A malay massage in sync with the moon phases and a romantic ritual for couples in St. Lucia — here are just a few of the alluring island treatments we’ve uncovered. Read on, and you’ll soon be longing for these tempting treatments, just like we are.
Laucala, Fiji
What could possibly top this dreamy list? Laucala’s Bombo massage. Fijian bubus (grandmothers) have passed this healing technique, which uses indigenous herbs and oils, down from generation to generation. The best part? You don’t have to leave your room to get this treatment. Each of Laucala’s 25 villas have an outdoor massage bed. So the therapist comes to you. Picture yourself on a private 3,000-acre Fijian island, a masseuse using his hands, knees, elbows and feet to knead, thumb, knuckle and rake your muscles. Going deep into your back, arms, legs and feet, the therapist opens your body’s pathways to release any remnants of the pressures of home — you’re officially in the South Pacific now. At the end of the hour, your natural rhythmic flow has returned. The treatment has created the space in your body for your tissues to unfurl — much like Laucala, with its undeveloped lushness, powdery beaches and turquoise waters, has already done for you. $150 for 60 minutes.
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Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru
Handpicked basil, castor and neem, all of it warmed in oil and massaged deeply into your skin. Your body melts, reaping the healing benefits of homegrown botanticals and deep massage working in tandem. The Maldives has a reputation for over-the-top indulgence. And the Four Seasons’ Ayurvedic Elakkizhi treatment is one of the supporting reasons. They bring in bundles of locally grown herbs, all of it fresh from the medicinal garden and ready to fix whatever is ailing you. You feel enveloped in warmth and luxury. Your body is melting like butter. Don’t be sad when the two-hour treatment is over. In the Maldives, spa treatments begin each day. $260 for 2 hours.
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Jade Mountain St. Lucia
There’s no fourth wall in your Jade Mountain suite, just stunning views of the iconic Pitons towering in the distance. No windows, curtains or even a screen comes between you and the Caribbean breeze as you indulge in the Alchemy of Two: A Romantic Ritual for Couples. Start with a relaxing bath shared together in your suite’s private infinity pool. Next, nibble on fruit and chocolate, sip on champagne and recite poems to each other. (Don’t worry: A binder of apropos choices is provided.) Then come synchronized massages given with vibrational tantra oil designed to harmonize the body’s energy flow. The end result? You, your honey, the stars and the Caribbean Sea will be one. $539 for 110 minutes.
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Blue Lagoon Iceland
You’re floating weightless in a milky-blue natural spring in the middle of a lava field. No big deal? Consider it’s winter. And this is Iceland. The geothermal seawater is 102 degrees, you’re on a raft and a therapist is slathering your skin with a curative, silica-rich mud. You’re at the Blue Lagoon, getting an In-Water Massage, and it’s as magical as it sounds. As your muscles are expertly tended to, the mineral salts, silica and algae in the water work miracles on your skin. Also, be sure to book the lagoon’s exclusive bath and lounge, where you’ll have your own private indoor lagoon, waitress, fireplace and special door leading to the outdoor lagoon. Later, as you enjoy lunch in the Blue Lagoon Restaurant, its glass walls overlooking the neon-hued water, you wonder what took you so long to find this otherworldly treat. From $19 for 10 minutes.
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Blue Palace Resort & Spa, Crete, Greece
Seawater, mud, oil and mummy wraps — they’re all rooted in Greek tradition and part of the memorable Elounda Detox Ritual. It’s a multistep process starting at the resort’s beachside Elounda Spa & Thalassotherapy center in the quaint northeastern village of Elounda. There, you spend a few hours unpeeling built-up tension, alternating between sunning, cooling off in the relaxation pool and steaming in the Turkish hammam. Any tightness starts to fade. Then you head to a treatment room for a mineral-salt-filled bath, where water jets pummel out knots and pump up your circulation. You’re feeling really loose now. Next, a therapist slathers your body with detoxifying essential oil and mud, then wraps you up to heat the skin and draw out even more impurities. Your body is jelly, your mind clear. The ritual finishes with a light, stroking massage using a blend of detoxifying essential oils to target the lymphatic system. And at this point you have a different perspective while gazing out at the incandescent Aegean Sea. $210 for 80 minutes.
