By Guest Blogger Jack Mauro
For a relatively small and flat land mass, the UK has a surprising amount of adventure activities. In the past I’ve covered cultural adventures, urban adventures in London, and coasteering in Lulworth Cove.
Today the question that I’m addressing is not “What exciting activities are there to do?”, it’s “How can I relax and soothe my sore muscles at the end of the day?”
The UK isn’t exactly known for its sunny beaches, so watching the sun set with a mai tai probably isn’t on the menu. When I lived in Taiwan, one of my favourite day-ending activities was a dip in the bathwater-warm ocean at sunset. Of course, you’re probably not going to try that in the UK either.
So, here are three ways to chill out after a long day of hard adventuring in the UK.
Soak in Some Natural Hot Springs
Image by Alun Salt
The UK isn’t the first place that you think of for hot springs, but there are several, in the southwest of the country, especially in the aptly named city of Bath, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its rich history.
The area is dotted with thermal springs, such as the outdoor springs at Taff’s Well, where you can relax your muscles after a long day of exploring the coastline, canoeing down the areas rivers, or spelunking in the region’s caves.
Hit a Spa for the Evening
Image by Lori Greig
If you’re not in the southwest, but are still looking for some hot water to help melt the knots in your muscles, then you’d best head for a spa. If you’re in Edinburough, you’d best head for the rooftop pool at the award-winning One Spa in the Sheraton.
Of course, that’s not your only option for spa days in the UK. Other great spots include Spa London and Thai Square Spa, both of which are in London.
Get a Massage
Image by thomaswanhoff
If heat isn’t your treatment of choice, maybe you’d prefer a pair of able hands kneading the stress from your body. There are plenty of places to find a massage in London, but a few stand out. For a thai massage, you’d be wise to check out Thai London Therapy. If you’re on a budget, head to the London College of Beauty Therapy for a body massage. Massage schools are always great places for low-priced professional-quality massages. If price is not an option and you really want get fancy, then try out the ushvani hot oil treatment at the Ushavni Spa.
Of course, these aren’t the only ways to unwind after a hard day. I don’t mind hot springs, but I’m not crazy about them. I’m not much of a massage person either. I just prefer a pint at the pub.
How do you like to unwind after a long hard day?
Lead image by Thiago Martins
About the Guest Blogger
Jack Mauro writes about the food that he eats (the food you should be eating), the places he’s been (the places you should go) and the things he’s made (listen closely, he’ll tell you how to make them too).
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I love hot springs! Been to Japan and other places with best hot springs! Matt these places are amazing! Gotta visit Buxton pretty soon.
I am from Bath! Officially, you can’t swim in the Roman Baths nowadays, because someone picked up a disease in the 1970s from the water.
I live in Tainan now. I heard about your blog from others round these ways! I like it! Why did you decide to write about the UK – did you visit it recently, or just research it?
@Golfzoo, if you like hot springs, you should also definitely consider visiting Taiwan. The have tons of them, including one of the only salt water hotsprings in the world (on Green Island).
PS You can swim in a spa with hot spring water in Bath. It’s not the old Roman baths (they’re a museum now), though. The spa opened in 2006.
@Patrick, thanks very much for the heads up! I’ve adjusted that part of the post. This was a research based post. It was based on some info I came across while writing another article.
I’ve been wanting to visit Bath for the history, but should really consider the hot springs too. Then I’d be off to the pub.