Vegas Spas {Part I}

[trip style = spa + weekend getaway]

Zen, quiet and rejuvenating are not words I'd typically associate with Las Vegas. The glitter gulch is a 24/7 destination devoid of downtime---or so I thought...

This past weekend I was invited into a trip style = spa world of lavender-infused pillows, Moroccan lanterns, heated stones, Turkish towels, eucalyptus inhalation rooms, tropical rain showers and willing hands on a spa marathon through Vegas. After six treatments in three days, it occurred to me that the world's entertainment capital doesn't do anything half way, e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g---including the 45 destination spas that dot the Strip---is full throttle. My post-treatment buttery and glowing skin concurs.

Of the nine spas I visited, here is part I of the Trip Styler-approved standouts! Stay tuned for part II next week.

Vdara Spa At 18,000sf, the Vdara's spa is the most boutique of the bunch, as well as the first spa in Las Vegas to become a member of the Green Spa Network. High-gloss white marble countertops adorned with a bevy of après-treatment beauty fixes define the dressing room and lead into a white-washed steam, sauna and whirlpool retreat with two heated and contoured chaises basking under the glow of 50+ faux flickering candles. And this is just the ladies waiting area! Once called for your treatment, you are led through rounded hallways, flanked with cherry-hued wood with an embedded tropical pearl motif, into one of 11 treatment rooms. Who: Singles, couples or small groups who are looking for high design and intimacy.

Cosmopolitan's Sahra Spa & Hammam At once earthy and elegant, the Sahra Spa & Hammam mimics the tones and textures of the desert landscape thanks to 420 tons of sandstone quarried from the local foothills. And since it's Vegas, there's a glimmer of glam with a few subdued crystal fixtures. Walking in, I breathe a sigh of relief. It's like I'm on a {posh} hike through Red Rock Canyon venturing toward a quiet pool of trickling water. Once inside, detoxify on a massive, heated stone slab {called motherstone} with a purifying Turkish Hammam treatment. Water is poured over the body in preparation for a soapy cleansing, followed by the crescendo: a percussion massage. After your treatment, the monsoon cave, vitality pool and micromist steam room round out your trip to Las Vegas' newest oasis of calm. Who: Men frequent this space as much as women because of the androgynous, non-girlie design and Turkish influence. Ladies, go here if you want to meet groups of men...

Aria Spa At Aria's 80,000sf spa, the elements---salt, stone, earth, fire and water---harmonize to create balance in the Japanese-imagined space. I start in the Shio Salt Room where I luxuriate in a lounger that vibrates to pan flute music. Breathing in an out in an almost middle-earth state, I get a glimpse at how the illuminated salt bricks aid respiration and reveal radiant skin. Next door in the dimly lit Ganbanyoku Stone Bed Room, heated black mineral stone slabs emanate infrared rays to soothe muscles, eliminate toxins, improve circulation and increase the metabolism---naturally, I want to stay here all day, but I limit myself to 20-minute stints. Post-massage, I dip into Vegas' first co-ed infinity spa pool and celebrate my wellness whirlwind biting into a green apple and drinking a glass of lemon-infused water. Who: With 62 treatment rooms, this one-size-fits-all mega spa feels approachable and escapist.

{Trip Styler Tip :: Most spas in Vegas allow all-day in and out access until close, so take advantage of the environment and stay awhile or come back later for round two.}

Related Vegas Uncork'd Go Fish With Costas Spilladis

[photos courtesy of Vdara, Cosmopolitan and Aria, experienced as a guest of the LVCVA]

The Savvy Traveler :: Lori

[trip style = active & adventure + budget conscious + staycation]

Lori is an uber-accomplished travel writer. She comes by it naturally. Fascinated by travel at an early age, when she was seven years old she told her parents she'd live in a hotel, now she does---part time. A modern-day renaissance woman with a kind soul, Lori is good at everything she sets her mind to: Polynesian, tap, jazz, ballet and modern dance {I wouldn't be surprised if I saw her on So You Think You Can Dance Canada}, and acting to name a few other disciplines she's successfully conquered. Most recently, Lori's added published author to her resume. When she's not writing about indigenous culture, outdoor adventures, sustainable travel and dance in New Zealand, Japan or far-flung parts of Canada, find her biking around Vancouver. Follow Lori's life of adventure on Twitter @LoriHenry and via her website {updated regularly}.

1/ Pick your top three trip styles.
[trip style = active & adventure] Often the best way to see a place is by getting outdoors and into spaces that aren’t part of people’s regular paths. That usually means hiking, cycling, jumping, wading or being airborne to get there. Ideally, self-propelled.

