Three Otherworldly Spas in Hawaii

[trip style = spa]

As a Hawaii lover and a spa-thusiast, indulging in treatments in the Aloha State is my version of fluttering near the heavenly realms. And let's be honest, in January, the mid-Pacific's natural eau de plumeria and tranquil temperatures are enough to make us book a ticket to the tropics---the spas are a bonus! Having soothed my skin on almost all of Hawaii’s islands, here’s a chorus of tried, tested and trip-styled spas to make you sing m-ahhh-halo!

Maui Fifty-thousand square feet of East-meets-West serenity is dedicated to rejuvenation and healing at Spa Grande, the state’s biggest and most highly-rated spa, in the Grand Wailea. Don’t just pop in for your treatment between poolside mai tais. Once you take a gander at the Termé Hydrotherapy Circuit mingling Swiss jet showers, a Roman whirlpool, Hawaiian sea salt soaking pools {pictured above} and a Japanese Furo bath, you’ll tell yourself “the sun can wait” while extolling the praises of your spa day. The Termé Hydrotherapy Circuit is included in most treatments, or can be booked solo for $65.

Lanai One of my Hawaii happy places is lounging at the Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay---featured as a TS Approved, Roam+Board stay in in 2013. The property---one of only three hotels on Hawaii’s smallest inhabited island---reaches over the tumbling landscape like a palm tree bowing toward the shore. Hidden from the hotel, a bevy of Oceanside Hale are closed for privacy on three sides with one open panel framing Lanai's most photographed landscape: Sweetheart Rock {pictured above}. Intent on luxuriating in Lanai, I complimented the hut's gorgeous view with a Makala Massage, which saw my masseuse performing a head-to-toe bamboo stick drumroll to awaken my muscles---strangely fabulous---as well as maneuvering my skin to mimic the ocean’s movement.

Trip Styler Tip: Find all the serenity-now details ofHawaii's Heavenly Spas in my Expedia Viewfinder article.

Hawaii, The Big Island One of my top treatments in 2013 was at The Fairmont Orchid's Spa Without Walls. Similar to my other spa-capades on Maui and Lanai, I booked a local treatment---always a best practice. For all 110 minutes of my Ali’i Experience, I felt like a Hawaiian princess being prepared for a suitor with the island’s most luxurious botanical essences and potions---fitting given Ali’i is the Hawaiian word for royalty. Sprawled in a cabana a mere five feet from the ocean, I was rubbed with fragrant Hawaiian herbs, massaged with sweeping lomilomi-style strokes and adorned with a crown of coconut oil. When the oil started trickling down my scalp, my state shifted from deep relaxation to divine gratitude. Heaven, indeed.

[photos by @tripstyler, except Spa Grande, courtesy Grand Wailea]

Healthy On The Road :: Boost-it Foods

[trip style = any]

January wouldn't be January at the Trip Styler HQ without an extra dose of detox. After kicking off 2014 with our favorite wayfaring cleanse, the glowing green smoothie, we're coming back to you with another one-way ticket to wellness. As you think about what pins you'll push into the map this year, before takeoff, boost your body with this list of inexpensive, natural and vitamin-rich superfoods, all favorites of the most frequent and fabulous fliers I know: the Virgin Atlantic flight crew. Lucky day: indulging in all these tropical treats is a vacation unto itself.

Coconut Water
Hydration significantly reduces feelings of jet lag, and coconut water is alkaline showing great cleansing effects on the body.

Trip Styler Tip: No coconut water in the fridge? Pop the petite and reusable Santevia Alkaline Water Stick into a jug or water bottle to achieve similar, alkalizing effects.

Bananas
Eating bananas boosts serotonin which stabilizes your mood and has a calming effect on the brain.

Pineapple
Pineapples contain high levels of vitamin C that help improve your immunity. Their juice also helps with digestion and aids in flushing your system.

Wheatgrass
Wheatgrass powder contains the same green pigment found in plants, and helps flush the liver as well as regulate digestion.

