Dream Vacations from Intrepid Express

Intrepid Express has some newly designed dream vacations designed to get you relaxed and beautiful from the inside out. Having fully researched their Balinese Yoga Vacation I am going to go sit by the pool and imagine that I'm back at my Balinese Ibu's house where I'd eat breakfast by the pool every morning. Sigh......

Brazil - Island Fitness Retreat

The Island Fitness Retreat is a unique fitness vacation on the island paradise of Ilha Grande, just off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. With yoga, meditation and massage therapies and outdoor activities such as hiking, kayaking, and snorkeling, and nutritional and healthy calorie-controlled meals prepared by the on-site nutritionist, the Island Fitness Retreat will invigorate and revitalize! We'll help you elevate your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being whilst you enjoy being fit and healthy in the company of other like-minded and adventurous individuals. The program is designed to detox your body and de-stress your mind.more trip info...

Bali Bootcamp

Bali Bootcamp experience offers you a great opportunity to work on your fitness whilst sharing a taste of Bali life and culture. With Bootcamp instructors that pride themselves on helping recruits to enjoy each session and to achieve great results. Enjoy clean mountain air, lush soothing garden settings and the warmth of genuine Balinese hospitality in this intensive six days. Designed to improve your fitness whilst in the company of other motivated guests in a very supportive and comfortable environment, the Bootcamp combines a variety of cardiovascular and strength workouts for abilities and fitness levels.
more trip info...

Japan Fitness Vacation

Here's a trip to get your heart racing! The Japan Fitness Vacation provides an opportunity to focus your attention on a multitude of physical activities whilst learning about Japanese culture and life. In an action-packed 8 days you'll try karate and aikido, sea kayaking and rafting, mountain biking and a highlight of any active trip to Japan, you'll experience the exultation of ascending Mt Fuji for views at sunrise. You will also learn about the sumo culture and take guided practice in zazen meditation aimed to bring about a calm body and mind to enable you to gain insight. Shiatsu massages feel all the better after a physical work-out and there will be opportunities to indulge during our trip. The fitness, martial arts and massage experts will assist and support you through this fast-paced and active trip. They will also provide valuable insight into Japanese culture and history and you will come away from this trip, not only feeling fitter and healthier but with skills and learning's to take home and apply in every day life. Welcome to the dynamic and ever changing land of the rising sun more trip info...

Byron Bay - Surf Yoga Retreat

A yoga and surf experience unlike any other. Relax, unwind, re-connect, eat well, be pampered, have huge amounts of fun, connect within, get inspired, deepen or develop your personal yoga practice and surfing journey in the stunning surrounds of world famous Byron Bay, Australia. more trip info...





Kenya - Yoga and Meditation Retreat

On the Kenyan coast, you wake to the sounds of the waves and a mesmerizing display of orange, pink and red as the sun rises over the Indian ocean. This retreat aims to provide every guest with their own personal pathway to peace through sunrise yoga, ayurvedic massage, mediation and simply re-learning the art of relaxation. more trip info...





Thailand - Yoga and Meditation Retreat

The day begins with a yoga class in our yoga sala overlooking the fringing reef of the Andaman Sea. Following a gourmet breakfast, simply relax, hang out on the beach or snorkel and dive some of Asia's best coral reefs. Hike the interior of the island or take a trip to the mainland and wander round the Thai markets before returning for our afternoon yoga session as the sun sets.
more trip info...



Malta - Yoga and Meditation Retreat

Gozo, a tiny island belonging to Malta, is one of the last unspoiled spots in the Mediterranean and offers a perfect setting for the retreat. As well as yoga twice a day, there are stunning walks, a huge range of UNESCO world heritage historical sites to explore, local markets, fishing villages and beautiful swimming beaches. more trip info...

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Guest Blog from Intrepid Travel's Chotie Moloney

I have been dying for a Spa vacation lately. The past month has been an emotional roller coaster and I can picture nothing better than soaking myself in thermal mineral water that has been percolating below the earth's surface for a few hundred years. In fact the one phrase that has been running through my mind this week has been "SPA: Salud Per Aqua" So when Chotie's Japanese Onsen article arrived in my inbox I immediately got permission from Intrepid Travel to share it with you, my lovely, presumably overworked Beauty's Spot readers so we can all have a little virtual hadaka no tsukiai.

In Japan there is a centuries-old tradition that washes away the worries of your world and leaves you feeling completely relaxed. If you follow local etiquette your experience will be very soothing, but as Intrepid's Chotie Moloney explains, if you don't do your homework, bathing in a Japanese onsen could leave you in hot water...

In Hot Water In Japan

"Bathing in Japan is a unique experience. The popular onsen is a public bath filled with water from a natural hot spring and these indoor or outdoor facilities are scattered all over the country. Japanese people have bathed in mineral-rich hot springs for centuries, aspousing the health benefits of this national pastime.

Here are some steps to ensure etiquette is respected and bath time is enjoyed by all, but before we start, make sure you take notice of the signage to be sure if it's single or mixed-gender bathing!...

1. Bring a small towel to use as a wash cloth (yes, this is only a bit longer than your average face cloth), as well as a bath towel with you. Most onsen have free soaps and shampoos, but bring some just in case.

2. Undress yourself at the Datsuijyo (changing room). Leave your bath towel with your clothes here in the lockers or baskets provided. Embrace the naked you (swim suits are not allowed) and taking only the small towel, enter the Yokujyo (bathroom).

3. Tattoos are often associated with the Yakuza (Japanese Mafia). If you have tattoos, prepare to cover them up as a tattooed person is sometimes not allowed in public baths in Japan. And you want to blend in as much as possible.

4. Wash yourself at the Araiba. Sit on the small chairs (kindergarten size) and thoroughly wash from head to toe. The small towel is to scrub your body with soap. You must be clean and soap free to enter an onsen.

5. Walk into the bath and relax. Don't put the small towel into the water, this is placed on the head. At a constant 37 degrees Celsius (98 degrees Fahrenheit), you soak for about 15-20 minutes (if you can stand the heat), then have a quick rinse with cold water and back in for more. The average Japanese bather spends up to an hour at an onsen.

6. Before you leave, take a shower again. You are so relaxed by this stage, be careful not to fall off your pint sized washing chair!

7. Wipe your body with the small towel before returning to Datsuijyo.

8. Back in the Datsuijyo wipe yourself well with your bath towel. Put your clothes on and depart.

You are guaranteed a good night's slumber. The expression "hadaka no tsukiai" or in English "the naked relationship" is used in Japan to express a sense of deep friendship. If you take a bath with someone, that means you are already friends. It certainly helps to break down hierarchy at work, a great way to unwind from a stressful day and a fantastic social gathering for friends and family.There was an onsen in Kyoto not far from our Intrepid ryokan where the Datsuijyo and Yokujyo are located one floor apart; so you all enter the elevator in your birthday suit, with only a small towel for comfort. I didn't quite work up the nerve to visit that one!"

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