For my birthday I was a very lucky girl and got treated to a day of pampering and relaxation at Aqua Sana at Centre Parc's sherwood forest.
Me and Gary had such a good day at Aqua Sana I just had to share it all with you. Now I didn't take any pictures of my own seeing as it was a day for relaxing and unwinding I left my phone locked away all day, and it was quite nice actually. However, the kind PR staff at Aqua Sana have sent me some photos to include in this post.
So lets start at the beginning:
Normally for my birthday I have a nice long list wish list, however this year I had no idea what I wanted. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of things I want, but there was nothing I really need and with our wedding just 4 months away (aahhhhh) I didn't want Gary to spend a fortune on something I didn't really need right now. So instead I thought it would be lovely to spend the day out together, so I strongly hinted how nice it would be to go on a spa day.
Well the boy followed through and off to Aqua Sana we went. I have been to Aqua Sana before but only for the twilight spa, so I was very excited about having a full day to just relax and unwind.Gary had never been on any kind of spa experience before so he had no idea what to expect.
When we arrived we changed into our swimsuits and complimentary fluffy robes and went through to the cafe where we given a complimentary drink and breakfast snack.
While nibbling away on my pan au chocolate we were greeted by a very friendly member of the spa team who went through our spa experience, explaining the different rooms, seminars and lunch. Gary let slip to her it was my birthday and she came back over with two glasses of bubbly as a Happy Birthday treat, which was a lovely treat.
Then into the spa we went to explore all the different rooms and spa experiences around the spa. I cant remember exactly which order we did each experience, but I will give you a quick run down of them all.
Tyrolean Sauna- This is a traditional wood lined sauna, by sitting (or laying) in the sauna your body heats up quickly bringing on perspiration and opening your pores. I love sauna's and this was lovely and warm and I just closed my eyes and imagined myself laying on the beach in Dubai. I did get very hot rather quickly so had to nip outside where there is a conveniently placed ice fountain which I reluctantly put my hands in and cooled myself off, and it felt lovely and refreshing.
Turkish Hammam- This is room is themed like a classic Turkish bath inspired by the Sultan's glittering palaces. This room is filled with steam and essential oils. The essential oils in this room work to detoxify and purify and relax any sore muscles and body aches. Me and Gary had our first holiday together in Turkey and had a traditional Turkish bath on the first day and in this room as we relaxed and reminisced about our trip to Turkey, deciding that we had to go back one day.
Indian blossom Steam room- This room is filled with glittering lights, flower petal and exotic aroma the soothing steam that will help your mind and body unwind. This aroma of this steam room is filled with eucalyptus and menthol which helps promote clear breathing.
Japanese salt steam bath- I loved this room, it was so relaxing and comforting I could have sat here all day, but there was too much to explore for that. The central focus in this steam room is an illuminated rose quartz stone. Rose quartz is a stone with healing qualities and the capacity to stimulate the senses and to heighten awareness. The room is filled with salt, jasmine and mint infused steam to help clear congestion and help you breath more easily. I was recovering from a cold so found this room really helped clear my sinuses.
Greek Herbal bath- This was Gary's favorite room so we had a few trips in here throughout the day. This room has individual domes to sit in, the room was infused with an array of herbal essences. A small bucket of water trickled over each herb individually and filled the room with its aroma. The herbs used were Chamomile, which cultivates a feeling of calm, soothing the mind body and spirit. Sage, reviving and stress relieving to counter muscle tiredness and fatigue. FinallyRosemary which stimulates the mind and body, while promoting clarity and thought, sharp memory and focused thinking. This was so relaxing, if I had been able to put my feet up I may well have drifted off into the land of nod.
Laconium- This is a very gentle heat bathed infused with citrus to purify and detoxify your body. This room slowly heats up your body and tingles your skin feeling refreshed. This room is cooler then some of the other experiences so this was perfect to cool down before lunch.
Which brings me on to lunch. We went through to the cafe, Gary seemed to know where we was going and took me to a table covered in confetti, happy birthday banners and a plated covered in melted chocolate spelling out 'Happy Birthday', which was lovely and made me feel really special. When I went to order my lunch I was serenaded to a enthusiastic round of Happy Birthday by the lovely staff behind the counter. We both went for a panini for lunch finished with a cake, I went for the lemon tart and it was delicious.
