Left: Native bread baking at
the Hyatt Regency Tamaya
Resort & Spa.
Below: Sedona is known for
its mystical vortex energy.
SEDONA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TOURISM BUREAU
cultural, wellness and/or surf
educational workshops, sunset surf excursions to various
surf spots on Maui, a guided
snorkeling excursion, a 1-hour
massage, chef-prepared candlelit dinners under the Maui
stars, and accommodations in
a Hawaiian-style cottage with
a private lanai steps from the
Ka’anapali beach.
SwellWomen Founder Me-Shell Barnas
says, “Programs such as Swell Women, which
offer an all-inclusive wellness retreat mixed
in with plenty of adventure, offer a complete
package to today’s travelers,” adding that,
“wellness programs take away technology
and the ‘doing mentality’ and bring you
back to yourself.”
Tours are scheduled for April, June, August and September, and on select dates,
this experience is open to men, women
and couples. Call (800) 399-MAUI or visit
swellwomen.com.
Spa-Wellness
This emerging trend has also put a new spin
on the spa concept. Once a haven for beauty treatments and stone massages, today’s
spas, according to SpaFinder.com, “
continue to move beyond beauty and pampering to offer more rigorous programs with an
emphasis on fitness, diet and wellness.”
Take, for instance, the New Life Hiking
Spa in Vermont, which SpaFinder.com visitors and Luxury SpaFinder Magazine readers recently named one of the 10 favorite
spas in the world for most affordable spa,
best for weight loss, best for going solo, best
for hiking, best fitness programs and best for
cooking classes.
The seasonal destination spa, which is located at The Inn of the Six Mountains, will
be open from May to September 2007 and
clients can choose from several getaways,
including the 2- to 4-day Mini Vacation, an
outdoor fun, stress-reducing getaway, or the
5- to 10-day Jump Start Getaway, which allows participants to lose weight, de-stress
and get stronger while learning new techniques to continue with a healthy lifestyle.
Clients will go hiking, participate in yoga or
meditation classes, and tour the Vermont
countryside. And New Life Hiking Spa is
quick to point out that beyond a vacation,
this is a “rewarding stress-reducing total
body/mind experience.” Rates start at $219
pp per night. Call (866) 298-5433 or visit
newlifehikingspa.com.
Clients seeking a less-strenuous experience, might opt for the 4- to 4.5-hour “
journeys” offered at the Tamaya Mist Salon &
Spa at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort &
Spa in New Mexico. They trace the footsteps
of the Tamayame tribe as they journeyed to
discover a quiet and peaceful home, Tamaya. Promising to “restore physical and spiritual tranquility,” these sessions up the ante
on “indigenous treatments.” The Tamaya
Journey ($325), for example, offers a “tour”
of New Mexico that begins with a friction
massage using elder flowers and oat straw
from the East Mountains, continues with Rio
Grande stones being placed on your client’s
back and stomach and concludes with a facial, manicure and pedicure.
After the “journey,” clients can take in
the resort and its surrounding area, which is
spiritually restoring in itself. Here, guests can
experience the tranquil sounds of live Native
American flute performances in the courtyard and take a tour of original Tamaya art
and artifacts. Come nightfall, they can listen
to both stories and Native myths associated
with the stars under a breathtaking nocturnal sky. Rates through April 14 start at $195
per room per night. Call (505) 867-1234 or
visit tamaya.hyatt.com.
