Posted on: Sunday, November 28, 2004

SAVVY TRAVELLER

By Irene Croft Jr.

For more than 2,000 years, travelers have visited spas in search of rejuvenation, health cures and relaxation. Originally associated with thermal springs thought to have curative powers, the term spa derives from a town of the same name in eastern Belgium, famed for its healing waters. Nowadays, when people speak of a spa, they could mean a beauty and fitness resort, a restorative clinic, a hot-springs complex, a sports camp, a wellness retreat or even a specialized medical resort.

There are hundreds of spas around the globe, with the major concentration in Europe and North America. The amenities range from spartan to luxurious; meals, from plain vegetarian to glamorous low-cal, to high protein/low-carbohydrate; regimens, from relaxing to strenuous; and prices, from sensible to stratospheric. Whether you want a break from stress, a younger face and trimmer figure, or just a mental and physical tune-up, there's a spa geared to your goals.

And do not overlook the new day spas that can pamper your body and refresh your spirit in just a few hours. Quite a number of these have opened in recent years right here in the Islands.

A European spa usually will be in an area celebrated for its physical charms, with local sightseeing a bonus during your visit. These traditional old-world spas, often with monumental baths from Roman times, tend to emphasize medical and natural-healing programs, with many renowned for their rejuvenation therapies. Their literature implies that a week or two of a particular therapy will make you beautiful, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

Some of the near-legendary centers include Champneys in England, Clinique La Prairie in Switzerland, Italy's Spa Deus, and Germany's Baden-Baden. If your interest in spas is for serious medical procedures, check with your physician for recommendations and caveats.

In contrast to the European spas' promises of the fountain of youth, a more holistic or active approach is more common in their North American counterparts. Most of our homegrown spas bill themselves as health and fitness centers. This covers just about every client orientation, from the dieter to the meditator, to the exerciser to the pampered princess. Although you may have heard of elite havens such as the Golden Door, the Greenhouse and La Costa, you may not be aware that nearly all 50 states — including our own — boast first-rate spas.

In addition to the traditional programs of aerobics, yoga, aquatics, sauna, cosmetic treatments, massage and nutrition, some health and fitness centers lean toward more esoteric regimens. These include such treatments as aromatherapy, Ayurveda, reflexology, phytotherapy, galvanic baths, fango, hydrotherapy, cosmetic lymph drainage, polarity therapy, acupressure and thalassotherapy. Loony and incomprehensible as some of these may sound to the spa-proof reader, all are promoted as beneficial to the enhancement of body and soul.

Wellness centers may be operated as super-serious retreats for the dedicated mental and physical fitness buff, but most American spas are true resorts, with a vacation atmosphere, and excellent facilities for men and women and even children. Many offer trail rides, hiking, water sports, golf, tennis and other diversions as a counterpoint to the primary emphasis on health and beauty. And cruise ships certainly have taken up the standard to provide a full range of traditional spa programs, as well as state-of-the-art workout centers.

Depending upon the location, quality of bed and board, amenities and program orientation, you'll pay anywhere from a low of about $700 per week, all inclusive, to a high of $6,000 or more. Reports indicate that 90 percent of spas operating in this country cost less than $1,500 per week. Some health resorts offer full vacation packages including air and extras. In general, the beauty- and medical-oriented spas will be on the pricey end, with the holistic and fitness-oriented centers carrying cheaper tabs.

Everything you want to know about day spas, destination/resort spas and medical spas, plus explanations of more than 70 kinds of treatments, is contained in "The New Spa Encyclopedia" by Leavy and Bergel. Or begin your search on the Internet at spas.about.com.

To zero in on a spa that will advance your personal goals, peruse the comprehensive, detailed descriptions in "The Spa Sourcebook" by Judith Lazarus; in "100 Best Spas in the World, 2nd" by Burt and Price; in Fodor's "Healthy Escapes, 8th Edition" by Mark Sullivan; or in Karin Baji-Holms' "101 Vacations to Change Your Life: A Guide to Wellness Centers, Spiritual Retreats and Spas."

A new book, "Hawai'i's Spa Experience," by Sherrie Strausfogel (Mutual Publishing) offers a directory of local spas and their services along with information on conducting home spa treatments.

Do your homework. Investigate the offerings of these well-reputed tour operators specializing in U.S./worldwide spa-package arrangements: Great Spas of the World, (800) 772-8463 or www.spatime.com; Spa-Finders, (800) 255-7727 or www.spafinder.com; and Spa Trek Travel, (800) 272-3480 or www.spatrek.com. Then consult with your travel agent for personal recommendations and to book the most appropriate spa vacation.

If you like the notion of improving your health-and-fitness quotient from your own backyard, there are attractive spa facilities throughout Hawai'i that will welcome you for a day or longer. Weekly rates range from about $1,500 to $4,000 or more per person.

This is far from a comprehensive list, but just to get you started, possibilities include:

• On Kaua'i: Princeville Health Club & Spa, (808) 826-5030; Anara Spa at the Hyatt Regency Kauai, (808) 742-1234. For traditional Hawaiian therapies, contact Auntie Angeline of Muolaulani, (808) 822-3235, for a day appointment.

• On Lana'i: Manele Bay Hotel Spa, (808) 565-7700.

• On the Big Island: Kohala Spa in Hilton Waikoloa Village, (808) 886-2828; Orchid at Mauna Lani Spa Without Walls, (808) 885-2000; the Sports Club & Spa at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, (808) 325-8000; and Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel Spa, (808) 880-3100.

• On Maui: Spa Grande at the Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa, (808) 875-1234; Spa Hotel Hana-Maui, (808) 270-5290; Hyatt Regency Maui Resort's Spa Moana, (808) 661-1234, or Spa at Four Seasons Resort Maui, (808) 874-8000.

• On O'ahu: Mandara Spa & Holistica Wellness Center at Hilton Hawaiian Village, 945-7721; Na Ho'ola Spa at Hyatt Regency Waikiki, 921-6097; JW Marriott Ihilani Resort and Spa, 679-0079; SpaHalekulani at the Halekulani Hotel, 923-2311; Paul Brown's Spa Olakino at Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort, 924-2121; and Abhasa Waikiki Spa at the Royal Hawaiian, 922-8200.

Irene Croft Jr. of Kona is a travel writer and 40-year veteran globetrotter. Her column is published every other week.