One of the perks of being a travel writer is that we  get to see some of the world’s most exotic destinations. While our pay rates may not be in the same league as bankers, we occasionally get invited to review the haunts of the rich and famous.

Take this week – I’m writing this from the Maradiva Resort, an all villa all pool resort on the far west coast of Mauritius.  I’m staying for four nights in a luxurious villa surrounded by tropical gardens, a stone’s throw from the sea.  The sun is hot, the temperature is about 30°C  and the sea warm enough that wimps like me can plunge right in without hesitation. A few short weeks ago, the resort was fully booked with rich Russian families celebrating the New Year. Many had flown in by private jet.

We arrived more conventionally economy class with Air Mauritius – but have since been enjoying a five star lifestyle at the resort which is  building up a reputation for excellence in the travel industry.

Back in Spain for our first visit of 2012. After a ghastly early start (stayed up all night as we had to leave home at 3.30am), we flew off on EasyJet’s first flight of the day to Alicante. Arriving to warm sunshine and blue skies after the drizzle back home is a tonic in itself!

Winter is always a great time time to visit Spain; very few tourists and although the Med may be too cold for bathing  (well, it is for me!) the deserted beaches are particularly appealing. What’s more, there’s no better value in the whole of Spain than breakfast at Scallops in Javea – sitting on an outside table overlooking the Arenal beach we tucked in tasty €1.95 (yes, €1.95!) cooked breakfast. Amazing!

December’s off to a flying start with two cruise-related media events  in London the first week followed by APRO’s Christmas media lunch on the 12th.

The NCL event highlighted the cruise line’s new branding ‘Cruise Like a Norwegian,’ which embraces and celebrates passengers who seek the freedom and flexibility of an NCL’s cruise – on ships offering a multitude of activities for all age groups and unstuffy freestyle dining options. I must admit to a special interest in the cruise line, being the publisher of Stars, Staterooms and Stowaways, Gary Glading’s popular and entertaining book about a career working on cruise ships. Multi-lingual and multi-talented Gary is currently cruise director on NCL’s Jade, sailing out of either Venice or Barcelona on trips to the Canaries or Mediterranean.

After the event, held at the Sanderson Hotel in London, I had a brief tour of the hotel’s Agua Spa – an hedonist’s refuge in the heart of the city – 10,000 square-feet of  pampering and tranquility with miles of diaphanous white curtains, 14 all-white treatment rooms, a chill-out zone and meditation beds. The ambience is peaceful – almost dreamlike, while the spa menu offers treatments by top brands such as Jurlique, Natura Bisse, Eve Lom and Aromatherapy Associates. Must add to my list of urban spas to visit – a list that is growing by the day!

APRO events are always an excellent opportunity to network with airline staff and fellow writers. The Christmas lunch is a always well attended, as it offers longer time than usual to catch up with colleagues over a feast of good food. This year the lunch was held at ORA, a new Thai restaurant in central London and the spicy food made a welcome change from the traditional turkey and all the trimmings.

Back in Spain to put away the garden furniture and batten down the hatches before winter arrives. Can’t believe that only eight weeks ago we were swimming in the Med and it was baking hot. Much cooler now, though the sun is still shining.

The exceptionally hot dry summer has had a devastating effect on our citrus trees (despite their nightly hosing down with copious amounts of expensive water during our stay in late August/September).

Orange tree in November

It was  heartbreaking to have to cut off so much dead wood on our best orange tree, changing its shape and character. It now looks stumpy and lop- sided but  I didn’t have the heart to cut off the one good branch to make both sides even. The other two smaller orange trees are laden with fruit and thankfully seem fine, as is the spiky little lime tree that has fruited for the first time in about five years.  Sadly, the lemon isn’t looking good and the main stem of the baby grapefruit tree has also died back so our tiny tree is now a third smaller, but with three little grapefruit bravely hanging on!

