A Summary of Carly and Jessy's 2013 Adventures

We want to share with you a recap of our highlights of 2013 and we are grateful to have shared some of them with you. In our opinion the best way to get our year started is with a Polar Bear swim. The last few years we have been jumping into the frigidly cold waters of the West Coast of Canada and starting our year fresh! We look forward to our ice cold dip of 2014 and we hope you consider doing the same.

We had some fantastic travel opportunities this year that we will treasure for a lifetime. Jessy started with a spring getaway in March to Arizona. She spent her time playing tennis, hiking the red rocks of Sedona and meditating amidst the famous energy Vortexes!

Jessy then traveled to Ecuador with some of her Virtuoso Travel Colleagues. This is a destination that she is extremely passionate about. She was in awe of the landscape in the highlands as farmlands and quinoa fields climbed the mountain sides. She was surprised by the beauty of old town Quito where she walked through the quaint streets of San Francisco Plaza. She picked up a new hobby of bird watching in the cloud forest of Mashpi Lodge. Finally, she had a magical experience on the Galapagos Islands. She watched the moon rise, witnessed the northern and southern constellations in one sky, snorkeled with sharks and got up close and personal with giant land tortoises, blue footed boobies, magnificent frigate birds, marine and terrestrial iguanas and sea lions. Due to a back injury she was not able to do what she looked most forward to, dive with the hammerhead sharks at Wolfe and Darwin Islands of the Galapagos.

That back injury turned into the worst back episode she has experienced yet. After an MRI, she learned that she had a trio of disc herniations in her lumbar spine. She had 3 crucial months of healing where her mobility was limited and pain was constant. Trying to stay positive through it all she took this as a huge learning experience and a challenge to stay in the present moment. Fortunately, she gained her mobility back and she is active again and pain free! It is experiences like this that remind her to be grateful for every day, to believe in magic and to continue to be social as human interactions are key to happiness!

At the end of the summer, Carly and Jessy explored Western Canada. Carly designs travel for many International Clients who are traveling to Western Canada. Many of her itineraries include the Rocky Mountains. At the end of the summer, she felt it was best to experience Western Canada as her client’s do. Carly and Jessy then went eastbound on a Rocky Mountain train from Vancouver to Jasper Alberta. Carly’s favourite thing about the Rocky Mountains was the drive from Jasper to Calgary, experiencing Yoga on Athabasca glacier, a quick dip in Lake Louise and mountain biking in Canmore.

In October, Carly was then invited to London for the International Luxury Travel Market Spa conference. Away Carly and Jessy went again, this time on their first trip across the Atlantic. They had a fairy tale trip; they loved the rich history and architecture of London, traditional afternoon tea and the countryside of Hampshire where they stayed in the Treehouses at Chewton Glen. Jessy will never forget her evening in Arsenal watching Arsenal FC play Napoli FC at Emirates Stadium.

To finish off a busy travel year, Carly and Jessy traveled to Tucson Arizona. They experienced two wellness resorts, Canyon Ranch and Miraval. They had an equally wonderful time at both properties. They were able to hike, mountain bike, participate in numerous fitness classes including yoga, TRX, boxing and Zumba and participated in the high ropes courses. They returned feeling fit, healthy and excited to ring in the New Year.

Life is precious and we hope you are all living a life you love!

Best wishes sent to you for 2014.

Green Love,
The Renshaw Sisters

 

Sparkling Hill - Charge your Batteries for the Holiday Season

A local spa holiday in early December is a nice way to charge up your batteries before the hectic holiday season. Vernon BC is the location of the Swarovski Crystal infused, European Spa and Resort, Sparkling Hill.

I awoke from a nap on our 5 hour road trip as we drove into the grounds of the resort property. The trees were dusted with frost, I had to rub my eyes to make sure I was not still dreaming. It looked like we entering into Rivendell (for those who are familiar with Lord of the Rings, for those who aren’t it was a mystical winter paradise). The resort is located on the top of a hill overlooking Okanagan Lake and the Monashee Mountains. As I entered the lobby I was in awe, Swarovski Crystals were everywhere. At first I was unsure if this opulence was quite my style but after spending a few hours experiencing the resort I enjoyed  seeing the Crystals in all corners of the resort.

