Best of · SPA & HOT SPRINGS
The good spa & hot spring days run small and fill up weeks ahead. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and where the premium actually goes.
Spend three hours at Budapest’s adult-only Mandala Day Spa, moving between four temperature-controlled pools, a 10-person jacuzzi, sauna, steam cabin, and quiet relaxation area. Choose a basic, VIP, massage-chair, peeling, or food package. Bring swimwear and flip-flops.
“It was an amazing and very romantic place worth every penny🥰”
You’ll visit Sultan Mehmed Hammam inside Ramada by Wyndham Sultanahmet for a 50 to 115 minute Turkish bath. Choose a public, private, or VIP session with sauna, steam, kese scrub, foam wash, and an optional private massage from a female therapist.
“Perfect. If you are in Istanbul, you have to give it a try.”
Spend a flexible day at Polynesian Spa’s family-friendly Deluxe Lake Spa in Rotorua. Soak in four shallow Rachel Spring alkaline pools and one Priest Spring acidic pool, then use the cold plunge, heated recliners, indoor lounge, changing rooms, towels, and lockers. Children must stay with an adult.
“Very clean! Lovely views and great relaxation. Would highly recommend.”
Set aside two hours for a Balinese massage at Bali Orchid Spa, with foot washing, body scrub, yogurt moisturizer, and a flower bath. Pickup is free from Kuta, Seminyak, Jimbaran, Nusa Dua, and Sanur when two people book. Couples share the standard flower bath unless they pay for a private one.
“Enjoyed the service. Was very professional and knew how to give proper service. Would definitely recommend.”
Spend about 10 hours at Termas de Cacheuta, soaking in mountain thermal pools, trying the grotto sauna and mud therapy, and eating a Creole buffet. Hotel pickup from selected Mendoza hotels is included, but this is mainly a transfer and spa day, not a guided English-language tour.
“The buffet lunch was amazing. The food was so good and the staff were amazing. We would have love to hear about the history of the place but our tour guide did not speak at all”
Travel from your Alanya hotel to Orient Hamam inside Orient Marina for a sauna, warm-marble Turkish bath, traditional scrub, foam massage, and tea or coffee. A multilingual team speaks English, German, and Russian. Optional massages and facials are available, with private groups offered.
“The girl knew what she was doing made my painful back get better would definitely recommend”
At Lukács Baths in Budapest, you get 45 minutes in a private warm-water tub filled with beer-brewing ingredients, not beer itself. Pour unlimited Czech draft beer from the tap beside you, nibble pretzels, and enjoy a playful spa break. Bring your own towel and sandals.
“Zsolt was really lovely. Fantastic customer service! Beer pump wasn't working properly so he was back and forth filling up our beer glasses for us! The spa was so relaxing, well worth the money!”
At Orient Luxury Spa in Alanya, you’ll move from sauna and steam bath to a traditional Turkish bath, luffa peeling, foam massage, face mask, fish spa, and massage options. The two-hour visit costs $54.42, includes hotel-area pickup, and ends at the spa.
“Loved every moment, spa atmosphere was serene and very relaxing. The staff was friendly and made every effort to make you comfortable, though we spoke different languages. My husband and I were in the same rooms throughout treatments which was really nice. I would suggest that instructions on who and what to look for, when being picked up is more clarified. Such as Name of cafe, how to identify your driver, and a direct number if you have concerns. We arrived in Alanya bus ship and at port there are many drivers offering taxis. There are cafes and restaurants along port entrance. We were only told to meet at cafe…”
Enjoy a private two-hour treatment at Bali Orchid Spa, near Kuta. Your session includes a 60-minute Balinese massage, Indonesian lulur scrub, body mask, flower bath, welcome drink, and shower facilities. Optional transfers serve Kuta, Legian, Seminyak, Nusa Dua, and Jimbaran.
“We reserved in Kuta, but at the end we could not travel from Ubud. The staff was great and rearranged our reservation to their facilities in Ubud. Massage was great, you really get exfoliated with the scrub (contains Curcuma) and the final half hour in the tub with flowers was so relaxing. Facilities have towels and shower to bath on the end. It was really relaxing, absolutely enjoyed. Fully recomended.”
You’ll ride from central Mendoza to Termas de Cacheuta for eight hours of thermal pools, waterfalls, whirlpools, foot baths, a grotto sauna, and a buffet lunch. The Spanish-speaking driver handles transport, while massages are available for an extra fee. Bring swimwear, ID, and a towel.
“The activity itself was pretty good. We were picked up at 09.30 as advised. The drive to Cacheuta was ok,we arrived at approximately 10.40. Expect a long wait while you check in as you have to queue twice, one to check in and one to receive and pay for your robe. (Towels are issued free). The facility on our trip was over crowded and not very relaxing. Some of the features we didn’t get to use because there were too many people using them and queues had formed. We also had to join another long queue for lunch. Having said that, the lunch was amazing. There is a need in…”
Spend two hours at Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa beside Lake Rotorua. A Māori blessing opens and closes the journey, with waterfall showers, fire and ice therapy, mineral pools, hydrotherapy, geothermal mud, and steam. Athena is among the staff praised for warm, attentive service.
“A heartfelt thank you to the entire team for creating such a wonderful atmosphere, with special appreciation to Athena, who consistently goes the extra mile to make every guest’s experience exceptional. Definitely worth a visit if you’re visiting Rotorua”
Book a day pass at Beijing’s Shuiguo luxury spa for hot spring baths, saunas, salt rooms, hydrotherapy, fruit, drinks, and unlimited Haagen-Dazs and Lavanila ice cream. You receive a locker, towel, disposable underwear, and sauna clothes, while massages and special treatments cost extra.
“I can’t recommend this highly enough. For people who aren’t used to this kind of thing, because it’s not common in our countries - just go for it. Super relaxing and cleansing experience. The guide provided all the information I needed and the staff were very helpful”
At Fah Lanna Spa near Chang Puak Gate, choose a 1 or 2-hour oil, Thai, Tok Sen, or Herbal Ball massage. You’ll receive a welcome drink, private en suite treatment room, cool towel, and ginger tea with a snack afterward. Arrive 15 minutes early for your consultation.
“If you stay in Chiang Mai while visiting Thailand, this spa is a must visit! We tried many massage places in Bangkok and Chiang Mai and this is the absolute best! Worth every penny!”
Spend four private hours at So Thai Spa in Bangkok with foot, body, head, and aroma-oil treatments, plus a facial spa or herbal compress option. Choose the Sukhumvit or Surawong branch, enjoy tea, coffee, snacks, and bottled water, and arrive 10 minutes early.
“This was my first spa day ever, it was ok, not great, the worst part is you can hear people talking loudly while you are trying to relax, they need to asks gueststo talk softly. I'm glad I tried it, however I wouldn't book it again. They warned me Read more”
Spend up to a full day at Budapest’s Széchenyi Thermal Bath with access to the Palm House exclusive area, private pool, sauna, steam room, cabin, robe, towel, slippers, fruit, mineral water, and one cocktail. You can also use the famous main thermal pools.
“Expensive obviously, but probably worth it. The palm room was a quiet oasis away from the general madness. Whether the one cocktail and one bowl of fruit was good value is debatable, but it certainly helped to have towel, robe and flip flopRead more”
Pick a door, a deck or a driver.
