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You Should Chose A Wellness Retreat For Vacationing

December 26th, 2009 No comments

A wellness retreat should be on your list for one of your next potential vacation spots. This year you may not want to just sit around a pool drinking margaritas all day. Instead, you can go to a retreat where you can get pampered but also get healthy. A wellness retreat is a perfect vacation for those that are stressed out from running the rat race every day.

The term health spa used to apply pretty well to a place where you could go get pampered and enjoy some of the benefits of a healthy regimen. Then, fat farms came into the picture and turned our ideas of a health spa to boot camp for fat people where the diets are restrictive and dull and the exercise routines are punishing. Now, a health spa is more likely to be found in the pricey part of town and it’s a place to get a facial and your nails done. This leaves us with the term wellness retreat when we are talking accommodations that will spoil you and add a healthy routine to your stay.

Throughout the world you can find many wellness retreats.

If you are looking for one of the best wellness retreats you will want to consider the Canyon Ranch in Miami Beach. This retreat is on the ocean and there is a 70,000 square foot spa right in the middle of all of the lavish accommodations. At this wellness retreat you can indulge in massage, facials, fitness, and much more.

You might pick another wellness retreat for your vacation, like Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort and Spa in Katoomba, New South Wales, Australia. Located in a gorgeous Australian National Park, you can experience nature walks for therapy and spa treatment based on Aboriginal rituals. You can have your own out-of-body experience perched upon this cliff-top overlook where indulgence surpasses the corporeal.

If you prefer to stay in North America, you might choose Alive Health Resort, for your wellness retreat. Located in Kelowna, British Colombia, Alive Health Resort has a rustic charm that’s hard to deny. It’s cradled in the forests of the Monashee Mountains, with breath taking views and plenty of hiking and outdoor exercise for the back-to-nature type. Once you’ve had your wellness retreat experience here, it will be difficult to return to the bustle and strife of the real world.

If you want to travel to a wellness retreat whose therapies include that of slowing down the aging process, you will be headed to the wine country of Bordeaux, France to Les Sources de Caudelie. You can experience massages and wraps that utilize, of all things, grape extracts. These therapies are said to enhance blood flow by strengthening blood vessels. A similar treatment is available from the inside out, as you are also encouraged to take part in the resort’s wine tasting parties every week.

The resorts listed above are just some of the renowned wellness retreats available. Most of these can get quite expensive. However, there are wellness retreats that can fit most budgets. Make sure you shop around and find that one retreat that is perfect for you and your wallet.

Sean Pratch is a accomplished poker player and designer ofclay poker chips. Sean has aided with the design of hundreds of chips for games held around the globe. View a free gallery ofcustom poker chips

The History of CountryLink Parkes Elvis Holiday

November 19th, 2009 No comments

The first CountryLink Parkes holiday was held on January ’93 in the town of Parkes, Central New South Wales. It is found 365 Kilometers west of Sydney, Australia. Lots of the eleven thousand towns folk are passionate about Elvis Presley but one man in particular is extremely keen about Elvis.

He was fascinated with the King when he was only five years old, after watching ‘Love Me Tender’ staring Elvis, that was in’59. He started his Elvis mementos collection at this age. But when he turned 16, he became even more keen about Elvis. In ’97, Neville and his wife Debbie made the trip to ‘Graceland’ the famous home of Elvis in Tennessee, USA, they returned home with 6 suitcases of keepsakes and Neville ‘deed polled’ his legal name to ‘Elvis’ with his Mother’s permission.

Neville and Debbie have a room in their place about the dimensions of a garage that is set up with nothing but Elvis mementos. Each year during the CountryLink Parkes festival, the room is open to the general public to view all the entrancing items he has picked up.

The month of January was picked for this festival as it would coincide with Elvis’ birthday of Jan 8th, and because it was actually the slow tourism time for the city.

The first year the holiday was given, it only lasted one night and over a few hundred folks attended. In the 10 years that followed, 1 or 2 more events had been added and a few hundred folks attended every year.

In 2004 and 2005, some new council members stepped in and had new visions and ideas. Now it has grown to 8,000 folks in 2008 that participated in the festival and more than eight thousand attended in 2009. The festival has grown in many ways, now the festival starts on Wednesday and last thru Sunday. The Festival has now more than 120 individual events during those five days.

The event starts in Sydney on the CountryLink Elvis Express train that takes people to Parkes. They are serenaded by Elvis the entire train trip. The majority of the major events are scheduled Thursday thru Sun., like the ‘Elvis Concert’ and the ‘Elvis Gospel Church Service’ and plenty more.

To keep your memory of the CountryLink Parkes Elvis holiday alive all year, there’s a special calendar you may purchase from www.festivalcalendar.com.au.

Learn more about the Parkes Elvis Festival.

Your guide to Australian Beach Destinations

April 11th, 2009 No comments

Australia is one of the most attractive places in the world. It has an extensive range in types of splendour, form beaches to deserts. The beaches in Australia are awesome. With clear blue waters and marvellously clean sand, you can snorkel, scuba, swim or surf at these startling sites. These in reality make Australia one of the most sought after destinations for beach aficionados. Here are some great beaches:

1. Gold Coast, Queensland: While it can be tough to find an apartment in the peak tourism months, you should definitely try and book one in advance to get one in close proximity to the beach. Last year over ten million people swarmed to the Gold Coast, so it is no surprise that apartments get booked fast. There are many activities to choose from, including parasailing, swimming, surfing and sun tanning.

2. Noosa, Queensland: This is the beach to be on during the March months. It is perfect for surfing at this time of year, which is why avid surfers from all over congregate here at this time making it difficult to find a place to stay. This is one of the few beaches in the country that faces north, and has plenty of attractions to offer besides just surfing.

3. Port Douglas, Queensland: a different beach that is very full during the peak season, confirm to book your room in advance. There are several things to see here, like the Great Barrier Reef, so this is the place to go if you wish for doing some sightseeing. The temperatures are ideal for sunbathing all year round, so you can take pleasure in this coast at any time of the year.

4. Byron Bay, New South Wales: Once the rains start all over the country, Byron Bay is the place to go to for its white sandy beaches and relaxed atmosphere. You can book a place here during the season, and have a very peaceful time in this totally hippy place. You can take part in different activities here, from sunning on the beach to hiking up the cliffs and watching whales and dolphins on the horizon. You can also parasail, glide, surf and scuba here.

5. Jervis Bay, New South Wales: Parts of this bay is a confined national park, and it is gorgeously striking. You must sketch your trip very timely if this is where you wish to be in the peak season since it is exceptionally sought after for Christmas and New Years.

This is one of the most popular places on the Southern Coast of Australia. It is just a few hours’ drive from Sydney, and is a great place to go to if you are in Sydney since you can make a weekend trip of it. Popular activities here include surfing, diving, trekking, as well as sea kayaking.

These were just some trendy coastline spots in the attractive state of Australia if that is where you are headed for your subsequent trip. Do make booking in advance, as rooms at each of these are inadequate and get packed quickly.