Here is here story about visiting Latvia and here experience with Latvian health tourism cluster.
I got this super amazing chance to go try some great choices to treat my health and wellbeing and to get to know services and places so close to Finland: in Latvia. I got this trip, that was designed and planned just for me, the whole package including health caring and esthetic services and some relaxing treatments. They had also chosen great restaurants where I could enjoy lunch and dinner. I also got a guided tour in Riga, where I got to learn about Latvia’s and its capital’s history. https://healthtravellatvia.lv/en/
I stayed in gorgeous Baltic Beach Hotel & Spa in Jurmala. They had listened very carefully about my own wishes and chosen different clinics and spas in Riga and Jurmala based on them.
The hotel has been chosen as Latvia’s best Spa&Hotel and a luxury hotel. You can read more about the hotel here:
http://www.balticbeach.lv/
https://www.facebook.com/BalticBeach.lv/
https://instagram.com/baltic_beach_hotel?igshid=11e3eh0pa6hta
The trip was organized by Greenland For Health, Latvian Health Tourism Cluster. My trip lasted for three days and it was fully scheduled. I flew there 1st of May and because that day happened to be a holiday in Latvia, I got to do a lot of things. I was supposed to do this trip earlier, but things got in my way and the 1st of May was the only possible time for me to do this.
TUESDAY 30.4.
The flight from Tampere’s airport left at 5:25.
A lovely woman named Gunta was waiting for me at Riga’s airport. She was my driver and my guide on Tuesday. What a lovely personality!
At first I checked in to my hotel, got to rest for a while and unpack my baggage. Then Gunta picked me up and took me to the first clinic to get a treatment for my teeth.
SKY DREAM CLINIC
Sky Dream Clinic was clean, wonderful and bright and it was totally like in the pictures I checked before my trip. The staff consists professionals of dental care. The clinic offers a wide range of services from basic dental care to more challenging and demanding operations.
http://skydream.lv/en/
http://www.instagram.com/sky_dream_clinic/
https://www.facebook.com/skydreamclinic/
What I needed was to get my cracked tooth fixed and then whiten my teeth. They also made a mold of my teeth, so I could maintain the results at home.
THE TREATMENT
Go check out my Instagram stories’ highlights to see the videos I took during the treatment. First they made the mold of my teeth, so I could maintain the results of the whitening at home. I bought some gel to put on that mold and keep it on my teeth over the night. So, my teeth get whiter while I sleep! I’ve had teeth whitening before with gel and light, but this technique was different. A dental hygienist put some kind of products on my teeth few times, and she also used some equipment. The results were good and it was a nice surprise that there was no pain at all.
After my teeth were done, I got some time to relax and leave all the stress and rush behind me. I got to enjoy this little lovely day spa in Riga.
TAKA SPA
A wonderful full-body-treatment. I was asked if I had any wishes about the treatment, and because I had just had a competition before the trip and my body was pretty much filled up with fluids, we decided to do a massage that intensifies and increases the body fluids’ flow. The masseuse used some lovely aromatic, luxurious and high-quality products during the treatment. First I was free to use the steam sauna and hot tubs such as warm jacuzzi, swimming pool and a cold tub.
And again, this place was just like in the pictures on their website and just like I imagined it. The treatment was good and I really enjoyed every moment of it. The masseuse clearly knew what she was doing, and it really made me feel less stressed. It relieved the pain in my muscles and really got the body fluids flowing.
After that relaxing moment Gunta took me to get something to eat to the lovely old town. I actually was pretty hungry by then, because the day had been so long after waking up so early for the morning flight.
RESTAURANT TRIS PAVARI
What a lovely and different food experience! It was very many-sided. As an appetizer I had bread served with different kinds of sauces. This was totally new to me but it worked. Tartar was delicious and the meat just melted in my mouth. One extra memorable thing was the octopus risotto with fish. For the dessert I had some traditional honey cake.
GUIDED TOUR IN THE OLD TOWN
After lunch I had a very nice guided tour in Riga’s old town. I had a guide named Armands, who had enormous amount of knowledge about the buildings and history of the city. Oh, the stories! There was still plenty to see on Thursday when I would have some free time.
My tour at Riga, Old Town with Muiznieks Armands
ERA ESTHETIC
The last place of the day was this really high-grade clinic called Era Esthetic. I analyzed my skin with a cosmetologist Liana Blazevica, she made a deeper skin analysis and asked me about my skin care at home. She also consulted a doctor about the problems on my skin and treated it with some methods and products suited perfectly for it.
https://instagram.com/eraesthetic.lv
https://instagram.com/eraesthetic.lv?igshid=351ktia60fxs
THE TREATMENT
I had a mole on my eye lid, that had grown a bit and started to bother me as I’ve aged. I asked if it was possible to remove it. Era Esthetic’s dermatologist examined the mole and told me what it was and if it was possible to remove. First she put a few shots of local anesthetic into the mole and after few minutes she removed it with a laser. The operation was completely pain-free and it only left a little red spot to the eye lid. I got some home care instructions and antibiotic cream with me.
