Wild Elephant Valley
YUNNAN RETREAT
On Yunnan’s southernmost border with Myanmar and Laos, a unique Dai culture, cool tropical climate, and natural beauty invite exploration. Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort is perfectly positioned to offer both adventure and tranquillity, with an unrivalled setting on the banks of the Luosuo River overlooking famous botanical gardens.
Trek into the mountains to meet the different hill tribes. Gaze across the valley at China’s last wild elephants. Return to the resort for infinity pool unwinding and Anantara Spa bliss.
The Psychological Virtues of the Land, the People and the Culture
Elephant Conservation Work
Elephant Valley in the Xishuangbanna Forest Nature Reserve is home to China's last elephant population. Thousands of elephants once roamed China's vast continent. Today, only 250 are left. These elephants are under first-class national protection in China and wildlife conservation workers have dedicated their careers to improving the welfare of these animals. The Asian Elephant Breeding and Rescue Centre was established in 2008 and the facility now functions as a de facto sanctuary for stranded wild elephants. With the help of a professional elephant caregiver team, the elephants rescued by the centre have recovered from their own trauma.
The “sense of place” embeds all dimensions of our perceptions and interpretations of a foreign environment. Whether we realise it or not, our “higher mind” absorbs the network of new impressions and creates “meaning”, which again affects our mental and emotional well-being.
Here in the lush regions of Xishuangbanna we encounter a “selfless battle for good” in the conservation efforts for the well-being of Elephants.
Upon self-reflection, as visitors, we may have more in common with the cause than we first realise. We too come to Xishuangbanna in search of sanctuary. Perhaps we too feel stranded in the wilderness of “life”. Perhaps a part of our self needs to be “rescued”. Perhaps we come here to recover from trauma and injury.
A sanctuary is a safe place to come when we need protection and care. A sanctuary is a refuge, a place to rest and recover. To stay in a sanctuary, if only for a few days, may bring us back from the brink of despair and make us stronger.
Flavours of the Mountains
The tea plant forests on the hills near Anantara Xishuangabanna Resort are thousands of years old. Some tea plants are the same ones that the ancestors of the hill-tribes tended 1800 years ago. Today, the forests remain a garden where every young tea plant is sown, pruned and nurtured, all while being given the care prescribed by ancient Chinese wisdom. When plucked, the leaves are fermented before being pressed into rounds like the shape of the full moon. After that, they are left to mature in the dark for 10 – 30 years. This ancient and conscious process of tea production makes the tea leaves one of the most coveted teas in the world: genuine Pu’er forest tea. Privilege, responsibility, continuity, conservation, protection is the pride and legacy of the these fascinating “tea people”.
What message do they pass on to the visitors? You must tend to what is most important and valuable in your life and protect it at all costs in order in order to pass it down to future generations and never let it perish.
The Green Lung of China
Anantara borders the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, the largest botanical garden in Asia. This garden kingdom is a remarkable showcase of biodiversity. Though covering less than one percent of China’s total land area, Xishuangbanna is home to 16 percent of the country’s plant species and more than a fifth of its animals. A steamy rainforest covers more than half of the garden, with the rest dedicated to an array of sub-gardens—orchids, succulents, aromatics, edibles, and the like—as well as the Chinese Academy of Sciences, where research is conducted on everything from endangered plant species conserved in germplasm banks to plant-based medicine.
Forest Breathing
A Simple Act of Self Care
Go for daily walks. Breathe in the virgin air and hold it in your lungs. Sing to the delicate tropical flowers and watch them dance with the vibration of your voice, tickle a mimosa pudica and its fronds will curl in laughter. Walk through a grove of fruitless persimmon trees and know that the seasons of life come and go. Forest Breathing has been found to decrease levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and is a simple yet effective act of self-care.
ITINERARYAt a Glance
The Resort
Tucked away in the primeval forests of China’s Yunnan Province, Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort nestles a sweeping curve of the Luosuo River, blending contemporary style with awe-inspiring scenery. Surrounded by lush tropical gardens filled with the sweet scents of passion flower and wild orchid, elegant rooms and luxurious pool villas feature indigenous art and Anantara’s signature comforts.
