Forget the Hallmark card or the flowers and take Mom away for a real treat. We’ve put together some suggestions for a Mother’s Day she won’t soon forget.

Where: One&Only Palmilla, Los Cabos, Mexico

What: Get Mom a weekend of spa treatments in paradise.

When: Mother’s Day Weekend

Why Mom will love it: Mothers and daughters can unwind in the privacy of a double Spa villa at the ESPA spa complete with private garden, rain showers, outdoor Mexican daybeds, and whirlpool baths to relax in after a treatment. Special for the weekend are Mother-Daughter Soul-to-Soul moments ($640 for two) that include a Mother-Daughter yoga or salsa experience, an ESPA age-defying radiance facial or intensive facial, a spa lunch, and full use of the heat experience and relaxation area, or the Enduring Memory Mother’s Day Experience ($355) with a two-hour holistic body ritual, an in-villa 30-minute experience including a foot ritual, bath, and relaxation time, a spa lunch, and full use of the heat experience and relaxation areas. And all of this with her now favorite child.

Where: Inn on the Alameda, Santa Fe, New Mexico

What: Show Mom how much you care by sending her to the welcoming Inn on the Alameda for a weekend of adult-only relaxation.

When: Mothers Day Weekend

Why Mom will love it: With the Please Your Parents Package, Mom and Dad can enjoy a weekend away from the kids in Deluxe Accommodations at the Inn, including the Inn’s signature continental breakfast, afternoon wine hour, and one box of yummy bizcochitos, the official New Mexico state cookie.

Rate: Nightly rate is $220 plus tax per room per night. With a regular rate of $270 plus tax, this package has $50 nightly savings and applies to the Inn’s Deluxe Rooms only. The stay must include Mother’s Day, Sunday May 13, 2012, but there is no minimum night stay requirement. The offer is subject to hotel availability.

Where: The Peninsula Spa, New York

What: An amazing ESPA “Spa-Cation” without leaving the island

When: Perfect for the week before or after Mother’s Day

Why Mom will love it: Play hooky and take your mama out! Without hopping on planes trains, or automobiles, have a spa-cation right in the city. You and mom can indulge in a 60-minute treatment, a special lunch, and complimentary use of the pool and fitness center. It’s available Monday-Thursday for $285 per person.

Where: White Elephant and Brant Point Grill, Nantucket, Massachusetts

What: Breakfast in bed is a nice gesture, but we bet Mom will enjoy the “Best Brunch on the Island” even more!

When: Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 13, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

Why Mom will love it: From the Benedict Burger to the make-your-own Bloody Mary bar, a Sparkling Station for mimosas, and a brand new tapas station, this brunch is complete with all of Mom’s favorites.

Rate: Brant Point Grill’s Mother’s Day Brunch is $55 for adults, $25 for kids ages 6-12 and $5 for kids ages 3-5. Combine your brunch with a stay at White Elephant and enjoy special Hot Dates Cool Rates, starting at $195 per night.

Where: Park Hyatt Beaver Creek, Avon, Colorado

What: Located in the heart of the Colorado Rockies, this luxury chateau-style resort features many amenities, including the 30,000 square-foot Allegria Spa, with a full-service fitness center, slopeside pool and hot tubs. This world-class spa is offering the “Her Day, Her Way Mother’s Day” package, an exceptional package for moms to unwind on their special day.

When: Mothers Day, Sunday, May 13, 2012.

Why Mom will love it: Spoil Mom with an extra luxurious spa escape with the “Her Day, Her Way Mother’s Day” package that includes a 50-minute Swedish Massage; choice of one of three select treatments (25 minute Sweet Lavender Body Scrub, 30 minute Custom Facial or Express Manicure & Pedicure); champagne; take-home spa gift; and access to Aqua Sanitas, the health club, the pools and hot tubs.

Where: Parrot Cay, Turks & Caicos

What: Max and relax with Mom for a stress-free weekend away

When: Mothers Day Weekend

Why Mom will love it: Stress is a fact of life for mothers and daughters alike, which is why Parrot Cay has designed a Stress Management Wellness Package to target and relieve sources of tension and worry. Professional consultants will take things down a few notches with deep relaxing therapies, enlightening outdoor pursuits, and smart tips to put some of the carefree “island life” of Turks & Caicos into the home routine. Let the experienced personal fitness trainers convert pent-up stress into a productive mother-daughter workout, and follow it up with mind- and body-balancing yoga and meditation.