Jump Start Jetsetter
Just hitting the Virgin Clubhouse circuit this January, I'm amped for the antioxidant-packed Jump Start Jetsetter---a non-alcoholic cocktail cool enough to drink at the bar. In case you're not stopping by one of Sir Branson's lounges in the next few weeks, here's the secret sauce for a DIY version:

Pineapple Juice: antioxidant that increases intestinal productivity and rich in Vit C
Coconut Water: alkaline that has great cleansing effects on the body
Ginger: antioxidant that stimulates digestion and circulation
Agave: high in vitamins and minerals, low GI
Mint: soothes stomachs in cases of indigestion or inflammation
Angostura bitters: stimulates digestion and reduces trapped gasses
Egg whites: zero fat and low calorie protein Fresh lemon: break down fats and stimulates digestion

Finally, once you've arrived in your destination, ditch the AM coffee for a cup of warm water and a splash of lemon to wake-up your system and banish grogginess.

[photos, in order of appearance, by @tripstyler and Virgin Atlantic]

The Oahu Quick-Change

[trip style = sun + beach]

When Trip Styler Sis and I were in Oahu a few months ago, we went completely gaga over a tropical trend we spotted: Beach-goers changing from their bathing suit to everyday clothes in the sand or beside the road. Forget the changing room or beach bathroom, they had the après-beach change dialed to a stealthy, one-minute affair. We wanted in. I mean, who doesn't want to channel the aloha attitude of Oahu's quick-change artists?

To teach us the art, we met someone who lives this lifestyle every day; chef, artist, free diver, champion spear fisher AND Patagonia Ambassador Kimi Werner. Here's what she told us about the Oahu quick-change and life on the island's North Shore.

1/ What's the background story of the après-beach quick-change? When you're surrounded by water and a warm climate you develop an ocean lifestyle. I think we become less conservative and more laid-back. Since we spend so much time in bikinis or board shorts, we get used to not wearing as much clothing as people from other places, so changing by the roadside becomes less of a big deal. It's practical. Change quickly and go on to your next experience.

2/ Is there an art to changing by the road or at the beach?
String bikinis are the easiest, because you can just throw on clothes, pull the strings to untie the suit and whip them out of your shirt sleeves or shorts. Or you can use a towel. Just wrap yourself up, drop your bottoms, undo your top and replace with dry clothes. And voila!

3/ What are some essential ingredients for the quick-change?
Clothes and a towel.

4/ What do locals do about storing their wallet and keys while they're at the beach?
If you don't have to bring it, don't, though most people stash their essentials out of sight and hide their keys while they're in the water. Otherwise, attach a lockbox to the outside of your car and put your keys in there.

5/ What are your favorite beaches on Oahu?
Waimea Bay and Sunset Beach.

6/ Best place to catch the sunset on Oahu?
Sandy's Beach.

PS. Don't miss Kimi's breathtaking {literally} video about her island life, the ecosystem and encountering a great white shark on a research trip.

[photos in order of appearance: 1 - Jeff Johnson, courtesy of Patagonia / 2 + 3 - Jake Marote / 4 - Malia Yoshioka]

*A special thank you to my friend, foodie and all-around nice gal Malia for making this possible.

Hola Hualtulco

[trip style = beach + sun + budget-conscious]

It's 5:15pm on Dec 29th. Mr. Trip Styler and I are combing the travelsphere for a flash of sun-spiration. Huatulco, Mexico's heat and hues grab our attention. We've never been and the flight leaves in a day. As the sound of rain drips in a hypnotic drone from my balcony, spending the first week of 2014 consuming cervezas and guacamole al fresco turns from window shopping to buying. Before booking we check the weather report---an upside of last-minute travel---to confirm tropical temps and steer clear of the Polar Vortex. Seven straight days of sun makes the harried should we? moment before hitting "submit" so much easier: Hola Huatulco.

Hualtulco hugs the base of Mexico's Pacific Coast so far south it's the last major beach destination until Central America. "Do you love Huatulco?" "It's beautiful, si?" are the main questions asked by shopkeepers and taxi drivers. They're fiercely proud of their stomping grounds, a collection of 36 beaches and nine bays nestled into the cactus-covered coastline. If you have a private boat {or an affinity for bushwhacking} like some of the snowbirds we met, they'll tell you tales of many more beaches and bays.

