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!

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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!

Don’t you want to kiss that friendly face? Visit Shakti 360° Leti to taste the culinary creations from resident chef, Yeshi. The former Buddhist monk trained under Australian food celebrity, Christine Manfield, and now prepares both authentic Himalayan cuisine like momos, jholi, and bal mithai and Western comfort foods for guests daily.

In addition to preparing celebratory meals, he can also preside over traditional Buddhist ceremonies for guests. Two birds, one stone!

Opening mid-January, Anantara Kihavah Villas in the Baa Atoll of the Maldives has been accredited with a Green Globe Certification, an international symbol for environmental responsibility. Established in 1993 from the ISO 19011 Guidelines Holding, Green Globe has very strict requirements to join the ranks.  Anantara Kihavah Villas is proud to carry the title, becoming the fifth Anantara property to do so.

Guests can lounge guilt-free by private in-villa pools knowing their impact on this stunning and natural setting will be minimal!

Shakti offers private, guided walking tours through three distinct regions of the Indian Himalayas

Travelers to India know well the guidebook “circuit” of Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, and Mumbai, staying in familiar five-star hotels and barreling from one destination to the other by car or train.  What is missing from these itineraries is a chance to comfortably see the most remote and staggeringly beautiful Himalayan region of India’s North.  It’s now possible to do that with Shakti, which offers transformative village-to-village walking experiences in three distinct awe-inspiring regions: Sikkim, Kumaon, and Ladakh. Guests overnight in village houses that have been adapted for Western comforts, sleeping under Egyptian cotton sheets, wrapped in cozy wool throws, and enjoying delicious, freshly prepared meals from a personal chef.  While all the modern conveniences are in place, the real luxury is in the very simplicity of these experiences and the chance to engage with the homeowners, monks, and other village locals. Take advantage of the opportunity to unplug from the technological matrix and relish the downtime to read and meditate.

The expertly guided journeys, tailored to the individual or group, are offered in:

Sikkim: breathtaking virgin forests aflutter with prayer flags, colorful monasteries, and the hulking presence of Mt. Kanchenjunga, the world’s third highest mountain.  Orchids, anyone?  Sikkim is home to over 400 species.  4-night stays start at $1,880 per person, based on two to three adults.    

October 1 – April 30

Kumaon: stunning views that include the snow-tipped twin peaks of Nanda Devi, India’s second highest mountain.  Walk through forests of grey pine, cedar, and rhododendron, and pass through villages and by small shrines to Hindu gods.  3-night stays start at $1,245 per person, based on two to three adults.                          

October 1 – April 30

Ladakh: known as ‘Little Tibet,’ a bastion of Buddhist calm amidst a dramatic moon-like landscape. Stay in village houses, camp out under stars, learn local customs, and experience Himalayan mountain life up close and first hand. 7-night stays start at $3,535 per person, based on two to three adults.

May 15 – September 30

Rafting through the Shayok River valley is also available as a three-day, two-night camping expedition that can be added on to the Ladakh village experience (August – September only).

Prices for the Shakti village experiences are inclusive of all taxes, accommodations, meals and beverages, activities, English-speaking, well-educated local guides, porters, a private chef, and vehicles when necessary. Prices depend upon the specific itinerary and number of travelers in the group; flights are not included. 

Additionally, Shakti runs a four-room hotel, Shakti 360˚ Leti, at 8,000 feet in the Kumaoni foothills surrounded by rhododendron forests, soaring vistas and snow-capped peaks.  The region is so remote that guests must hike the final 90-minutes to reach the hotel.  Shakti 360˚ Leti is available to guests from October 1 – April 30.  There is no Internet, no cell coverage, and only solar power — a real opportunity to unplug and reconnect with nature.  A minimum stay of three nights is required for Shakti 360˚ Leti, and a 3-night, 4-day package starts at $1,825 per adult, based on double occupancy. Rates include accommodations, all meals and beverages, activities, English-speaking guide and porters, and all taxes, and return transfers between Shakti Kumaon Village Experience and Shakti 360˚ Leti. Flights are not included.

See more of India with Shakti’s sister company, Banyan Tours & Travels, that can arrange onward travel throughout the rest of India and Sri Lanka, with their expert consultants and travel specialists making every effort to customize the itinerary to a traveler’s specific interests.

