Massaging out the bumps
Tired feet? Aching back and swollen ankles? Jane Perrone and Sandra Haurant test out some pre-baby spa treatments to leave you and your bump floating on air.
Massage and a bottle
New mother Sheila Pulham takes some rare time for herself and samples three post-natal spa treatments in Brighton.
Where to … sleep in a tree
You can sleep in the treetops in Cornwall, or hammocks strung up in the rainforest canopy in Borneo.
Checking in
This boutique guesthouse in Bath has a bullet-proof dining table, a secret passage from the library to the bar, a small sauna and steam room, and mirrors everywhere.
The European island gems you’ve never heard of
From a sleepy island on the Lycian coast to a tiny spot amid the world's biggest archipelago in Finland.
Basque in calming waters
There's nothing trendy or tricksy about the sea water spa town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz. It just knows how to give good instant karma.
Stanley House, Lancashire
Once a dairy farm, this 12-bedroom hotel is in the running for the award of Small Hotel of the Year in England - and for good reason.
Slow boat to Shannon
Owen Sheers wanted to do a Rick Stein-style food cruise - in Ireland. Cue laughter from Irish friends. But he discovers there's more to it than oysters and Guinness
The pirate queen’s retreat
Once a haven for Irish buccaneers, Clare Island has plenty to offer treasure-seekers today, says Catherine Mack.
20 Great designer villas
Forget tumbledown fincas, you can rent a holiday home at the cutting edge of contemporary design. From abstract cubes and infinity pools to polished concrete and stainless-steel kitchens, we pick the coolest retreats on the Med.
What is … a ‘sento’?
Few visitors to Japan have experienced the pleasures of a 'sento', an old public bath house of the kind that relies on tap water rather than natural springs.
The quirky break
A series of 'life changing weekends' in Yorkshire offers a programme of relaxation techniques.
Spa for the course
We live in a spa-obsessed world but a health retreat needn't be all about pampering and posturing. Simon Busch gets back to basics at two French wellbeing retreats.
The retreat
In:spa has launched its first three-day weekend breaks in the UK.
Water world
SkyEurope is introducing a Monday flight from Stansted to Poprad which means you can now go there for the weekend.