GAY SPA SEARCH
Spa
Main Menu
AUSTRALIA
WHITE LOTUS SPA
KEWARRA BEACH RESORT & SPA
CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA
Surfing or snorkeling at the beach when you go to Oz is a must do and it's likely you'll fry your skin without even knowing it. If this happens, the Eden-like White Lotus Spa at Kewarra is the right place to nurse your dermis back to health after a day of adrenaline-spiking activities. Set inside the resort's fragrantly flowered rainforest, there are several water features that are integral to the relaxation center's wonderful atmosphere. While the spa uses Dermalogica products especially for facials, it's their own Lotus Pure line that is the most appealing. Ingredients are organically sourced and contain fresh fruits, flowers, and herbs. After being handed a light Balinese robe, you're taken to your treatment room and given a foot soak and scrub. Even though I technically visited Australia in their winter (the US summer months), the sun was still in full force with 75-degree weather. Having been lazy on the SPF and overconfident in my natural melanin production, I was grateful for the After Sun Aloe Vera and Cucumber Infusion Body Wrap (60 min/$160), a super soothing treatment that uses fresh aloe vera and cucumber to help restore skin after any UV sunlight damage. A monsoon Vichy shower follows as well as a cooling lavender body spritz, then an after-sun repair treatment balm is applied, as you make a promise not to go out without covering up, slathering up and reapplying a million times. If you'd spent time on walkabouts in the beating sun like I had, the Native Australian Revitalizing Clay Wrap was an appealing option and one of the spa's signature treatments (90 min/$185). It uses local yellow clay as well as lemon myrtle, sandalwood, and Eucalyptus essential oils to rehydrate and brighten the skin. Once you're wrapped in a cocoon, the toxins leave the body and are cleansed away via a warm but invigorating Vichy shower. You'll feel fresh as a daisy and ready to tackle the billion-hour flight back home. www.kewarra.com
—Chanize Thorpe
GAIA RETREAT
& SPA
BYRON BAY, AUSTRALIA
Olivia Newton-John is one of the owners
of Gaia Retreat & Spa in Australia’s Byron
Bay, and she calls it her spiritual home. Olivia
knows a thing or two about healing and shares it all
at this earthy-yet-airy sanctuary. The eco-friendly,
organic retreat stands apart from most other buildings
amid the rolling countryside, so the peacefulness is
tangible in any spot, from your contemporary-style room
to the Kukura (Sanskrit for “people”), a Samoan-style
longhouse with its large deck and relaxation lounges.
When it comes to dining, you will savor über-healthy
spa cuisine (and a welcome list of Australian wines
so you needn’t be too monk-like). Meanwhile, enjoy
the Amala (Sanskrit for “pure”) Day Spa. Yes
you can pop in for the day, but why would you? The restful
haven really begs a stay of several days to veg out,
or be active as you like with daily yoga, tai chi, qi
gong, meditation, tennis, pilates, salt water pool,
etc. The vibe is very upscale Zen that Olivia describes
as “bare foot meets Armani.” Treatments from
around the world contribute different flavors of healing:
Indian Shirodhara, Lomi Lomi from Hawaii, Swedish massage,
Reiki healing, and more. The Dreamtime Travel (3 hours
$340) signature treatment has its roots in Aussie earth-centeredness.
A vetiver sage body polish starts the ritual, exfoliating
and removing surface impurities. Then, to put the good
stuff back, clay minerals rich in magnesium, potassium,
and zinc, and scented with Australian sandalwood, are
slathered on your entire body. After cocooning for a
while, rinse off the dried clay and replenish with a
sweet orange-scented full body massage and moisturizing
treatment. Have you never been mellow, indeed. www.gaiaretreat.com.au
—David Tumbiri
STEPHANIES SPA RETREAT
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA
Nestled within Brisbane’s Sofitel
Brisbane Central hotel, Stephanies Spa Retreat
is home to a wide range of treatments, including a Men’s
Essentials line-up, and the tropical Australian city’s
most unique, must-do spa indulgence/facility—the
Opal Rasul Temple. Described as “a sultry journey
of mud therapy, warm steam, and tropical rain showers,
experienced beneath the enchanting starlit dome,”
the hour-long treatment is a downright cinematic pampering
experience and can be booked for a single occupant ($159),
couples ($139 per person), or even larger parties ($119
per person). In fact, there was a Sex and the City-esque
gaggle of robed female friends (aka “hens”)
munching on fresh fruit—a spa cuisine menu is available—
while awaiting their appointment. Escorted into the
bronze and turquoise mosaic temple, a faux starry sky
twinkling overhead, I instantly felt transported to
Arabia. I was shown a bowl containing scoops of three
different creamy mineral muds and a scrub brush with
which to apply them: green tea for below the waist,
rose for torso and arms, and macadamia for the face.
