With the winds and chills in Los Angeles today, a trip to French Polynesia sounds really good about now. Just a five hour flight from Los Angeles on Air Tahiti Nui (Air Tahiti Nui), which offers the best schedule, it’s a fantasy land of sundrenched lagoons and magical mountains staged in a magical setting of Gauguin-esque sunsets.
Like many Angelenos, I have visited the archipelago many times and am always awe-struck with its beauty and charm. You need little more than a sarong and sun screen in this casual French playground. And it doesn’t take much to succumb to its relaxed ambiance. However for any A-types among you who need to supplement French Polynesia’s sedative affect with some spa time. There are plenty of choices.
High on the list of recommendations is t Pacific Beachcomber S.C., French Polynesia’s leader in the luxury tourism market. Home to some of the most indulgent spa treatments in the South Pacific., housed on the m/s Paul Gauguin and at InterContinental Resorts French Polynesia, theywill melt away the last traces of stress.
Aboard the Paul Gauguin, the Deep Nature Spa by Algotherm, offers a blend of gentle pampering with services tailored to the unique needs of each individual. Designed as a luxurious refuge, the spa offers an extensive range of skin-care therapies and body and beauty treatments.
The overwater massages are amazing and offered on the ship’s private motu off the coast of Taha’a. The Deep Nature Spa’s signature treatment is a 90-minute luxurious Monoi Massage employing time-honored Polynesian techniques for a transformative treatment from head to toe. The spa has recently introduced the Algoderm system to provide hydrating, toning, and revitalizing facial treatments as well as Algo Silhouette contouring, toning, and firming techniques.
On land, the pampering continues along the white-sand beaches of Tahiti and Bora Bora at the Deep Ocean Spa by Algotherm, found at both the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa and the InterContinental Tahiti Resort & Spa. Recently voted Most Innovative Spa of the Year by the AsiaSpa Awards 2011, the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa is the first spa in the world to utilize the benefits of deep-sea water and minerals extracted from the Pacific Ocean in each of its treatments, such as the signature “Bora Bora Deep Blue Massage.”
Treatments offered at all three spas include the “Supreme Gold Massage,” inspired by traditional Russian massage methods, it uses gold and two exceptional caviars to bring out beautifully glowing skin. Baltic Caviar is high in fatty acids and antioxidants to moisturize and tone, while the Marine Gold Caviar is rich with minerals and proteins to energize the skin. A series of thermal shocks, along with relaxing pressures and kneading, leaves the body reenergized and skin radiant and covered in a golden veil.
About Paul Gauguin Cruises
The 332 passenger Paul Gauguin has completed more than 570 South Pacific cruises, serving more than 176,250 guests, including more than 15,000 honeymooners, since its inaugural sail in 1998. The Gauguin has undergone more than $25 million in enhancements, with an additional $7 million scheduled for completion in January 2012
Paul Gauguin Cruises also recently announced the acquisition of a second ship, which will begin sailing under the Paul Gauguin Cruises banner in December 2012. With plans to sail to the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Latin America, this ship will be christened m/vMoana after completing a multifaceted renovation in December 2012. Moana features 45 staterooms accommodating 90 guests.
About InterContinental Resorts French Polynesia
Owned and operated by Richard H. Bailey and his company, Pacific Beachcomber S.C., there are four InterContinental Hotels & Resorts in French Polynesia: InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa, InterContinental Bora Bora Le Moana Resort, InterContinental Tahiti Resort, and InterContinental Moorea Resort & Spa. For additional information, visit www.tahitiresorts.intercontinental.com.
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