Recently discovered as a spa haven, Phuket now offers a plethora of pamper palaces, such as tranquil Cheraim Spa Village, one of the continent's largest such complexes, and acclaimed Banyan Tree. Try modern treatments or Nuat Phaen Boran, Thai massage, which features stretching and deep tissue massage.

Istanbul teems with venerable Turkish baths. Visiting one is an intrinsic part of the Istanbul experience. One of the best known, the popular Cagaloglu Hamam, is a classical Ottoman wonder that's almost 270 years old. It's the place to go for authentic Turkish massage, steam baths and sweet Turkish tea.

Traditional Maya spas have become yet another reason to visit ruin-rich Tulum. Today's spas offer Westernized takes on the mystical, spiritual Maya massage rituals. Acclaimed Yucatan health haven Maya Tulum offers the blissful combination of palapa rooms on a sandy spit and soothing holistic treatments.

Among the crowded streets and souks of vibrant Marrakech, ancient hammams beckon. Choose from alluring addresses such as world famous Les Doux Tours and traditional Moroccan bathhouse Riad Mehdi, where both age-old and modern treatments star and comfortable rooms await around the courtyard.

Mind and body healing stars in spiritual Sedona, a center for personal enrichment, yoga and hypnotherapy retreats. The stunning desert setting has its own dramatic regenerative and inspiring effect. Stimulating red rocks present an energizing backdrop for a holistic approach to complete health.

Health and relaxation resorts confetti Jamaica's vacation playground, Negril, from secluded holistic havens to vast, popular mega-resorts. Book massage treatments and then sink blissfully into the jubilant pace of life of this idyllic, laid-back beach resort, famed for its glorious white sands.

Spa culture has percolated throughout every echelon of city life in L.A. People from all walks of life consider spa sessions crucial for preserving health and happiness, and a bevy of diverse day spas blanket the city.They are particularly abundant in West Hollywood and Santa Monica.

Over 15 million gallons of water bubble into Budapest's 118 springs and boreholes daily. The city of spas offers an astounding array of baths, from the sparkling Gellert Baths to the vast 1913 neo-Baroque Szechenyi Spa to Rudas Spa, a dramatic 16th-century Turkish pool with original Ottoman architecture.

Breathtaking mineral pools, magma-heated lagoons and toasty hot volcano-fed hot springs abound in Costa Rica. Perhaps the most famed is San Carlos hot springs, where shaman-led temazcal rituals include chanting and meditation at a traditional Mesoamerican sweat lodge and steaming waters await.

As many types of spas as there are colors of volcanic sand abound in Hawaii. Choose from a flotilla of distinctively Hawaiian takes on traditional therapies, from seashell massage to volcanic ash facials and hot lava stone. If the energy of the dynamic waves doesn't renew you, test the waters of Watsu, a water-based shiatsu form.

A constellation of stellar spas and resorts dot the upscale desert and surrounds of Scottsdale. With the highest number of resort spas per capita in the U.S., Scottsdale's sumptuous resorts lure luminaries, visitors and locals for every decadent and relaxing treatment under the hot Arizona sun.

Soak up Santa Fe's distinctive desert energy at historic, old-fashioned Jemez Springs Bathhouse on the edge of the Santa Fe National Forest or go to the other extreme and luxuriate at Ten Thousand Waves, a modern, Japanese onsen-style day spa and decadent overnight escape with 13 hotel suites.

One of the world's most popular spa destinations and arguably the U.S.'s finest, Tucson attracts those with relaxation and revitalization on their minds. Home to the stunning, legendary Canyon Ranch and Miraval spas, sunny, mild Tucson offers a thrilling array of world-class health havens.

Boasting an utterly exhilarating array of thermal hot springs, Taipei can easily claim to be the volcanic springs capital of Asia. Ninety-nine such tectonic treats dot the landscape, with many of the most popular spots within an hour's drive of downtown in Yangming Shan, Peitou and Wulai.

Teeming with tempting spa options, Bali is one of Asia's top spa destinations. Acupressure, reflexology, stretching and aromatherapy star in the island's distinctively firm massage treatments. The village of Ubud makes an atmospheric place to try the famed Balinese massage and soak up the ambiance.

The restorative wonders of the elegant city of Bath have been trumpeted since Roman times, when the thermal waters of the Avon lured local Celts and Romans. Particularly popular since Georgian days, today visitors flock to soak in the waters of Britain's only natural thermal spa, Thermae Bath Spa.

If it wasn't soothing enough already, Fiji offers an enticing array of distinctive relaxation options. Traditional Fijian Bobo massage, a healing blend of massage and local nut oils, Duavata island-style four-handed massage and Thalgo therapy mud and algae wraps top enticing local treatment options.

Etruscans set the pace at Tuscany's bubbling waters, and the Romans splashed in their wake, heating up the fortunes of spa town Bagni San Filippo. Those suffering from degenerative arthritis and rheumatism plunge into the restorative waters amid olive groves and vines in nearby Bagno Vignoni's thermal baths.

Known as Napa's hottest hot springs, charming Calistoga is a wine country wonderland. The town's soothing specialty is hot volcanic ash mud baths, but hot stone, Thai and Swedish massage are also on offer. The town's spas run the gamut from budget day spas to luxurious stay spas with all the trimmings.

