In places like India, Dubai, Fiji and Mauritius, there’s no shortage of serenity-inducing spas that know how to up the ante when it comes to all-out pampering.
Relaxing in Fiji
Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort, for example, is home to the Bebe Spa, which “floats” above the property on a plateau that’s known to local villagers as Vakalomalagi Hill, or “Heavenly Hill.” Surrounded by a lush landscape with ocean views, this venue has eight treatment rooms with private balconies featuring Showers in the Sky; four of the treatment rooms have a hydrotherapy tub. Guests escape to a bebe, or cocoon, where they relax as therapists perform traditional Fijian spa techniques combined with Asian treatments.
For guests who need a bit more adrenaline during their stay, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and diving should quench that need. Starting hotel rates are $212.67.
India’s Holistic Approach
The Leela Palace Chennai’s ESPA spa promotes wellness with its yoga and meditation practices, plus a specially designed spa cuisine menu, as they believe food should promote well-being and touch all the senses. All meals are dairy- and gluten-free, plus are low in natural sugars to provide guests with a healthy diet. The hotel’s yoga gurus tailor each session to the guests’ level of expertise and their desired outcome. Holistic treatments, such as the Abhyanga Massage, touch upon three doshas, Vata, Pitta and Kapha, otherwise known as the bio-energies that hold you together.
All Around Wellness in Dubai
In Dubai, Madinat Jumeirah, which houses four boutique resorts—Jumeirah Al Qasr, Jumeirah Mina A’Salam, Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf and the newly opened Jumeirah Al Naseem—offers guests a 3-day Yoga Retreat (priced at $267 retreat-only; Jumeirah Al Naseem rates are $435 per night).
The four properties share access to the newly updated Talise Spa, which is set amid lush surroundings and where the Yoga Retreat is held. The retreat aims to help guests restore balance, release stress, and improve health, and offers multiple types of indoor and outdoor yoga, including sunset yoga on the beach, a juicing class, and a yoga theory seminar. Also, once a month, the property offers full moon yoga on the beach, a 90-minute session that focuses on incorporating the energies of the full moon with a special meditation.
At the Talise Spa, guests can also take a bit of a different approach to their treatment with a holistic journey via the AlphaSphere Deluxe, priced at $62 pp, which focuses on the human senses by creating a whole body and mind experience of sound, color, light, vibration, touch, temperature and smell. Guests can choose from one of four programs that aim to reduce stress, reenergize, enhance creativity, and heighten perception.
In addition, the property’s DNA Health and Wellness Center offers personalized lifestyle medicine for wellness, healthy aging, beauty and inner peace.
Slow Down in Mauritius
Guests heading to Africa should note it’s not all about wildlife and safaris. With Cox & Kings’ 4-day Spotlight Journey to Mauritius, guests start off with a 3-night stay at the luxurious Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita, which features villas with private plunge pools. The next day guests are off to explore the island taking in the colonial architecture of Port Louis and its mountain scenery, and visiting a sugarcane field. Later that afternoon, it’s about being active with their choice of watersports or land-based activities at the resort. The next day is all about enjoying the island’s relaxed pace as guests take in a round of golf or opt for a spa treatment, followed by an afternoon catamaran excursion including a barbecue lunch and snorkeling along the coastline. Rates start at $3,350 pp dbl.
Contact Information:
Cox & Kings: coxandkingsusa.com
The Leela Palace Chennai:
theleela.com/en_us/hotels-in-chennai/the-leela-palace-hotel-chennai/spa
Madinat Jumeirah Resort:
jumeirah.com/en/hotels-resorts/dubai/madinat-jumeirah/
Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort:
outrigger.com/hotels-resorts/fiji/viti-levu/outrigger-fiji-beach-resort
