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Wellness tourism is one of the hottest trends of the industry in 2019. The Global Wellness Institute predicts that this year, the numbers of wellness trips could reach 1 billion, which would mark a 44% growth in only 4 years! Traveling for wellness is nothing new, after all that’s the very definition of a vacation, right? However, the growing availability of treatments and spa facilities and their popularity with travelers is undeniable. More and more tourists use their travels to reconnect with nature, to experience nature through activities, to deepen their spiritual practices through retreats, or just to relax and rejuvenate their bodies with centuries old traditional health practices. Wellness is certainly part of the very definition of authentic experiences that characterize sustainable travel. Many of the hotels and resorts on Wayaj offer wellness treatments and have amazing spa facilities. From a sumptuous Moroccan hammam and the holistic Kneipp therapy in the Alps, to a once-in-a-lifetime cave massage in a Bermuda and Ayruvedic treatments in magic Sri Lanka, here is a small sample of the unique wellness experiences that you can find on Wayaj.
Riad Fès – Relais & Châteaux, Morocco
Riad Fès – Relais & Châteaux is located in the heart of the ancient city of Fes. A perfect mix between tradition and modernity, it has been called one of the sexiest hotels by Forbes magazine. Its distinctive Spanish Moorish style with its vibrant colors and fanciful, brass fixtures is truly awe-inspiring!
Their spa is also something to behold. With traditional Moroccan tiles throughout, their spa menu is over 15 pages long! They offer everything from twenty-minute procedures to an hour and a half massage of pure bliss. Start off with a traditional Hammam steam bath to relax, which is perfect before a massage or any other treatment to prepare yourself for delights worth a 1000 and one nights.
Try an hour and a half doubles massages that starts with a Hammam steam bath, an aromatic scrub, and an Ayurvedic treatment. Or, how about soothing wrap with Rassoul de Crème clay, which firms, purifies, and tones the skin.
Also at the spa is a special sauna with a physiotherm infrared cabin. The physiotherm principle applies heat gently, efficiently, and safely using a ceramic radiator filled with lava sand combined with low-temperature infrared technology.
Choose the Namasté package to recharge your batteries and refocus on you. It’s a multi-day stay with healthy meals and detox beverages and two yoga sessions per day. Included is a full body massage with Onguent d’Argan, a moisturizing and aromatic balm that relieves tension and a back exfoliation using Miel d’Ambre (amber honey).
Biolandhaus Arche, Austria
The Biolandhaus Arche in Kärnten, Austria believes in “holidays with a worldview.” Set amidst fields within views of the Julian Alps, the “organic country house” is a precursor of sustainable hospitality having been in business with the same philosophy for over 35 years. With an Indian sweat lodge, Celtic ritual sites, and meditation caves nearby there’s lots to do in the area to restore yourself and explore ancient spiritual practices.
But there’s almost no reason to leave the property. On the Biolandhaus Arche website it says: “One should give the body any good, so the soul wants to live in it.” You can do good by your body with a variety of body services at the hotel.
The son of the owner, Ilmar Tessman, is a sports masseuse who does energy massages. The hotel also offers reflexology and Marnitz therapy. This type of Schlüsselzonenmassage (Key Zone Massage) was developed in Germany by Dr. Harry Marnitz and is a type of neuromuscular therapy that combines deep massage and movement that relieves pain and improves function.
Onsite there’s also an 860 square foot sauna wonderland with a combined 90 degree Celsius (194 degree Fahrenheit) Finnish and steam sauna.
Grotto Bay Beach Resort & Spa, Bermuda
Set on 21 lush, tropical acres that slope down to a private beach with clear turquoise waters, Grotto Bay Beach Resort is definitely one of the most original destinations of the Caribbean.
Their motto is “Let your Spirit connect with nature!” And this is exactly what happens when you enter their spa. Performed in picturesque settings around the property from their pristine pink beach, to grassy knolls, and even a cave complete with stalagmites… it’s reconnecting with Mother Earth at her finest!
