travel blog

Nov'09 - "BeautifulBreak Detox  - two weeks in and its not so bad....."

Ok, so I’m not the typical ‘my body is a temple’ kind of girl. Quite frankly I eat and do what I want when I want and balance it out by maybe ordering a salad once a month. So when I came across this new detox programme on the market I wasn’t instantly grabbed to say the least, but then I noticed I wouldn’t have to cook any of the uninspiring meals required of a detox and that it would only required a commitment of three weeks max – a small price to pay for a lifetime of bodily abuse.

The basic premise was that this company (BeautifulBreak Detox) would sign me up for the programme, give me a full medical and then set me up with a vegan diet that they deliver to me everyday, followed by five thermal body wraps a week where I just have to lay there and sweat -- a requirement I don’t exactly find difficult. I figured that from just a few weeks of commitment I could reap the benefits of a cleansed body without really having to torture myself with a- healthy-organic-pesticide free-costs and arm and a leg year-long diet. This is definitely the easiest way to do it as I didn’t even have to shop or cook any of the vegan salt free meals or even buy any tea or water for that matter, they did it all and I have to say that was the best bit because I know that if I had to go shopping for these ingredients there is no way I could resist buying naughty extras. All that I had to do was cancel my social life for a few weeks to avoid temptation.

It was hard, but let’s just say I was amazed at how much laundry and extra sleep I could catch up on and I found I had forgotten how nice it was to go to bed early and read a good book. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not complete isolation. The detox required that I show up at there centre for my wraps and there were always lots of people there who where in the same boat to talk to while sipping herbal tea and waiting to be wrapped up. I may even go as far as to say there is a particular gentlemen taking part in the programme who I’m now looking forward to seeing during these little surrogate social sessions.

As for the detox itself, well what can I say, the food is terrible (speaking as someone who enjoys lots of salt in her food) but the sweating sessions were very fulfilling. I felt like I had just run a marathon without having to move a muscle or have the post-run aches which left me feeling very pleased with myself, minimal movement is definitely my kind of exercise. Don’t get me wrong though, the first week wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. I got a few headaches and I felt sleepy at first but the guys at the centre had warned me of this initial lethargic feeling and said that the headaches where a side-effect of all the toxins being drawn out of my tissue and that it wouldn’t last long, which thankfully it didn’t.

Now I’m two weeks into my three week detox and I feel great! Everything seems fairly easy now as I have a little routine set in place but I’m not kidding myself into thinking that I could ever do this by myself though so I would definitely recommend this to others like me who need a helping hand in getting “the temple” back in shape. I feel full of energy, my skin has cleared up (though I’m sure the lack of alcohol and cigarettes have helped too) and... the best bit..... I’ve lost 5Kg so far! Literally the only down side I can say about this programme is that the food takes a little getting used to and the dismissed social life is a little hard too but on the up side, my purse could have used a well-deserved break and now when I’ve finished the programme I get to arrange catch-up sessions with all my friends and flaunt my new body... they’ll never believe me when I tell them how I did it.

Amanda

May' 09 -  "Men Get-Aways" -

In the last 30 years male stress has become increasingly common, especially in the UK.  Statistics have shown that men are much more prone to occupational stress then women. According to the UK’s Counselling Directory the number of stress related mental illness in men is on the rise and men are much more prone to substance abuse and even have a higher suicide rate than women, but it doesn’t need to be all doom and gloom. All the evidence suggests that men need to start taking care of their health and wellbeing more; thankfully, this is where specialist travel companies like BeautifulBreak.com come in.

Having been recently established, BeautifulBreak.com is a travel company dedicated to providing spa and wellbeing holidays for all modern professionals who need to escape the pressures of city living. The new niche that they and along with other travel services are embracing is the male get-away. The For Men Only portion of their services combines spa and leisure activities to create packages designed for the stressed man in mind. The Managing Director of BeautifulBreak Ilona Wesle explained that “It’s important for men to get quality time for themselves too. More often they are consumed with work deadlines and what little free time they do have is reserved solely for their families. It’s important, however, to manage those stress levels and take some quality time out for themselves so they are in a better mental and physical state to be productive at work and be with their families”. 

There are a variety of short break packages available for men out there, everything from spa treatments for men and squash or mountain climbing retreats, each combining relaxation and the leisure activities that men crave. We all know that the only way a man can sit still through a male exfoliation scrub is the thought of the golf course in the afternoon.
The packages offered by BeautifulBreak include a Golfing break complimented with male facial vitality treatments in Austria and even an Italian Biker’s Special holiday complete with guided bike tours and a daily scented Jacuzzi.
“Us women tend to assume that men would not enjoy a holiday dedicated to pampering and relaxation but the truth is, they occasionally need their quality time alone to regroup unless of cause we all want our men prematurely bald”, quips Ilona, “that is why our service is committed to not neglecting the needs of men”.
As today’s men’s health magazines show, the modern man is now one who can admit to stress and wrinkle-paranoia but while men’s care products are flying off the shelves the idea of the male equivalent of a ‘girly break’ is yet to be as popular. It’s time that men realise that a weekend trip to Austria is for more than indulgent bachelor parties and embraced their new-found freedom to have a massage and a facial after a manly game of squash.
 

Chris

Mar' 09 -  "Banyan Tree Seychelles" - Seychelles  

 The hotel blew our socks off, but who needs socks on sandy beaches. Thatched roofs, wooden beams, the hotel echoed the colonial history of the Seychelles islands beautifully. With over 60 villas, the hotel has a decadent plantation style feel to it. Located a 25 minute drive from the airport on what I’m told is the most beautiful beach on the whole island and frankly, I’m not going to argue. It couldn’t possibly get more beautiful.      