After lunch we went outside to a little log cabin like hut. Inside there was overhead heaters, cushions and some incredibly comfy and snuggly blankets. With our full bellies and relaxed minds we cuddled up together had a little chat about wedding and dozzed off and 40 winks. I don't know what it was but there was something so relaxing about seeing the rain trickling outside while we were wrapped up warm in the fresh air.. Waking up 30 minutes later we both came back to life and agreed it was the best nap we had ever had and vowed that once we have a house with a garden we are building one of these in our back gardens, Gary suggested with a hot tub in the middle, that's up to debate.
After our little snooze we decided to go have a swim in the heated Outdoor pool, which is right in the center of the spa and has swim jets and bubbles to relax the muscles.
After a bit of a swim we went to the Tepidarium. we tried to get in here a couple of times but with just a handful of heated beds it was a battle to snatch one up. This room has warm mosaic beds, the ideal temperature allows your body to gently cleanse and bring a sense of well-being. This was very relaxing and would be the perfect place to get lost in a good book, I must remember to take one next time.
Finally the last experience was the Aqua meditation room. This room was extremely peaceful, I think Gary may have nodded off again but I just sat and allowed my mind to clear and relax. The meditation room is round with comfy seating around a bubble tubes. This room is filled with multi-sensory stimulation through water droplets,cascading from above to create a moving water surface which give a really peaceful atmosphere.
We revisited some of our favourite experience rooms, the only one we missed out on was the water beds which were very popular people were waiting to bounce on one as soon as there was a free bed so we decided to give this a miss.
My only regret about the day was that we didn't book a treatment. At the time of booking I think Gary was slightly overwhelmed and wasn't sure on the different treatments. We both said on the day it would have been lovely to indudge on a couples treatment of some kind, will make sure we do that next time.
Overall we had a fantastic day at Aqua Sana, the staff were super friendly and made my birthday very special. We both went home feeling pampered, relaxed and it was so nice to have a day unwinding together. We both had an amazing night sleep that night and my skin was left feeling smooth and soft after being treated to the spa experiences.
We have both said we would really love another trip to Aqua Sana, we are looking at going before our wedding in July so we have a pamper and relax before the big day.
Thank you to the team at Aqua Sana for giving me one of the best birthday's ever.
If you fancy a spa day here is a link to the Aqua Sana website which has a range of spa breaks and prices.
Thanks for reading lovlies
Me and Gary had such a good day at Aqua Sana I just had to share it all with you. Now I didn't take any pictures of my own seeing as it was a day for relaxing and unwinding I left my phone locked away all day, and it was quite nice actually. However, the kind PR staff at Aqua Sana have sent me some photos to include in this post.
So lets start at the beginning:
Normally for my birthday I have a nice long list wish list, however this year I had no idea what I wanted. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of things I want, but there was nothing I really need and with our wedding just 4 months away (aahhhhh) I didn't want Gary to spend a fortune on something I didn't really need right now. So instead I thought it would be lovely to spend the day out together, so I strongly hinted how nice it would be to go on a spa day.
Well the boy followed through and off to Aqua Sana we went. I have been to Aqua Sana before but only for the twilight spa, so I was very excited about having a full day to just relax and unwind.Gary had never been on any kind of spa experience before so he had no idea what to expect.
When we arrived we changed into our swimsuits and complimentary fluffy robes and went through to the cafe where we given a complimentary drink and breakfast snack.
While nibbling away on my pan au chocolate we were greeted by a very friendly member of the spa team who went through our spa experience, explaining the different rooms, seminars and lunch. Gary let slip to her it was my birthday and she came back over with two glasses of bubbly as a Happy Birthday treat, which was a lovely treat.
Then into the spa we went to explore all the different rooms and spa experiences around the spa. I cant remember exactly which order we did each experience, but I will give you a quick run down of them all.
Tyrolean Sauna- This is a traditional wood lined sauna, by sitting (or laying) in the sauna your body heats up quickly bringing on perspiration and opening your pores. I love sauna's and this was lovely and warm and I just closed my eyes and imagined myself laying on the beach in Dubai. I did get very hot rather quickly so had to nip outside where there is a conveniently placed ice fountain which I reluctantly put my hands in and cooled myself off, and it felt lovely and refreshing.
Turkish Hammam- This is room is themed like a classic Turkish bath inspired by the Sultan's glittering palaces. This room is filled with steam and essential oils. The essential oils in this room work to detoxify and purify and relax any sore muscles and body aches. Me and Gary had our first holiday together in Turkey and had a traditional Turkish bath on the first day and in this room as we relaxed and reminisced about our trip to Turkey, deciding that we had to go back one day.
