AS SOMEONE WITH a hectic nine-to-five job, I’ve learnt that it takes more than drinking chamomile tea while marinating in a sheet mask to nourish my body from the inside. Even on a day off, I can’t trust myself not to get distracted by Netflix or the pinging of my cellphone. So in what I am positioning as a boss move, I decide to outsource taking care of my body to professionals. A three-day detox programme in a picture-book setting? Sounds ideal. And that’s how I find myself on a trip to Chenot Palace Gabala, a wellness retreat in the Greater Caucasus mountains of Azerbaijan.
Located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Azerbaijan has been popping up all over Instagram lately because of its scenic landscapes and e-visa options for Indians. It is also home to the crown jewel in the Chenot group of wellness hotels. Checking my itinerary as I pack my bags, I can already feel the stress begin to melt away.
My trip, however, begins with a rude surprise. Settling into my five-hour flight from Mumbai to Baku, as I dig through my bag to find my phone, I realise I’ve left it in the waiting lounge at the airport. As luck would have it, this is not just going to be a mental and physical detox but a digital one too.
Chenot Palace Gabala is a three-hour drive from Baku, a city I know for its F1 circuit, doners and cultural significance. It’s surrounded by lush forests and overlooks the serene Nohur Lake, a far cry from my concrete vista at home.
This story is from the July - August 2024 edition of VOGUE India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July - August 2024 edition of VOGUE India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Breathe In, Breathe Out
A powerful tool to help you master your nervous system or another biohacking buzzword? SIMONE DHONDY explores the inhalations and exhalations of breathwork
Red Pill, Blue Pill
India's nutraceutical industry is booming thanks to advanced technology, distrust of the medical system and rising vanity. With multivitamins becoming purer and more effective, NIDHI GUPTA finds out if supplements have become the new serum
Sign of the times
No longer do you need to have an answer to, \"What is the significance of this?\" when people point to your new tattoo. ARMAN KHAN discovers that everything is on the table when you get inked temporarily
Return to form
Watching the world's most elite athletes deliver the best performances of their careers rekindled SONAKSHI SHARMA's own love for sports
Dimple, All Day
YOU MAY HAVE WATCHED HER ON THE BIG SCREEN FOR OVER FIVE DECADES, BUT DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF ASSUMING THAT YOU KNOW DIMPLE KAPADIA.
MUSIC, TAKE CONTROL
As someone who had always sought safety in numbers, ALIZA FATMA often wondered what her own company would feel like. The answer arrived unexpectedly when she attended her first-ever music festival, one of the largest in the world, all alone
Let it grow
When we think of hardworking farmers toiling in India's scorching heat, we often think of men, the sweat on their brow, the sinews in their arms. JYOTI KUMARI speaks to four women who are championing the invisible female labour that keeps these fields running
YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE
When armless archer Sheetal Devi set her sights on the Paralympic Games this year, she knew she had a tough journey ahead of her. Luckily, her mother was with her every step of the way.
Beauty and the feast
The appeal of Indian weddings has always been in a sprawling spread. For additional bragging rights, Aditi Dugar recommends going beyond designer tablecloths and monogrammed napkins.
Sweet serendipity
From a scavenger hunt-inspired proposal to a Moroccan-themed baraat, Malvika Raj and Armaan Rai's love story prioritised playfulness throughout their blended celebrations.
