Revitalising – Bermudian Style

magine jetting off to a beautiful island for a relaxing break with champagne, retail therapy and several hours of indulgent spa treatments. Well, now you can! Cambridge Beaches, a five star resort on the holiday island of Bermuda, is offering blissful Girls Getaway breaks designed to pamper and spoil female guests looking for a relaxing escape. The short holiday includes a champagne welcome, luxury accommodation, breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner plus several idyllic hours in the spa. Other fun activities such as shopping in Hamilton, stretch yoga classes, horseback riding on the beach and golf and tennis lessons with a professional coach are also included.

Bermuda is one of the world s dream holiday destinations, a tiny island in the north Atlantic (not the Caribbean as is often supposed) about 600 miles off the Carolinas coast and blessed with a year-round subtropical climate and a plethora of quality attractions. When the mercury dips below freezing in the Big Apple, Bermuda is basking in temperatures in the mid seventies thanks to the influence of the Gulf Stream and warm trade winds blowing up from the tropics. The warm winter weather and short flying time make it an ideal escape from the bitter cold of New York or northern Europe.

On my first visit I was pleased to find the island less glitzy and glamorous than expected, with enchanting pink sand beaches and warm seas. I loved the neat houses painted in pastel colours, the lush vegetation and the safe, well-cared-for ambiance. Just 22 miles long and a mile wide, the island is a fascinating mix of British conservatism, West Indian spice and American service and efficiency. Too small to attract mass market tourism, Bermuda is pleasingly exclusive without being pretentious. The friendly population enjoys a high standard of living, full employment and pays no income tax. Such factors have created a tax and celebrity haven for wealthy industry moguls and superstars such as Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones.

Cambridge Beaches is Bermuda s original cottage colony, a hideaway resort on the island s northwest tip, with 94 luxurious cottage rooms set in tropical gardens, with divine oversized beds and spacious marble bathrooms. The resort is surrounded by five sandy beaches and enjoys panoramic views. As well as a spa (more on this later) guests have the use of leisure amenities including water sports, croquet, tennis and membership in all the island s golf courses. Unashamedly romantic, there is even a resident romance expert to create the perfect setting for marriage proposals, and couples can be whisked away to a private island for a gourmet dinner under the stars!

The Ocean Spa offers an array of services, therapies and treatments aimed at wellness, beauty, fitness and relaxation. Since it opened in 1998, the spa has been one of the resort s most popular attractions.

Most guests use the spa an average of three or more times during their stay, says Spa Director Michael Ternent. We may think of expanding in the near future, as we need more couples suites and would also like to offer massage on the beach, as we have many requests for it.

The spa is laid out on two levels - exercise areas, solarium, swimming and fitness pools upstairs; spa reception, changing rooms, relaxation areas, hair and beauty salon, wet and dry treatment rooms, steam baths and saunas on the lower level.

While I found Ocean Spa s facilities clean and pleasant, if a little dated, I could not fault the choice or quality of my treatments. More than 100 spa and beauty treatments are offered, including traditional and holistic massage therapies, Guinot facials and skin care, slimming and detox treatments, sun tanning, and pre- and post-natal treatments, plus a full range of hairdressing and grooming services. Nature walks, bicycling treks, and beachfront exercise are also available and couples can share a romantic candlelit massage for two. If you need help selecting a treatment or service, informative therapists are on hand to explain every procedure and its benefits. All the highly qualified staff have been personally selected by Michael Ternent and are trained to exacting European standards.

The spa s signature treatments include the popular Bermuda Shorts Cellulite Treatment, a combination wrap and body treatment designed to break up and minimize cellulite from the waist to the knees. But it was my jet-lagged dehydrated skin that was crying out for attention, so my first treatment choice was the Signature Spa Revitaliser. This rejuvenating treatment combines a cleansing and hydrating facial with a back, hand and foot massage and uses refreshing lemon essential oils. Louise, my attentive therapist, made me feel utterly pampered - from swaddling my cold feet in a warm towel to turning the music down to a whisper so I could totally relax. And relax I certainly did, I nodded off during the facial and probably snored my head off!

When not in the spa or on the beach, my friend and I explored Bermuda, visiting historic sights like the Maritime Museum and Naval Dockyards as well as such natural wonders as the subterranean Crystal Caves with its awesome lake and magnificent stalactites and stalagmites.

Any Girls Getaway break would be seriously lacking without some retail therapy. At Cambridge Beaches you can sail to the shops on the resort s free 15-minute ferry service to Hamilton, the island s capital cheaper and less hassle than by road, as Bermuda has no hire cars, just scooters, buses and taxis. We browsed the tax-free boutiques and got lost in the labyrinth of Trimingham s department store, where you can buy anything from a postcard to a crystal chandelier. Shopping finished, we sipped tea on Front Street and people-watched before cruising back for dinner.

Before leaving for the airport, I enjoyed a refreshing swim and a final spa treatment - the Ocean Mud Reflextherapy. I have bony ticklish feet, and have never enjoyed reflexology, but this was totally different! First my feet were embalmed in self-heating ocean mud and left for 10 to 15 minutes while my therapist gave me a relaxing face and scalp massage. The mud was then removed and my feet given a firm but totally pleasant pressure point massage. Absolute bliss! For the first time in ages, I slept on an overnight flight back to London. I m already saving up for my next visit to paradise!

In the UK, four night Girls Getaway Breaks at Cambridge Beaches are available through Prestige Holidays (+ 44 (0) 1425 480400) and cost from 1246 per person based on two sharing. Price includes return scheduled flights with BA from Gatwick to Bermuda, private taxi transfers, half-board accommodation with water view, welcoming champagne and selected spa treatments and activities. In the US, visit www.cambridgebeaches.com or call 1-800-468-7300 or 441 234 0331 for dates and rates.

Catherine Beattie is a UK-based health and travel writer/publisher with a lifelong interest in spas. Her credentials include writing
and
publishing several consumer guides including Healthy Breaks in Britain & Ireland (the UK's first spa guide) and The Really Useful Guides. Catherine was founding editor of Spa Health & Beauty magazine and contributes to many UK national newspapers and magazines including The Sunday Times, The Express, Here's Health and Harpers & Queen. She is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers, Guild of Health Writers and Spa Business Association.