam. Upstairs, consultation, assessment and treatment rooms fan out from the smart reception area, housing every manner of top-grade wellness apparatus to target your health and wellbeing.
There’s a hyperbaric oxygen therapy pod, state-of-the-art cryo chamber, an aqua vitality suite, hydro-colonics machine, 3D body scanning technology, IV therapy suite, traditional Thai herbal dispensary… and that’s before I get to the aesthetic treatments (the Venus Legacy is especially popular to smooth out cellulite). This wellness centre means business and could be a little foreboding, but the design – pale timber, earthy textiles, a sense of space – gives it a stillness. Indeed, I rarely cross paths with any other guests, not even in the relaxation rooms, which overlook lily-padded ponds and jungly canopies.
Treatments and Wellness Programmes
The treatment menu is encyclopaedic, but if the idea of navigating what’s on offer feels overwhelming, Layan Life’s appeal is in its bespoke wellness approach. Before I visit, I have a consultation call with wellness consultant Dr. Tiah, who listens patiently as I rattle off my health concerns and wellness goals, before later emailing me a daily schedule of treatments, therapies and activities for my four-day stay (these are not set in stone and may change following further diagnostics on arrival; you can also add on extra treatments). Alternatively, guests can sign up for a specific wellness programme – the likes of ‘Active for Life’, ‘Detox for Life’ or ‘Restorative Sleep for Life’ – which lasts between three and ten nights depending on your needs.
If you’re wondering how long to stay at Layan Life by Anantara, wellness programmes range from three to ten nights. A minimum three-night stay is recommended to experience meaningful results, though four to seven nights is ideal for a transformative wellness experience that allows you to fully embrace the holistic approach and implement lasting lifestyle changes.
My Tiah-curated wellness journey embraces Layan Life’s full-circle holistic approach. Over the course of my trip I have a consultation with a longevity doctor; do an AI-driven postural analysis scan followed by tailored Pilates; soak in an alkaline bath that harnesses chromotherapy to relax my overworking brain; try out craniosacral therapy; make my muscles work overtime in a super-stretching session; dance around in a -110C cryo chamber for an endorphin hit; realign my energies with a spiritual healer; and fully embrace colonics.
My favourite treatments however, and what the wellness centre excels at, are based around TTM (Traditional Thai Medicine), an ancient system of healing which uses herbal medicine, therapeutic massage and movement. Highlights include the Sweet Herbal Dreams massage, which combines Thai herbs with acupressure to work on my ‘tech neck’; and Pao Ya, when a poultice of herbs is set alight on my stomach to stimulate digestion and reduce water retention. It’s also one of the most soothing wellness experiences I’ve ever done. After my four-day wellness retreat, I feel leaner (less bloating), straighter, in high spirits and yet grounded – and, vitally, more in control of my wellbeing, ready and willing to implement lifestyle changes back home.
Hotel activities
While you could fill every waking hour with wellness treatments, a stay at Layan Life doesn’t have to be all healing crystals and IV therapy. My personal wellness programme allows ample time to enjoy the luxury resort facilities, and if you’re travelling with family and friends, there’s plenty to keep them entertained while you focus on your health. While wellness programme participants concentrate on their health treatments, family members can enjoy the resort’s beach, infinity pools, Active Zone, water sports and multiple dining venues – making Layan Life an ideal destination for wellness-focused travellers and their companions alike.
Soak up the winter sun around the infinity pool, swim in the Andaman Sea or visit the resort spa, which is separate from Layan Life and more suitable for a gentle pamper (think coconut oil massages and aloe vera body wraps, for example). For those planning their visit, November to April offers the best weather with minimal rainfall – the dry season provides ideal conditions for beach activities and outdoor wellness treatments.
The hotel’s Active Zone has a Muay Thai boxing ring (I’m telling you, it’s a proper workout), tennis courts, a climbing wall and archery – there’s even a zipline which takes you soaring above the treetops. Water sports include kayaking, paddleboarding and windsurfing; one afternoon, I explore Layan Bay on a traditional longtail boat, returning beneath a pink and orange streaked sky. Whether you’re active or supine, in need of a fresh coconut water or a lychee and rose petal Martini, the service is instinctive and friendly.
Rooms and villas
All guests, whether booked into a wellness programme at Layan Life or on a fly-and-flop beach holiday, stay in one of the 30 luxury suites, 46 private pool villas or 15 spacious pool residences at Anantara Layan Phuket. What you choose depends on the depth of your pockets. I’m in a pool villa with a huge bed facing floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors, which open straight out onto a private hardwood deck and plunge pool, surrounded by palm fronds. There’s an outdoor bathtub, too, while the ensuite bathroom houses a huge rainfall shower. The understated interior decor of dark teak, clean lines and a neutral palette is pitched perfectly, creating just the calm environment I want to return to after a day realigning at Layan Life wellness centre.
Food and drink
For those on a health kick, there is a dedicated wellness menu served at relaxed outdoor restaurant Breeze (alongside other beachside fare). Devised by consultant chef Filippo Tawil, it’s gluten- and dairy-free, with no refined sugars and grains. I eat salads, soups, ceviche and vitality-boosting juices, enhanced by superfoods like chia seeds, moringa, quinoa, goji berries and spirulina, as well as fermented foods, seaweeds, plant proteins, tamarind and adzuki beans. Should you be totting them up, everything comes with a calorie count and I don’t spy many dishes over the 350-mark.
As deliciously nutritious as the wellness dining is, I am no angel. One evening, I dine in the resort’s dark and brooding restaurant Age, where the steaks are Josper-grilled, and the red wine flows; another night, I can’t resist the elevated Thai dishes at celestial-inspired Dara, where, after dinner, I head upstairs to stargaze in the resort’s observatory. And my good health intentions are (again) put in jeopardy at the Sunday brunch, when all ages gather round the pool to feast on the sushi, fresh pasta and curry stations, accompanied by traditional Thai dancing and drumming. There’s a Zuma at the resort, too. As I head home, one thing’s for certain – I have lived Layan Life to the full and loved every second.
Practical Information
How Much Does Layan Life by Anantara Cost?
A three-night Wellness Retreat at Layan Life by Anantara starts from £1,085 per person, including all consultations, treatments and activities, breakfast and wellness meals. Accommodation not included.
Luxury rooms and villas at Anantara Layan Phuket start from £567 per room, per night.
For bookings and more information, visit layanlifephuket.com