The spa is indulgent and luxurious. Spaced between 8 superb pavilions doted in the jungle vegetation, we lost ourselves in a menu of decadence. I finally understood why this spa was considered one of the best in the world. I opted for the hotels royal package which lasted a tasty 3hrs and included a mouth watering cucumber and lemongrass scrub. I was amazed at the grace and skill of the therapists. In terms of money, I expected a five star hideaway such as this to be extremely pricey, but in comparison to other spas around the world and even in London, the value for money did shock me. They cater to your every need, constantly keeping you hydrated with herbal teas and lots of fresh fruit to snack on. It is tempting to opt for the whole day packages but then I would be compromising on time gazing at the viewing, sipping cocktails from one of their many bars.  

The only downside I could see was that, with someone to cater to your every need, leaving the hotel to go explore the country was fast becoming less appealing. The greenness of the surroundings was a spa treatment in its own right. My eyes feasted and my body recharge fully from the glorious sunshine. Just a few degrees of the Equator, I finally began to understand why Seychelles is the best kept secret of Hollywood A-listers. Did I mention that I bumped into a certain Hollywood superstar with his supermodel companion? I won’t mention names but rubbing shoulders with celeb royalty added that extra pizzazz to our trip. We were only there for a week and I had barely dented the spa menu so that is definitely an incentive for us to come back soon.  

Amanda

Germany Feb' 09 -  "Kur & Sport Hotel Concordia" - Wellness and Spa Hotel in Oberstaufen / Bavarian Alps

Slowly the tension seeped from my muscles as well trained hands kneaded away the one carry-on luggage I would have rather left behind – London stress. This was indeed a very optimistic start to our Beautifulbreak travel experience for our blog.

Situated in Bavaria in the Alps, Oberstaufen is where crisp clear breezes meet plenty of sunshine. This is a place where even the air is rejuvenating, let alone the first class spa.

The hotel itself was a combination of traditional warmth and a modern state of the art spa that offered Thalasso therapy, holistic, beauty and wellness treatments for Her & Him, Hot Stone Massage and Ayurveda treatments, and more importantly, the original Schroth diet and therapy. Accompanied with an indoor pool, three large saunas and a beautiful recreational room it’s no wonder we didn’t venture out much though Oberstaufen is wonderful to explore and has no shortage of quaint restaurants and cafes.

Being a bit of a spa connoisseur, I have to commend the resort on its pleasant and well trained staff. The professional ethic was something that was evident throughout the resort and is what really makes a holiday great. Unfortunately we were only there for a short weekend break, but the location is ideal no matter how long the holiday is.

The resort was equally full of adventure with impressive sport and leisure facilities, including a guided walk through the Allgauer Alps; there truly was something for everyone, singles and couples alike. We, however, were after something much more indulgent. After a lovely evening meal and a crisp glass of champagne, we retired early to begin exhausting the spa facilities the following morning. My friend opted for a 6 am Schroth cold wrap and I, having done the Scroth detox treatment twice already (and yes I vow by its genius), waited for a more reasonable hour to have a hot stone massage and a Thalasso bath. We left with only positive things to say about the resort, though I would advise others to request south facing rooms at the front of the resort as the town is literally on the back doorstep, though you would never know from the view we had.

So, for our first blog review we couldn’t have asked for more, we left walking on air and we will most certainly be back.

Ilona  

August 09' - "Aphrodite Hills" Cyprus

Next stop, Cyprus!

It’s a hard life exploring gorgeous rustic towns and getting rubbed down while gazing at the ocean, did I mention I love my job...

This trip to Cyprus is already 8 out of 10 as it is so close to England. A short flight away the little gem is warm and welcoming to tourists and its turbulent political past is hard to spot.  The sense of history, however, is sprinkled everywhere and is easily absorbed by the “island of Aphrodite”; while enjoying one of the spa’s ancient cleansing rituals it’s easy to happily imagine Brad Pitt in his little leather skirt waging war on the beach.

The spa is on the pricey side though but on the other hand, most treatments are over two hours long so you definitely get the full effect of the relaxation packages, with no one rushing you out just when you were starting to unwind. If you really want to splurge opt for the full day packages, ranging from one to five days. While they are quit dear, the longer packages do include your lunch and dinner with their Healthy Lifestyle menu, so the way I look at it, you are actually saving money in the long run, or so I’d like to think. The shorter packages are very good value for money, like the Two Day package which works out to just under 250 Euros a day include massages, body scrubs, and facials among other things. However, for the months of May and June they have special deals on offer with lunch and treatment packages for as little as 98 Euros.

The resort itself had a very laid-back minimalistic feel with lots of warm zesty colours everywhere (throw cushions are big in Cyprus). The views from the hotel are simply astounding, especially those of the nearby village, displaying traditional Cyprian architecture beautifully. As for the other facilities, such as the gym and tennis courts, well, I am the worst person to review them as I am an extremely lazy holiday maker who believes that holidays are about doing nothing except racking up the bill at the Spa or poolside bar, however, the 18-hole championship golf course did make me wish I cared about golf. The vast sunshine basked green plains? Fields? Whatever the technical term is did look very appealing, perfect to keep the men busy while you keep their credit cards busy in the hotel shops. Did I mention the 1162 sq. meter pool? Scaling that pool was exercise enough for me.

I was very fortunate on this trip as the resort was offering all BeautifulBreak patrons 7 nights for the price of 5, so I really did have the opportunity to feel the benefits of my newly healthy lifestyle. The fresh Mediterranean cuisine was exquisite and I especially loved the fact that there where so many healthy food options. All in all it was an amazing 7 days. The only thing I would suggest is to make the time to go explore the island independently as it is easy to get wrapped up in the hotel facilities and forget that there is a vast history and culture to explore so do venture out away from the spa and golf course at least once during your stay.

Amanda