We checked into our lake view room. The rooms are spacious and of course infused with crystals. We then dined at Peakfine, their restaurant on property. With sweeping views of the lake, Peakfine is a perfect place for those Romantic dinners! The food has a local inspiration, taking pride in the agriculturally rich land nearby.

After dinner it was time for the Kur Spa. What I had been looking forward to all day. In the Kur Spa, there is an indoor & outdoor pool, hot tub, cold and hot Kniepp Spa Walk, different themed hot sauna and steam rooms and the famous cold sauna (110 C below).

I love going between the hot sauna and steam rooms and the igloo chill room. This change in temperature stimulates circulation and drainage of the lymphatic system. My two favourite steam rooms were the salt steam and the rose steam. I felt both were very helpful for clearing my sinuses. In addition to the steam and sauna room’s there are experience showers. These shower make you feel like you are in the tropics caught in a warm rain downpour, a cold thunderstorm with lightning or a misty jungle. If you spend your evening in the spa as I did, I must bring to your attention that 9-10pm is European hour, swim suit attire is optional!

Now for the main event….the cold sauna! Kur Spa offers a Cryotherpy sauna measuring in at -110 Celsius. This cold sauna at Sparkling Hill is the only one located in North America. The concept was created for people suffering with inflammatory conditions. The creators of the cold sauna wanted the benefits of ice baths but to have that experience without sitting in the ice water for 15 minutes. The sauna is a dry cold which changes the skin temperature but does not have impact on our core temperature. For those dealing with arthritis it is recommended to have 2 sessions a day for 5 days in a row. If you are only going to have one session your system still reaps the benefits. The process of the cold sauna includes wearing a bathing suit, socks and closed toed shoes, mittens and a surgical face mask. You stay in the -110 Celsius chamber for 3 minutes. You are asked to walk around and move your body slowly. Afterwards, you are directed to let your body warm up on its own with no use of outside heating sources for example drinking tea or submerging yourself in a hot tub for at least one hour after.

I highly recommend finding a spa in your local area. Even if it is a day spa, the benefits of taking time for yourself before the holiday season are insurmountable. Go ahead and treat yourself!

Travel in your Backyard-Canada

When I want to go on a holiday I think how far away from Canada and how exotic of a place can I visit? While traveling abroad I talk to many people from around the world and they ask me about Canada. They speak about their experiences in Canada with such passion. They genuinely enjoyed the scenery, the people and the vastness of this land. I start to think to myself...wow I am lucky to live in such a wonderful place and it deserves more of my attention. Have I seen the midnight sun yet in the Arctic? The Northern Lights? The Grizzly Bear reserve near Prince Rupert? Haida Gwaii? The Polar Bears? The rolling hills of Saskatchewan?

I am grateful enough to have attended university on the East Coast of Canada in Nova Scotia. Many Canadians do not get a chance to visit the Maritimes which is unfortunate because there is tremendous beauty and history there. The people are incredibly friendly and hospitable. Each of the 4 Maritime provinces offer something different. New Brunswick is Canada's only officially bi-lingual province. It is located next to Quebec and the Bay of Fundy. The Bay of Fundy is world famous for its rapidly changing tides. Many people "ride the tidal bore" as an adventure expedition. Nova Scotia is home to the largest city in the Maritimes, Halifax. In Nova Scotia you can go to Cape Breton and drive along the Cabot Trail, go to the Annapolis valley and visit the vineyards or take a bike tour along the south shore to see Lunenburg, the home of the Blue Nose. Prince Edward Island, PEI, is know as the gentle isle. It is famous for its red dirt, Anne of Green Gables and its seafood! Finally, Newfoundland has a special energy to it. It has very harsh winters where it pours snow. While in the spring/summer months you can visit Gros Morne National Park to hike, see the icebergs, see the puffins and experience the Celtic inspired city of St. John's. Again the people are overwhelming friendly.

