TAKING a stroll or a leisurely drive down to your nearest spa for a bit of rest and relaxation can do wonders for a body and soul exhausted by the drone and rapid-fire pace of modern living. While these breaks from our everyday routine are valuable antidotes to the stress of existing in the 21st Century, sometimes we crave need more.
How about a trip to a spa paradise, hundreds, if not thousand of miles away from home? The phrase “escape it all” is an often-repeated cliché. Well, who said that clichés are bad? Make that cliché a reality and spend a week (or two, if you have the time and money) at a spa resort that’s literally half a world away. Here are six suggestions to whet your appetite for lengthy stays at havens of soothing leisure.
Suite at Banyan Tree Spa Lăng Cô
Banyan Tree Spa Lăng Cô, Vietnam
If the desert isn’t your thing, and you want a great hotel and a luxury spa, plus gorgeous blue water only footsteps away, the Banyan Tree Spa Lăng Cô in Vietnam might just be your cup of tea. Stay in a villa, enjoy the pools and tropical waters of the East Sea, and revel in astounding massages and personalized baths filled with “velvety blooms.” The scenery is breathtaking and cerebrally trance-inducing — which is a very good thing for anyone who wants to let his or her cares simply float away into the surrounding hills.
One&Only Reethi Rah ESPA, Maldives
Now we’re talking remote. The Maldives, out in the Indian Ocean, plays host to the One&Only Reethi Rah ESPA spa and resort. With crystal steam rooms, saunas and vitality pools situated next to blue waters and white beaches, you can take advantage of the oh-so relaxing atmosphere, the “clean & lean” fitness programs, as well as consultations with fitness trainers and health experts — all the while knowing you’ll be treated to a variety of massages, detox care, facial treatments and Ayurvedic therapies during the course of your stay.
Find your Zen at Como Shambhala.
Como Shambhala, Bali
Still in the islands (different islands, though), and still in the lap of luxury, we come to Como Shambhala. This is a spa for the rich and famous, or for people who can afford to get to — and then stay — there. Massages in a tropical environs, followed by holistic skin care, scalp massage, mineral-rich sea-algae wraps and Bhutanese hot stone baths will all help make your stay in this lush Balinese retreat a calming and rewarding one.
The Ranch at Live Oak, Malibu
Maybe you want to get away, but don’t want to look for your passport? Not to worry. You can check into The Ranch at Live Oak, in Malibu without ever having to leave the United States.
If you do book a stay here, you ought to know that it won’t be a lot of lounging about all morning or afternoon. This is the kind of resort that likes its guest to hike, practice yoga and get into shape for quite a few hours out of every day during their short yet fruitful stay. Great vegan food, massages, yoga and a no cell phone or digital tablet policy come together, creating a nurturing environment where you can detox your body with like-minded people.
Hotel Arts Barcelona
If you just can’t bear to leave the urban jungle, no matter where that urban jungle happens to be, a soothing stay at Hotel Arts Barcelona could be just the thing for you.
Sublime vistas of Barcelona and the Mediterranean will all be yours if you decide to book a room here. Once you get into the “43 The Spa” (located on the 43rd floor), saunas, steam baths, and even more incredible views, not to mention the hydrotherapy pools and a menu brimming over with a variety of body and facial treatments will also be yours as well. Life can be hard sometimes, but it can also be a pure, relaxing pleasure.
The Thermal Springs at Evason Ma’in.
Evason Ma’In Hot Springs Six Senses Spa, Jordan
While Jordan is a nation wedged in between different conflict zones, spa extravagance is still something that can be had. If you want peace of mind and body in a locale where you’d be unlikely to run into anyone from work, the Six Senses Spa at the Evason Ma’In Hot Springs should do the trick.
Waterfalls tumbling down into the thermal pool, a steam cave, and a short drive to the therapeutic mud of the Dead Sea (if you’re the kind of person who digs healing mud) are all on offer here. The starkly beautiful and stunning location will be sure to transport you away from the worries you left behind back home.
