Vacationing with a companion — or a group — has its obvious ups and downs, with raucous good times for the most part, and lasting memories for friends or loved ones. But, there are also those times that leave you itching for some alone time, especially when personality clashes and disagreements about which activities to participate in surface.
If you’re the type who enjoys your own company, unafraid to sit at a restaurant and dine alone, opt to go solo once in a while. It’s not bad, really. In fact, it can be downright gratifying and soul-enriching, beginning with a plane ride to Maui.
If you give in to the idea that Hawaii is nothing but a place of romance, you’ll be sure to feel tortured by the honeymooning couples that seem oblivious to the fact that nibbling on each other’s earlobes in the pool might be offensive to those of us who want to focus on the sun, the ocean, the flora, fauna and spas such as the five-star Grand Wailea’s Spa Grande. It is here that you can book an Awapuhi Body Therapy treatment, to which you should note: Do not shave prior to this treatment.
The brochure reads, “Hawaiian sea salts, ginger root, lemongrass, Hawaiian green papaya, honey and a mix of rich oils, including macadamia nut and coconut oils, exfoliate and detoxify, reduce water retention and deeply moisturize.” And the results are true to the service.
Plan to arrive at the spa one hour earlier than your scheduled treatment time so that you can enjoy some time in the Terme baths, such as the Moor Mud Tub, the aromatherapy bath, with its aroma of essential oils sure to calm you, the Pacific sea salt bath that will stimulate your metabolism, the green papaya bath to moisturize your skin, and the mineral bath to revitalize and relax the mind and body. After each soak, a mandatory Vichy shower sterilizes you for the next bath.
The waterfall basin will surely beckon you, so be sure to head in the direction of the contraption that looks similar to a men’s room urinal. Try to convince yourself that it’s not as awkward as it looks, because it is.
Once your hour is up, you’re ready and primed for the treatment room, just past the Roman Jacuzzi. This small treatment room is walled with green glass blocks to add sunlight, but also offer privacy. You will be nude for this exfoliation treatment, except for a hand cloth on your buttocks. Loofah sponge in hand, your massage therapist will begin to slough your entire backside with salts. The salts will cake to your body and you will be handed a bed sheet to secure the whole mess as you head to the sauna, where a towel and pillow will await you in the 100-degrees room. It is here you will rest, eyes covered in cucumber slices and a cold, water-soaked face cloth. The massage therapist will then place one cloth on your neck and another on each foot. This will feel soothing, refreshing and nurturing all at the same time. In five minutes, these cool cloths are replaced before scampering back to the treatment room where you’ll be washing the salt off your body using the wall shower in front of the massage table. The hand tool works well to remove the stubborn grit. After a quick towel dry, it’s back on the table for a slathering of oil on every square inch of your body before you head back out to enjoy your time alone, relaxed and rejuvenated in paradise.
Grand Wailea
3850 Wailea Alanui Drive
Wailea, Maui, HI 96753
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