Next time you decide you want to travel, perhaps it should be in your own country!..Or just come to Canada

Staying Healthy While Travelling

The act of travelling is a stressor to the body even if the end destination is a private island in the South Pacific! We are forced out of our daily routine as we do not have all our usual personal creature comforts. Flying takes a hit on our physical body & mental state of mind. For some people emotions of anxiety or fear are present. This impacts our sympathetic nervous system, releases cortisol and wakes up our fight or flight response. The blood is then forced away from our digestive system and sent to our muscles. There is the addition of either plane food or no food at all, not enough fluids and lack of physical movement. Depending on the length of flight I recommend purchasing one or two large water bottles to consume during your flight. We tend to be unaware of how dehydrated we become while flying. I also recommend being prepared and taking healthy snacks packed from home. This prevents caving into buying the overpriced airport food.

If these tips are not enough to prevent the much dreaded temporary travel constipation then it is important to pack your own natural treatment. Personally, I take ginger tea, mint tea and licorice tea every time I travel. During travel days I am not eating as much roughage as I usually do and I find my system slows down as a result. If that doesn’t help then I seek out fresh papaya. However, I am aware that we are not always travelling to a destination that provides this. It is imperative to know your own body and what makes you feel best!

Flying also can affect our immune system’s integrity. We are in a confined area and sometimes there are others around us who are sick. In association with what I wrote above I believe our digestive system is a main contributor to our immune function. I always take probiotics, all the time, not just when I travel. Secondly, I bring with me Oscillococcinum. It is a homeopathic remedy that combats flu symptoms & quite effectively I might add. I also bring oil of oregano in case I feel a sore throat coming on. Echinacea, vitamin C and astragalus are other options for general immune system boosting. However, it is important to only take Echinacea when you have already experienced symptoms not as a general boost. Finally I like to bring my reshi mushroom tincture with me when I travel as it is a great immuno- modulator

I travel with a little herbal apothecary filled with my favourite remedies and it has kept me safe traveling through North America, Asia, India and South America!

Small Agency has Big Presence at Virtuoso Week 2013

Each year over 4,000 of the world’s best of the best luxury travel providers come together at the Bellagio in Las Vegas to update themselves on what’s new and the emerging travel trends. This is all in order to serve their clients better as Virtuoso is a network that highlights service. This year Renshaw Travel sent 9 advisors to the 25^th anniversary of Virtuoso Travel Week. By the end of the week the advisors would have been around the world in 400, 4 minute meetings in 4 days. This event connects the front line travel advisors to the sales and general managers of their hotels and resorts. It is this connectedness and the strength in these relationships that help us create memorable and personalized stays for our clients. Our clients are not just greeted by the general managers but they are greeted by our friends.

 In addition to the daily meetings there are 3 awards dinners. One is dedicated to a destination, one to hotels and resorts and one to the advisors recognizing excellence in their categories. Renshaw Travel’s very own David Lowy was nominated as most innovative travel advisor in the world by his peers! Below is a list of the award winners for best of the best hotels in 2013:

Hotel of the Year: Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong

One to Watch: The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi

Best Achievement in Design: Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

Best Culinary Experience: La Scene, Prince de Galles, a Luxury Collection Hotel

Best Bar: Armani/Bamboo Bar, Armani Hotel Milano

Best Family Experience: The Gleneagles Hotel

Best Spa: Spa Mukul, Mukul Beach, Golf & Spa

Most Innovative Guest Experience: Banjaar Tola

Sustainable Tourism Leadership-Hotel: The Savoy

Hotelier of the Year: Francois Delahaye, Hotel Plaza Athenee, Dorchester Collection

 

 

 

The Enchantment Resort & Mii Amo Spa - ARIZONA

Mii Amo Spa has been voted the best destination spa in North America, Mexico and Caribbean by Conde Naste for two years in a row, and it is easy to see why. Located in Sedona, Arizona the Enchantment Resort and Mii Amo Spa has a special transformative energy about it. In Sedona, there are 4 energy vortexes and one of them is located on property. The Resort is nestled handsomely into the red rocks and therefore outdoor activities are plentiful in the area. There are hiking trails accessed on the property, mountain biking trails located nearby, tennis courts, outdoor swimming pools, croquet, pitch & putt and even hula hooping. In addition to all these activities one can do on property, guests can take excursions to the Grand Canyon, the mining town of Jerome or learn about the history of Sedona with the famous Pink Jeep Tours.

