Gifts

Have you ever experienced a “spa day“? If so, are you ready, willing and able to enjoy another? 😉

If you have never enjoyed the pleasure of a spa day aren’t you just a little bit curious? Willing to learn what it takes?

I’ve seen spay days from the perspective of both genders, having seen my wife and her sisters luxuriate in the experience and once, to my pleasant surprise, having received a gift certificate for a spa day experience from my beloved. I can tell you that I have never heard anyone complain about a day spent being pampered.

Whatyou need to know about buying someone a gift certificate for day spa experience is that the menu – the choice of experience – can be tailored to person and price (in most locations).

A day spa experience isn’t usually a “timed event” so much as the time required for the experience will vary with the services you select.

Spa day services will often include:

• Various forms of full or partial body massage
• Various forms of facials
• Various versions of pedicure and manicure
• Hair care, including all manner of cuts, coloring and styling depending on the spa or salon
• Wraps and aromatherapy
• Waxing
• Light meals and beverages

Just looking at the list you can begin to understand that a spa day gift certificate or gift card can cost anywhere from $75.00 to $300.00 or more “for the works”.

When buying spa day gift certificates you can leave the ultimate choice of services to the gift’s recipient, simply specifying the dollar amount or value of the gift certificate or gift card.

Of course, you need to give thought to the type of service you would like your friend or lover to receive and build that into the price. Want to give a gift of a massage? Be certain you know the price . . and possibly add something “for the tip”. Want to give a massage and facial gift? Do the math.

Lastly, consider explaining “the financial arrangement” by including a note with the gift certificate, saying something like “This spa day gift card will entitle you to a 1/2 hour massage and facial at (location) . . but you can choose other services from their menu, up to the value of the card. Be certain to ask about services and prices at the front desk.” (You can omit the note if your friend is spa day savvy enough to understand.)

My spa day story?

Well, being a rough and tough manly type I opted for the Swedish massage, a hair washing and cut(sans styling) . . and a manicure.

Manicure? For the manly man?

Honestly, I was a bit anxious. I mean, what if one of my manly manly buddies happened to drop in for a massage or haircut? But once the experience got rolling – which included a hand massage (ahhhhhh), nail trimming, cuticle work and polishing by buffing . . . wellll . . you know, the old say about you just don’t know what you’re missing until you try.

I know kinda get why women hang out in nail salons.

Would I do it again, including the manicure?

Maybe . . if someone gave me another spa day gift certificate . . for Christmas . . or Father’s Day . . or my birthday . . . (Hint Hint)

I can assure you of this: If you give someone who has never experienced a hot air balloon ride a gift certificate for a hot air balloon flight they will be thrilled, excited and maybe just a little bit anxious – only because it’s new and unknown. That’s the way it is with most adventure experience gifts.

So, how do you buy someone a gift certificate for a ride on a hot air balloon flight? And who would be a good candidate for such an extraordinary “experience gift”?

As to the second question – who – most operators will tell you “age really isn’t an issue”. I’ve seen or heard about folks taking hot air balloon rides up into their seventies. (No doubt there’s a few folks even older who have soared in balloons.)

What would be the obvious issues in choosing to give such a gift? Well, having a fear of heights would probably be an issue. Keep in mind that you don’t sit “in a capsule”. You stand (or sit if you need, for awhile, in a basket – which is actually a big part of the thrill. There’s no looking out a tiny window. You see the whole world. Since there’s no windows you also get to feel the wind on your face (though winds tend to be minimum on chosen flight days). You get to smell, see and hear the world – from several thousand feet up – looking down and sideways. (Nothing quite so funny as the look on a birds face as you float by “in their world”. ;p)

Does a person’s health matter? Of course, in everything we do. So, if you have health concerns for your intended beneficiary you should be certain to do your due diligence by asking their spouse or relatives and the hot air balloon ride operator. (If you have to “ask a doctor” chances are you should think about another gift . . unless everyone is really determined to give the gift of flight. There’s reasons for making exceptions.)

