Spa Journeys

Spas have been around for centuries, yet the flux of pampering palaces that have sprung up like hot springs in the last few decades have come a long way from the Turkish baths and fat farms of yore. Spa Journeys: For Mind Body and Soul explores 26 spas around the world and details their unique glories in a way that is both practically comprehensive and visually ambitious. Photographer Linda Troeller and author Annette Foglinotell tell stories through pictures and text of transporting experiences and life-altering offerings, from seawater pools and white sulphur springs to a curious "chocolate fondue" treatment (that could potentially make any raw-food diet a bit more palatable). Luckily, the book embraces spa worlds past and present--old-world remedies and practices meeting new-world luxuries and conveniences--and expounds in detail on the benefits and joys of both. For serious spa-goers, Spa Journeys is a satisfying read, as its rich cross-section of information is invaluable for someone on a path to renewal. While the visuals are often as refreshing and hypnotic as the locations themselves, pictures go mysteriously and frustratingly uncaptioned. (If, however, you are keen to know the significance of a spaceship-like capsule or being buried in piles of hay, picture credits are listed in the back.) --Christene Barberich