Southwestern Spas to Indulge the Senses: Part I

Turn a vacation into a transformation. Visiting some of the nation’s finest spa resorts can awaken your mind, revitalize your body and renew your spirit. These choice spas will intrigue all your senses from tantalizing tastes, and tender touch, to spectacular sights, calming sounds and serene scents.

Canyon Ranch, Tucson, Arizona

This award-winning spa resort is hands-down one of my favorites. Nestled in the majestic Sonoran Desert, Canyon Ranch offers more than just luxurious spa treatments and accommodations, you will also enjoy fine cuisine, outdoor adventures, golfing and more, at this all-inclusive spa resort.

Spa pleasures from around the world including Asian therapies, Yamuna treatments, restorative therapy, replenishing facials, tanning, nail and hair treatments. During your stay you can also take advantage of the 80,00 square foot Spa Complex that includes relaxation rooms, yoga and dance studios, a salon, whirlpools, wellness education rooms, and state-of-the-art cardio and weight-lifting equipment.

Delight in the sights of the rich landscape of the Santa Catalina Mountains and red canyons nearby. The Ranch was once a working cattle ranch, but now offers a serene and clear desert setting, perfect for mind-clearing and focus. As part of your vacation experience, take advantage of the gorgeous surroundings by going hiking, biking, or even nature and bird observing.

Whether your goal is to discover new activities, explore the outdoors, lose weight, improve your golf game or fine-tune your fitness, the encouraging fitness physiologists will custom-tailor a plan for you during your stay. Take advantage of all the offerings of fitness classes, guided hikes and walks, wellness presentations and workshops, private consultations and assessments. With more than 40 fitness classes and outdoor activities each day, there is something for everyone.

Your comfort is a top priority of Canyon Ranch, and to ensure that you are most comfortable and relaxed, guest suites are equipped with feather cloud beds, luxury Italian linens, robes and all the essentials to help you relax. The resort is tastefully tied together with modern southwest-inspired decor and art throughout, enhancing the experience in the Tucson desert.

In addition to the amazing spa treatments and pampering, the award-winning cuisine at the Ranch will spoil your taste buds. Not only are the meals indulgently delicious, each has been carefully designed for maximum nutritional value. The healthy gourmet cuisine is always prepared with fresh and seasonal ingredients.

Canyon Ranch is all about your health and pleasure. It’s a luxurious way to revitalize your mind, body and spirit.

Ten Thousand Waves, Sante Fe, New Mexico

Centered around Japanese values of relaxation and serenity, the Ten Thousand Waves Spa in Sante Fe, New Mexico is a truly unique and luxurious spa destination. Based on the traditional Japanese spa, or onsen, Waves believes that a spa is a place to relax and have fun, not just a place to get something done. In Japanese tradition, spas and bathing are mostly about meeting friends, relaxing, spending time with family and unwinding from the day. Waves uses hot water bathing as an integral part of its spa treatments.

This unique Japanese spa oasis, set in the mountains just outside Sante Fe, offers everything from hot water bathing and therapeutic massages to hot oil treatments, herbal wraps and sea salt exfoliation. Lounge around in your Yukata robe, snack on handmade sushi, and enjoy the lush nature surroundings.

Even though Ten Thousand Waves is mainly a day spa, they offer some of the most unique and serene lodging accommodations, all based on traditional Japanese lifestyle. Just a short walk through the towering pinions and fragrant juniper trees, the 12 hotel suites are privately nestled along the hillside. Each suite is completely unique, offering anything from the quaint “capsule” trailer or high-tech modernist “Sailor Moon” room, to the traditional simplistic Japanese elegance or blended Southwestern Japanese rooms. All rooms encompass a peaceful blend of tranquility, luxury and romance.

This spa getaway is all about letting go, transporting your mind and calming your soul.

The Lodge & Spa at Cordillera, Edwards, Colorado

Whether you are looking to unwind or rejuvenate, or both, The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera will help you accomplish that in supreme luxury. High atop the majestic Colorado Rocky Mountains, Cordillera has world-class views of the Vail Valley and Sawatch Mountain Range.

Refresh your body and soul with amazing spa treatments, for men, women or couples. Continually voted as one of the top spas in North America, you are guaranteed not to be disappointed. The amazing massages and body treatments uniquely blend traditional touches with unique ingredients and scents such as coffee, sandalwood, volcanic ash, Dead Sea Salts, local river rocks and fresh mountain water.

In the warm months you can become part of the mountain scenery with a relaxing gazebo or poolside massage in the open, fresh mountain air. In the winter, Cordillera is a one of the world’s most renowned ski destinations. After a day of winter sports, ease sore muscles with a Backcountry Pedicure or one of the signature massage treatments. The resort also specializes in high-altitude skin treatments to revitalize your body from the dry mountain air.

The entire resort was inspired by a Belgian chateau and is decorated with a unique mountain rustic elegance. Suites are equipped with balconies with uninterrupted mountain views, cozy fireplaces, and plush feather beds.

During your stay at Cordillera, enjoy award-winning cuisine from two on-site restaurants. For an unforgettable fine-dining experience set with breath-taking mountain views, eat at Mirador; where the innovative menu and extensive wine list are sure to pleasure your palate. For a relaxed yet upscale authentic Irish pub, visit Grouse on the Green.