[trip style = budget conscious] Travel shouldn’t only be for those who have lots of money. I would rather travel more with less money, than travel less with more money.

[trip style = staycation] Travelling can be pretty damaging to the environment, so staying close to home is increasingly more appealing to me. It helps that I live in British Columbia, one of the most stunning places in the world.

2/ Overpacker or underpacker?
Underpacker. I hate being weighed down, so I would rather have less than more. I do lots of hand washing in sinks and bathtubs!

3/ The destination that stole your heart?
Cape Breton in the summer! Nova Scotia in general is one of my favourite places to travel to, but Cape Breton actually stole my heart. There is a warm current that runs through the island that is woven together through step dancing feet, linked hands in an Allemande Left, and fiddle tunes that have seeped into my soul.

4/ How often do you travel?
Up until last year, I was travelling once or twice a month. It was insane. Now I am better at balancing shorter trips with longer trips, and getting more than one story each time. Travelling is exhausting!

Last Trip: Kyoto, Japan. This is the oldest city I have ever been to {it was the capital city of Japan in 794} and it was fascinating. I don’t tend to get much culture shock anymore, but I was wide-eyed here in my first jaunt to the country. Everything was a contradiction, yin and yang, old and new, and everything had a cute factor of 10.

Next Trip: It looks like I’ll be heading to the desert this month, for a wellness trip to Phoenix and Mesa, Arizona. There will be massages, kayaking and hot desert air.

On Your Radar: Polynesia {where I am focusing my next books} and Southeast Asia, where I haven’t done much travelling to at all.

5/ You recently wrote a book: Dancing Through History: In Search of the Stories that Define Canada. Tell us about it!
Dancing Through History is a travel/culture/dance book about Canada. I spent four years travelling around the country, on and off, to find cultures that had kept up their traditional dances. The book explores how people and societies use dance as a way to tell their history, family stories, reveal their beliefs and practice their customs, all the while having a good time!

The chapters cover Inuit drum dancing in Nunavut, touch on folk dancing in Newfoundland, and step dancing and square dancing in Cape Breton, what it’s like to dance in the Cirque du Soleil, pow wow and hoop dancing, Métis jigging in Saskatchewan, Ukrainian dancing in the prairies, and First Nations dancing in Vancouver and Haida Gwaii. It’s all about dance, yet goes far beyond dance itself. You can read more here.

More Savvy Travelers
Marc, Extraordinary Adventurer
Marissa, 30 By 30
Jason, Living To Travel
 

{If you know anyone who should be featured in our once-monthly The Savvy Traveler series, drop us a line!}

[photo c/o lori]

My "Find Yours" Background

[trip style = benevolent]

On Monday I told you about my "secret" {but now the cat's out of the bag} trip to San Felipe, Mexico three weeks ago with Expedia for the "Find Your Calling" video shoot. Though 99.9% of my days were spent filming in and around the medical clinic I helped build, I got a chance to snap some photos between takes. Since San Felipe is a bit off the traveler's radar in comparison to Cabo and Cancun, here's bit of background on the town and my journey there...

I've been to San Felipe three times. My Mexi "first" was 18 years ago, followed by a second trip one year later and a third trip 10 years ago. Each journey centered around helping with the development of the medical clinic. And in case you think the experience was cushy, let me assure you it was not. As you can see below, the beach is quite lovely; however, there were no daily sunning sessions après work.

The first and second times I went, the clinic was in its infancy. As a result, we slept like canned sardines in sleeping bags on the floor of an old mobile home trailer beside the site. In the morning, we'd throw our "foamies" to the side and eat cereal in the same spot. Twenty of us shared one bathroom. Looking back, I'm not sure how. Despite the trailer's tattered and sand-stained carpet, basic kitchen and bathroom with rotting linoleum, it was more cushy than the way most locals lived. We had daily food, a roof over our heads and four connecting walls---still a luxury by 90% of the world's standards.

My two spring break visits were in grade 10 and 11. I returned for my third visit when I first started working in the corporate world, but this time as a leader to the teens on the trip. Given that seven or eight years had gone by since my first two visits, the clinic was now a bigger operation, capable of handling more patients with more sophisticated medical equipment.

Fast-forward to present day. When I got the email from Expedia saying they wanted to take me back to San Felipe to film for their "Find Yours" campaign, I was a crying mess.  I couldn't believe that a} the world's largest online travel company would be interested in my story and b} I would have a chance to share a life-changing moment that occurred on a mountaintop 18 years ago.

I learned MANY lessons on that first trip to Mexico, but the one that sticks in my mind the most is when you take yourself outside of your comfort zone, you learn the most. This is not always comfortable, but it can change the course of your life---for the better.