Each smelled delicious. Once coated, the treatment cycle
began, the room filling with steam. Within minutes the
visual details of the room were obscured, even the twinkling
lights, as if this was London at its foggiest. I lay
back on the snaking, tiled bench and savored the otherworldly,
ethereal ambiance, my sweat mixing with mineral salves.
Whenever the steam began to dissipate, machinery rumbled
and another dose filled the room, until the treatment’s
final “act,” a gentle, cooling rain shower
that dispersed the steam and brought me back to the
temple’s exotic surroundings. A shower in an adjoining
room (to which one can escape during the treatment if
the steam proves overpowering) cleansed off the rest
of the nourishing mud. The Opal Rasul can be enhanced
with before and after treatments: a Pre-Body Exfoliation
($105) to shed pesky, dead epidermis and leave skin
ready for the fullest possible absorption of sumptuous
body mask minerals, and an Essential Massage (60 min/$135,
90 min/$175, 120 min/$220), which varies in technique
according to the therapist’s own style. Mine was
heavy on stroking with palms, fists, and arms, and climaxed
with a spray of peppermint essence. www.stephanies.com.au
—Lawrence Ferber
Sheraton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa
Moorea, French Polynesia
Nearly every experience at the Sheraton
Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa is pure magic. There
are the luxurious over-water bungalows that contain
a glass panel on the floor so you can see a rainbow
of fish swimming beneath your lodgings. (In fact, the
resort is well situated between the island’s Cook
and Oponohu bays amid a coral reef and you’re welcome
and encouraged to snorkel right off your deck as gear
is thoughtfully placed in your room). There’s the
gentle symphony of the water that lulls you to sleep
and a bright moon that almost looks painted into the
sky. (The heart-shaped island is said to be the real
life inspiration for James Michener’s mythical
island of Bali Hai.) There’s your bungalow’s
private outdoor shower, inviting clawfoot bathroom tub,
exotic wood furnishings, and a deliciously soft bed.
Kayaking in the crystal clear water is stellar too,
especially since the lagoon is so breathtakingly gorgeous.
The Mandara Spa is equally as special. Imagine a massage
in the shallow portion of the lagoon or in your bungalow
as you are surrounded by greener than green mountains
and mist from waterfalls. The actual spa lies right
on the beach. Picture teak furnishings and spa baths
filled with hibiscus and tiare flowers lovingly collected
by spa attendants. Be sure to breathe in the delicious
scents of signature essential oils that waft throughout
as staffers wrapped in gorgeous pareos serve ceramic
glasses of chilled ginger tea. Savor the Moorea Indulgence
treatment (US$310) featuring a footbath, body scrub
with coconut, turmeric, sand, and ginger, a floral infused
bath, a moisturizing facial incorporating crushed island
flowers, and a Polynesian massage using pure monoi oil.
If you’ve had too much sun, the Sunburn Cooler
(US$143) is perfection. The ritual combines a lavender
body wash and a body wrap using a blend of natural aloe
vera, tea tree, and lavender gel. All that is followed
by a hydrating facial treatment with chilled coconut
milk, fresh cucumber, and an herbal balm. www.sheratonmoorea.com
—Jeryl Brunner
Mandara Spa, Sheraton Hotel Tahiti
Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia
With its dramatic peaks, lush landscapes,
cascading waterfalls, and warm and joyful inhabitants,
the French artist Paul Gauguin was absolutely enchanted
by Tahiti and chances are that you will be too. Tahiti
is the largest of the 118 islands comprising French
Polynesia, and international flights from the United
States arrive at its capital city of Papeete mostly
in the late evening. So the Sheraton Hotel Tahiti, just
three miles from the airport, is the ideal first stop
in your Polynesian adventure. What bliss to wake up
in your ridiculously comfortable bed and be greeted
by the emerald and turquoise lagoon that lies before
you (every room has a balcony and a water view). Walk
through the three-story lobby and don’t miss the
20-foot black pearl shell chandelier above the winding
staircase. Comprised of 8,885 pieces, it was handmade
by the hotel’s co-owner and artist, Mrs. Wane.
