Along with serene sandy beaches and tranquil turquoise water, Mexico and the Caribbean offer plenty of wellness resorts with luxury on-site spa centers, providing indulging experiences. Here are a few top picks and their signature deluxe treatments to satiate your spa-day craving.

Blossom Spa, Majestic Resorts

At their Punta Cana and Cancun locations, the signature Blossom Spas of the Majestic Resorts boasts a wellness philosophy blending ancient healing technology and modern health techniques. The ‘Sensory Saffron with Shell Therapy’ is an exotic massage that combines unique massage techniques using conch shells and aromatic saffron for its antioxidant power. Micro-particles of orange peel are used in ‘Orange Crush Body Scrub’ to provide an energizing exfoliation, resulting in ultra-soft luminous skin. The ‘Majestic Express Facial’ uses a combination of active ingredients like milk, oatmeal, and fruit extract to make your skin radiant and healthier-looking.

Miile Spa, The Excellence Collection

With venues in Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica, Miile Spas of The Excellence Collection Resorts offer blissful decadent treatments. The experience gets better in their immersive indoor-outdoor natural ambiance. The ‘Lavender Bliss Ritual’ starts with a relaxing vanilla, mint, and lavender scrub. Then it’s followed by a stem-cell-infused body wrap with pear and warm essential oil, and lastly, a sublime massage. The ‘Soothing Botanical Facial’ is perfect for reviving sunburned or sensitive skin with relaxing chamomile-infused components. The delicate ‘Milk Mousse Bath’ replenish skin nutrients with milk proteins and marine collagen.

Le Blanc Spa Resorts

With an unbelievable setting, Le Blanc Spa Resorts offer rejuvenating treatments with a fusion of Asian and European spa experiences. Their centers feature sauna and steam rooms, a hydrotherapy shower, a deluxe Jacuzzi, and a hydro-reflexology pool. Their signature ‘Olympic Massage’ is perfect after an active day, to restore energy and improve blood circulation in the body. The ‘Aloe Wrap’ uses a soothing aloe-nopal Chaya cooling gel as a remedy for sunburns and sensitive skin. Another signature treatment, ‘Diamond Facial’ uniquely uses biotechnology to regenerate skin and combines sophisticated anti-aging ingredients to re-energize the skin.

Thalasso Center & Spa, Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts

The world-class spa centers at Zoëtry Resorts offer all-inclusive treatments focusing on wholesome well-being and rejuvenation. Their award-winning Thalasso Center & Spa features steam rooms, treatment cabins, and saltwater pools. Its signature ‘Thalassotherapy’ uses heated seawater, minerals, marine mud, seaweed, and other natural nutrients to release toxins from the skin. The anti-aging ‘Vitamin C Sun Repair Treatment’ includes a zesty spa for glowing skin, using fresh oranges. While the ‘Deep Cleansing Facials’ purifies skin by diminishing the pores, the ‘Bamboo Scrub’ harnesses the natural power of bamboo to exfoliate the whole body.

SPAzul, The Hilton Playa del Carmen

The SPAzul at The Hilton Playa del Carmen epitomizes transcendence with incredible spa experiences combining holistic treatments and ancient rituals in an ultra-modern setting. The Temazcal stone steam bath and the hydrotherapy circuit lift are the crowning jewels here. The unique ‘Mayan Massage’ combines hot stones and deep-tissue massage techniques in a room filled with aroma-therapeutic oil candles. The ‘Chocolate & Red Berries Wrap’ is particularly decadent. The skin is gently exfoliated first with sugar and cranberries, followed by a nourishing full-body chocolate wrap, and topped off with a sculpting blackberry soufflé cream.

In Myanmar, the tradition of selling trailside bowls of Mont Di is still alive. The traditional way of making these amazing rice noodles can take up to a week and involves 18 steps, which is why only a few skilled people still make it by hand. The old and tried recipe ensures the coveted quality that’s usually lacking in machine-milled noodles.

The Variety of Mont Di

Although this dish is a national treasure for entire Myanmar, it comes in different varieties that correspond to each different region. The flavors vary depending on the ingredients that are most commonly available in the area. In the south, Mont Di is commonly served with eel or fish. The rice vermicelli can be had in a soup or a salad.

In inland cities, it’s more common to use meat as an addition to the rice noodles. The meat is cooked on the side and added atop the dish like a sauce. In most areas, people like to douse their Mont Di with oil. Commonly used spices include chilies, garlic, turmeric, and onion, as well as red or green chili paste.

Fresh Noodles Require Hard Work

Many Mont Di sellers had the intricate recipe handed down through generations. Paul Salopek, writer and National Geographic Fellow, met several sellers of this dish. Such is the case with 52-year-old Ma Yin who has been hand-making the dish her entire life, just like the women in her family did before her. She explains that it is a tiring process and a venture with little income, which is why many of her neighbors gave up on the business.

Because of the subtropical heat in Myanmar, the vermicelli sours quickly. That means that the noodles can’t be stockpiled and need to be bought fresh. The process to make them can take a week and some of the steps are quite intricate. The rice is soaked for days, then cooked, pounded in a traditional stone pounder, kneaded, and strained into boiling water. When cooked, the vermicelli is usually washed with cool water before being made into the Mont Di dish.