Wellbeing hospitality consultancy Lumina Wellbeing has curated a retreat in collaboration with Vietnam Detox – a company led by coaches trained in the Buchinger therapeutic fasting method.

Between 12-16 November, the Vietnamese Herbal Detox will take place at the Namia River Retreat in Hoi An, Vietnam, offering a five-day programme of workshops, river walks and tailored spa therapies.

The Buchinger fasting protocols will be led by Vietnam Detox’s co-founder, Dieter Buchner, who trained as a coach in the method when his friend appeared to have healed herself following a seven-day fast.

Retreat attendees will drink pure juices, handcrafted herbal broths and revitalising teas designed to cleanse the body.

Namia River Retreat, which opened last year, has a Lumina Spa, operated by Lumina Wellbeing. It features a herbal garden and apothecary that retreat guests will visit to harvest fresh herbs for teas or bathing infusions.

Guests will apply facial reflexology Dien Chan tools to pressure points for detoxification during hands-on workshops, learning techniques they can take home.

Visits to temples and Vietnamese healers will be on the retreat agenda for an immersive cultural experience.

90-minute daily spa rituals at the Lumina Spa will include herbal hammam, acupressure and Thuốc Nam–inspired treatments.

The price of the retreat is US$2,800 (€2,405, £2,070) for five days and four nights per person in a single room. The price for two people sharing a twin room for five days and four nights is US$2,100 (€1,805, £1,550) per person.

Buchinger fasting method

The Buchinger Wilhelmi company’s story began in 1920, when Dr Otto Buchinger, who was a young naval officer at the time, sought relief from crippling rheumatoid polyarthritis. Conventional medicine didn’t provide a solution so he turned to fasting, which he claimed saved his “life and existence.” This experience formed the basis for the Buchinger Method of medical therapeutic fasting.

The family-owned company has well-established clinics at Lake Constance in Germany (opened in 1953) and in Marbella, Spain (since 1973). It recently announced it will develop a new health resort in Roquefort-les-Pins on the Côte d’Azur, France, which is due to open in 2029.