Workshops and classes will be held at Bartlett’s Farm, Nantucket’s oldest and largest family farm. The Festival is offering an amazing array of classes with experiences including:

• Silence in Symmetry: Learn hidden techniques of movement and breathing that will create the dynamic stillness that ancient yogis claimed was our original nature.
• Yoga for Athletes: Understand various styles of yoga asana and pranayama for sport-specific performance and longevity.
• The Secret to Radiant Health, Ayurveda: Learn the difference between Ayurvdea and modern medicine and how they complement each other.
• Reclaim Your Life Force: Combine an all-levels vinyasa flow class and various pranayama exercises to awaken the inner body and clear the mind.

For a complete schedule of activities, click here.

In between channeling your chakras, unwind at Nantucket Island Resorts for the weekend, which includes the new Inn at the White Elephant Village opening mid-June. Round out your weekend of wellness with a rejuvenating treatment at Wauwinet’s Spa by the Sea or the White Elephant Spa.

Day and full weekend passes are available starting at $125 per day. For more information, tickets, and a full schedule, visit www.nantucketyogafestival.com/.

To book overnight accommodations, visit www.nantucketislandresorts.com. Rates start at $450 per night.

La Réserve Ramatuelle, an intimate French retreat dedicated to health, wellbeing, and relaxation, just added four brand new programs for Spring 2012. Combining medical assessments, spa treatments, personal training sessions, targeted physical activities, relaxation, and appropriate diets, La Réserve Ramatuelle’s new health and wellness programs range in length from three to six nights and feature a total care approach. With never-ending views of the Mediterranean and a host of new health inspired programs, La Réserve Ramatuelle offers the most discerning travelers and spa aficionados an escape on the French Riviera unlike any other.

Energy Program (7 days, 6 nights)

Following a medical assessment and personal trainer consultation, the invigorating retreat will devise a health plan with personalized energy-boosting diet. Participate in daily sport and health activities – Pilates, yoga, aqua strength training, Nordic walks, and healthy cooking lessons. Freshen the skin with “Better Aging” treatments and a therapeutic therapy (choice of relaxing massage, reflexology, acupuncture, or shiatsu – finger and palm pressure.)

Dates: April and May 2012

Cost: 1650 € for activities and meals. Accommodations are an additional cost.

Weight Loss Program (7 days, 6 nights)

Following a medical assessment and personal trainer consultation, this healthful weight loss retreat includes three personal training sessions, daily sport and health activities, a Cellu M6 endermology session to reduce fatty tissue, La Réserve’s signature “Better Aging” Body Treatment, a hydrotherapy session, one therapeutic treatment, and a personalized health plan with a customized slimming diet and therapeutic natural drinks.

Dates: April and May 2012

Cost: 1650 € for activities and meals. Accommodations are an additional cost.

Beauty and Well-Being Break (5 days, 4 nights)

This pampering program includes only the best treatments – a Crème de la Mer Excellence Facial Treatment and a Crème de la Mer Excellence Body Treatment, a La Réserve Better Aging Face Massage and Better Aging Body Treatment, a hydrotherapy session, manicure, feet beauty treatment, daily sport and health activities, and a customized well-being diet.

Dates: April and May 2012

Cost: 1390 € for activities and meals. Accommodations are an additional cost.

Express Fit & Beauty (4 days, 3 nights)

For a quick ‘get fit’ fix, La Réserve Ramatuelle’s Express Fit & Beauty program includes three Nordic Walking sessions, a hydrotherapy session, one therapeutic treatment, a La Réserve Better Aging Body Treatment, a Crème de la Mer Excellence Facial Treatment, daily sport and health activities, and a customized well-being diet.

Dates: April and May 2012

Cost: 1090 € for activities and meals. Accommodations are an additional cost.

For more information visit www.lareserve-ramatuelle.com. To book, call +33 4 94 44 94 44 or email inforamatuelle@lareserve.ch.