Massages and spa treatments can be had in their Serenity Cave while gazing down into clear, blue-tinted waters. Therapists use only organic products while soothing soft music plays. Getting a treatment in Serenity Cave has been described as “profound”, “superbly primitive,” and “unbelievably healing” by guests who have treated themselves.
Their “Natura” signature massage is a healing ritual using Eastern techniques and deep, therapeutic Western modality with soothing aromatherapy. This treatment increases circulation, relieves stress and muscle tension and will leave you feeling relaxed and tranquil.
Or, try a back, neck, shoulders, and heat treatment that uses signature techniques and hot compresses, as well as warm basalt stones. Also available, a soothing bamboo massage. Deep tissue massage is combined with a heated bamboo cane that is rolled and glided gently over the body to release muscular tension and melt away stress.
Their morning Sunrise Hatha Yoga or Restorative Yoga, and Vinyasa yoga classes offered throughout the week can also be part of the wellness experience to get relaxed, refreshed, and renewed at Grotto Bay Beach resort!
Luna Wellness Hotel, Italy
Whether you visit in the white weeks of winter or in the sporty summertime, the Dolomites have beauty to behold. The Luna Wellness Hotel also offers serenity for the mind and body.
Start off your stay in their Turkish bath to purify the skin and relax the mind with the balsamic essence of the steam. Or, maybe a dip in their heated swimming pool?
At the spa there’s also a “hydromassage” bed. The treatment is a full body massage, which utilizes pressurized water. Simply lie down in the open design bed and feel the benefits with an “all sides” body massage. Another option is “chromotherapy”, a colored light treatment. This process takes place in an infrared sauna and restores balance to the body by applying color light therapy.
The spa also offers a special hydrotherapy “Kneipp Path” treatment that consists of two pools with pebbles at the bottom, one hot and one cold. Discovered by Sebastian Kneipp, a German Catholic priest and a natural healer who lived in the 19th century, the procedure is performed by paddling in the basin with the hot water for about one minute and then paddling for about five seconds in the basin with cold water. This is then repeated several times.
Kneipp Path improves blood circulation in the legs and improves the overall metabolism and blood circulation. The pebbles on the bottom of the basin massage the feet and the alternation of the baths improves the circulation of blood in all parts of the body.
Kuwera Ecolodge, Sri Lanka
If you’re looking for an authentic experience discovering a rich millenary culture with deep spiritual roots, the Kuwera Ecolodge in Sri Lanka might be your ideal destination. Located in a rural village within easy reach of the islands main historic cities and their temples -like the ancient city of Polonnâruvâ pictured above, this ecofriendly hotel offers a full immersion in the local life. Guests can enjoy daily yoga and meditation sessions with local certified teachers in an open air area surrounded by nature. Among the daily excursions available at Kuwera there is a visit to Ritigala an ancient Buddhist monastery, after lunch with a local family, guests can enjoy an ayurvedic full body massage at a specialized center.
Fivelements, Indonesia
We close this review of eco-friendly wellness hotels and resorts on Wayaj with Fivelements, an amazing award-winning holistic resort in Bali. They really cover wellness on all levels from physical, with yoga and organic beauty treatments, to spiritual with meditation and Balinese sacred ceremonies. Their treatments often combine all these elements, like their signature bathing rituals where water “the elixir of life and a divine, healing renewing force” is used “in combination with prayer, meditation, herbs and flowers […] to provide a spiritual connection with the Divine.”
Another unique aspect of this ecoluxe resort is that it offers something for everyone: kids, teens, adults, and romancing couples, can all find the perfect experiences to leave the stress behind and reconnect with themselves, nature and the divine.
Of course, the body needs the right fuel to make the best of these experiences. Fivelements’ carefully designed plant-based menu accompanies the healing process by helping the body to detox and re-energize, while the meals are consumed in the award-winning Sakti Dining Room. Culinary trainings are available for those who want to bring the healing back home and switch to a healthier diet.
This is just a small sample of all the wonderful properties offering wellness treatments and programs, therefore we will definitely come back on this topic. For the moment if you are planning your next earth friendly wellness trip just enter the keywords “spa” or wellness in the search box on Wayaj to discover these and hundreds more earth friendly hotel spas all over the world!