Indian blossom Steam room- This room is filled with glittering lights, flower petal and exotic aroma the soothing steam that will help your mind and body unwind. This aroma of this steam room is filled with eucalyptus and menthol which helps promote clear breathing.
Japanese salt steam bath- I loved this room, it was so relaxing and comforting I could have sat here all day, but there was too much to explore for that. The central focus in this steam room is an illuminated rose quartz stone. Rose quartz is a stone with healing qualities and the capacity to stimulate the senses and to heighten awareness. The room is filled with salt, jasmine and mint infused steam to help clear congestion and help you breath more easily. I was recovering from a cold so found this room really helped clear my sinuses.
Greek Herbal bath- This was Gary's favorite room so we had a few trips in here throughout the day. This room has individual domes to sit in, the room was infused with an array of herbal essences. A small bucket of water trickled over each herb individually and filled the room with its aroma. The herbs used were Chamomile, which cultivates a feeling of calm, soothing the mind body and spirit. Sage, reviving and stress relieving to counter muscle tiredness and fatigue. FinallyRosemary which stimulates the mind and body, while promoting clarity and thought, sharp memory and focused thinking. This was so relaxing, if I had been able to put my feet up I may well have drifted off into the land of nod.
Laconium- This is a very gentle heat bathed infused with citrus to purify and detoxify your body. This room slowly heats up your body and tingles your skin feeling refreshed. This room is cooler then some of the other experiences so this was perfect to cool down before lunch.
Which brings me on to lunch. We went through to the cafe, Gary seemed to know where we was going and took me to a table covered in confetti, happy birthday banners and a plated covered in melted chocolate spelling out 'Happy Birthday', which was lovely and made me feel really special. When I went to order my lunch I was serenaded to a enthusiastic round of Happy Birthday by the lovely staff behind the counter. We both went for a panini for lunch finished with a cake, I went for the lemon tart and it was delicious.
After lunch we went outside to a little log cabin like hut. Inside there was overhead heaters, cushions and some incredibly comfy and snuggly blankets. With our full bellies and relaxed minds we cuddled up together had a little chat about wedding and dozzed off and 40 winks. I don't know what it was but there was something so relaxing about seeing the rain trickling outside while we were wrapped up warm in the fresh air.. Waking up 30 minutes later we both came back to life and agreed it was the best nap we had ever had and vowed that once we have a house with a garden we are building one of these in our back gardens, Gary suggested with a hot tub in the middle, that's up to debate.
After our little snooze we decided to go have a swim in the heated Outdoor pool, which is right in the center of the spa and has swim jets and bubbles to relax the muscles.
After a bit of a swim we went to the Tepidarium. we tried to get in here a couple of times but with just a handful of heated beds it was a battle to snatch one up. This room has warm mosaic beds, the ideal temperature allows your body to gently cleanse and bring a sense of well-being. This was very relaxing and would be the perfect place to get lost in a good book, I must remember to take one next time.
Finally the last experience was the Aqua meditation room. This room was extremely peaceful, I think Gary may have nodded off again but I just sat and allowed my mind to clear and relax. The meditation room is round with comfy seating around a bubble tubes. This room is filled with multi-sensory stimulation through water droplets,cascading from above to create a moving water surface which give a really peaceful atmosphere.
We revisited some of our favourite experience rooms, the only one we missed out on was the water beds which were very popular people were waiting to bounce on one as soon as there was a free bed so we decided to give this a miss.
My only regret about the day was that we didn't book a treatment. At the time of booking I think Gary was slightly overwhelmed and wasn't sure on the different treatments. We both said on the day it would have been lovely to indudge on a couples treatment of some kind, will make sure we do that next time.
Overall we had a fantastic day at Aqua Sana, the staff were super friendly and made my birthday very special. We both went home feeling pampered, relaxed and it was so nice to have a day unwinding together. We both had an amazing night sleep that night and my skin was left feeling smooth and soft after being treated to the spa experiences.
We have both said we would really love another trip to Aqua Sana, we are looking at going before our wedding in July so we have a pamper and relax before the big day.
Thank you to the team at Aqua Sana for giving me one of the best birthday's ever.
If you fancy a spa day here is a link to the Aqua Sana website which has a range of spa breaks and prices.
Thanks for reading lovlies
