MORE THAN SKIN DEEP

by MARY BEMIS

Couples massage at The Retreat Costa Rica

“Touch nurtures and fosters emotional and physical stability, conveying the message of care, acceptance, and unconditional love,” explains Anne Bramham, founder of the American Spa Therapy and Education Certification Council (ASTECC).

“When we touch, we touch the body-mind, which partners in the restorative care of all of our issues— strengthening immunity, fortitude, and the desire for life.” We knew we loved our massages, now we know why. Whether it’s the capable hands of a skilled masseuse, a rain room, deep vibrations, or soothing heat, no vacation is complete without the sense of touch.

The ultimate sensual journey just may be Crystal Healing for Couples at The Retreat Costa Rica. This 120-minute ritual was created to “strengthen a couple’s heart connection.” It begins with a side-by-side amethyst scrub and an outdoor, crystal-infused shower to clear old energies.

Couples are then treated to a romantic hydrotherapy bath with essential oil, moonstone dust, and color therapy that ignites the chakras—seven specific energy points that bind couples together. After a soothing side-by-side heart chakra massage, music and sound meditation bring tantric energies, and a ceremonial chocolate tincture is consumed to stimulate natural production of the love hormone, oxytocin.

Weary travelers who check into Hotel Xcaret Mexico will find Muluk Spa’s cave-like, natural rock treatment rooms a sight for sore eyes. Here, sight, sound, aromas, tastes, and touch combine to create multi-sensory journeys that involve massages, flotariums, mud baths, Temazcal steam ceremonies, hydrotherapy, Mayan “Love Thing” facials … and a wellness bar with teas, tisanes, and infusions of fresh fruits, spices, and roots. Silversea Cruises is launching a new wellness concept called Otium, which takes its cue from ancient Romans who knew a thing or two about sensual pleasures. Debuting on the Silver Dawn in Europe this spring, the concept breaks free of the spa itself— enabling guests to indulge in everything from insuite comfort food sessions, couples massages set to music, and candlelit bath experiences to scentbased sleep treatments and “Under the Sun” balcony sunbathing sessions.

Lotus Spa aboard Princess Cruises’ Royal Princess is a haven for wellness-seeking lovebirds. In addition to private couples villas, the facility is home to The Enclave, a spacious thermal suite featuring an enticing waterfall rain pool. There’s also a Scrub & Shine Bar, where a variety of aromatic ingredients can be blended to create personalized salt or sugar scrubs.

The Spa aboard Celebrity Edge is billed as a “playground for the senses” with eight distinct treatment areas including a Turkish Hammam, luminous Crystalarium, infrared sauna room, and Float Room with swinging chairs and windows overlooking the sea. Treatments include cold therapy, thousand flower detox, earth grounding, zero gravity immersion massages, and destination inspired potions that set the mood for exploration.

Ask your trusted travel advisor about complimentary amenities, available when you book a spa travel experience with us.

WEST PALM BEACH, BABY!

by CHARLOTTE TOM (AKA @TRAVELCHARLEE)

THAT SMALL TOWN FEEL

Rosemary Square “The Square” as it’s known by locals offers shops, arts, culture, dining and more. The Wishing Banyan Tree with 100,000 full-color-spectrum LEDs embedded in 10,000 leaves is a must see. There’s also a Water Pavilion and open-air art installations in District Art.

WPB Waterfront Screen on the Green features family movies on the waterfront the second Friday of every month. Sunday on the Waterfront is where locals gather with blankets and lawn chairs to enjoy live music. from acts like The Derek Mack Band, Def Leggend, and more.

The GreenMarket is a “one in a melon” farmer’s market that comes to life every Saturday through the middle of April with 100 vendors selling fresh produce, gourmet foods and beverages, home décor, meats, seafood, plants, flowers, and more.

Clematis Street By day, it’s a charming waterfront with retail shops and a free trolley. By night, it’s a vibrant entertainment district, with boat docks, dancing fountains, dining, nightclubs, and more. Clematis by Night heats up with special events every Thursday night, year-round. A budding financial district situated on Florida’s Atlantic coast – just a short drive from the cruise departure points of Port of Miami and Port Everglades – West Palm Beach lives up to its sunshine state potential and then some. With fewer crowds than Miami, gorgeous weather, and an abundance of beaches, hotels, bars and restaurants it’s the perfect pre- or post-cruise stopover. Here’s what I love about living in West Palm Beach.

