More than just a getaway

 

The world's top eight destinations for indulgence

 

1) Alzbetiny Lazne, Carlsbad (Czech Republic) - If you think that a spa experience is an expensive indulgence, reserved for the privileged few, then think again. Literally translating to ‘Elizabeth Baths’, Alzbetiny Lazne was established in 1906 and was named after Elizabeth, wife of Emperor Franz Joseph I, known as Sissi. Located in the elegant and quaint town of Carlsbad, in the Czech Republic, it is a spa complex that offers a myriad of massages and treatments that range from the traditional to more modern beauty and wellness procedures. Even better, they charge a fraction of the price of vastly inflated hotel spa packages. The biggest consumer of the hot mineral water in Carlsbad (20% of the total quantity), Alzbetiny Lazne continues its proud spa tradition to this day, helping scores of visitors and locals to detox and heal in the town’s curative waters. With Carlsbad sitting at an altitude of 1227 feet and lying in the scenic and narrow Eger Valley, hemmed in by granite hills and dense pine forests, the surrounding natural beauty only adds to the holistic experience. A session at the Salt Chamber plus a 50-minute Aromatherapy massage will set you back about US$50. Not bad for a self-indulgent afternoon in Carlsbad.
 
2) Auberge Spa, Auberge du Soleil, Wine Country, (San Francisco, CA) - If you do have the dosh to spare, then look no further than a stay at Auberge du Soleil in California’s wine country. Staying in one of its uber-exclusive ‘maisons’ that terrace down the hillside of a 33-acre hillside olive grove in the Napa Valley will set you back between US$650 - $4850 per night. Home of one of Northern California’s fine dining establishments, its restaurant will dent your credit card by a couple of hundred dollars per evening, including wine. But it’s the spa experience that gets my vote. With its rustic stucco building, fountains, private gardens and outdoor soaking pools, it provides a physical and emotional barrier from the outside world. With a unique menu of body and facial treatments that embraces a nurturing and holistic philosophy, all treatments utilize natural ingredients that are indigenous to the region. Guests can arrive early so as to enjoy the water ritual, which is a soak in each of three temperate springs that overlook the Napa Valley vineyards and the inn’s olive grove. Preparations used in the spa treatments feature house-infused oils, as well as calendula, rosemary, lemon balm and other herbs cultivated by the therapists in the spa’s garden. Treatments go north from US$180.
 
3) Banyan Tree, Cherngtalay (Thailand) - Your indulgent experience at Banyan Tree begins with the romance and beauty of the island paradise of Phuket, closely followed by the extraordinary setting of its award-winning architecture which is built in harmony with nature. Established in 1994, Banyan Tree Spa Phuket was the first luxury oriental spa in Asia and pioneered the tropical garden spa concept. With spa pavilions constructed in the style of royal Thai ‘salas’, Banyan Tree offer an exotic blend of ancient health and beauty practices that focus on spiritual, mental and physical harmony. It’s treatments are complimented by meditation and yoga classes. Hand and Foot Treatments start at US$80, Massages start at US$90, and Ayurveda Treatments start at US$165.
 
4) Daintree Eco Lodge and Spa (QLD) - A little closer to home, the Daintree Eco Lodge and Spa is tucked away in the heart of the world's oldest living rainforest in tropical North Queensland. Being at one with nature notwithstanding, Daintree Eco Lodge provides all the creature comforts one would expect from a luxury resort, including a world class spa experience. With spiritual ancestors of the Kuku Yalanji tribe calling this area home, the lodge offers Aboriginal inspired massages, spa therapies and naturopathy modalities that integrate ancient wisdom, medicines, spirituality and healing. Set in tranquil surroundings, and enveloped by the natural sounds of the rainforest, Daintree Eco Lodge and Spa offers a healing environment that is unlike any other in the world. Prices start at AUS$70 for a 30-minute spa treatment and go up to AUS$395 for ‘Dreamtime’, a 180-minute total sensory journey from head to toe.
5) Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resorts & Spa, Santa Fe (New Mexico) - One of my favorite spa resorts, Ojo Caliente, meaning “hot eye” in Spanish, is located approximately 80.4 kilometers from Santa Fe. Established as the first natural health spa in the United States, the rustic, adobe style structure was first built around the superheated alkaline spring in 1916. Mysteriously set beneath iron-filled red cliffs, the resort emanates an almost ancient vibe. Visitors from all over the United States and the world come to this resort to soak for hours in the various mineral pools, each with their own unique properties that benefit different ailments and conditions: The Iron Spring is considered to be beneficial to the blood and immune system; The Soda Spring is said to relieve digestive problems; The Arsenic Spring is believed to be beneficial for arthritis, stomach ulcers and in healing a variety of skin conditions. After a good soak in the mineral pools, I highly recommend covering yourself in detoxifying earth from the Mud Pool, allowing it to dry in the New Mexico sunshine, and then scrubbed off. Your skin will positively glow. Voted one of the ‘Top 10 Most Affordable Spa Vacations’ by Spa Magazine (US), use of all mineral pools, steam, sauna and mud pool will cost you US$18pp Monday-Thursday, and US$28pp Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Holiday Periods.
 
