Rumi wrote, “Beauty surrounds us, but usually we must be walking in a garden to know it.” As a metaphor which presents the vast opportunities for joy in life, a garden immerses us in the present, awakening all of our senses. These spas understand the power of their garden setting.
Laucala Island Resort, Fiji
With a garden at its heart, this spa uses products handmade from ingredients grown on site. Celebrating Fiji’s bounty, from ginger to nutmeg to coconuts, the resort also has a perfume pavilion, where guests can create their own scent, soap or essential oil. Try a scrub body scrub, which uses the garden’s own volcanic soil. laucala.com/wellness
Spa at Monastero Santa Rosa, Amalfi Coast, Italy
Renew beneath the shade of a pergola at Monastero Santa Rosa, a 17th-century ruined convent turned 20-room luxury resort, perched cliffside above the Bay of Salerno. With its state-of-the-art spa housed within the original 17th-century vaulted-ceilinged walls of the restored convent, the treatments incorporate such favorites as bergamot, sweet orange, and pomegranate. monasterosantarosa.com/spa/
Spa at the Boulders, Boulders Resort, Carefree, Arizona
Watched over by noble, centuries-old red rocks and princely Saguaro cacti, the Organic Garden at Spa at the Boulders evokes a true desert oasis. Flowing water and a reflection pond anchor the 5,600-square foot, herb-dotted garden. Pick your own herbs to be used in a custom treatment, ideally amid the warm glow of sunset. theboulders.com/spa-at-the-boulders
Lake Austin Spa Resort, Austin Texas
Rekindle with Romantic Reconnections, (A Spa Journey For Two), which takes place in the sanctum of the lakeside haven’s outdoor couples’ suite. Dubbed the Bamboo Room, where Japanese Bamboo and native Texas plants deepen the Eden-like ambiance, the treatment includes a scrub and massage, with options that reflect seasonal items found in the resort’s garden. lakeaustin.com
Becca Hensley
Becca Hensley is Editor at Large for Insider's Guide to Spas. Based in Austin, she writes regularly about travel and spas. She believes a good story draws you in like laughter in a crowded room, and challenges you to do it justice. Her work appears regularly in Austin Monthly, Travel Channel, Toronto Star and National Geographic Traveler.