Where to Go When Aching for a Spa Treatment in Batam, Indonesia

Because of the great number of enriching yet exhausting activities in Batam, buying spa packages is a very common thing among travelers here. And if you think this is just what you need, you've clicked the right link. Here, we're giving you a list of the 5 most popular spas in this part of Indonesia.

1. Tempat Senang Spa

With a TripAdvisor rating of 4.5 stars, Tempat Senang is certainly among the best spas in Batam. It presents a wide menu of massages that utilize different materials, such as in-house oils, Tibetan hot stones, and Chinese bamboo sticks. They also offer Luk Pra Kob, a 400-year-old treatment that soothes chronic body aches with the use of herbs and spices placed inside a steamed cloth.

Address: Tanjung Periok, Sekupang

Phone Number: 778 325 616

2. Isabella Massage House

At Isabella Massage House, you can go straight from having a shopping escapade to indulging in utter relaxation. Located inside the Nagoya Hill Shop House, this spa presents a range of treatments that include ear candle therapy and a 4-hand massage. If you're traveling as a couple, you can grab the spa's romantic package that already covers full-body massage, scrub, body mask, ear candle treatment, and milk bath.

Address: Nagoya Hill Shop House, Block G No. 5, Nagoya

Phone Number: 778 749 3692

3. The Spa Secret

Standing just across Nagoya Hills Shopping Mall, The Spa Secret boasts of using only natural ingredients, the purest aromatherapy oils, and premium herbs in all its services. The relaxing benefits of its Traditional Herbal Spa Package is no longer a secret. This series of treatments, which uses the traditional Indonesian herb Bali Boreh, is said to soothe tense muscles, improve blood circulation, prevent and cure flu, and detoxify the body.

Address: Komp. Nagoya Garden Phase I, Blok D No. 1-2-3, Nagoya

Phone Number: 778 423 123

4. Tspa

Tspa is located inside and operated by Turi Beach, a top accommodation in Batam. It offers a uniquely Indonesian experience that's more than the usual Balinese massage. Among its services that you must try is the Urut, a traditional massage that was developed over a thousand years ago. If you prefer a more complete service, try its Turi Beauty Package, a 3 1/2-hour session designed after the centuries-old treatment for Javanese royalty. You can enjoy all these either in a private room or in a gazebo, a beachfront resort affording great Batam views.

Address: Turi Beach, Jalan Hang Lekiu, Nongsa

Phone Number: 778 761 080

5. Adorabella Health Club

If you're in search of a great traditional spa in Batam, then head over to Jalan Duyung Sei in Jodoh. Offered here are aromatherapy massages, body scrubs, and facial treatments. And because it's a health club, it also features a fitness center, 2 jacuzzis, and an aerobics and yoga studio, which you can freely access after you've availed any of Adorabella's Batam spa packages and other services.

Address: Jalan Duyung Sei, Jodoh

Phone Number: 778 421 111

3 Activities to Kick-Start Your Leisurely Holiday in Cartagena, Colombia

Still deciding on what to do after you've checked in at your hotel in Cartagena, Colombia? With these activities on your holiday checklist, you'll be sure to make the most of your stay in this Caribbean city.

1. See attractions
With its port, fortresses, and group of monuments declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Cartagena has a lot of historically relevant and visually appealing destinations to offer first-time visitors. South America's most extensive military fortifications were built in the city between the 16th and 18th century. Religious sites, such as the church and convent of San Pedro Claver, church of Santo Domingo, and what was once the monastery of San Diego give wonderfully preserved samples of architecture from the colonial period. You can also visit the former Palace of Inquisition, which is now being used as a historical and archeological museum and Palace of the Government, and Plaza de las Coches, an open area where slave auctions were previously held.

2. Hit the beach
Bocagrande can't claim to have the best beach in the city but an afternoon spent here will give one enough insight as to why it deserves to be called the Copacabana of Cartagena. The beach is a busy place during high season and weekends mainly because of the influx of people on their way to luxury hotels and entertainment establishments in the area, such as Hotel Almirante Cartagena. Aside from people-watching and dancing to electronic music in the clubs, this beach is also a perfect spot for indulging in a soothing massage and witnessing a spectacular sunset. If you find Bocagrande a little too crowded, you can try the beaches of Bocachica, La Boquilla, Islas del Rosario, Isla Baru, Tierrabomba, and Playa Blanca.