Thanks for sharing my journey. Here are a few photos of my trip to San Felipe with Expedia...

{Getting there}

{The colorful airport}

{San Felipe's arches welcoming visitors}

{5:30am sunrise}

{Our new, half-built hotel from the beach}

{The clinic today}

{The clinic's neighborhood}

{The view of the mountain from the clinic}

{The view from the top of the mountain}

{Lunch: just-caught fresh fish tacos}

{Filming...}

In case you didn't see the video on Monday... Can't view this video?

[Photos by @tripstyler]

Travel Beauty :: Prolong Your Gorgeous Glow

[trip style = any]

{Want more travel beauty? Get your fill the third Wednesday of every month. Lauren, our travel beauty expert, is already whipping up her next concoction post!}

We spend so much time and money trying to get that perfect bronzed look---whether it's at the beach, slathering on self-tanner at home or going to the salon to get sprayed by a professional. The most frustrating thing {ever!} is when you start to see it disappear, especially if it's streaky. With these five quick tips, you can literally double the lifespan of your tan---real or faux {both real and fake tans should last approximately the same amount of time}.

1/ Exfoliate Before Sun Exposure Or Applying Self-Tanner Exfoliating preps your skin by reducing dryness and flakiness. This will help you develop a deeper, longer-lasting tan. Use a loofah, sponge or wash cloth to exfoliate.

2/ Moisturize, Moisturize And Moisturize! Although any good moisturizing cream is better than nothing, it's best to use one developed to enhance your tan like St.Tropez Tan Optimiser Body Moisturizer {$15, Sttropeztan.com} which is full of active ingredients that help you get a natural-looking, even tan. After exfoliating, apply moisturizing cream all over your body, and don't forget dry spots like elbows, hands, knees, ankles and feet.

3/ Shower Rules Avoid using a loofah or sponge in the shower which can cause fading, and also avoid soap-based body washes. Instead, opt for an oil-based product like Eucerin Calming Body Wash Daily Shower Oil {$6.50, Drugstore.com}. Long hot showers or baths can also cause fading so keep them short and sweet!

4/ Hair Removal Do all of your shaving and waxing before tanning.

5/ Sunscreen Not only is sunscreen 100% necessary {we recommend nothing less than an SPF 30 at all times!} to help avoid burning, it also can help your tan last longer. A waterproof sunscreen applied over a fake tan will help prevent fading when outside or at the beach. Always, ALWAYS apply sunscreen whenever you're out in the sun---it's the world best anti-aging cream!

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More Travel Beauty Nicole's Exotic Travel Beauty Picks In-Flight Beauty Masks Q&A With OPI’s Founder {Nail Tips For Travel} Heather’s On-The-Road Beauty Must-Haves On-The-Go Teeth Cleaning St. Tropez’ Celebrity Tanning Expert’s Self-Tanning Secrets  Q & A With Dr. Murad

[photo by @tripstyler]

Find Your Calling

[trip style = benevolent] {video is below}

Three weeks ago I did the opposite of what 99.9% of travelers do in Mexico {read: sip salt-rimmed margs on the beach}---I revisited a place that completely changed the course of my life.

When I was 15, I had the opportunity to visit San Felipe {a little town at the top of the Baja} on my spring break to help build a clinic. The project was significant because the fishing town is isolated and only reachable via a a three-hour, straight-as-an-arrow highway from Mexicali. Without a proper clinic in town, people were dying on the side of the road while trying to reach Mexicali for acute care.

Along with a team of teens from Vancouver, BC, I chiseled concrete, dug trenches and painted to help give the residents something everyone should have access to, but many in the world do not, basic medical care.

I went down with the idea that I'd help the 'poor people' in Mexico. After all, they lived differently than me: in houses constructed with plywood scraps, built on sand, and surrounded by fences constructed of barbed wire and prickly cactus. I could NOT have been more misinformed. I have the locals of San Felipe to thank for changing what I care about, how I spend my time and how I spend my money. To them, I am FOREVER grateful.

Expedia recently got wind of my story, so I went back to San Felipe with a camera team. It is my HIGHEST honor to have revisited the place that disrupted my worldview and changed my course. The just-launched two-minute video is part of Expedia's new campaign: Find Yours.

Eighteen years ago, I found my calling---something I do quietly behind the scenes, but is probably one of the most important parts of my life---find yours.

Can't view this video?

ps - stay tuned, behind-the-scenes photos of San Felipe to come on Friday! And, one other video has been made about Dave & Deb finding their harmony, check it out!