NORTHERN IRELAND

WHAT? Galgorm Resort & Spa WHERE? Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland HOW MUCH? From £220 for two guests (including use of the spa, dinner, overnight stay and breakfast); galgorm.com WHO? Eliot Brittain, Picture Assistant WHY THIS SPA? You don’t win titles like Global Luxury Spa Hotel or Luxury Wellness Hotel for Northern Europe without offering something special. This secluded resort is set in the middle of the countryside, surrounded by beautiful parkland and greenery, with a babbling brook running through the grounds adding to the sense of tranquillity. Stroll as far as you can and you won’t spy a road or even a car park. Sure, you probably won’t have any phone signal either – but you know what? It’s actually quite nice to be cut off from the outside world for once and focus on just being. GO FOR THE… Quartz Gold. The aim of this 90-minute treatment is to promote relaxation and positivity. The bed is covered in tiny beads, which the therapist packs around your body to help you visualise yourself on a sandy beach. First up, there’s a singing bowl meditation. Bowls are placed on your back and the therapist ‘plays’ them to send vibrations through your body, with the aim of relieving stress and anxiety and increasing the positive energy within your body. Then comes a hot quartz poultice massage to warm the muscles and ease tension, followed by a head-to-toe massage by hand. Instant-ish relaxation. SPECIAL MENTION Love your gin? There’s a whole library dedicated to the stuff, with over 200 varieties. Get. In.