Holy Hammam!

[trip style = spa + luxury]

{Editor's Note: On TS, we don't typically talk about micro experiences---ie, one treatment at the spa---but a recent Turkish hammam I had on the other side of the planet was too out-of-this world to keep to myself. If Dubai is on your immediate or one-day travel list, ladies AND gentlemen, I implore you to read on in the name of bliss!}

When I traveled to Dubai in December, my trip started at the spa. If you haven't tried this immediate relaxation method, I HIGHLY recommend beginning every trip this way.

The bliss session in question took place in the Middle East's largest Turkish Hammam spa---normally a deterrent but in this case a plus---at 9.30am Dec. 5th, 2012. It left me and the three other travel writers I was with in a state of shock and awe as we melted into a regal relaxation chamber, feasting on nuts and a salted yogurt bevvie {to replenish our electrolytes} in the bathhouse post-treatment.

Under a gold and red hand-painted dome atop a heated slab of moss-green marble, we tried the spa's signature Turkish hammam treatment at Talise Ottoman Spa in a hotel I profiled last week: the luxe Jumeriah Zabeel Saray. Surrounded by columns and arches, I sprawled out beside a huge copper jug of warm water on a peach towel in the center of the room. There was no spa soundtrack on replay. Instead the sound of splashing water echoed in the dome above.

The treatment started with a full-court-press scrubbing, supplemented by cleansing splashes of water. This scrub-splash process went on for 30 minutes until I was raw like a just-peeled carrot {normal in hammam treatments}. After the head-to-toe exfoliation was complete---the pain part of the gain---the soaping started. Aside from the spa's physical details---the Ottoman architecture and rich materials culled from the world over---this part of the treatment will be stamped into my mind for eternity.

On top of the octogonal platform my eyes were closed in 'spa mode' until the olive oil-infused soaping started. The second I felt what I'll call the 'soap pillow' on top of my left leg, my eyes flashed open. I could not process the sensation. Enveloped in a gazillion tiny bubbles, I raised my head and looked back to visualize what was happening, unable to place the sensation with my other four senses. As my Turkish towel-clad attendant ran the bubble bundle from my feet to my shoulders it was like I was floating, weightless, on top of the clouds. At that moment, I might have seen an angel or two flutter by.

A massage and more splashing followed until we ended up beside a mineral pool to relax post-treatment. I did not go to Dubai searching for a Sex and the City moment in the Middle East, but just short of a fan and grape attendant, I found it here.

Given the size of the spa's size, nearly 2 acres, there's more than just the hammams to keep you occupied. Outfitted with everything {and more} you could ever ask for, there's snow rooms, adventure showers, hot stone beds, mineral pools, steam and sauna rooms, etc... In other words, you'll want to spend an ENTIRE day---or four---at the spa.

*The cost for the Turkish Hammam treatment is approximately $90usd. *If you want a traditional hammam but don't want to travel 15 hours, visit the Cosmopolitan's Spa in Vegas---not the same level, but lovely. *As a guest of the hotel, you have access to the spa's facilities during your stay. Treatments are extra.

[photos by @tripstyler taken while as a guest of the spa]

Travel Beauty :: LA's {Must-Stop} Organic Pharmacy

[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!

I just got back from LA---my former stomping grounds---with an EXTRA suitcase filled to the brim with clothes, food, and guess what took up a biggest amount of suitcase space? Products from The Organic Pharmacy. Founded by a pharmacist and her husband, I absolutely love this UK-based health and beauty store. With natural, non-toxic products and uber-knowledgeable staff to recommend beauty solutions for your every whim, this store is your one-stop beauty shop. Below are a few of the items I picked up on this trip!

1/ Carrot Butter Cleanser $69 Yes, the price is a little steep for a cleanser, but this has to be the thickest, richest cleanser I've ever used. In these cold winter months, nothing makes my skin feel so clean yet so soft. I love the balm-like consistency.

2/ Immune Tonic $26 This tincture was created to help boost the immune system and fight infection, all you do is add 10 drops into a glass of water. Perfect for before or after a flight, or during cold and flu season; Immune Tonic is a no-brainer I always keep in my purse. This tonic is made with potent ingredients like Astragalus, Cat's Claw, Elderberry, Thyme, and Plantain, all known to boost the immune system.