Founded by visionary and seasoned traveler, Mr. Jamshyd Sethna, Shakti was created from Sethna’s passion to share his beloved Himalayas with travelers looking for authenticity within luxury. With his love for nature and the mountains, Sethna created an experience far beyond the luxury hotel circuit, finally making it possible for travelers to venture into unexplored territory in total comfort. He is also the owner and founder of Banyan Tours & Travels.

Looking for a new work-out routine for the New Year? Think about following in the footsteps of the 50 teams that will be competing in the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge December 10-15 across the emirate.

The six-day trek consists of running, swimming, biking, kayaking, mountaineering and desert-skills orientation as four-member teams will travel from the Jebel Hafeet (the highest peak in the UAE) across the Rub’ al Khali (the world’s largest expanse of unbroken sand) and 80 miles of sea kayaking section to the finish line in Abu Dhabi. An added incentive besides obvious bragging rights and six-pack abs, winners will receive $40,000.

For those seeking to rest weary bones, a 90-minute drive back into the Liwa Desert is just the ticket! Visit the spa at Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara to massage out the kinks and enjoy the desert view. The spa features a heated marble Hammam with Jacuzzi shower and fountains designed to soothe and rejuvenate the body.

Live like George (or Jane) of the Jungle… sans the dreadlocks and loin clothes with the new Jungle Yoga, Elephant & Spa Experience from Anantara Golden Triangle Resort & Spa.  The day begins with an elephant ride along the landscaped surroundings and through a bamboo forest, followed by asana and pranayama practice at the al fresco yoga sala, tucked around the picturesque rice paddies. 

The resort’s yoga guru will lead the class in posture and breathing techniques to encourage increased energy and circulation while working to improve the essentials, like flexibility, strength and body alignment. After the final OM at the end of class, the spa’s natural cleansing beverage (tastes like lime juice, but packs a little extra power) will be on offer.   

Finally, guests will be pushing to see just how fast their elephants can move on the return trip, as back at the resort, they will be treated to 15-minute tension relief massages at the Anantara Spa. To sweeten the deal, all participants will also receive a 20% discount on all spa treatments throughout their stay.  This is the best way to try something new while losing the evidence of anything old!

Ananatara resident spa guru and unofficial Ramadan expert, Liz Smailes, shared her advice with us on incorporating the relevant messages behind the holy celebration into daily life.

The focus of this month is all about detoxification of your body and habits—and through her travels around the Gulf Peninsula, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Southern Philippines and Thailand Liz has developed wonderful detox plans and recipes.  Detox has never looked so good! First, she advises fasters to get about 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night during the program, avoid prolonged exposure in the sun, have a sensible breakfast before the fast/sunrise, and drink fresh detox juices and lots of water throughout the day. Being mindful of these tips will help jumpstart your new, healthier routine!

Once you’ve finished your cleanse, don’t just jump back into your old daily routine. Liz’s post-detox menu looks like this, and is similar to what Muslims will eat after Ramadan:

• First Day: Add a raw salad in the mid-day meal along with soups.
• Second Day: Add backed or boiled potato, rice (without any seasoning and heavy sauces) along with soups
• Third Day: Add steamed vegetables along with soups
• Thereafter: Start back with your normal diet, but maintain your favorite fresh juices as part of your daily intake.

Follow Liz’s advice and you’re guaranteed to have a much cleaner body on the inside. And with a visit to one of Anantara’s fabulous spas, it will be very easy for the new you to be reflected on the out.

 Liz also shared some of her favorite, and most effective, juice recipes that both new and seasoned fasters enjoy.

 Start with a pre-sunrise drink made from:

• 2 springs of parsley
• Small handful of wheatgrass
• 4-6 carrots
• 2 celery sticks
• 1 apple
• ½ beet

Finish the day with her sunset concoction:

• 1 Green Apple
• 2 cucumbers
• 2 Celery stalks
• ½ deseeded Indian bitter gourd

For any smokers looking to finally kick the habit, Liz also shared her detox juice to help you stop craving the nicotine:

• 1 Apple
• 300 grams Pumpkin
• 1 handful of lettuce
• Sprouts of alfalfa