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Chronic fatigue and sleeping problems are a far-spread in the western world, at least judging by the amount of knackered people one comes across in most offices after 3 pm. So far we have made it through spring fever and summer sleepiness, but autumn apathy and winter weariness must still be overcome. While eating healthily and doing lots of sport are said to work wonders against that woozy, lazy feeling, there is a cunning alternative strategy to refuel low batteries: going somewhere warm to indulge in lots of sleep and little activity to return relaxed and ready to power through the cold months. Plan A: a short break at a thermal spa in Austria. Plan B: a luxury trip to a liveabaoard in the Maldives.
It is that sluggish feeling, as if you’d never quite wake up. Not uncomfortable but not conductive to being a productive member of the workforce or even just a polite dinner party guest. Unless you are the kind of person who gets up early for a jog in the park, the best remedy for chronic fatigue is giving in to it. Not by taking three naps a day – that would not only exacerbate the problem but probably also jeopardize your career. Instead, fatigue needs to be channeled strategically by indulgently immersing oneself in laziness for a while only to rediscover the urge to ‘do something’.
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| Blumeau |
Recently, I have come across two ideal places to give in to fatigue. Firstly, the eccentric thermal spa Rogner Therme Blumau, nested in the lush green hills of the south-eastern Austrian province of Styria. It was designed by the late Friedensreich Hundertwasser, a proponent of Austrian fantastic realism. If you’re not familiar with his style, just imagine Gaudi with more colour and less logic. If you can´t imagine that, try picturing a spa hotel for posh, funky hobbits.
Here, the water shoots out of the volcanic rock at over 100 degrees celsius and is cooled down to fill a steaming maze of hot, warm and cold pools and Jacuzzis, both indoors and outdoors. Especially pleasing is a newly built section where the water is 37 degrees warm and contains17 grams of crystal salt per liter, which means you can let yourself float on the surface (not quite like in the dead sea, but similar) and your skin feels and looks gorgeous afterwards. In the sauna and steam room section you can sweat in very imaginative ways (for example, there is a ‘sauna show’ in which a master of ceremony will use various infusions, tell jokes and wave a towel until you think your eye-lashes are melting). They have a cutting-edge massage menu offering innovative methods such as ‘Watsu’ – basically Shiatsu in warm water – which is highly addictive. In short, it is pampering heaven where you can let yourself be kneaded, scrubbed and soaked until you pass out in style.
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| Blumau |
Most importantly, in terms of channeling fatigue, all this mollycoddling makes you sleep like a baby. A weekend at Blumau will make you feel healthy, clean and very well-rested – and the sedate atmosphere may even make you yearn for some office buzz. The best time to go is from October to February when there is a nice contrast between the warmth of the water and the coldness of the air. Bring comfy clothes, your swimming kit, flip flops and a good book.
The same packing list applies to the second fatigue-busting destination: Baani Explorer, a 30-meter liveaboard that cruises the turquoise waters of the Maldives. The Maldives are a group of atolls made up of around 1200 tiny islands of which only 202 are inhabited – lots of opportunity for sunbathing and beach barbecues on lonely islands. The Baani Explorer is nothing like the cramped, shoddy nutshells that used to pass as liveabaords: it is a floating luxury hotel, just without the dress code and the fussy receptionists.
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| Baani |
Six crew members look after a maximum of 18 guests. You’ll be treated to attentive service, exquisite cuisine and, get this, a jacuzzi on deck. Most guests come for the diving since the Maldives have some of the world’s most beautiful reefs and amazing marine life. There are three dives a day with a weekly night dive thrown in for kicks. One thing few people know about diving is that it has two immediate effects: increased appetite and hibernation-like sleep. Between dives you can occupy yourself with such deliciously lazy things as eating, snoozing, playing board games and reading, while the ship glides through the Indian Ocean on the way to the next dive spot. <!–page>
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| Upperdeck |
Non-divers are rare but the ones there are indulge in days of endless sun-lounging, cocktail-sipping and, if desired, meditative activities such as fishing and snorkeling. The high temperatures and the humid air coupled with the gentle rocking of the ship make you feel dopey but content, a great state of mind for chilling in a deck chair and thinking about nothing in particular. Ships are social places and it is easy to make friends among fellow travelers. At the same time the ship is large enough to allow you to retire from the group when you want to be by yourself. A week of this and you’ll be ready to get to work, get things done and show off your fabulous tan. Sleep Ahoy!
Important Information:
Rogner Therme Blumau offers a weekend package for two, staying in a double bed including entry to spa as well as breakfast and dinner at around 215 Euros in autumn and winter. You can book through their website http://www.blumau.com/ or by calling Ms Evelyn Graf at (+)43 (0)3383 5100-9449.
Baani Explorer can be booked through http://www.maldivesliveabaords.com/ or by calling Gundi Holm on (+)43 (0)3385 21 5 22. In autumn and winter a week in a double cabin costs between USD 1064 and USD 1176. Prices include three dives a day, all meals, transfers and activities such as beach barbecue, island visits, fishing and snorkeling. Prices exclude flights.
Copyright © 2005 Lisa Holm
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