# 2 Visit a spa

This is something I haven't done for a long time and have been wanting to try again for ages, so it was an ideal contender for the list.

After receiving a few recommendations we decided to try the Aqua Sana spa at the nearby Centre Parcs in Eleveden. They offer twilight spa sessions where you have use of the facilities from 4pm until 9pm so P booked us in for Saturday 21st February as birthday present to me.

The Aqua Sana spa is a bit different from most spa/fitness centres. Rather than just having the standard pool, sauna and gym it offers a range of different experiences to try out. The focus is on relaxation and rejuvination, rather than fitnes, which was fine by me! They do also offer massages and other treatments but we didn't opt for any of those this time.

We arrived at Elveden just before 4pm, after lunch at the Six Bells in Horringer and a walk around Ickworth Park. We could smell the aromatherapy oils in the air from the car park and the entrance was just a short walk away.

Once we had presented our voucher we were shown straight through to the changing rooms. There were shelves of towelling robes to change into and we were soon ready to see what the spa had to offer (I didn't think the other guests would appreciate having their photos taken while trying to relax so I didn't go overboard with the camera).

The central area of the spa is filled with a heated outdoor spa pool, which was basically a very large jacuzzi and a wonderful place to relax on a chilly February evening. Surrounding the pool on the ground and first floor were a variety of different rooms to experience such as a traditional Tyrolean sauna (with an ice bucket shower outside for the brave/crazy) and my favourite, the orange-scented Indian Blossom Steam Room. There was also the Turkish Hamman, which smelt like Vicks, Reflexology footpaths and some heavenly blanket-covered waterbeds to relax on. There were also lots of other loungers, chairs and sofas for guests to use.



Loungers by the pool

Fancy ice machine by the sauna

We also added the option to have some food to our booking which we made the most of halfway through our visit. There's a cafe right next to the spa so we were able to relax on a sofa for a while, still in our dressing gowns, with a lovely selection of anti-pasti and bread and a glass of Prosecco to wash it down.

Overall it was a lovely experience and I'd love to go back, ideally in the summer next time so we can make use of some of the outdoor seating areas.



Orange-scented iced water for applying to face