5 Places Guaranteed to Restore Your Soul
by: Barbara Weibel
Whether you yearn for the ultimate in pampering at one of the most luxurious resort spas in the country or hanker for a remote getaway in an exotic paradise, the following five places are guaranteed to restore your soul.
1. Ha Roi Rai Floating Bungalows at the Khlong Saeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Southern Thailand
Wake up before sunrise in a bungalow floating on a lake. This remote wildlife sanctuary on Thailand's southern peninsula is home to one of the world's most unique Yoga venues: Ha Roi Rai Floating Bungalows. After an early-morning practice, the rest of the day is free to explore. Grab a kayak and paddle into caves that pocket the sheer cliffs, hike to nearby waterfalls or just kick back and enjoy the hoots, whoops and chuckles of gibbon families who vocalize to define their territory. Retreats offer a variety of yoga styles and meditation courses. A certified traditional Thai masseuse is also on hand to relax, rejuvenate and re-energize. For more information, contact the individual retreat teachers for rates and availability. Prices vary, but generally range from $1,000 to $1,300 for a seven- to 11-day retreat and include three meals per day.
For more information, visit the Jungle Yoga Website at jungleyoga.com
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2. Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia
Byron Bay has an abundance of beautiful scenery but its history as a surfer enclave is what qualifies it as a soul-restoring destination. In the 1960s, word got out that Byron Bay had perfectly formed, glassy waves, so surfers descended upon the town, bringing with them an alternative lifestyle. The hippies are mostly gone now (or grown up), but their free-spirited essence remains. Today the town is famous for alternative health therapies ranging from colon cleanses to acupuncture, and wellness modalities that include Yoga, Reiki, reflexology, massage, aromatherapy, kinesiology, spiritual healing and chakra balancing, among others. Just for fun, you might opt for a tarot card reading, have your astrology charted or palm read. After a day of pampering, visitors and residents congregate at the powder-fine, pink-sand beach to await the sunset that daily envelopes all those who witness the spectacle in a blanket of peace and well-being. Accommodations in town, by the beach or in the hinterland are available to suit all budgets and range from camping to luxury resorts.
Visit the Byron Bay Visitor Center website for more information.
3. Eau Spa at The Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach (No Whispering Necessary)
Every woman loves to be pampered at a spa. Now Eau Spa has made the experience even better by throwing away the rulebook that required guests to tiptoe around and speak in hushed tones. In the Self-Centered Garden, guests swing in chairs suspended over a warm pool or challenge one another to matches on a giant chessboard. Visitors to the bath lounge luxuriate beneath a ceiling-to-floor cascading shower, complete with fanciful song sheets, color-changing water and resident rubber duckies. A day pass to the spa, which is open to the general public, costs approximately $50, but to really feel pampered, try one of Eau Spa's Bejeweled Collection treatments. Based on the ancient belief that precious metals and stones have healing properties, the Cornelia Lumina Facial ($275) utilizes emeralds, rubies and gold to repair and smooth facial contours, while the Iridescent Pearl Manicure ($65) nourishes skin and nails with a blend of soothing teas, crushed pearls and warm paraffin. Day use of spa facilities is included with any treatment.
Eau Spa is located at The Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach Resort in Manalapan, Florida. Visit the Eau Spa website for more information.
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4. Kendwa Beach on the Northern Tip of Zanzibar Island, Tanzania, Africa
It's not easy to get to Kendwa Beach (your teeth rattle as your driver weaves through dirt pavements), but it's definitely worth the effort. Spread before you is a sumptuous resort, framed by a glittering turquoise ocean. All resort activities revolve around this blindingly white beach that stretches for miles. Spread a towel out, sink onto the soft sand and allow the heat to soak into your tired bones. You needn't leave the beach; everything you require will come to you. Vendors hawk food and drinks, tour guides insist you must visit nearby Pemba Island and women wrapped from head to toe in colorful silks offer cheap massages beneath thatch-roofed beach palapas. With no phones nor TV and only spotty Internet service, it is impossible not to relax at Kendwa.
Visit the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism website for more information.
5. Curaçao, A Caribbean Island With Nothing But Welcome
A Curaçao resident would never say, "Have a good weekend." That would be considered rude. Instead, every Monday morning, they wish one another "Bon Simon" - a good week. This gentility, a hallmark of the local culture, makes Curaçao one of those rare destinations where visitors are sincerely welcomed. The capital of Willemstadt is famous for its colorful Dutch architecture and historic floating pontoon bridge that swings back and forth across the entrance of the harbor. Diving and snorkeling are first class, National Parks offer miles of hiking trails and glamorous casinos come alive in the evening. The water is safe to drink, the food is delicious, everyone speaks English fluently and American dollars are readily accepted. Best of all, restoring your soul on this tiny island in the southern Caribbean is eminently affordable; rates at the Curaçao Marriot Resort and Emerald Casino, located just ten minutes from downtown on a lovely private beach, start at approximately $229 per night.
Curaçao Marriott Resort for more details.
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For more pictures of these gorgeous locations, click here
[Photo Credits: Barbara Weibel]