So all in all not the best year in our Spanish garden – the bougainvillea all eventually recovered from the unexpected January frosts and are now thriving;  most of the plants have died back on the rockery;  the palms are growing too fast and we missed the flowers this year on our two frangipani trees, which still have their  leaves. Looking back on all the time and hard work spent weeding, trimming, hacking back, feeding, watering and making endless trips to the dump to maintain the garden, was it worth all the effort and the time? For the first time, I feel perhaps it wasn’t, quite a dispiriting thought and of course I’m still looking for a way to get ride of some of those pine trees in vacant plot next door, that are growing several feet higher each year.

Despite having bought return flights from Alicante, we decided to drive the Jazz back to the UK in November, rather in than in January as planned, as it might be hazardous driving through the Pyrenees in winter.

We left Javea before dawn and drove across Spain, through the mountains and a 8.5 kilometre tunnel  straddling the Spanish/French border to the outskirts of Bordeaux, where we spent the night in basic (but clean) hotel! The following day we made it into Rouen and treated ourselves to a night in the Mercure in the middle of the old town, which was much more comfortable. We loved Rouen – this was our first visit, and we were very impressed with the magnificent cathedral, historic buildings and general feel of the place. And how we enjoyed the crepes!

Rouen Cathedral

Old Town, Rouen

Couldn’t believe the cost of the ferry when we reached Calais – P&O charged us €125! The same trip cost us only £35 in the summer and that was for the same car and three passengers. We crossed on the new ferry Spirit of England – which didn’t seem much different from the older ones plying the Channel.

Is it really 12 months since we were last at Excel for WTM – the unmissable travel trade event of the year?

At least the journey round the M25 was without any of its usual delays, so we arrived quite early. Just as well! No downloaded press badges worked with the security scanners (we didn’t have this problem when badges were posted out), so everyone with a press badge had to queue up and have it reissued. Despite the inconvenience, I heard only a few complaints. Forty or so minutes later, we were moving around freely again in all areas as usual.

It was great seeing so many friends and colleagues – quite a number over lunch on the Hong Kong stand. Interesting to hear that Hong Kong Airlines will launch daily direct services from London to Hong Kong next year. The carrier is currently in talks with Heathrow and Gatwick ahead of the operation launch in March and will act as a gateway into other China destinations currently underserved from the UK market. The route will serve premium seats only and expects to see an even split between UK and Chinese passengers. The service will use three Airbus A330 aircraft with only 116 seats-  34 Club Premier and 82 Club Classic configuration.

I’m spending a few days in the beautiful Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France visiting a couple of thermal spas.

Flying from Stansted to Perpignan, our first stop was the small town of Amélie les Bains, where the curative hot springs have been easing aches and pains since 200 AD. We stayed at the Hotel La Pinéde, a pleasant three-star hotel and a member of the Chaine Thermale du Soleil, a group of French thermal spa hotels with healthy menus devised by leading chef Michel Guérard.  My room had a tiny balcony with views of the town and surrounding hills. We spent a pleasant evening sampling the local wines and some of Michel Guérard’s delicious and healthy cuisine.

View from Hotel La Pinede, Amelie les Bains

The next morning, before visiting the thermal spa, we drove into nearby Ceret – a  picturesque small town with tall plane trees lining the roads and  a popular haunt of artists. in the early 1900s, Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse lived and painted in the area. The Musée d’art moderne de Ceret displays many examples of their work including some of Picasso’s lesser known colourful ceramics. After touring the permanent exhibits, we looked around a temporary exhibition by Spanish artist Riera I Arago. His fascinating sculptures use recycled materials and flowing water and much  of his work is inspired by machines, particularly planes and submarines.

It was fun exploring the quaint little town, which has a large church and some quaint shops including some tempting patisseries.’ We met up for lunch on the terrace of the Hotel Vidal, under vines laden with bunches of small black grapes, which our convivial host encouraged us to sample. The tiny grapes were sweet with a surprising strawberry flavour!

