vacation

Continuing on with our theme regarding health care… You might want to check out this morning’s article in the New York Times entitled, “Surgeon General Sees 4-Year Term as Compromised”. Former Surgeon General Richard Carmona spoke to a Congressional panel, stating that during his four year term he had felt pressure to suppress public health […]

I just received a follow-up email from Dr. Swati, the Indian born doctor in Ayurveda, Natural Medicine, and Yoga Therapy who I met at Parrot Cay. Dr. Swati just joined the staff at Como Shambhala, and I must say she is a very impressive addition. She gave a presentation to our group, which was the […]

I am 3 for 3. Three scheduled spa services and three great services! And even more amazing, my husband, Peter, was 3 for 3 as well. After taking in all of the optics – setting, views, decor, materials used, etc. – the core part of the spa experience is when the therapist puts their hands […]

Flew directly from New York to Turks and Caicos on Friday – 3 1/2 hours. Nice to have this direct flight. Since I have lived most of my adult life on the West Coast, where we vacation in Hawaii, the Caribbean is still somewhat new to me. The chance to experience Parrot Cay while training […]

On our last morning in Shanghai before heading to the airport, Nicholas was up for one more spa experience as was I, so we decided to visit one of the large foot reflexology places which Geraldine Howard (Aromatherapy Associates) had recommended, telling us that we have to have an authentic Chinese pedicure where they”wield knives”. […]

A visit to the Evian Spa at Three on the Bund was on my list of “must do’s” while I was in Shanghai. Not only did its opening several years ago cause quite a splash, but Alexa Brue reviewed it in the May/June issue of Luxury Spa Finder Magazine, giving it a mixed review which […]

Attended the Leading Spas of Canada conference in Toronto. Since I don’t know Canada well, I enjoyed learning about not only the spa scene but also the country itself and its tourism market. Some tidbits that caught my attention: The Canadian Tourism Commission recently performed a “Brand Canada” study including a survey of the top […]

Flew to Toronto this morning with our associate publisher, Stacey McLoughlin. After visiting several spas in Canada we will be attending the Leading Spas of Canada conference in Toronto next week. I am really excited to learn more about the Canadian spa scene. The Hillcrest, A Valenova Inn & Spa, was first on our itinerary. […]

Where is the world’s largest golf club? If someone had asked me that question, I would not have guessed China. But that is the correct answer. Mission Hills, located about 30 minutes outside of Hong Kong, has been accredited by the Guinness World Records as the World’s Largest Golf Club. It has twelve 18-hole golf […]

We spent our morning at the special Kaiser-Friedrich-Therme here in Wiesbaden. It is a marvelous, refurbished ancient bathing establishment. This one has an outstanding circuit of water and heat treatments. I think the Germans are probably the best in the world in understanding the physiology of contrast therapy (hot and cold) and its health benefits. […]

We arrived in Frankfurt, Germany this morning. Peter and I are attending and speaking at the Wellness Summit in Wiesbaden. “Baden” means bathing in German, so we assumed there would be natural thermal water. That assumption proved to be correct, though we were pleasantly surprised that in addition to the traditional German mineral baths for […]

I’m currently at Evason Hideaway in Hua Hin Thailand, one of the magical Six Senses Spa properties. Spent a few days at Michael Loh’s Spa Asia conference and a few days in meetings with spa industry professionals who look at global spa trends. It is always inspiring to exchange ideas and be with others who […]

Highs The “Awakening Theme”. Like Miraval with its “Mindfulness,” awakening is seen in their logo, their purpose, their conversation, and in time will likely join the lexicon of spa experiences even outside of The Lodge at Woodloch Food is some of the best I’ve ever had at a spa. Healthy but five-star quality presentation and […]