Spas Travel Guide
From Wikitravel
This article is a travel topic.
A trip to the spa is a common travel activity. It can be a great way to experience local culture and customs, enjoy some serious relaxation and/or remove the grime that accumulates while on the global road.
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Foot Baths
Although most services are ordered a la carte, if you opt for a package treatment you'll most likely begin with a foot bath delivered by your attendant. This usually involves having your feet washed and scrubbed in a basin of warm water with flowers. A pumice stone may be applied to your feet as well as some scented oils and/or soaps. Foot baths, accompanied with a foot massage, are also popular treatments for those wanting some personal care (especially after a long day of sight seeing) but aren't interested in the full body experience.
Scrubs
A body scrub is an exfoliating spa treatment. A therapist rubs a coarse mixture over the body to remove dead skin cells and stimulate circulation. The mixture is rinsed off leaving the skin soft and smooth. A variety of materials are used as the exfoliant - salt, sugar, apricot shells, polyethylene beads, jojoba beads, pumice, ground loofah, sand, crushed grape seed and more. This material is suspended in a liquid that can contain essential oils, oils such as sweet almond, sunflower, and coconut, herbs, and/or vitamin A, C, E. Scrubs are also known as Salt Glow, Sugar Scrub, Full Body Exfoliation. The beauty of body scrubs is that they are one of the spa treatments that you can do yourself at home with great results.
Wraps
Wraps can be enjoyed on their own or as part of a package, in which it will usually follow the scrub. During a wrap treatment, your attendant will cover you in a warm sticky covering that has the consistency of jam or jelly and comes in lovely smelling mixtures, such as papaya and aloe or more earthy concoctions such as seaweed or volcanic mud. Either way, you'll covered from your neck down in your selection and then you'll be wrapped up in a cocoon made from a variety of natural materials, banana leaves are common. For the next 15 - 30 minutes, you'll be left in isolation and your skin will soak up the ingredients while you drift in and out of a light sleep.
Facials
A facial treatment can also be enjoyed on its own or as part of a spa package. When part of a package, it typically follows a wrap or scrub -- after most of your body has been scrubbed and you are relaxed, you'll be stretched out on a table and all of your attendents attention will be focused on your face, neck and head. Usually a facial involves the deep cleansing of the skin on your face and may also include a neck and/or scalp massage. A facial treatment may use scented cleansers and may last between 15 minutes and one hour.
Massages
Aromatherapy Baths
Aromatherapy baths are often part of a spa package and entail relaxing in a large tub filled with warm water. Typically, the tub will decorated with fresh flowers floating on the surface and may also have scented oils, where the aromathereapy comes in, added to the water. The idea is that while relaxing in the water, the scents will deepen your state of relaxation.
Hamam
The Hamam is a Turkish style bathing system that occurs at a marble setting. Usually the real hamams in Turkey were built on thermal fountains.
Destinations
Africa
Asia
Particularly in South-East Asia, you'll find your spa visit to be much less than you would find in North America and Europe without cutting out any of the ambiance or experience (you'll likely have more).
- Bali - Probably one of the premier destinations for those looking for a variety of spa treatments. Coffee and Javanese lulur body scrubs are popular items on most spas menus. Facilities range from the quiet, basic and unpretentious (such as in Lovina on the northern part of the island) to the opulent, extravagent, and luxurious (such as in Ubud and Seminyak). Better yet, Bali is one of the most affordable locations in the world to have a treatment; if you ever had an urge to splurge on a spa and were on a budget, this would be the place to do it.
- Boracay - Has a wide variety of spas and treatments available, probably due to its large international visitor base. As a result, you choice of spas will be quite broad to suite any appetite and price range.
- Manila - You'll find most of the spas within the Makati business district's upscale hotels: Mandarin Oriental, Peninsula, Discorvery Suites, etc. Like the hotels that host them, the spas within these establishments offer an excellent value compared to what you would find outside of Asia.
- Singapore - Not commonly thought of as a spa destination, but the shopping malls of Orchard Road and the island of Sentosa hide several excellent spas. Prices are high compared to the rest of the region though.
- Thailand - Visits to the spa seem to be on the agenda of every visitor to Thailand, and for a reason. All cities — Bangkok, Chiang Mai — and islands — Phuket, Koh Samui — frequented by tourists have affordable high-quality spas, and even the smallest provincial town will have a few (legitimate) massage parlors dishing out bone-crackingly good Thai massages for a few hundred baht per hour.
- Kuala Lumpur
Australia and Oceania
North America
- Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico. In this famous Mayan archaeological site, the traditional Mayan healing methods are still practice by native Maya medicine elders, known as J'Meen. Mayan healers offer various spa experiences based these holistic healing ceremonies and beauty rituals. Don't expect a bargain just because you are in Mexico: prices are in line with what you would expect to pay north of the border for some pampering.
South America
Central America
Europe
UK
- Stratford-upon-Avon has some of the highest visitor numbers in the United Kingdom, all of who now have the opportunity to visit the local spa and health club [1] for a day of high quality relaxation.