Or take a dip in the infinity pool where you can see
nearby Moorea across the Sea of Moon (aqua aerobics
classes are offered daily). For more inspiration, head
to the hotel’s Mandara Spa, the perfect locale
to recover from jet lag. The state-of-the-art glass-walled
fitness center with a stellar view of the sea offers
a variety of exercise machines and fitness classes,
and treatment rooms feature hot tubs and patios. The
treatments infuse heavenly indigenous ingredients including
ginger, tiare flowers, coconut milk, and vanilla beans.
Experience the couple’s side-by-side Time for Two
massage provided in your room or at the spa (50 or 80
minutes US$316 or $396). The ritual begins with sipping
local vanilla tea. You can add to the magic by incorporating
a 30-minute private hydrotherapy whirlpool. Or indulge
in the Elemis Exotic Coconut Rub and Milk Ritual Wrap
(US$287). Your skin is polished with a traditional Balinese
mix of coconut, mungbean, spices, and lavender. Then
you are slathered in a warm milk bath and wrapped like
a cocoon (50 minutes). Paradise never felt so good.
www.sheratontahiti.com
—Jeryl Brunner
Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa
Motu Toopua, Bora Bora, French
Polynesia
How did Bora Bora’s famous Mount
Otemanu get its iconic castle-like shape? According
to legend, the ancient Polynesian warrior god, Hiro,
stood on the highest point of the volcanic Motu Toopua
and threw a spear across the water piercing through
sacred Mount Otemanu making it split. Today, the Bora
Bora Nui Resort & Spa rests on Motu Toopua and in
fact, its Mandara Spa lies on the island’s highest
point where Hiro stood. Here you’ll find volcanic
stones said to be filled with the island’s vitality
and energy. These black lava rocks are used to perform
the Volcanic Aroma Stone Massage (US$217–269) (the
stones are first bathed in warm water and anointed with
oils from island flowers). Not only do you get the good
spirits from the stones, the heat from them also soothes
away muscle tension and stress. Yet even before you
arrive, the journey up to the Mandara Spa is a true
delight. You’ll see absolutely majestic 360-degree
views of the iconic Mount Otemanu rising up in the unspeakably
gorgeous, crystal-clear, glassy lagoon. (Indeed, it
will make you understand why author James Michener dubbed
Bora Bora “the most beautiful island in the world.”)
Treatments at the spa are provided in self-contained
bungalows with magnificent water views, Jacuzzis, and
two massage tables offering ample room for couples treatments.
Try a Mandara Massage (US$325) as two therapists working
together combine Japanese, Thai, Hawaiian, Swedish,
and Balinese massage styles. The South Pacific Indulgence
(US$470) is pure decadence. It features an aromatherapy
floral footbath, lavender body wash, a Bali coffee or
coconut and turmeric body scrub, a Mandara Massage with
Tahitian monoi oil, a facial, AND a foot massage. Afterwards
return to your gigantic and luxurious Polynesian style
bungalow. They are between 1,000–1,500 square feet
and contain exotic wood furnishings, tapa cloths, billowing
curtains, marble tiled bathrooms, DVDs and two televisions.
Lie on your private deck, gaze out to the surreal lagoon,
and soak in the splendor. www.boraboranui.com
—Jeryl Brunner
AURORA SPA RETREAT
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
An urban oasis in the hip St. Kilda
area of Melbourne, Aurora Spa Retreat is an all
earthtone space that is the visual equivalent of white
noise. This is the largest spa retreat in Australia,
and incredibly popular with celebrities and those who
just want to be pampered like them. Behind the automatic
glass doors, only small dabs of visual stimulus punctuate
beige and tan everything, so the other senses come to
the fore. Using botanicals and some Aboriginal traditional
products, signature treatments at Aurora are like no
other. A personalized healing tea is presented in the
relaxation lounge at the beginning of my visit. The
most requested treatment is the signature “Kitya
Karnu” translated as “Salty Stones” steam
treatment (60 min., US$117). Like other spas I’ve
visited in Australia, underwear (your own or disposable
ones provided by the spa) is worn for all treatments.
I’m led by a swimsuit-clad therapist into a private
steam room where I lay on the towel-draped tile bench.
The aromatherapy oil blend I choose is massaged in,
then desert salts are used to scrub and nearly flay
my skin off, but after a warm rinse it leaves me soft
as a newborn. Chilled river stones are placed and manipulated
on various points of my body—a focusing technique
amid the swirling steam. After my body treatment, I
receive a cleansing facial massage, hydrating mask,
hair treatment with scalp massage, and finally a light,
fragrant mist. www.aurorasparetreat.com
—J. Michael Nemeth
[Updated:
November, 2010]
|