We drove back to Amélie les Bains for an enjoyable couple of hours in the Roman spa – one of two such facilities in the town.  The valley and mountainous landscape in which Amélie-les-Bains is situated has become a ‘station verte de vacances,’ an award given to areas in France with outstanding natural beauty that also boast a natural attraction. Amélie-les-Bains numerous sulphuric thermal springs (62 degrees at source) are the ‘natural attraction’ and are were once thought to have magical curative properties. The warm waters  are still used in the treatment of  various health conditions,  but are increasingly being used for wellness and relaxation with  packages and individual treatments at very reasonable prices.

After a very pleasant couple of hours of  hydrotherapy in the historic Roman spa and soaking in the warm thermal pool, we piled back into the car and drove through some wild and spectacular scenery to the remote spa town of Molitg les Bains. We are spending two nights in the 3-star Grand Hotel, another member of the Chaine Thermale du Soleil.  After time to unpack and settle  into our charming rooms overlooking the wooded gorge, we meet up for dinner for more of  Michel Guérard delectable dishes. The staff here are so friendly and  Pascal Daube, the hotel manager is an absolute treasure!

Lovely Moltig les Bains

Molitg’s thermal waters are rich in sulphur and sodium and uniquely, fresh water plankton is  found  in the deep river gorge of the Castellane river. As much as 20 to 40 litres are carefully harvested every nine days for use in the spa. The live plankton contains algae and friendly bacteria that secrete anti-inflammatory substances to heal and moisturise the skin. The plankton is applied on strips of fine gauze to areas of the skin needing treatment and has a noticeable and rejuvenating effect after even one treatment.

After such a feast at dinner on our first evening, the breakfast buffet seems nondescript by comparison. I just have time for some French bread and jam and  half cup of coffee before finding my way to the Salon de Beauté. I have a relaxing facial that finishes with the application of a plankton mask. It may be my imagination, but my skin seems to be tingling slightly? Afterwards, my complexion looks fresher – as though I’ve had eight hours sleep instead of my usual five!

Another fantastic lunch – a healthy but hardly slimming feast washed down with a few glasses of local wine, which we eat sitting outside on a large table in the sunshine! It may be October, but the sky is cloudless and it feels as warm as a summer day.

Mid-afternoon, we change into swimsuits and bathrobes and ready to experience Moltig’s thermal waters. The spa has 45 treatment cabins as as well as a large thermal pool with massage jets and a kaolin pool. We have an programme of different treatments – each lasting about 20 minutes and using the warm thermal water in different ways – showers, sprays, steam heat, hoses and baths.  After our treatments, we slip into the warm spa pool with its powerful massage jets and finish our spa session in the kaolin pool. Combining kaolin (a type of white clay from central France) with thermal water results in a healing and buoyant liquid, which aids mobility and in which we float effortlessly. Fantastic!

Dinner on our second and final evening is in the dining room of the  Chateux de Riell – the  five-star boutique hotel, situated up the hill from the Grand Hotel. Hosted by the charming Monsier Daube, dinner is a concoction of gourmet dishes that includes snails and other local delicacies and wines. Afterwards, the head chef comes to the table so we can thank him for his efforts. We are amazed that someone so  young (early 20s) could create such a sophisticated menu. Undoubtedly a star chef in the making!

Farewell summer 2011 – not that I really saw much of it due to work commitments these last few months. My report on global spas for Mintel is finally finished – the 20,000 word project broadened and updated my knowledge of the industry and I made contact with some great people around the world.

Research shows that after a difficult two years, the spa industry is slowly recovering from the economic downturn. While some projects like the Alpenbad in Adelboden, Switzerland, have been put on hold, many others are opening or going ahead. It was also an interesting exercise in media relations, with most contacts emailing replies by return; Susie Ellis and her team at Spa Finders in New York were particularly generous with their time and resources. Oddly enough, the only country that didn’t supply me with any data was the UK!  The Spa Business Association promised information but didn’t supply, then ignored my follow-up calls and emails. Even VisitBritain, the government’s official tourism body was unable to give me any facts and figures. With the London Olympics next year and the influx of visitors to the UK, some of whom are likely to want spa information, this was not the reaction I expected.

