Westworld Alberta

Winter 2014

Westworld Alberta

Issue link: http://westworldmagazine.ama.ab.ca/i/402160

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SAVE UP TO 32% SAVE UP TO 32% 22 w e s t w o r l d A l b e r t A | w i n t e r 2 0 1 4 I StArt OUr tHIrD morning the way I have each day since we arrived, by stepping out on the lānai, or balcony, of our one-bedroom villa on the ninth fl oor to watch the palm trees swaying in the gar- dens below and the Pacifi c Ocean shimmering on the horizon. It's a brief moment of serenity before I scoot down to the bustling Waikolohe Valley to drop thomas off at Aunty's Beach House, a kids' club (included with the accommodation) that keeps three- to 12-year-olds busy with Hawaiian- and Disney- themed activities. (In-room babysitting is available for children six weeks to 14 years old, starting at US$30 an hour.) After sessions called Stitch's Space goo – featuring characters from Lilo & Stitch, Disney's 2002 animated feature set in Hawaii – and Uncle's Canoe racing, he'll leave clutching a plastic bag of, well, goo, and a newly handmade mini-canoe. Me, I'm off to the laniwai spa for its Signature lomilomi, a traditional massage with sticks and warm river stones. Some 50 soothing minutes later, I slip into one of two blue-tiled aromatherapy tubs in the spa's 465-square-metre outdoor hydrotherapy garden, Kula Wai. Here, beneath a palm-tree canopy, rock-tiled pathways also lead the way to a cold plunge Don't miss these best bets at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa: 1. BEST PLACE FOR BAYWATCHING The two-tier, adult-only in nity whirlpool sits front and centre on the property at 'Alohi Point, guaranteeing clear – and tranquil – viewing of the beach and ocean beyond. (Families need not fret: three other spas deliver not-too-shabby sightlines for the whole crew.) 2. BEST COOL-DOWN SNACK The Papalua Shave Ice hut serves up the popular Hawaiian dessert in 17 avours – from guava and green tea to haupia (coconut pudding) and li hing mui (sour plum). 3. BEST KIDS' ACTIVITY Using a hand-held interactive device, guests follow the Menehune Adventure Trail around the resort on a scavenger hunt. Next best is Menehune Bridge, a water play area with slides, climbing structures, spinning gourds and a water-spilling canoe. 4. BEST PLACE FOR BIRDWATCHING Aulani's new upscale Hale Manu ("bird- house") boutique is worth a visit for its ock of brightly painted wooden birds dangling from the ceiling. Spot the 'iwa or frigate bird, pueo or short-eared brown owl and 'i'iwi or scarlet honeycreeper – all of which gure heavily in Hawaiian myth and legend. 5. BEST GIRLS' GETAWAY Why go shopping in Waikiki when you can learn to surf with buff Honolulu re ghters? The Hawaiian Fire Surf School's half-day course promises the "safest and most private lessons around." Sign up for this and an assortment of other excursions at Aulani. –S.H. On the Menehune Adventure Trail.

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