Last Minute Valentine’s Idea: Go To Japan, Bathe In Chocolate

by Jonathon Morgan on

If you’re in love with a chocoholic, this may be your ticket never-ending bliss. Just in time for Valetine’s Day, one Japanese spa has created a new service: chocolate baths.

Revelers hop into water mixed with cacao and fragrant bath powders, to which staff add creamy chocolate — pouring it onto the bathers, who then…well…use it accordingly.

With recent research indicating that chocolate helps release “feel good” hormones — creating sensations commonly attributed to being in love, a dip in the chocolate bath might be just what you need to convince that reluctant partner to take the next step.

Or just use it as an aphrodisiac. The choice is yours.

Travel-Testing Your Relationship on Yahoo!

by Justin Glow on

There’s been a lot of discussion on romantic getaways over the past week here at Gadling, and if some of you decide to act on our advice, chances are you’ll be traveling somewhere with your significant other in the near future. But are you prepared?

In his most recent Yahoo! Traveling Light column, Rolf Potts discusses the role that travel can play in a relationship, and just how telling ones actions while on the road can be, for better or worse. “Travel makes it easier to identify and confront incompatibilities that might take years to surface at home,” he says.

Rolf lays out ten factors that can truly test the strength of your relationship when traveling together, but I’m going to tease you with a sample of five and make you click on over to his column to read the rest.

  • “The Expectation Factor: Where do you want to go together, and why?”
  • “The Financial Factor: What role will money play in your travels?”
  • “The Flexibility Factor: Are you willing to compromise on destinations, expenses, and other joint decisions?”
  • “The Teamwork Factor: Are you willing to split, share, or delegate responsibilities?”
  • “The Space Factor: Do you expect to spend every moment of the trip together, or can you be independent of one another as a couple?”

…and five more great tips to ensure your next romantic getaway goes as smooth possible. Head on over to Yahoo! Traveling Light to read the rest in full.

Flying Solo on Valentines Day

by Neil Woodburn on

Here’s a fun little thing to do on Valentines Day in case you’re single.

Jump on a plane and fly to the Caribbean island of Anguilla where the Arawak Beach Inn is offering a very special deal for people just like you. The “Me, Myself & I” package pampers the three most favorite people in your life, all for the price of one.

For just $699 solo travelers can enjoy a single room, three nights accommodation, breakfast, and a lobster dinner for one. In addition, they can choose between one of two excursions; swimming with the dolphins, or if you’re a real loner, a private beach picnic on an uninhabited island.

Hmmm… sounds fun, but wouldn’t it be a whole lot better with a date?

Heart-Shaped Destinations

by Willy Volk on

Okay, so we wouldn’t’ve known about these heart-shaped places if it hadn’t been for the eagle-eyes over at Google Sightseeing. Nevertheless, here are some heart-shaped objects that can be seen from way up high:

If you live in the area of any of these places, it might be cool to swing by and exchange gifts! Unfortunately, you’ll have to print out some of the aerial views in order to explain the significance of the location to your Sweetie. (“Honey, why are we in a swamp…?”)

The Most Romantic Places on Earth

by Willy Volk on

Of course, Valentine’s Day is largely about romance. In my opinion, the most romantic place I’ve ever been was on top of Table Mountain. After riding the aerial cableway car to the top, my wife and I found a secluded spot, whipped out a bottle of South African wine, and watched the sun set. It was beautiful. However, many people might not think of a mountaintop as particularly romantic. To that end, here are some other places that might be more “classically” romantic:

  1. The Samode Palace in amber-soaked Rajasthan, India.
  2. Chaa Creek’s Treetop Suites high above Belize.
  3. Mfuwe Lodge’s chalets, overlooking animal-packed South Luangwa Park.
  4. Bavaria’s Schloss Neuschwanstein, nestled among so many mountains.
  5. Chile’s Hacienda Los Lingues is for the horse lovers.
  6. California’s Muir Woods, which conservationist John Muir claimed was “best tree-lovers monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world.”
  7. The Daintree Cape Tribulation coast is where the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree rainforest meet, and the only place on earth where two World Heritage areas exist side by side.
  8. Zanzibar’s gently-sloping Paradise Beaches.
  9. The Sheraton Moorea is guaranteed to make you melt.

What should we list as #10?