We drove down to Spain for our shorter stay at the end of August and the weather was fantastic throughout. I’ve not been reviewing any spas while writing my report, but indulged in some natural ‘thalassotherapy,’ with several revitalising and blissful dips  in the warm Med. The Arenal beach shelves gently into the Med, so is perfect for swimming, riding the waves or just lying blissfully submerged!

Spain always feels like such a different world – not just the reliable and glorious summer weather,  but the lovely people,  laid back ambience, culture and traditions.

Another edition of Spa Wellbeing will go live soon – we have spa reviews from Canada, Sicily and Germany for starters – with new book reviews and news about spas and new products to follow.

Enjoy autumn!

August already!  Hope you are having a good summer and benefiting from the warmer weather and the sunshine. I’ve been glued to my computer researching and writing up my  report for Mintel on spa tourism, so haven’t been out and about much recently.

Fortunately, our great team of contributors have been spa-going at home and away;  entertaining accounts of their  travels will be published soon in Spa Wellbeing and  will include spas in the UK, Canada, Sicily, Germany, Spain, and Oz.  Future reviews featuring spas in Switzerland, Austria, Kenya, South Africa, Zambia and Oman are also in the pipeline. So lots to come!

In the meantime, we’d love to hear from you – why not comment on your own spa travels on this blog?

Javea evening

We couldn’t resist the opportunity for another short trip to Javea.  The early mornings and evenings in Spain are such a magical time in summer  – that wonderful light, cloudless skies, warm air and of course, the promise of more gloriously sunny days to follow. In late June and early July,  the gardens are abundant with brightly coloured flowers, fruit is ripening on the trees and grapes sweetening on the vine.

Vines

Apricots

On one of my trips into the town, I noticed a fish spa had opened in the town – the Natural Fish Spa offers treatments for hands and feet, along with other beauty services. Fish therapy originated centuries ago in hot springs in Turkey, where being nibbled by tiny ‘Garra Rufa ‘ fish was found to improve skin disorders like psoriasis and eczema. Fish spas have been popular in the Far East fo some years – I visited the Kenko Reflexology & Fish Spa in Singapore in 2009 (see my feature on Singapore) and are now opening  up all over Europe and in the UK.

Earlier this year I had a session with some friends in the Aqua Sheko fish spa in Soho, London. It’s an enjoyable way of spending half an hour or so, and your feet really feel smooth and refreshed afterwards. There’s been some bad press about hygiene issues relating to fish spas recently, but well run operations like the ones mentioned ensure clients wash hands and feet  before a session and use state-of-the-art tanks that are filtered and sterilised by industrial grade systems to ensure a healthy environment for the fish.

Javea's Natural Fish Spa

If you can bear having your feet gently tickled, it’s relaxing and worth having a go! Will the trend continue? Who knows? At least the tiny fish are economic as well as exotic therapists !

If you read this blog regularly, you’ll notice I’ve not been spa-going as much as usual these last few weeks.

I’m researching and eventually writing a report on the global spa industry, so other than visiting our bolthole in Spain (more about that later) -  I’m not undertaking any further trips until I’ve finished the work.

I’ll still be updating the website with detailed reviews of spas and travel from our talented contributors, so look out for more editorial to come – a honeymoon piece on a fab spa in Hong Kong, several reviews of UK spas, and exciting editorial on Italy, Germany and Africa

Back to sunny Spain -I  didn’t blog when we were out there last month.   I decided I needed a few days away from my laptop and so instead buckled down to working in the garden. The weather was glorious and gardening is an effortless way to get a tan.

Unexpected frosts earlier in the year had affected some of our bougainvillea plants. The damage was devastating.  It was sad cutting down so many branches and shoots whose glorious colours we’d enjoyed last year. So much dead wood to be recycled and still so lethally thorny! We both got badly scratched in the process! We were cheered up noticing that most of the affected plants were sprouting new leaves. I can’t wait to go out again and see how they are  progressing.

The orange and lemon trees had lots of new growth, thanks to all the rain Spain has had this spring. Even our unfriendly, spiky  little lime tree had a few flowers and one or two fruits. We also bought and planted a cute little grapefruit tree to replace the mandarin tree that died  – it’s a great addition to the garden.