CHOZU!
How would you love to drink premium Sake and teas, eat your favorite meals from a Japanese menu and have detoxifying body wraps, massage, pilates and yoga all in the same day and at the same place? Well, if the answer is yes, then Oregon’s ChoZu Bath and Tea Gardens is your dream come true.
The property just added new guest cottages, suites and service packages designed to turn the popular garden bath and tea location into a wellness destination resort. Guests may also use the on-site steam rooms and showers, salt-water hot pool, sauna and cold plunge. Everything you need for a total Zen weekend. www.chozugardens.com
HARMONY
It was the great surfing in Nosara, Costa Rica that first drew John Johnson and Susan Short to the area separately and then together. The couple met, and married here, and have now opened the Harmony Hotel to bring others, they say, to Nosara to surf, “play hard, relax deeply and get in tune with your natural rhythms.” Located right on the beach, Harmony features a Healing Center, massage, yoga and meditation.
Calling Nosara “a tropical destination that boasts low-key glamour “ Johnson and Short say Harmony gives guests 24 accommodations to chose from that reside on a path that meanders through a tropical oasis and ends nearby at the Pacific Ocean on Playa Guiones, Nosara.
However, when you’re tired of surfing, massages and yoga check out the hotel’s bookstore, Colette, that carries Kiss My Face products, surf wax, art supplies and of course.... books - a small but juicy selection hand picked by John and Susan that offers everything from contemporaries and classics to books on sustainable living. At the Harmony, boredom is never an option. www.harmonyhotel.com
GEM IN THE JUNGLE
Kanantik, which means “to take care” in the Maya Mopan language is the perfect name for the Kanantik Reef & Jungle Resort, an eco-friendly luxury resort on 300 acres in southern Belize where the forest meets the sea. If you love romance, adventure and seclusion Kanantik is the perfect getaway.
The resort has 25 spacious and secluded oceanfront cabanas with four-poster beds, chairs, tables and thatched roofing all hand-crafted by locals. The Mayan construction workers painted the walls by using cloths to rub in natural dyes and each guestroom showcases artwork from local artisans.
When you get tired of lounging in the waterfront hammocks then take an outing to the nearby jaguar preserve or canoe in Cabbage Haul Creek; birdwatch or take a scenic hike by the waterfalls just yonder.
Snorkeling and scuba diving excursions with certified dive masters can also be arranged. After a gourmet meal, relax under the stars and then retreat again to your sexy, secluded (there's that word again…) beachfront cabana. Close your eyes, imagine it, and then book. www.kanantik.com or call 1.877.759.8834