With temperatures rising, spring is just around the corner and people are starting to lose those extra layers of clothing. While happy to put that winter coat back into storage, maybe you’re not quite ready for that itsy-bitsy bikini. Really, all that is needed is a little detox, so why not pick a spring break locale that will have you looking and feeling great!

Recently, the Huffington Post featured Tablet Hotels’ Top 10 Hotels for Detoxing – and our favorite from the list was Anantara Bophut Resort & Spa on Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand. Located on a tranquil stretch of sand on one of the most stunning islands in Southeast Asia, this resort is the ultimate place to recharge the body, mind, and soul. Get the heart rate up with yoga or Thai boxing classes, followed by unwind time at the Anantara Spa with their signature treatment, the Culture of Anantara, which includes 180 glorious minutes of massage given by two therapists who will be sure to work out any kinks before polishing and smoothing the skin with a clay sea salt scrub. The final stage of the treatment is a Mud Steam Bath, which will leave the skin looking and feeling better than ever.

Vacations are usually a time for indulgence. A time when travelers don’t want to worry about how many calories are in that dessert, or when they’ll find time away from the rays to use the resort’s state-of-the-art gym.  Instead, most days are spent horizontally on a beach with a good book. But what happens on that last day of vacation when the bikini fits a little snugger?  Resorts are offering low-cal choices for holiday revelers, and at Anantara Seminyak Resort & Spa in Bali, guests can indulge in delicious, health conscious meals, like the Garden Vegetable Terrine featured on BeatMag.com.  Of course, Thai BBQ is also an option for protein-seekers, there’s always a game of beach soccer or yoga to burn off those extra calories.

Ladakh, the Land of High Passes, is a high altitude desert spanning the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges and the upper Indus River Valley. Known as ‘Little Tibet,’ the region is culturally and anthropologically tied to Tibet. Renowned for its remote mountain beauty and distinguishing culture, Ladakh is one of the most picturesque places on earth.

Shakti operates bespoke walking tours and homestays throughout the Himalayan region and offers customized, private itineraries for guests to experience the breathtaking beauty of this remote wilderness with a full range of activities including village-to-village walks, treks, visits to monasteries, camping, and rafting along the Shayok and Indus rivers. Shakti Ladakh is open from May 1 to September 30, when the region’s weather is gorgeous and humidity-free, making it the perfect alternative to the sticky heat that envelops the rest of India.

On daily walks, guests can pass by ancient villages, forgotten valleys, and high-altitude flora and fauna such as ibex, yaks, and marmots, with local porters and guides to assist along the way. Nights are spent in cozy, village houses built in the traditional Ladakhi fashion using sun baked mud bricks and wooden beams, which give an instant authenticity and charm. Last season, Shakti renovated three more village houses, adding six to the Ladakh experience. Accommodations, using only local craftsmen and materials, remain simple to optimize comfort.

River rafting along the Indus and Zanskar rivers is included in Shakti Ladakh’s itinerary and is a wonderful way to explore the region. Both rivers are fed by glaciers, and rafting is varied with rapids ranging from Class 1 to 4. During the rafting portion of the experience, guests sleep in fully-inclusive tents suited to maximize comfort.

Season: Shakti Ladakh’s season begins May 1 to September 30, 2012

Rates: A six-day, seven-night Shakti Ladakh experience is $3,898 per person, based on two adults sharing, and includes private accommodation in village houses on a fully inclusive basis: all meals and beverages, activities, an accompanying English-speaking guide, private chef, support guide and porters, car at disposal, and taxes and return transfers between Darjeeling, Gangtok, Kalimpong and Bagdogra and village houses. Flights are not included.

Stakmo to Eego Four-Day Trek: This three-night, four-day trek through the unexplored valleys and villages on the north side of the Indus Valley can be added on to any Shakti Ladakh itinerary.  On daily treks, five to six hours in length, guests will experience trekking along some of the highest ridgelines as they traverse from west to east across the northern side of the Indus Valley. Enjoy daily picnics in some of the most stunning valleys and picturesque river settings the Ladakh region has to offer, while evenings are left to explore villages and camp out under the stars in comfortable, domed canvas tents.

For onward travel to Bhutan or throughout India, Shakti’s sister company, Banyan Tours & Travels, offers customized itineraries and ground arrangements.

