There are fabulous spa destinations and there are destinations that have fabulous spas. But there’s another category as well—the carefully selected, perfectly timed spa treatment recommended by a knowledgeable travel advisor.
At Farewell Travels, we are in the habit of suggesting our clients consider booking at least one spa treatment at the destination they’re heading to, ideally early on in the trip. It’s a smart way to counter the effects of jet lag—especially if it involves submerging one’s self in water. Very rejuvenating.
We recommend specific treatments when possible, always choosing something that is part of the local experience or a regional specialty. We also see it as a handy solution when early hotel check-in cannot be guaranteed. Who doesn’t love getting into a robe and slippers after a long flight?
Here are some spa experiences we arrange for our clients:
• Iceland: For North Americans arriving early in the morning in Reykjavik, the Blue Lagoon is an ideal way to start their visit to Iceland. And it couldn’t be easier. There are lockers with plenty of space for luggage, showers, towels, and everything you need to spend a couple of luxurious hours soaking with a silica mud mask on your face as you sip a green smoothie.
• Turkey: Getting a hamam (Turkish bath) on Day 1 is just what the doctor ordered for anyone traveling to Turkey. In short, it’s a treatment that involves lots of water and a vigorous skin scrubbing. But not all hamams are created equal. Some of the five-star hotels in Istanbul such as the Four Seasons Bosphorus and the Swissotel Bosphorus are known for theirs, but there’s also Ayasofya Hurrem Sultan Hamam, right near Hagia Sophia, which is a luxury bath house that was commissioned by the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman and constructed in the 16th century.
• Japan: No visit to Japan is complete without an onsen, which is a bath in a Japanese hot spring. You’ll find many ryokans (traditional Japanese accommodations) that have private-use onsens. Unlike baths, however, they are not used for washing as much as simple soaking and meditation.
Wherever you send your clients, make it your business to know what the local spa specialties are. In Sedona, Arizona, that might mean a red clay full body mud treatment.
In the state of Maine, perhaps a wild blueberry facial mask. In the Himalayas, the soothing and healing experience of Tibetan
sound therapy.
Do this and chances are those clients will be toasting you as they ease into the first day of their trip.
Susan Farewell is the owner of Farewell Travels LLC (FarewellTravels.com), a travel design firm based in Westport, CT. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @FarewellTravels.