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Como Shambhala Estate Bali
After a hard day’s work in the rolling, terraced fields, Balinese farmers used to calm their screaming muscles with an herb wrap. And now you can enjoy it at the COMO Shambhala Estate. It’s the jungle life that wakes you up in this lush inland paradise north of Ubud, the morning song of the wild and its aliveness inspiring you to make it to a yoga class before breakfast. Yesterday began with a guided hike through the verdant mountains; in the afternoon you went to several fitness classes and then soaked in a fresh mineral pool. It’s day two at this luxe wellness retreat, and your muscles are starting to feel it. It’s time for your Warm Muscle Wrap. While you gaze out floor-to-ceiling windows, a therapist applies a borah (warmed paste) of clove, ginger, black and white pepper, sandalwood, cinnamon and nutmeg mixed in a rice-based powder to areas of tension on your body. Covered in a blanket, you feel the warmth of the spices activating. Because of your aching muscles, she keeps you under the blanket for 40 minutes, massaging your head and scalp the whole time. Next, you take a warm shower to remove the spices and then step into a flower-strewn bath to soak. With your muscles warmed and primed, it’s time for a 60-minute Balinese massage. After this type of treatment, you’ll want permanently sore muscles. $150 for 120 minutes.
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Gran Hotel Bahia Del Duque, Canary Islands
Your body is cocooned in banana leaves, your skin soaking in locally grown plants. Why? You’re sunburned. But it’s not all your fault. In the spirited Adeje Coast on the south of Tenerife, it’s not uncommon to spend too much time in the sun. But unlike the past when you simply had to grin and bear it, the Soothing Aloe and Banana Leaf Ritual from the Spa at Bahia del Duque by ESPA brings all-natural, welcome relief. After soaking your feet in a warm footbath, a therapist rubs aloe vera onto your skin in slow, gentle strokes. That alone feels like heaven, but it doesn’t end there. Next, your body is enveloped in banana leaves. While your skin is soaking in the soothing properties of the locally grown plants, the therapist focuses on your face, giving you a mini rehydrating facial. By the time the treatment ends — with a full-body application of a refreshing balm infused with lavender and cypress — your skin, and mind, are calm and comforted, and you’re ready for another evening of fun. $225 for 2 hours.
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The Capella Singapore
The sun is going down, the moon is rising and you’re sipping tea waiting for your Senja Sunyi Massage to begin. It’s done at dusk during a rising moon because Capella’s Auriga Spa therapies are created to be in sync with the phases of the moon. It starts with long, slow, flowing strokes of organic rose-and-pomegranate body balm. The rose essence, a treasure for centuries in Islamic countries, wafts through the room and you’re at once calmer. You can’t possibly have any more kinks left, but the therapist uses warmed “moon” stones to smooth the rest out. You’re only minutes from Singapore’s bustling financial district, but it’s as if you’re light-years away. $220 for 90 minutes.
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El Conquistador Resort, Puerto Rico
Inspired by the nearby El Yunque rainforest, the Rainforest Facial at the renowned Golden Door Spa uses an all-organic product range comprised of herbs, plants and pure hot-spring water. Peering out over the sparkling water from a 300-foot bluff, you feel radiant. And you look that way too, thanks to this treatment. In addition to the natural products, gentle extractions and experienced touch of the esthetician, what makes this facial extra special is the four hours you spend pre-treatment in the 26,000-square-foot, three-story spa (the largest in the Caribbean). Encouraged to come early and enjoy the amenities, you popped in to a few fitness classes, refueled with antioxidant-filled fresh juices and took a nap in the relaxation area. This was more than your average facial, and you’ve just helped give your skin a lasting glow from the inside out. And it shows. $135 for 50 minutes.
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Mauna Lani Hotel and Bungalows Big Island, Hawaii
The lush, colorful foliage and thatched-roof hale treatment rooms say Hawaii. But with the location of the Lava Watsu treatment, there’s no mistaking you’re on the Big Island in particular. Taking a cue from the hardened lava fields of the nearby Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, enter a lava-rock cave with a waist-deep pool in the middle. Your therapist, already acclimated to the body-temperature water, leads you into the pool. No need for a treatment table; the pool is your indulgence for the next 50 minutes. The therapist leads you through passive shiatsu stretches, aligning your spine, neck, shoulders and whole body better than any chiropractor. The water takes away all of your body weight, allowing you to focus on each gentle stretch. It’s relaxing. It’s meditative. It’s Hawaiian. $169 for 50 minutes.
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