3/ Cleopatra's Milk Bath $64 The name alone got me! This relaxing bath soak has luxurious rose petals and decadent, hydrating milk as main ingredients, taking your regular bath to a whole other level.

Bonus - Apricot & Chamomile Lotion for Baby $27 I recently had my second baby and this light lotion leaves my little ones smelling d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s. I love that it's made without any harsh chemicals and filled with ingredients like Apricot Oil, Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Chamomile and Aloe.

PS - Want these lotions and potions now? You can order them online.

More Travel Beauty Splurge VS Steal {Part 2} Splurge VS Steal {Part 1} Gorgeous Hair In 5 Minutes A Sky-Vival Kit

[collage by @tripstyler with images sourced online]

Instagram :: The Ultimate Travel Tool

[trip style = any]

Not just a snap-py tool to follow friends, swoon over glamor shots of far-flung locales or ogle latte art, Instagram is one of my favorite travel tools. Lately I've been chatting with my travel friends about how we use it as one of our go-to galavanting guides, so I wanted to give you the quick and dirty deets. Use it the right way and suddenly, a picture turns into a plan.

Trip Styler Tip :: O-B-V-I-O-U-S-L-Y TripStyler's on Instagram

How To Use Instagram As Your Travel BFF 1. Hashtags Whether it's a tourism organization, hotel or restaurant, travel-related businesses are harnessing the power of hashtags to build up a user-generated database of 'real people' photos. For example, if you're interested in a place you want to visit, say Canada, search the #exploreCanada hashtag for inspiration. Maybe you decide a tour of BC is your best bet; in this case search #exploreBC. The list goes on. To find the hashtag associated with your destination, airline, restaurant or shop du moment, go to the username and see if they mention a hashtag in their profile, or search possible hashtags to find the right one. The example above is a shot I took in Osooyoos, BC in the early fall, which I hastagged #exploreCanada and #exploreBC.

2. Geotags A few weeks ago, I was getting a coffee at Koffi in Palm Springs when I spotted a hotel I've always wanted to check into: The Horizon Hotel. A midcentury gem in all its clean-lined glory, I decided to walk in and self-tour the property. Naturally, I took a photo while there {above}, instagrammed and geotagged it. Interested what the rooms look like on the inside, I clicked the hotel's geotag and started scrolling though scores of snaps. This five-minute photo safari only confirmed my desire to stay, revealing details like private showers and complimentary breakfast in bed. **Looking through geotagged photos is easiest when you post a photo, geotag it, then go back to your feed and click on the geotag to look at everybody's snaps for that location. If you're not at the place associated with the geotag and want to search its geotag, find the associated hashtag or username, then search through the photos to find the geotag.

3. Personal Recommendations You can search your Insta-muse's photos two ways: 1/ follow their Instagram day-to-day; 2/ click on their photo map to see where they've gone and what they like.

For example, I follow Sunset Magazine on Instagram. The mag's Insta is updated by the editor who lives in Seattle, so many of the photos are of cool spots in the PNW. As a result, I get a lot of recommendations about where to eat around the Emerald City from Sunset, like in the photo above {a relaxed coffee/bike shop beside some of Ballard's hottest restaurants}. Thanks Sunset. I'm a little more plump Insta-knowing you.

[photos via @tripstyler]

Roam+Board :: Jumeirah Zabeel Saray

[trip style = luxury + beach + sun]

{Editor's Note: I know it's been awhile since I've done a Roam+Board, and I've got a list taller than the Burj Khalifa lying in wait. The first R+B of 2013 goes to---opening the envelope---a resort I was a guest of (and HIGHLY recommend) while in Dubai last month.}

What There are times when photos overhype a hotel. This is not the case for the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, completed in January 2011. The scale, stature and sizzle of this 405-room resort sends you into a Nirvana-like state with every glance---and that's just the lobby. Oversized silk drapery, regal velvet seating, Anatolian carpets, triangular arches and ornate chandeliers {the size of my living room} grace the space.

Situated on the Western Crescent of Jumeirah Palm Island, every room has a view. Dripping in more velvet and fine everything, the bedrooms also shine on the inside. Gold-leaf walls provide the backdrop for my evening throne which makes the intricate wooden cutout above the bed glow. I go to sleep dreaming about serenading the Middle East atop a flying carpet.

