Travel's new wellness craze that promises to boost your brain in paradise

I sat at the communal table.

For three days I'd eaten alone, taken solo walks and submitted to blissful, introspective spa treatments - exactly what Koh Samui's famed wellness sanctuary Kamalaya prescribes.

But each evening, over my own healthy but delicious dinner for one, I'd sneak glances at the long table of 12 chatty strangers, wondering if I'd ever join them.

Then I did. I pulled up a chair, introduced myself, and remembered everyone's names. No small feat for me.

I think I know why, too.

I'd been sampling Kamalaya's new Brain Enhancement program - a suite of therapies blending ancient healing with modern neurotech.

The resort's recently opened Cognitive House offers brain mapping, EEGs, neurofeedback, sound and light therapy, craniosacral therapy (yes, as seen in White Lotus before the murder) and more.

I tried elixirs and an IV vitamin infusion, said to support brain renewal. A neuro-sync sound treatment pulsed rhythms to coax my brain into rest, focus or clarity. And in the airy yoga pavilion, a personalised breathwork session - complete with intense eye contact - was designed to build mental resilience and ease anxiety.

Did it work? I actually don't know for sure. But I was sleeping better. I felt calmer. Clear. Lighter.

The true power of wellness can be subtle.

It's in how your shoulders drop after days of deep breathing, or how laughter at a communal table feels easier when your nervous system quiets, how the butterflies look brighter and the birdsong sounds louder. These micro-shifts keep travellers returning long after the novelty of IV drips has worn off.

I'd already dabbled in biohacking - using my Apple Watch to optimise sleep, focus and mood - and stocked up on vitamins promising to keep my mind sharp, or calm, or both.

Now retreats are seizing on that trend, creating programs that feel both indulgent and medically credible: downtime as an investment in long-term brain health.

Kamalaya has long been ahead of the wellness curve but its new focus on brain optimisation feels less like a fad and more like a glimpse of the future. General manager and wellness director Gopal Kumar launched the program, but insists it's not about chasing trends but holistic health.

"You train your body," he says. "Why wouldn't you train your brain?"

It's an idea that seems to resonate with two tribes: overworked executives seeking respite from inbox overload, and those with a family history of dementia, hoping early investment in cognitive health might pay dividends later.

While the tech is modern, the impulse behind brain-focused travel is not. Pilgrimages, silent retreats, forest bathing, healing journeys - people have long travelled to restore mind and spirit - as well as body.

But, post-pandemic, says Kumar, demand for transformative health travel has soared.

Travellers want more than pampering. They want purpose.

Many of Kamalaya's techniques have been around for decades, but new technologies allow deeper, personalised results. EEG mapping and neurofeedback can now tailor treatments to your brain's unique baseline, offering a tangible way to measure and improve mental fitness.

Some guests even arrive armed with bloodwork and medical testing, ready to get stuck in. One woman had been at Kamalaya for three months. (The minimum stay is three nights.)

"It's not just an intervention," says Kumar. "It's a lifestyle. Transformation is a journey, it's not a destination."

Beyond the brainwork, Kamalaya stays true to the therapies that built its reputation over the past 20 years - such as acupuncture, lymphatic drainage, naturopathy and facial rejuvenation. Cupping, said to increase blood flow and reduce inflammation, is so common that the tell-tale circular bruises it leaves are known among staff as the "Kamalaya tattoo".

Daily lectures range from Chinese medicine to at-home detoxing; fitness options span Pilates to pool biking (which looks as funny as it sounds).

The whole experience is kind of like a wellness boot camp, but with luxury - and seriously delicious food. I'm still dreaming of the chicken larb, hibiscus lemonade and Miang Kam wrapped in betel leaves.

And as I finally sat at the communal table, making easy conversation with people I'd never met, I felt - if not smarter - steadier. Grounded.

I'd even journaled (not a regular pursuit, given my job), filling a page with goals and wellness notes: do more yoga. Swim more. Cook more veggies.

Was it the elixirs and the IV, the intense abdominal massage and the craniosacral therapy? Or was it just the solitude and the lush jungle surrounds?

Whatever it was, I'll be back.

As soon as I save some more pennies.