3. Sample the local cuisine
Cartagena's confluence of cultures can be best experienced by tasting the its cuisine. Start your day with a hearty breakfast of arepa, a dish made of ground corn flour and topped with cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, or guacamole. The best varieties of this tasty treat can be bought near Calle del Pozo, Getsemani, and Exito Supermarket. For lunch, you can head to Cartagena en la Olla where you can eat your fill of traditional dishes. You can cap an exciting day by taking a trip to Plaza de la Santisima Trinidad and sampling the street food sold there around midnight. Should you wish for familiar tastes during your stay at an accommodation in Cartagena, Colombia, you'll be happy to know that there is no shortage of restaurants that specialize in international dishes in the city.

Five Amazing Dive Sites in Bohol for Beginners

Dive sites in Bohol, particularly near Panglao Island where many resorts are located, are perfect for beginners because of their shallow depths, beautiful coral walls, and gentle slopes. Here are 5 spots where newbies can practice their diving skills and experience plunging down a wreckage, fish sanctuaries, and a site known as the "Hole in the Wall".

1. Balicasag Fish Sanctuary
Located southeast of Bohol is Balicasag Island, home to a stretch of great dive sites that include Balicasag Fish Sanctuary. Established by the local community as a protected marine area, the sanctuary features a number of various fish species such as silver jack, bigeye trevally, midnight snappers, and sweetlips. Here, beginners can measure their buoyancy control for wall diving, since the site has a depth of 3 to 35 meters. The area is also ideal for snorkeling since the reefs are shallow.

2. Arco Point
Another easy dive site for newbies is Arco Point, which is situated just 12 minutes by boat from the southern portion of Panglao Island. This amazing dive site is called by many as “Hole in the Wall” because it features a small cave composed of soft and hard corals. Surrounding the cave are snake eels, cuttlefish, mantis shrimps, mackerels, and the giant frogfish. Since the wall is made up of fragile coral, passing through the hole is discouraged especially for inexperienced divers. The better way is to dive around it since the depth of the site is only from 4 to 27 meters.

3. Habagat Wreck
Also located south of Panglao Island is Habagat Wreck. This dive site ranging from 8- to 35-meters deep is an exciting spot for beginners because they can easily reach the wreck that sunk around year 2000. To put their fundamental diving skills to the test, there's an S-shaped wall and a slope a few feet from the wreckage. The area is also great for underwater photography, since the S-shaped wall has an overhang of colorful corals.

4. Doljo Point
Just minutes from various Panglao Island accommodations like the Bohol Bee Farm, Doljo Point offers a range of beautiful marine life such as big sea fans, bucket sponges, leather corals, manta rays, and barracudas. This dive spot is ideal for beginners learning to control diving into deeper depths because it can go as far as 40 meters. On some occasions, whale sharks may appear at lower levels.

5. Crystal Sanctuary
If there's one diving spot in Bohol advisable for newbies, it has to be Crystal Sanctuary. Its shallow depth of 3 to 25 meters makes it easy for those divers feeling out their equipment for the first time. In addition, the sanctuary has imposed restrictions to keep them on the safe distance. The Crystal Sanctuary is the closest dive spot from Alona Beach and other Panglao Island resorts.

Journey to Wellness is Just a Click Away at Nurture Wellness Village in Tagaytay

Tagaytay City, PHILIPPINES – Nurture Wellness Village, an eco-tourism resort in Tagaytay City, has integrated a direct online booking engine that will make securing its accommodations more convenient for guests. Featuring a quick reservation process, this easy-to-use booking system, which yields instant confirmation, makes the journey to wellness just a click away.

Visitors can do the reservation themselves on http://www.nurturewellnessvillage.com/ by clicking the 'BOOK WEEKDAYS for Instant Confirmation' button. This will launch the booking engine that is powered by DirectWithHotels. The process only takes 4 simple steps and a few minutes to complete, eliminating the hassle of constant communication with third parties.

After a minimal 10% prepayment payable via credit card, instant confirmation is guaranteed, complete with an email notification. This amount will be deducted from the total cost of stay, which is settled upon check-in at the Tagaytay eco-tourism resort.

