The Best Resorts & Spas

Pampering in Paradise

Spa-goers in Hawaii look for a sense of place, steeped in the culture. They want to hear the sound of the ocean, smell the salt air, and feel the caress of the warm breeze. They want to experience Hawaiian products and traditional treatments that can only be found in the islands. And now they can.

With so much to offer, the spas of Hawaii, once nearly exclusively patronized by women, are now attracting more male clients. Special massages are offered for children and pregnant women, and some spas have programs to nurture and relax brides on their big day.

Today's Hawaiian spas offer a wide diversity of treatments. Forget plain, ordinary massages -- now you can try Hawaiian lomilomi, Swedish, aromatherapy (with sweet-smelling oils), craniosacral (massaging the head), shiatsu (no oil, just deep thumb pressure on acupuncture points), Thai (another oil-less massage involving stretching), and hot stone (with heated, and sometimes cold, rocks). There are even side-by-side massages for couples. The truly decadent might try a duo massage -- not one, but two massage therapists working on you at once.

Massages are just the beginning. Body treatments, for the entire body or for just the face, involve a variety of herbal wraps, masks, or scrubs using a range of ingredients from seaweed to salt to mud, with or without accompanying aromatherapy, lights, and music.

After you have been rubbed and scrubbed, most spas offer an array of water treatments -- a sort of hydromassage in a tub with jets and an assortment of colored crystals, oils, and scents.

Those are just the traditional treatments. Most spas also offer a range of alternative health care procedures such as acupuncture and chiropractic, and other exotic treatments such as ayurvedic and siddha from India or reiki from Japan. Once your body has been pampered, spas also offer a range of fitness facilities (weight-training equipment, racquetball, tennis, golf) and classes (yoga, aerobics, step, spinning, stretch, tai chi, kickboxing, aquacize). Several even offer adventure fitness packages (from bicycling to snorkeling). For the nonadventurous, most spas have salons, dedicated to hair- and nail-care and makeup.

If all this sounds a bit overwhelming, not to worry, all the spas in Hawaii have individual consultants who will help design an appropriate treatment program to fit your individual needs.

Of course, all this pampering doesn't come cheap. But to banish your tension and stress? The expense may be worth it. Massages are generally $100 to $135 for 50 minutes and $145 to $180 for 80 minutes; body treatments are in the $100 to $180 range; and alternative health-care treatments can be as high as $150 to $220.

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Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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				Frommer's Honolulu, Waikiki & Oahu, 10th Edition Author: Jeanette Foster Pub Date: November 19, 2007 Price: $17.99				Related Titles: Frommer's Hawaii 2008 Frommer's Hawaii 2009 Frommer's Hawaii with Kids, 2nd Edition