Based on my experience you can be overweigh
t and out of shape, a good bit, but at some point you will have to hoist yourself (with help) into and out of the basket. And, the landings . . . well . . hot air balloons don’t exactly land on wheels . . or on soft, flat, green pastures 100% of the time. So you need to be able to crouch and wrap your arms around straps or hooks or grab-thingies connected to the side of the basket when landing, because there can be a few bumps as the basket drags a bit to a stop. Remember, to make the ride interesting the balloon is “unteathered” and therefore “flies” with the prevailing winds . .and the winds don’t exactly stop to allow perfect vertical descents. However, if you know this in advance then you can a) be prepared for the landing; b) can accept that there’s some element of “bounce” and a (almost always) very small element of getting hurt, or choose to take a safer means of transport. Like a car, which everyone knows to be 100% perfectly safe all the time. 😛 (<- Tongue planted firmly in cheek.)

So, now that you’ve gotten past the “who” the question remains: how to buy a gift certificate for a hotair balloon ride.

The answer is pretty simple.

In most cases it’s a matter of picking up a phone and placing a call, with a credit card in hand.

How do you locate a local hot air balloon ride? Well, in the old days (and still) you can start by checking the local yellowpages under “balloon” or “hot air balloon rides”. If that won’t work for you then the same phrases, entered into your favorite search engine, will produce a bazillion results . . but how do you choose an operator?

My advice would be to first be certain that anything you see in the “search results” for hot air balloon rides is actually the website of a local hot air balloon flight operator . . and not the website of an “aggregator” or marketing company. Nothing against the latter but they won’t necessarily have the best answers based upon actual knowledge that only comes from actually being a hotair balloon flight operator. Soooo . . double check for an actual address, a local phone number and other signs that the site is actually the local balloon flight operator. (One thing I’ve noticed is that most “hands on” operators tend to have ugly sites . . as web design just isn’t their thing. No offense guys and gal operators. 😉 )

You can also make purchases through various “experience gift” specialists who, as marketers and aggregators, take a small slice (a commission) for generating leads or sales of experience gifts – such as hot air balloon rides – all across the country. Just such for “experience gifts” or “adventure gifts” and you wil find these companies listed at the top of most search engines.

Price wise, you will find there are market influences. You can expect to pay a bit more near urban centers and a bit less in less populated regions, in many cases. Exact prices I won’t quote as price depends on the length of the flight, the number of people on the flight (private, group), the location of the flight, time of year (high vs. lower demand) and other variables.

If you are struggling to find the perfect gift for Christmas keep in mind that many adventure experience companies offer gift certificates.

For example, Kern River Outfitters could schedule a trip if you call them. (You see a photo of one of their trips on this page. Looks like fun, eh? 😉 )

ACE Adventure Resort – which Experiences.com interviewed this past summer about their white water rafting trips – offers adventure gift certificates “for any amount, any activity or occasion”. (Order by phone.)

The great variety of experience gifts – from “Spa days” to mountain biking and skydiving – makes it possible to find the perfect experience gift for anyone and everyone.

In the case of adventure experience gifts it’s necessary to match the adventure with the abilities or limiations of the gift’s recipient. Often, the best people to turn to for help in the making of that decision are the experts at the adventure experience company.

Often the only barrier between a person and their enjoyment a great adventure experience is someone taking the initiative.

I, for example, often wondered what it would be like to ride in a hot air balloon. I wondered about it and envisioned myself riding in a hotair balloon for years – but never took the next step. Then, one year I was greatly surprised to receive an envelope as my “Pollyanna” Christmas present. The thrill and joy of that gift has lasted, as a memory of a wonderful experience, for years.

So this holiday season, when you are making up a list of “gift ideas”, take a moment and ask yourself: Is there any “experience” – some form of life adventure – that this person you love or care for or admire might particularly enjoy?

Adventure experience gifts need not be expensive. Canoe or rafting trips are often modestly priced, some below $50 a person depending on length of trip and difficulty. Generally the longer or more technically complext or challenging the adventure – say, like needing an airplane to “jump out of” 😉 – the more you should expect to pay.

A great way to start your shopping is to simply visit the websites of the adventure experience operators.

Who knows? If you do start down this path then the next thing you know you may also be booking a bit of an adventure for yourself.