The spa at Enchantment Resort is named Mii Amo which means “journey”. Mii Amo can be access by the Enchantment guests or guests can choose to immerse themselves in their own 3, 4 or 7 night journey to health and wellness. Because all guests of the destination spas have different goals for their visit such as

relaxation, wellness, healing or specific learning objectives this Sedona Spa getaway has created different journeys that individually address the guest’s specific goals. The Mii Amo journeys include accommodation in one of 16 casitas separate from the Enchantment Resort, breakfast, lunch and dinner and the Mii Amo Café, access to all the same activities as the Enchantment resort and 2 spa treatments daily. Mii Amo has a wide variety of spa services inspired by the natural setting and rich wisdom from the Native American traditions such as red rock massages, Watsu, Ayurvedic Consultations, Cranial-sacral treatments, Sedona clay wraps and much more! In addition to physical treatments, Mii Amo has many mindfulness focused treatments such as compassionate communication, releasing stress, past life regression and vision board creating. Mii Amo has a constantly changing menu of intriguing workshops and events to keep the guests feeling their best and living their happiest healthiest life!

Contact Jessica@renshawtravel.com for the details!

Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary and Holistic Spa - THAILAND

Kamalaya Koh Samui is a multi award winning wellness Sanctuary and Holistic spa ideally located amid a tropical landscape on the southern coastline of Koh Samui, Thailand. With lush tropical vegetation, ancient boulders, cascading streams and 1.5 miles of idyllic private beach, Kamalaya’s natural setting is an integral part of each guest’s experience. Centered around a monk’s cave that once served Buddhist monks as a place of meditation and spiritual retreat, Kamalaya’s essence is expressed in its name, ‘lotus (kamal) Realm (alaya)’, an ancient symbol for the growth and unfolding of the human spirit. 

Kamalaya has a beautiful beachfront location, just 45 minutes from Koh Samui Airport, which has direct flights from Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore and Phuket, and more. Additionally, Bangkok Airways runs regular flights to Samui from Phuket, from which there are flights to many other international locations.

Kamalaya’s 59 rooms and villas are situated amidst ancient, granite boulders, streams and tropical vegetation with existing rocks and trees as defining elements for many of the structures, Asian textiles and carefully selected art pieces combine with modern amenities to create comfortable, serene and elegant interiors.

At Kamalaya, the cuisine is an integral component of the holistic wellness concept. The menus reflect 

Kamalaya’s philosophy of healthy living and the celebration of different cultures, featuring fresh and healthy dishes with enough sumptuous twist to satisfy the most discerning palates. Co-created by Karina Steward, 

 Kamalaya’s co founder and a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the Kamalaya Chef, Kamalaya’s healthy cuisine is influenced by Karina’s wealth of knowledge in functional medicine and cellular detoxification. It is based on principles of Asian healing traditions as well as the latest nutritional research. The healthy, inspired cuisine is a fusion of Eastern and western culinary traditions and menus include extensive vegetarian options as well as fresh seafood, poultry and lamb dishes.

There are over 60 certified wellness professional at Kamalaya, including naturopaths, doctors of Chinese medicine, western medical doctors, registered nurses, nutritionists, life transformation experts, Ayurvedic and Thai therapists, fitness specialists and yoga, meditation and pranayama teachers. The Wellness Sanctuary and Holistic Spa integrates ancient and contemporary holistic medicine and leading traditions from east and west with a menu of over 70 services. Gues can embark on an individual wellness program, choose a la carte services or supplement a program with extra a la carte treatments.

Wellness Programs include 8 different options in the themes of Healthy Lifestyle, Detoxification, Stress & Burnout and Yoga.

Contact Jessica@renshawtravel.com for all the information!