Charlotte enjoying the Eau Palm Beach spa’s Self-Centered Garden

A ROOM BESIDE THE SEA

WPB HAS CULTURE TOO

Norton Museum A major facelift was completed in 2019, which added a sculpture garden, restaurant, and a Great Hall that serves as a “living room” and outdoor space for evening events such as Art After Dark on Fridays with live entertainment.

Serenity Garden Tea House Care for a little Southern hospitality? Set in a historic 1919 cottage, this tea house serves high tea in proper vintage cups with finger sandwiches, fresh-baked scones, and adorable quiches. Oh and “Tot Tea” with mini cupcakes too. Flagler Museum Located on Palm Beach Island. Henry Flagler built the 75-room, 100,000-square-foot Whitehall mansion in the Gilded Age as a wedding present for his wife, Mary Lily Kenan Flagler. The elite couple used the home as a winter retreat.

INSTAWORTHY EVENTS

Eau Palm Beach This is where I tell friends to stay to catch the sunrise over the ocean. The spa has a Co-Ed Self-Centered Garden and a DIY Scrub & Polish Bar. Worth it Splurge: “The Perfect Champagne & Caviar Couples Journey” or “Couples Chrysalises: A Taste of Hammam for Two.”

Agency Exclusives: • Breakfast for two daily in Temple Orange

Mediterranean Bistro ($30 credit per person inclusive of tax & gratuity)

• $100 resort credit per room, per stay

DINE LIKE THE LOCALS

Palm Beach International Boat Show Thinking of buying your sweetheart a yacht? Every March, this over-the-top extravaganza is the place to find more than $1.2 billion in yachts, boats, and nautical toys a would-be sailor could want. SunFest (April 28 – May 1, 2022) “Where the music meets the sun” sums it up perfectly. This is the perfect long weekend with local artists, live music, great eats, a floating bar, and the TGi5k Race—all set on the waterfront in downtown West Palm Beach.

Table 26 This is one of my personal favorites! It’s a great spot for happy hour with friends or a dynamite romantic dinner for two. They have a seasonal menu, but a few favorites are the lobster mac & cheese, lamb burger, and, of course the 26º North Martini. Maison Carlos This small, unassuming French restaurant is perfect for a romantic date night. They have an extensive wine list and dishes range from soufflés and snails to crispy duck breast and a “French attitude burger.” Pistache This super social and slightly more upscale French restaurant is big with all the locals. They have themed “happenings” like 2-for-1 Happy Hours, Mussels Mondays, Wine & Cheese Wednesdays, and Unlimited Rosé Brunches. Spruzzo The location, Narcissus Avenue, speaks volumes about the hip clientele you’ll bump elbows with at this rooftop venue. Menu offerings include fresh seafood, wine, cocktails, and bottle service packages with names like “Palm Beach Privilege.”

WHAT IS YOUR TRAVEL LOVE LANGUAGE?

The Hawaiian language is a rich collection of stunningly beautiful words, and one of those, of course, is aloha – immediately familiar worldwide and loaded with sentiment that will always be synonymous with the islands. But people considering a visit to Hawai‘i today are more and more likely to encounter another beautiful Hawaiian word: mālama.

Like so many words in the Hawaiian language, mālama has a number of different definitions. It can mean to take care of, to attend to or cherish, to preserve or protect, and even to save. So mālama is a word used often across Hawai‘i today in discussions about the importance of preserving and protecting the destination’s oceans, its land, and the people who call the islands home.

In Hawai‘i, we do our best to take care of others, and others, in turn, do their best to look after us. It’s a pervasive part of life here that reaches across all the islands, spreading through each community no matter how bustling and busy or sleepy and remote. Home for 1.4 million people, the Hawaiian archipelago is one of the most isolated land masses on the planet, separated from California by nearly 2,400 miles of ocean, and the Hawaiian Islands are more than 3,800 miles from Japan. Hawai‘i’s geographic isolation and the islands’ relatively small total population play an important role in the strong personal bonds people share here with family and friends, as well as our close ties with neighbors and our communities. Mālama helps to define that sentiment of caring we share for others here in Hawai‘i, whether the islands are home or they are a treasured vacation destination. Mālama for others is an idea rooted firmly in Hawaiian culture, and so is taking care of the islands’ resources – the land, the ocean, sea life, birds, plants and trees – to ensure they remain healthy and prosper for future generations. Simply put, we do our best to perpetuate the beauty, the people, the culture and uniqueness of this place because if we take care of the Hawaiian Islands, they will take care of us.

By taking part in opportunities to mālama (care for) Hawai‘i, you not only show your love for the islands, but you also allow yourself to have a more enriching experience that truly stays with you long after you return home.