Happiful October 2019

A GREAT
escape
In 2018 it was named Global Luxury Spa Hotel of the Year, but what did Kathryn Wheeler
make of Galgorm Resort & Spa when she spent two days exploring the grounds, and
discovering new treatments, at Northern Ireland’s most sought-after wellness destination?
Just a 30-minute drive
from Belfast International
Airport, at the end of a
grand driveway framed
by purple rhododendron trees,
Galgorm Resort & Spa is truly a
sight to behold.
Offering 122 luxury rooms,
set within 163 acres of green
parkland on the bank of a
spectacular cascade waterfall,
from the moment you arrive
you’re struck by the splendour of a
historic manor house that appears
to be working in total unison with
the natural landscape around it.
Here for just one night, I realised
I had a challenge before me when
I saw the size of the facilities map.
Boasting a full spa and thermal
village, with riverside hot tubs,
indoor and outdoor pools, steam
rooms, and saunas – as well as
several relaxation rooms, you
won’t struggle to fill your visit.
While these facilities are all
finished to an incredibly high
standard, Galgorm stands out
from other spa resorts by going
the extra mile to offer creative and
innovative wellness experiences.
One such example is the Celtic
Sauna Infusion, a practice
originating in Finland, that seeks
to aid breathing and circulation.
Galgorm’s take on this tradition
sees you joined in the sauna by a
‘sauna master’, who uses a cape
to throw heat around the room.
What, from the outside, may look
like a person dancing around
with a plush towel (the sauna
master jokingly told us to keep our
eyes closed to avoid getting the
giggles) is an incredibly intense
heat experience – hovering just
below the line of being completely
overwhelming – leaving you
feeling serene, yet energised.
Of course, for those not looking
to dive into extreme temperatures,
the eco-friendly outdoor hot tubs
are an absolute treat, and the
tranquil orangery is the perfect
place to relax with a good book
and a cool drink. And after you’ve
taken in the grounds of the spa,
Galgorm offers an extensive range
of massages and therapies.
During my stay, I was lucky
enough to be booked in for the
‘Forest Therapy Experience’.
Utilising ‘Forest Therapy’ body
oil, the new essential oil blend
from Aromatherapy Associates,
the indulgent treatment seeks to
offer an escape from our busy
modern lives by tapping into the
scents of nature – and included a
full-body and scalp massage, and
a grounding mud mask on the
hands and feet.
“I want people to feel that they
have been transported back into
the woodlands,” Luke Taylor –
master blender at Aromatherapy
Associates, and the nose behind
‘Forest Therapy’ – told me. And in
my opinion, he’s hit the nail on the
head with this invigorating blend
containing 22 healing ingredients,
including pink pepper, juniper
berry, and Mediterranean cypress.
From the moment I walked into
the treatment room, I knew I was
in the hands, quite literally, of an
expert. After talking through what
TRY
THIS AT
HOME!
‘Forest Therapy’ bath and shower
oil by Aromatherapy Associates,
£49, aromatherapyassociates.com
Images | Galgorm Resort & Spa
74 • happiful.com • October 2019