The doctor, named Olga Zaikovska, wrote me a prescription for roacnea that was caused by stress, and was diagnosed by cosmetologist and the doctor as well. The dermatologist did a botulin treatment for my forehead.
At the end of the day I got to enjoy some Italian food in the hotel’s Il Sole restaurant. The restaurant is in Baltic Beach Hotel and the sun sets so beautifully, that you can watch it as you’re enjoying really good dinner. I couldn’t ask for more from the food or the milieu. The atmosphere at the restaurant was very nice and the food was delicious. Prushetta bread with ham, mozzarella cheese and shrimps for appetizer, and pasta for the main course. The day was very intense, but perfect. I’m so thankful to be offered something like this and to be invited to fulfil my dreams.
WEDNESDAY 1.5.
I started my day by having an early breakfast, which was super high-class in the hotel. After that I fell asleep again because of the rush from previous day and an early wake-up. Not to mention the heavy feeling from the earlier competition I had. So, I slept for a couple of hours and then I went to check out the hotel’s gym.
The gym was actually good and versatile. It had the basic equipment and the functional gym that had all the aerobic equipment. They even had group exercise there. Here as well you can see why this hotel is a luxury hotel.
After the gym I went to the hotel’s spa. They have four different saunas, a pool. I had a very luxurious spa treatment there. After that I had a healthy detox cocktail.
THURSDAY 2.5.
I went to the hotel’s gym first thing in the morning and at 10 o’clock there was a taxi waiting to take me back to Sky Dream Clinic. There’s also PMC clinic that’s specialized in permanent makeups and duration pigmentations. They also gave me the molds for my teeth that was made for me on Tuesday.
PMC CLINIC
http://www.pmc.lv/
https://www.facebook.com/ProfesionalasMikropigmentacijasCentrs/
PMC Clinic is a very high-grade place and their staff is composed of very deserving and very well-educated professionals. I got my eyebrows’ pigmentations done and they also did a little shading for my lips as well, so they look more colorful and fuller. Both of the operations were completely painless. They used some good local anesthetics, the environment was calming and I could really trust the artist who did my brows and lips from the first moment when she started to draw the eyebrows. And believe it or not, I fell asleep during both of the treatments!
VALTERS RESTORANT
http://www.valterarestorans.lv/
https://www.facebook.com/Valtera-Restorāns-433122650107988/
https://www.instagram.com/valteraresto/
This amazing restaurant in Riga’s old town gave me incredible feeling and cozy surroundings. It was luxurious, but not too much. I got to meet the owner Valter, who came in to introduce himself.
I had a nine-course dinner called “Trip” made of all local Latvian ingredients.
1)Ostrich tartar served with anchovies, mayonnaise and chives;
2) Improvisation of Cheesecake with rhubarb story;
3)Wild Baltic salmon, cucumbers, lime yogurt, sturgeon caviar;
4)Smoked quail, broth sauce, mushroom and fermented black garlic purè;
5) Valrhona chocolate truffle;
6)Yellow tomato consumme;
7) Sour-Sweet bread, Sourdough bread, whippet butter with roasted hempseeds;
8)Potato Gnochi with truffles and radish;
9)Menthol, Lime sorbet
JURMALA SPA HOTEL
The dream day of spa-treatments continued. I had a lunch in a restaurant of a hotel that is by the Jurmala’s main street. After lunch I got to enjoy their spa. This time I had a lovely treatment that wakes your senses.
But first about the lunch. I was positively surprised that they chose a very simple menu for me. I only had two options to choose from salads and the main courses. I personally prefer menus that haven’t got too much options. And the food was delicious; first some good dark and white bread, then a salad with goat cheese and nuts. I also wanted to taste the soup, so I chose tomato-mozzarella soup. It was good! And just coffee for dessert. I was ready to see what the spa had to offer. The spa in this hotel is really good and big and has lot to offer.
AMBER RITUAL
includes: Amber salt bath, body peeling with a wrap, facial or head massage, body massage with amber balls. Amber in the ancient times was considered luxury material and a mysterious magical stone, which could cure of many diseases and protect from an evil eye. Applying amber to vital points, the therapist can impact the patient’s organism on energy, molecular, psychological, and emotional levels. Moreover, amber improves the circulation of blood and lymph, strengthens capillary from the organism, stimulates metabolic processes in tissues, and improves oxygen exchange. Amber is also used during the post-operative period to replenish vital forces, and in cosmetology – for rejuvenation and improvement of the overall skin appearance.
Besides Riga I really recommend to drive a bit further right near the sea where I stayed for my trip. Jurmala is so beautiful; historical lovely beach houses, lots of forest and parks. And of course the long beach with white sand is really amazing. It’s like you’re in Spain! Think about it! Only 40 minute flight from Tampere and 15 minute drive from Riga’s airport; restaurants on the beach which all have a different kind of atmosphere.
Baltic Beach Hotel has it all; different kinds of salons and boutiques, a few restaurants and services. Luxurious.
Original post: http://www.the-camy.com/wellness-and-travels/my-trip-to-latvia/