The Lodge & Spa at Cordillera is the best place to experience a spa vacation full of solitude, contemporary comfort and mountain luxury.

What is your favorite part of a spa?

Experience the Ultimate Romantic Getaway to Bali

When it comes to romantic getaway destinations, Bali is often at the top of the list. Widely regarded as one of the most beautiful places in the world, Bali’s pristine white and black sand beaches, clear sapphire water, and magnificent sunsets enthrall couples looking for a tranquil, picturesque place to enjoy. From the stately mountains to the lush vegetation including the bright green mazes of rice fields, the spectacular scenery is like nowhere else in the world.

Accommodations are luxurious and spacious, and Bali has an abundance of premier resorts near the beaches and mountains. Private villas overlook the sea and offer couples privacy, freedom, and all the comforts of home plus the amenities of the finest hotels. Many villas have swimming pools and gardens with staff such as chauffeurs, chefs, and butlers at your service.

Dining in Bali is a gastronomic delight. Restaurants and cafes offer a wide variety of cuisine ranging from satay, marinated barbecued meat served with peanut sauce, to black rice pudding. Chinese food is also popular in Bali, and fresh seafood is plentiful. Vegetarian fare is easy to find, and it is made with the freshest ingredients from local markets. The Balinese enjoy snacking, and food carts serving soup, spring rolls, and ice cream are available almost any time of day. 

No matter what you do in Bali, there is an air of romance surrounding you. The most romantic Balinese experiences include . . .

• Private champagne and seafood dinners at sunset on Jimbaran Beach.
• A rejuvenating couples massage with steam and sauna at your villa or at one of the many spas, followed by high tea.
• A cooking class for two followed by a catamaran dinner cruise with live music.
• Relaxing horseback riding or intimate horse-drawn carriage rides.
• Strolls along the sea on isolated beaches, nature hikes in remote forests, and sightseeing helicopter rides followed by romantic picnic lunches.
• Scuba diving and snorkeling in the crystalline waters of the Indian Ocean.
• A guided tour of Mount Agung, the holiest mountain in Bali and an active volcano. 

Bali is a serene, breathtaking place that welcomes couples from all over the world and offers not only romance but also excitement, fun, and luxury. For an intimate, relaxing getaway for two, look no further than this island paradise.

Images courtesy of our partners at Four Seasons

The Seven Natural Wonders of the World: Part II

Click here to view Part I of this post.

Courtesy of National Geographic

Great Barrier Reef

Located off the coast of Queensland in Australia, the world’s largest coral reef system stretches over 1,500 miles and consists of nearly 3,000 separate reefs. It includes over 900 islands and can be seen from outer space. The reef system supports dolphins, sea turtles, crocodiles, birds, sea snakes, and other species, many of which are endangered or vulnerable.

The best way to see the spectacular reefs and their vibrant sea life is to get up close by scuba diving or snorkeling. You can take a boat tour or cruise and experience the Great Barrier Reef for any length of time you choose. For a bird’s-eye view of the immense size and magnificence of the reefs, you can also take a helicopter tour.

Courtesy of mexonline.com

Parícutin

A cinder cone volcano in Michoacán, Mexico, Parícutin is the youngest volcano in America, and it is unique among the wonders of the world because humans witnessed its birth. In 1943, a farmer named Dionisio Pulido and his family saw the first eruption of ash and watched the volcano grow to five stories tall in one week. Within a month, Parícutin could be seen from a distance. During its first year, it buried the nearby villages in lava and ash.

The volcano continued erupting for the next eight years, and in 1952, the volcano went dormant. Parícutin is unlikely to erupt again, as cinder cone volcanoes do not normally erupt after their creation. To see Parícutin any time of year, hike or ride horseback to the top. You will be amazed at the buried buildings and lava fields that surround it.

Courtesy of VictoriaFalls.com

Victoria Falls

A stunning waterfall in southern Africa fed by the Zambezi River, Victoria Falls measures one mile wide and 360 feet high. It is the largest sheet of falling water in the world, and is the widest and highest waterfall as well. Victoria Falls lies on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, and visitors often cross the border to enjoy the view from different vantage points.

To experience the falls, take a helicopter tour, and you’ll also see abundant wildlife, such as hippos and elephants, set against the breathtaking view of the water. A microlite, which is a two-person aircraft that resembles a hang glider, lets you see the falls and enjoy the crisp air, making for a rejuvenating, exciting trip. To get close to the falls, try one of the hiking trails that take you within 200 feet of the water. Here you’ll see, smell, and hear the spectacular falls and see why Victoria Falls is also called Mosi-oa-Tunya, meaning “smoke that thunders.”

Courtesy of famouswonders.com

Mount Everest

The highest point on earth, Mount Everest’s summit peaks at just over 29,000 feet. It is located in the Himalaya Mountains between Nepal and Tibet, and is known as Mount Chomolungma.

If you wish to see Mount Everest, you can either climb it or fly around it. If you don’t wish to hike to the peak, you can hike to the base of the mountain and stay at base camp. If you wish to climb it, the Nepalese government now charges $25,000 for a climbing permit. If you’d rather have an aerial view, flights around the mountain are offered by guides who have vast knowledge of the mountain and surrounding areas.

Have you ever witnessed one of the 7 natural wonders of the world?