ISLAMABAD: Under soft garden lights on a warm Islamabad evening, a diverse crowd gathered to celebrate the launch of The Wild Thyme Sanctuary, a new kind of luxury bed and breakfast and art gallery that blends nature, design, and community into a deeply intentional experience. Diplomats, creatives, entrepreneurs, and well-known Islamabad figures mingled across the garden and around the pool’s glow, surrounded by contemporary art, live music, and quiet conversation under open skies. It didn’t feel like a standard launch, it felt like the beginning of something cultural and much-needed in the capital.
Founded by husband-wife duo and entrepreneurs, Elizabeth-Whitney Kanaan and Michael Kanaan (of the popular Michael K. Salon), The Wild Thyme Sanctuary is located on a peaceful 5-kanal estate that immediately slows the pace of life. It offers a calm and welcoming space for anyone looking to slow down, recharge, and reconnect - with themselves or with others. Surrounded by natural beauty, the Sanctuary combines earthy, elegant design with modern comfort to create a restful, home-like atmosphere. With four beautifully designed bedrooms, it can host up to 12 guests in both private and shared accommodations, ideal for solo getaways, family stays, or small group retreats. A stunning pool invites relaxation, while the orchard garden offers space to wander, unwind, or simply enjoy the fresh air. There’s no traffic noise…just quiet, open skies and the sounds of nature.
Guests were welcomed into a sensory experience built on intention: contemporary artworks, available for purchase, were thoughtfully curated throughout the orchard garden and inside the house, fresh flowers brought softness and color to every corner, and Basil Pantry served delectable hors d’oeuvres that guests lingered over, all accompanied by live music that carried gently through the space. It was immediately clear that this was not luxury for the sake of opulence, it was luxury rooted in meaningful design.
For Elizabeth, this project is the natural evolution of a journey rooted in creativity and community. She is no stranger to entrepreneurship. She was the brains behind the immensely successful The Wild Thyme restaurant in Islamabad’s upmarket E-7 - a beloved destination known for its authentic Hunza-inspired cuisine, warm atmosphere, and loyal following. The restaurant was later launched in Hunza itself and both locations ran for a few years, cementing The Wild Thyme as a brand associated with beauty, culture, and connection. While those chapters came to a close, the spirit of The Wild Thyme, celebration of heritage, nourishing food, and creating spaces that bring people together, lives on in the Sanctuary, now matured into something deeper and more holistic.
“I have always believed that spaces hold energy,” says Elizabeth. “When we design with intention - when we think about how people will feel, how they will connect, how they will rest - something wonderful happens. The Sanctuary is about that transformation.”
One of the most exciting aspects of the launch is the partnership with The Reservoir, a contemporary art gallery based in Lahore known for championing emerging and established artists with bold, innovative voices. By collaborating with The Wild Thyme Sanctuary, The Reservoir is officially opening its second location - bringing its curated selection of contemporary art to Islamabad in a way that feels organic and alive. Rather than a white-box gallery, the art lives throughout the space, on walls, in hallways, in bedrooms, blurring the line between exhibition and experience.
For The Reservoir’s founder, Dr. Qasim Iqbal, the partnership felt natural. “At The Reservoir, we believe that art belongs in the spaces where life unfolds. Our collaboration with The Wild Thyme Sanctuary is an extension of that idea…bringing art into a place of comfort, rest, and conversation. Each piece has been chosen to complement the spirit of the space and to create quiet moments of connection for guests. We’re excited to see how art and hospitality come together in this shared experience.”
The partnership also means ongoing rotating exhibitions, positioning The Wild Thyme Sanctuary as more than a bed and breakfast. It becomes a cultural hub, a catalyst for collaboration, and a bridge between the art communities of Lahore, Islamabad, and beyond.
But the Sanctuary is not only about visual art. It is also becoming a hub for wellness and inner transformation. Earlier this month, internationally recognized hypnotherapist and Reiki Master Umar Sheikh, creator of the ReikiTrance method, hosted his first-ever ReikiTrance workshop at the Sanctuary in an invite-only gathering.
“The connection of the participants, combined with the earthly, grounding energy of The Wild Thyme Sanctuary, made it a perfectly fulfilling evening. The Sanctuary itself carries such a calming, nurturing presence, the kind of place where you instantly exhale and feel held by nature,” Umar shares. “Surrounded by its raw beauty and stillness, the ReikiTrance journey became even more profound. The venue didn’t just host us; it amplified the energy, grounding us into the earth while lifting us into deeper states of clarity and renewal. By the end of the evening, it truly felt like a collective reset, mind, body, and spirit aligned, restored, and renewed.”
The Wild Thyme Sanctuary also taps into something universal: the need for rest. In a world that constantly demands output, this space offers permission to slow down. Retreats focused on wellness, art, writing, yoga, and personal growth are already in the works, attracting both local and international interest. There is an emerging appetite for places that nurture not only the body, but the mind and spirit…and the Sanctuary is answering that call.
As the sun dipped behind the Margalla Hills on launch night, guests wandered between art and conversation, gathering around the pool as if instinctively responding to the Sanctuary’s quiet invitation, to slow down and be present.
Besides, the newly launched bed and breakfast is more than a beautiful space, it is a statement. It signals a shift in how Pakistan approaches travel, creativity and conscious living. With its thoughtfully curated experiences, its commitment to supporting artists and women-led initiatives, and its vision for wellness-centred hospitality, the Sanctuary is helping shape a new narrative: one where tourism is not just about visiting, but about feeling, learning, and belonging.
To expand this vision beyond its doors, The Wild Thyme Sanctuary has partnered with Discovery Pakistan, a well-known and highly respected tourism company celebrated for designing immersive, off-the-beaten-track journeys across the country. This collaboration will allow guests to move seamlessly between the Sanctuary and some of Pakistan’s most breathtaking hidden landscapes, combining restorative stays with meaningful exploration. It’s a partnership built not on convenience, but on shared philosophy, that travel should open hearts, not just itineraries.
In many ways, The Wild Thyme Sanctuary arrives at the perfect moment, when the world is seeking experiences that feel personal, soulful and real. As Pakistan quietly re-emerges as one of the world’s most compelling travel destinations, places like this, grounded in art, nature, heritage and human connection, will lead the way.