New terms enter the forward-thinking vocabulary all the time. Astute Robb Report Hong Kong readers and savvy RR1 Hong Kong members already boast about having an Alpha outlook on life. (That’s Alpha as in the beginning of the alphabet—it’s no longer all about Gen-Zs.) Alphas have never known a connectivity-free world; they live, breathe, and rely on the internet. But they have other distinguishing features, too—they’re into wellness, the religion of “making me feel better,” beyond the expected norm.

As so often, James McBride is ahead of the crest. The sartorial South African, nominally living on Sumba island next to Bali, oversees the celeb-centric Nihi Sumba. The resort is physically owned by designer Tory Burch’s second husband, Chris Burch (she’s now married to the CEO of her eponymous fashion label, Pierre-Yves Roussel). In actuality, it’s McBride who governs Nihi Sumba. He’s taken the concept of wild swimming and expanded it to “Wild Wellness.”

“Wild Wellness” is an extraordinary holistic immersion, says McBride. Working with Melissa Mettler, who also partners with Malaysian-owned YTL (where he was one-time CEO), McBride has designed several immersive year-round Nihi retreats. Yoga, naturally, is included. As an alternative, there’s hiking-centric Wellness FX, or choose a seven-day Sumba Detox to bid bye-bye to baddies in the bod. To lose weight, a five-day diet plan is named for the local Wallace Line, an invisible geographic border marking extremities of some Indonesian flora and fauna. The most exhilarating experience, however, must surely be Nihi’s equine special, promising self-discovery and assertion through partnering with the resort’s own herd of gentle and intuitive Sumbanese horses.

For something slightly less energetic, head for Capella Singapore, the rural estate on 30 acres of hillside on Sentosa island. The 110-room resort, in a building enhanced by architect Norman Foster, is run by Norway-born Yngvar Stray. Perhaps because of the boss’s Scandinavian heritage, Capella’s Auriga Spa has introduced a Northern Lights facial by Nordic Formula. The actual northern lights are best seen near the Arctic through March, but any time, in Singapore, head for a facial with a recuperative fix of sea buckthorns and a eucalyptus mask.

Alphas are not the only sybarites. Longevity is big worldwide, but so far, there’s a dearth of longevity retreats. If you want DIY, buy paradise in the form of Irene Forte Skincare—her daddy is Sir Rocco Forte and her company is backed by Bernard Arnault’s private investment company L. Catterton.

In Hong Kong, head to Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, one of several hotels in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group (MOHG) portfolio to be awarded five stars in the 2024 assessments of Forbes Travel Guide. All of their retreats combine outer-strength fitness vitality and inner-strength mindfulness and more. Try a weekend-long Signature Traditional Chinese Therapy Weekend Retreat, for one or two people, with reflexology and Michelin-starred Man Wah dining included.

Or be wellness-seeking adventurous and fly to Nepal, to Vivanta Kathmandu. The hotel is owned by Nepal’s main hospitality family, Binod Chaudhary and his sons—their portfolio ranges from Indian safari lodges for sightings of rare white tigers through to Maldives beach resorts. (Varun Chaudhary, with homes in Delhi and Dubai as well as Kathmandu, is also honorary consul in Nepal for the Republic of Kazakhstan.) At Vivanta Kathmandu, take a ninth-floor suite for best early-morning wake-up views of snow-capped Himalaya peaks. Your feet might complain after hours exploring the gigantic Bodhnath Stupa, and Dakshinkali, Pashupatinath, and Swayambhunath temples. Relieve stress with Jiva Spa’s signature 90-minute Ukuchina treatment. Later, dine window-side for the mountains view in Akari. Start with edamame and truffle dim sum.

Ah, truffles. If you believe good food helps wellness, there’s nothing better. Far away in Dubai, connoisseurs’ favourite truffle dish is tagliolini liberally coated in white truffle, hand-grated by Beatrice Segoni at Pier Chic, the overwater restaurant offshore from Madinat Jumeirah. Hot news for Segoni followers: her son Luc Segoni is now chef ashore at Calavista in Madinat’s Mina A’Salam.