travel

With top-notch dining and shopping offerings, and unparalleled views and outdoor activities, Vancouver has it all – including a plethora of amazing spas. Here are just a few that our Food & Wellness Editor experienced during her spa sojourn there.

Home of diverse cultures and thriving, preserved ecosystems, Belize has recently gained great popularity for sustainable tourism and outdoor adventure, particularly for honeymooners, divers and snorkelers. Our senior editor toured parts of Belize earlier this year (2012 is the much-buzzed-about Year of the Maya) for a land and sea adventure.

These Top 10 eco-conscious spas make being green seem oh so easy.

In 1912 the city of Tokyo gave Washington, DC, an amazing gift. Three thousand cherry trees were bestowed to our nation’s capital and 100 years later, DC and The Mandarin Oriental are celebrating this beautiful donation.

Working out in the water is not only easier on your joints, it’s also great for toning and strengthening with the added resistance factor.

Guests of Miraval Resort are feeling the good vibrations: The spa’s Taiz Sensorium treatment packs a punch with its rich cascade of vibrational medicine, music therapy, human touch and aromatic oils to engage all senses.

Fitness Ridge Worldwide, famous for its Biggest Loser Resorts in Southern California and Utah, is expanding to the Peaks Resort and Spa in Telluride, Colorado. Read more about this all-inclusive, comprehensive health and fitness program (a frequent winner for “Best Fitness Program” in SpaFinder’s Readers’ Choice Awards).

Voted “Best for Romance,” these top romantic spas (or “Kingdoms for Coupledom” as we like to call them) offer amenities to spark the perfect Valentine’s Day rendezvous. Think side-by-side spa treatments, rose-petal turndown service and dining by candlelight — now that’s amore!

Q: I am interested in taking my 17-year-old daughter to a spa for a few days over spring break. Are there any that you would recommend? Is this something appropriate for a 17-year-old? She loves horses, yoga, exercise, massages and pampering. Read Susie’s response!

This year give yourself a gift for Valentine’s Day! Our 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards’ “Best Spas for Going Solo” have great deals and packages that let you love yourself this V-day!

Here are some fantastic detox programs found at spas worldwide — and if you can’t make it there, we have some at-home detox tips to try as well.

Whether you stay local or get away for Valentine’s Day, there are a variety of deals that SpaFinder spas have to offer for a V-Day you will both remember. From intimate candlelit dinners to relaxing couples’ massage, check out these romantic treatments and packages.

With the perfect rhythm of spa and spirited charm, Jamaica provides visitors a relaxed and authentic, isle-style experience. Our travel editor slipped into “island time” to visit some of the finest spas and resorts that this paradise has to offer.

Embracing the Ayurvedic concept as a whole, Nita Lake Lodge recently unveiled its “A Taste of Ayurveda” spa and dining package (on trend, we must say!), which we had a chance to check out this winter during ski season.

If a yoga session isn’t enough to truly maintain balance, opt for some “me time” at one of these spas, voted the Top 10 Favorite for Mind-Body-Spirit.

Sallie Fraenkel confesses, in no particular order, to her top wellness experiences of 2011. See what made her list!

There are only a few more days left until spring, so now is the time to take advantage of winter! Whether you plan to head to a fabulous getaway ski lodge or just want to go sledding in the backyard, here are some great “ski” inspired treatments for you to enjoy while the temps are low.

Our very own “SpaFinder,” Sallie Fraenkel, confesses to her latest fabulous health and wellness experiences while on her first trip to Hong Kong. After 8,066 miles and 16 hours, her jet lag is remedied at the Four Seasons Hong Kong with a fantastic Fusion Massage, ritual foot bath and amazing rain shower. Hear about her […]

Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed has ordered that all luxury spas and massage parlors across the island nation reopen immediately, reversing an earlier ban this week that stemmed from a staged demonstration by opposition groups objecting for stricter enforcement of Islamic values, several media outlets report.  The president said he expects the verdict from the island […]

Surprise, Shock, Confusion, Anger, Sadness, Relief, Perspective, Pride, Advocacy This sums up the range of my emotions and thoughts from the moment I read the first report that spas in the Maldives were being forced to close because of Islamic extremists’ accusations that they are fronts for prostitution – to today when I see that […]