Until recently, most of the spots I've visited in Mexico are driven by international tourism. Huatulco is different. Local hotels occupy every few buildings and far outnumber the big and beachy structures frequented by winter-averse margarita mavens. Beach dwellers are mostly Mexicans. Residents and visitors pay the same cab fares and eat at the same restaurants. This we're-all-in-the-same-boat approach to tourism is refreshing, like a cold Corona on the beach.

Beaches 

Arrocito Beach

Arrocito Beach

Tangolunda Beach

Tangolunda Beach

Chahue Beach

Maguey Beach

Maguey Beach

Maguey Beach

Maguey Beach

Tejon Beach

Tejon Beach

Tejon Beach

My beach read: Life by Keith Richards. About 200 pages in, you won't want to put it down. Tales of the Rolling Stones' shenanigans at concerts, in hotel rooms and on private jets will either conjure a love for your normal life or lust after fame.

Food

Just opposite the main square in La Crucecita, Los Portales glows in technicolor with neon, plastic-woven chairs---a take on the famed Acapulco chair---bright lights and eye-popping dishes.

A bottle of Pacifico washed down my best chicken taco meal in Huatulco at Restaurante Arely, a festive locals' joint a few blocks off La Crucecita's main square.

MediterraneO, an on-the-beach, shipwreck-style restaurant we visited three times sporting swings as bar stools and wooden tables decorated with yellow gerbera daisies. Visit at night---9 or 10pm---to dance the night away to the rhythm of live music. Find it in the Santa Cruz neighborhood.

Don't rule out the beach for good food, either. At Maguey Beach we secured an umbrella and lounges for ordering a few Pacificos and guac.

Shop

Museo de Artesanias Oaxaquenas, a family collective of artisans making carpets, blankets and scarves by handweaving colors sourced from the land to dye local wool. Find it in the center of downtown La Crucecita.

Hotel
Hotel Villablanca, a modest, little off-the-beach abode with included breakfast and WiFi. It's so well positioned two blocks from the beach, near a grocery store and a 15-minute walk from town that a flock of snowbirds winter here, meeting every day for breakfast and happy hour by the pool. Rooms are basic, beds are hard {common at local hotels in Mexico} and the grounds are well kept. From $60 per night.

Recommendations
- Cash is king. Credit cards are not widely accepted in local joints. Take out pesos as you need them at one of the many bank machines in town {HSBC, ScotiaBank, BancoMex and more}. - Brush up on your Spanish beyond "donde esta el bano" and "un cerveza por favor." English is not widely spoken.
- Cabs are very reasonable, with small trips starting at $2 or 25 pesos. Tip up.
- If you want to explore the local beaches, which I recommend, bring a beach umbrella. The breeze is light and won't overturn your shelter and there isn't much shade.
- Casual clothes are du rigueure {read: I never wore the wedges I packed, only my sandals, but know that I didn't stay at big, beachfront resort}.
- While you should always be street-smart when you travel, I never felt unsafe.
- Of course only drink bottled water and try all the local food!

[photos by @tripstyler]

Morocco :: Dar al Hossoun

[trip style = budget conscious + sun]

{Editor’s Note: Over the holidays we’re pressing pause on our inflight schedule after a busy year traipsing between cities like Palm Springs, London, Miami and Morocco. We'll resume our regular Tuesday/Thursday route January 7th. Until then, look for updates on Trip Styler’s Instagram and Editor’s Diary. See you in the New Year, and from all of us on the TS crew, happy holidays wherever your journey takes you.}

I've been a Moroccan design lover since I was old enough to flip through the pages of Vogue Living Australia. When I visited last week, my eyes and my lens were blinking at snap speed processing the colors, textures and shapes that have made Morocco an Elle Decor darling.

While my trip took me WAY beyond design---4x4ing the Western Sahara, sipping vino in wine country and visiting an argan oil cooperative---I wanted to whet your palate {and your palette} with some fabulous interiors I shot at Dar al Hossoun, a French-owned, 16-room garden lodge in Taroudant, Morocco. Rooms start at $150 a night and include WiFi and breakfast. At this price, you can live the Elle Decor dream.

PS. I had a half-day snafu with my camera's SD card, so all of these shots were taken on my iPhone 5.

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[photos by @tripstyler]