Nurture Wellness Village's online system warrants a worry-free booking experience with the following benefits:

Transparent details – Guests will get to check and book available rooms at the best rates. Nightly rates of each accommodation and the total cost per room, already inclusive of taxes and fees, are shown.

User-friendly interface – For easier navigation and referencing, the booking engine is equipped with a bookmarking button, modification option, print feature, and an up-to-date currency converter. These enhancements permit guests to enjoy a smooth and intuitive reservation process.

Safe and secure booking – All transactions made using this channel are protected by Trustwave and VeriSign, 2 of the most trusted information security providers on the Internet. This feature protects individuals from fraud and safeguards the privacy of all information shared within the system.

Promo access – By using the resort's online system, guests will enjoy exclusive access to special promos, deals, and packages.

A pioneer in the Philippine spa industry, Nurture Wellness Village takes pride in its distinctive brand of eco-therapy. Here, guests can expect a delightful selection of local and foreign holistic services provided by trained therapists and wellness butlers. The resort offers accommodations that are cradled in a lush tropical garden. Among these is the Ifugao Spa Suite that is inspired by “ulog” or native huts in the Mountain Province. To get even closer to nature, guests can try Glamping — a more glamorous take on camping.

To know more about this eco-tourism resort in Tagaytay and experience firsthand an efficient booking process, interested parties may visit Nurture Wellness Village's website at http://www.nurturewellnessvillage.com.


Nurture Wellness Village
Pulong Sagingan, Barangay Maitim II
West Tagaytay City, Philippines

Phone Numbers: +63 2 7109786; +63 46 5126273


About DirectWithHotels
DirectWithHotels is in the business of making selling online simple and more profitable for hotels. Since 2005, we’ve helped over 1000 Hotel Partners (and counting) in 50 countries worldwide increase their direct bookings online. We attract visitors and drive traffic direct to their hotel websites with tactical online marketing, convert these visitors into bookers with a top-performing booking engine, and manage increasing reservations with an easy-to-use web interface. All this at a fixed, performance-based fee of just 10% for every direct booking.

The Best Possible Venue for Business-Slash-Leisure Travelers in Boracay

Crown Regency Resort & Convention Center is one of the best destinations for a comfortable and carefree time in Boracay Island, Philippines. This accommodation presents travelers with all the features for work-related affairs as well as the needs for pleasure and amusement. Whether you're a businessman trying to squeeze in some family time, or friends seeking awareness for a start-up brand through partying, staying here will make these goals easier to achieve.

A comfort-filled experience
After a long day meeting up with prospective partners or a night out with colleagues, you have the luxury of 400 guestrooms that offer a city vibe and modern comforts. These are all equipped with essential, top-of-the-line amenities that will create the feeling of a personal safe haven throughout. Each room has a flat-screen TV, mini-bar, and shower to help you get in the mood for a good night's sleep.

Giving all you need and more
Everything you wish to fulfill during your time here will never be too challenging thanks to an array of premier facilities. This resort in Boracay boasts of a well-equipped convention center that can seat up to 1,200 persons, perfect for conferences and summits. There's also an adventure park with team-building facilities for corporate attendees, buddies, and families. If traveling with kids, they will definitely enjoy the Boracay Oceanarium, 1,800 sq m wave pool, kiddie pool, marine aquarium, and mermaid performances. For your dining pleasure, Wang Shan Lo Chinese Restaurant offers buffet meals from 11 am to 9 pm, while Fabulous Fifties Cafe serves a pleasant setting for your caffeine and snack fix. There is also a lobby lounge, spa, garden, and aviary. Hotel services includeround-trip transfers, 24-hour room service, wake-up calls, foreign currency exchange, plus laundry and pressing.

Easy access to the island's finest spots
The resort in Boracay is located in Station 2, the island's main commercial area, which is just a 5-minute walk from White Beach, where most events and happenings take place. This holiday retreat's accessible address puts you within just minutes from D'Mall, Boracay's main entertainment and shopping area. Sites like Balabag Lake, Bulabog Beach, Ilig-Iligan Beach, Puka Shell Beach, Boracay Butterfly Gardens, Crocodile Island, and Holy Rosary Parish, are just some of the notable places you can check out with great assistance from Crown Regency Resort and Convention Center.