For additional information: Shakti, www.shaktihimalaya.com

Traveler Inquiries: 1-866-401-3705

It’s the beginning of a new year, and a new you! If you’re resolving to be healthier this year, why not kick start your new fitness regimen on board an ultra-luxe cruise ship? Crystal Cruises is now offering complimentary Pilates and yoga programs on board both Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity on nine sailings each throughout the year. Travelers can attend several classes per day during their cruise, or arrange private one-on-one sessions of either interest (for a fee), as well as men- and couples-only yoga instruction.

Every Crystal Cruise offers a host of complimentary classes such as stretch, spinning, abs, circuit training/boot camp, and more. Crystal’s state-of-the-art fitness center, the only Feng Shui spa and gym at sea, features Kinesis strength training equipment, LifeFitness® treadmills with individual flat-screen TVs, cross trainers, recumbent and upright life cycles and steppers, free weights, and other strength-training equipment. Golf instruction, tennis, Nordic Pole walking, WALKVEST® Training, personal trainers, and a bevy of dietary choices offer the perfect opportunity to kick-start, or comply with, your healthy lifestyle.

Here’s to a happy and healthy 2012 aboard Crystal Cruises!

For more information on Crystal Cruises, visit www.crystalcruises.com

While strenuous, this boot camp is hardly roughing it, chéries! Walks through the Mediterranean countryside, spa treatments, and delicious (and healthy) local flavors cooked up by Chef Eric Canino will have you feeling svelte, not spent. Designed for groups of 4-8 people, it’s a great excuse to bring along some friends.

The Boot Camp is a five-day (four-night) program. Guests start with a medical assessment to measure physical aptitude. The next day, training kicks off with an hour-long yoga session and healthy breakfast before a guide leads a fast-paced walk through the hills and along the coast. While sure to get hearts pumping, the duration and pace of these walks is determined on an individual basis. After the walks, guests can relax for the rest of the day, enjoying a healing and rejuvenating spa program that includes balneotherapy, body wraps, and the La Réserve Better Aging body treatment. (This detoxifying, slimming, and draining treatment enables cellular regeneration while eliminating blockages and tensions in the body.) Guests can also add à la carte experiences such as beauty and body therapies exclusively crafted for La Réserve by La Mer.

Dates:

April:     Sunday, April 3-Friday, April 8

Sunday April 10-Friday, April 15

May:      Sunday May 1-Friday, May 6

Sunday May 8-Friday, May 13

Price: €3900, accommodation in a Deluxe room and full board

Example of a typical day’s activities – day 1

6:30am                 Yoga session (1 hour)

7:30am                 Breakfast

8:30am                 Morning Walk

1pm                       Lunch at the hotel

2:30pm                 Balneotherapy

3pm                       Body Wrap

3:30pm                 Jet shower

4pm                       La Réserve Better Aging body treatment

6:30pm                 Relaxation session

8pm                       Dinner at the restaurant

Huffington Post recently blogged about the The Most Stunning & Challenging Treks In The World with a lineup that includes the GR20 in France, Inca Trail in Peru, Overland Track in Australia, Haute Route in Switzerland, and the high altitude desert of Ladakh in India. While all can clearly guarantee some show stopping scenery, Ladakh promises to be the most unique on the list.

Where else can travelers experience a truly untouched landscape? Only accessible during the summer months, the surface area is approximately 17,375 square miles dominated by mountains, lakes, and a number of rivers. For many years, the only visitors were well-trained backpackers, but Himalayan experts Shakti enables guests to experience this culturally rich area with gentle walks and homestays in village homes. Travelers can hike along trails, raft along the Shayok River in the Upper Indus Valley, visit local monasteries, learn archery, attend lectures on Buddhism and cooking lessons, and explore local markets. Happy (untouched) trails!

dptvmedia.org

If you need another reason to get to the gym, how does some serious eye candy sound? Celebrity trainer Joel Harper will be aboard Crystal Symphony’s Mind, Body, & Spirit sailing May 9-21 to/from San Francisco to lead guests in comprehensive fitness routines. We suggest a little pre-cruise toning as well to ensure a spot as teacher’s favorite pet.

Making calls in Vancouver, Canada, and Sitka, Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan, Alaska, now you can explore the Great Frontier and leave with a better rear!