Luxuriate in the Centennial State's top hotspots. Yampa Valley's bubbling waters gave Steamboat Springs its name, and two hot spring resorts remain, Strawberry Park and Old Town. Glenwood Springs mineral-rich waters fill the world's largest hot springs pool. Ouray's buoyant pool is open year-round.

Richer in geothermal activity than any other country, Iceland is a veritable hot spring hotspot. Around 800 hot springs, some with dramatically spouting geysers, pepper the landscape. The most famed is the stunning, steaming, turquoise Blue Lagoon in Grindavik, just beside capital Reykjavik.

Natural hot springs abound in the Coachella Valley. Over 80 "spatels" proliferated in the 1950s and '60s. Several have been restored to their mid-century retro-hip splendor. Escape to the desert and choose decadent desert dens from the venerable Two Bunch Palms to clothing-optional Living Waters.

A bevy of bubbling mineral springs and pools lure lovers of outdoor relaxation opportunities to Rotorua on New Zealand's North Island. Therapeutic hot mud pools, dramatic geysers and a buried village are within easy reach of the city. Many accommodations offer thermal swimming and plunge pools.

Nestled in the wooded Berkshires, Lenox's exclusive Canyon Ranch is one of the world's premier pamper palaces. Flotillas of health and wellness specialists are on hand to get you on course. All-season resort and spa, the 1894 Cranwell Inn, roosts on a nearby hilltop and boasts over 50 spa services.

The acclaimed Rancho La Puerta is Mexico's top destination spa. Set within spectacular grounds, just an hour from San Diego, therapeutic treatments make full use of all kinds of medicine and produce from the Rancho's organic garden. This idyllic sanctuary is a luxurious full service spa resort.

India's millennia-old natural medicine, Ayurveda, is the guiding force in southern state Kerala's famed health resorts. To rejuvenate in luxurious surrounds, try 50-acre oasis Kairali Ayurvedic Health Resort's authentic ayurvedic healing with aromatherapy, massage, essential oils and yoga.

Andalusia's Moorish past is captured in some of its fine hammam bathhouses. Cordoba's restored 10th-century Medina Califal Hammam, an exquisite Arab style bathhouse, provides an enticing Moorish spa experience for both men and women and a fantastic way to sink into the idyllic pace of life in the region.

Nestled at the foot of the Black Forest, this chic destination has long done a healthy trade in spa breaks. First popularized by the Romans two millennia ago, Baden-Baden's salt- and radon-rich thermal hot springs still lure cosmopolitan convalescents to this acclaimed spa destination in South Germany.

Acclaimed for their medical benefits since 1522, 200 spa houses had sprung up in this picturesque valley by the end of the 16th century. Its curative springs have won fame as the answer to a slew of metabolic and gastric difficulties. Today's treatments range from aquatherapy to drinking the mineral-rich water.

The locals have long frequented "balnearios" and 600 hot springs bubble up around the country. Tequisquiapan, an enticing cheese and wine-making region in the state of Querétaro, is the perfect destination for those wanting to pair their hot springs experience with a delicious gourmet escape.

Pristine white cliffs tower over this recently revitalized spa town with its Sacred Pool and calcium-rich mineral springs. The pool is set amid a gorgeous garden, and a teahouse is adjacent. Pamukkale is most pleasant once the crowds of summer have departed, but temperatures have not yet plummeted.

Sizzling thermal waters flow from volcano-heated springs in remote, rugged Patagonia. It's the ideal spa destination for those who want some eco-adventure when they emerge from the therapeutic waters. The most decadent spa address is Puyuhuapi, in the north of the region, accessible only by boat.

Follow the mineral-rich muddy footprints of Herod, Solomon and Cleopatra to the legendary Dead Sea and resorts developed round its adjacent hot springs. This famed health destination, at the world's lowest dry point, is known for helping with rheumatic and skin problems.

An intrinsic part of German culture, thermal spas are a serious business in Bavaria. Health spa destinations sprinkle mountainsides, including thermal hotspot Bad Fussing, where waters first bubbled to the surface in 1938, and premier spa town Bad Reichenall, home to glamorous alpine mecca Ruperts Therme.

Known as the Royal Springs, Bursa's renowned hot mineral waters have been popular since Byzantine and Roman times. Fed by magnesium, calcium and sulfur-rich thermal springs, the 700-year old baths were built in the time of Sultan Murat I. The beautifully ornate Yeni Kaplica bath dates back to 16th century.

Elegantly perched on the border between France and Switzerland, Evian's internationally renowned healing waters lure health-conscious visitors from around the world. It is France's most celebrated spa resort, famed for its hydrotherapy treatments that benefit digestive and metabolic conditions.

Europe's largest thermal lake is reputed to work wonders on various medical conditions. The lake's healing waters and therapeutic mud have provoked a healthy stream of health tourists. Visitors can experience its beneficial effects in spas and hotels or for the authentic Heviz experience, bathe in the lake itself.

Over 75 thermal springs and a 3000-year-old reputation as a healing place shoot cosmopolitan Edipsos high up the spa destination hotlist. In this atmospheric town where steaming rivers run, turn-of-the-century hotels bask around steaming pools, while others offer health-enhancing mineral baths.