LOCAL AREA EXCURSIONS
Sitting at the threshold of a region rich in cultural experiences and astonishing natural beauty, you can book optional day tours (at additional cost) to:
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Meet the last wild elephants in China
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Meet ethnic hill-tribes
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Visit famous tea plantations
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Visit Manfeilong – The White Pagoda
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Visit Authentic Dai villages
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Private bicycle tours
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Guided tours to limestone caves and ancient waterfalls
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Guided tour of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden
RESORT ACTIVITIES
Interesting resort activities (optional and at own expense) that immerse guests in the rich culture the destination:
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Anantara Cooking Class School: Spice Spoons
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Tea tasting journeys
The Spa
A tranquil sanctuary where treatments and facilities echo the natural beauty of the stunning surrounds and rich cultural traditions. Choose from an extensive menu of Thai and Chinese inspired therapies, enjoyed in indoor and open air havens, including double treatment suites that feature outdoor bathtubs. Experience how ancient herbal remedies restore and revive. Indulge in therapeutic modern treatments that work to rejuvenate and purify. Unwind in the relaxation lounge, relish a detoxifying aromatic steam, or pamper yourself with a manicure and pedicure.
SPA FACILITIES:
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5 luxurious double treatment rooms
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2 Vichy shower rooms and facilities
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1 Thai massage room
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Traditional outdoor herbal bath
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Tropical outdoor shower
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Tropical steam cave
The Retreat Space
At Anantara Xishuangbanna the Anantara Pool Villa offer the perfect space, privacy and amenities for an intimate retreat space. A suitable gathering place for up to 5 guests to come together for group sessions. Enter a walled courtyard to a private sanctuary with a plunge pool to cool off in after the sessions. A large sundeck and a living pavilion invite sharing and fun. Enjoy the seclusion of walls on three sides, with the opening revealing a lush garden view.
A living room opens directly onto the sundeck that is furnished with two loungers and a coffee table for cosy get-togethers. Call upon the expertise of an Anantara chef to cook a sumptuous flame-grilled menu on the villa’s outdoor BBQ.
Anantara Pool Villas feature:
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Indoor living space
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King size bed
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Living room
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Espresso machine
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Poolside pavilion with a chaise longue
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70 sqm sundeck with two loungers and a coffee table
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Traditional outdoor shower
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Private 23 sqm swimming pool
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Outdoor barbecue grill
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24 hour butler service
* For larger groups we can book larger villas.
Accommodation
Beautifully positioned on the ground floor of our hotel, Deluxe Garden View Terrace Rooms feature a spacious private terrace that is surrounded by fragrant gardens. Bask under the sun on a lounger, share a meal at the outside dining table or rest on the built-in sofa, drinking in a vista of botanical landscaping.
Deluxe Garden View Terrace Rooms feature:
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Private terrace with two sun loungers, dining furniture and a built-in sofa
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55 sqm of space
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King size bed or twin beds
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Bathroom with a rain shower and terrazzo bathtub
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42 inch LCD TV with satellite channels
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DVD player with home theatre
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iPod dock
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iPads
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Internet access
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Electric kettle
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Mini bar
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Ceiling fan
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Individually controlled air conditioning
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Tropical garden view
Upgrades to higher room categories are available upon request.
Where is Xishuangbanna?
Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort offers unprecedented access to the emerging and pristine destination of Yunnan, China. With close proximity to the borders of Laos and Myanmar, the resort is ideally situated at the crossroads of some of Southeast Asia’s most distinctive cultures, and overlooks the scenic Luosuo River (a tributary of the Mekong River.)
Upcoming Retreats at Anantara Xishuangbanna
More than Skin Deep
There are thousands of ways to see the world. We believe the outer journey should assist the inner journey. Most of us live within an individualistic society, which assumes and affirms a separation from other individuals and from the land. But when we travel we often come in contact with cultures that are more connected to the land and to each other. The word “transcultural” is defined as "seeing oneself in the other" and speaks of that in-between space between two cultures. When we enter this space we are effortlessly more open to new teachings. When combined with holistic therapy this unique transitional space can provide a powerful opportunity for lasting change.