6) Heritance Ayurveda Maha Gedara, Moragalla, Beruwela (Sri Lanka) - For a wellness experience from the inside out, you can’t go past Sri Lanka’s exclusive Heritance Ayurveda Maha Gedara. Located in Moragalla, Beruwela, 60 kilometres from Colombo, and sitting on a 130 km long stretch of golden beach, the Heritance Maha Gedara is like a private community united in the common goal of Ayurveda treatment. Visitors’ cars are purposely left at the beginning of the hotel driveway as guests and luggage are picked up from the parking lot in pollution-free electric ‘golf’ carts, soundlessly transporting everything and everyone to the hotel’s reception. Guests are greeted at reception with a glass of freshly squeezed fruit juice. On the first day, guests are assessed by the Chief Ayurveda Doctor. Based on the doctor’s findings, a personalized health and treatment program, which includes personalized herbal remedies and diet, is designed specifically for the guest. The treatment is carried out over the length of the guest’s stay by several doctors in therapy rooms, most of them with water features. The kitchen prepares the specific meals based on doctor’s recommendation, with the meals working in harmony with the oils, infusions, and herbal remedies. While guest rooms at the Heritance Maha Gedara are light-filled and spacious, each one featuring its own designer-decorated look and offering every amenity that one could ask for, there are no televisions. Forget about caffeine, alcohol and nicotine too. Not a child-friendly resort, the restrictions are only there to ensure that the full effects of the guest’s Ayurveda program can take place without distraction. Within the lush, impeccably groomed tropical grounds and airy, pristine vibe of the hotel’s architecture and decor, it isn’t often that one gets such a respite from the madness of the world. Rooms start at approximately US$450 per night, with a minimum of 4-night’s stay recommended.
 
7) Mii amo Spa, Sedona (Arizona) - Voted number one destination spa in the world by Travel + Leisure, Mii amo is a fusion of Anasazi-inspired colours and design elements, contemporary eclectic architecture and a magical environment. Nestled into the natural slope of a red-rock canyon wall, the creation of this unique Arizona destination spa was inspired by the Native American culture that graces the region. Harnessing the rich wisdom and traditions of Native American people, top therapists from around the world offer an abundance of unique experiences as they honour local culture, from skincare and water treatments, body treatments, and a variety of therapeutic and relaxing massages to ‘mother-to-be’ treatments and fitness and ‘Connect with Spirit’ sessions. The daily resort fee includes the complimentary access to hotel facilities, including steam, sauna and whirlpool, fitness room, indoor pool with fireplace, outdoor lap pool and spa, as well as participation in all fitness classes, art lessons, cooking demonstrations, programs by visiting experts, and other activities at this luxurious Arizona spa retreat. Featuring 16 luxurious spa ‘casitas’, staying at this resort, where interior and exterior spaces merge into one another, is no hardship either. Spa treatments start at US$160.
 
8) Little Dix Bay, Virgin Gorda (British Virgin Islands) - Nothing spells relaxation and indulgence better than a spa experience in the Caribbean. An island paradise nestled amid lush gardens and shaded footpaths along a half-mile crescent beach on Virgin Gorda, Little Dix Bay blends luxury with island charm. Spa treatments offer an array of Caribbean specialties that fuse indigenous botanical resources with therapeutic practices and progressive concepts in health and wellness. Caribbean specialties include Salt Island Scrub for US$140, Virgin Gorda Goat Milk and Honey Wrap for US$145, Cool Aquastones and Aloe Therapy for US$150 and Natural Neem Leaf Facial for US$140. Guests can enjoy their treatments from the Cliff Spa Suite, which overlooks the glistening Sir Francis Drake Channel, or from the beach, the privacy of their room, or even under the stars.
 
Victoria Ugarte
www.ExploreMyWorldTravel.com.