I flew to Romania for a spa holiday with my mum – it was cheaper than the UK even with return flights
A WOMAN has revealed how she flew to Romania for a spa holiday – because it was cheaper than one in the UK.
Kara Wildbur, 23, and her mum, Bethan, 50, had hoped to book a spa holiday in the UK together.
However, Kara, from Wales, said: “I was trying to look for a last minute spa weekend in the UK.
“I found a spa near me, for a night stay, with treatment and afternoon tea it would have cost us £200 each.
“It shocked me, I didn’t realise how expensive it was going to be.”
She ended up looking further afield – and realised it would be much cheaper.
She continued: “I started looking for spas abroad and found this one in Bucharest for £64 for the two of us and got it booked.”
The cheaper spa was Therme Spa in Bucharest, with a version set to open in Manchester next year.
Her flights were £157 return for the two of them, with the hotel costing £94.
This worked out to just £315 – cheaper than the £400 for a spa day in the UK.
The pair flew from Manchester Airport to Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport arriving at 11:25am before heading to the spa, which took 30 minutes.
While Kara and her mum were in the spa they visited the rainforest room for a full body scrub, went to the saunas and relaxed in the pools.
Kara said: “Mum absolutely loved it, it was one of the first holidays abroad for a few years.
“We pre booked out tickets before we arrived, they were two full day and all access packages.
“This included access to nine pools, six saunas, four wet saunas and 16 water slides.”
They even managed to fit in a day exploring the city of Bucharest after a full day at the spa.
She said: “We did a walking tour of Bucharest, a tour of the market and had lots of nice foods.”
Full cost of Kara's spa holiday to Bucharest
- Flights to and from Romania – £157
- Hotel – £94
- Spa tickets – £64
- Total cost – £315
Bucharest was once named the Paris of the East, around the early 20th century, due to its architecture and following of the latest fashion trends.
Beer is cheap there too – a half-litre of beer costs an average of £2.11, while flights can be found for as little as £14.99.
The Sun’s Steve Corbett recently visited Therme Bucharest – here’s his verdict.
The spa has seen record number of Brits visiting.
They said in a recent statement: “Bookings from the UK alone have increased by 240 percent from the previous year, in advance of the hotly anticipated Therme Manchester opening.”
Next year will see the grand launch of the £250million Therme Manchester.
The 28-acre site – the size of 19 football pitches – will have 25 swimming pools, which includes a wave pool, as well as 18 water slides.
An all-season beach – the first in the UK – will be inside, as well as swim up bars, steam rooms and saunas for adults.
A wellness garden along with cafes and restaurants, along with car parking and a dedicated tram stop will be part of the attraction.
If successful, it also hopes to open in London, Glasgow and Wales.
Ticket prices and an official opening date are yet to be revealed.