Yet, I almost miss the bed because the bathroom is so decadent; it stops me in my tracks. Clad in light grey marble, the vanity is decorated with a pounded copper sink and lit by twin and twinkly Moroccan lights. Two stairs lead to the bathtub, and into another world. Big enough to bathe a baby elephant, the bath area is a room unto itself topped in a golden dome. I consider sleeping in the tub one evening---because I can.

The rest of the property---which you can see featured in MI4---is the city below your throne's perch. Twelve restaurants, a spa, a beach, an infinity pool and a 29-seat screening room provide substance and distraction in your Ottoman-inspired kingdom.

Where Dubai, United Arab Emirates, a 40-minute drive from Dubai's Airport {DXB}.

When It was 26-degrees C when I visited in early December, so you can imagine summer is s-c-o-r-c-h-i-n-g---it's the desert after all. Visiting in the winter, spring and fall means less sweating and more savoring.

Who/Why Dubai is SO international it's as common to eat beside a relative of Dubai's ruler {Sheikh Mohammed}, as it is to lounge at the pool beside a Brit, Russian or Japanese.

Cost Rates start at $250 per night and include WiFi. Note: it's a 20-minute drive to leave the man-made palm island, but taxis are cheap. In fact, a common local saying is "gas is cheaper than water."

More Dubai Dubai in 30 Photos SEA ---> DXB Nonstop, Flying High With Emirates First Look :: Dubai

[photos taken by @tripstyler except lead photo, courtesy of the hotel]

KinderHop :: International Views On Family Travel

[trip style = any]

KinderHop is published once monthly and written by Trip Styler’s Seattle-based kid ‘n family writer, Keryn.

Not everyone can be or wants to be a traveling family like ours. Some families prefer to stay home or take short domestic trips. Each of us has our own style, but is this a personal preference or does it run deeper? Is it really a cultural thing?

As I have crossed the globe with my little traveling tribe of men, I’ve noticed travel is a priority for many families across the world, especially in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. While traveling through Europe this past fall we met other families on holiday for the weekend or their mid-semester break. Their escapes weren't seen as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. It was just something they did, and the parents didn’t think twice about bringing the children with them.

1/ Aside from the fact that many countries in the EU are close together, why do Europeans hit the road and friendly skies more  than their contemporaries in North America? Emiel who hails from the Netherlands and writes Act of Traveling thinks it’s because “living in such a small country we really depend on trade. In the early days---I'm talking 15 and 16th century---the Dutch sailed the world in order to explore and discover. We had big dreams for our small country. Traveling is in our genes.”

2/ Education has also played a large roll in how former jetset individuals and couples are now tackling travel as a family. Theodora of Escape Artistes was born and raised in the UK, but is now living the life of a digital nomad. She makes it work as a freelance writer, and home schools her son from destinations like Egypt and Laos. She says, “In the UK longterm travel is fairly normal; it's very common to take a GAP year before starting university, and spend a year traveling the world. Seizing the internet era, we continued this trend and set forth."

3/ Bethaney of Flashpacker Family was born in New Zealand and has been exploring ever since. “It's culturally ingrained in every New Zealander to head to the UK for a year or two after university. We call it our OE or Overseas Experience. The only way to visit Europe when you live so far away is to basing yourself there for an extended period. After doing my OE, I was hooked. Now that I have a family, I use the same mentality: pick a home base abroad and explore from there."

4/ Michelle of WanderMom is an expat from Ireland living in Seattle. She believes that it might be the familiar holding some families back. “When you come from a small country you learn not to expect normalcy when you travel. Before Ryanair I can't think of a single Irish travel brand I'd see outside Ireland. As a result you'd expect local customs and standards when abroad. I see many American friends expecting the familiar while traveling, which makes it more difficult for them to travel comfortably outside the US.”

Whether you believe it is a cultural trait or personal preference, you can never go wrong when you decide to pack up your family and show your kids the world by hostel or hotel. You will open their eyes, broaden their horizons and introduce them to their global contemporaries. Even if you only make it to the next city, state or province, showing your children pieces of the world is more than they ever knew before.

More KinderHop Time Zones, Jet Lag & Kids Transitioning From Couple To Family Travel Back to School Seattle Shop ‘n Stay How To Keep Kids Occupied On A Plane Family Road Tripping Tips How To Pack Less With Kids In Tow Family-Friendly Big Island Making Hotel Rooms Work With Kids

[photos by via each family]