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Healthy getaways at Big Island retreat

If you need a rejuvenating retreat, I recommend the Hawaii Health Getaway at Kalani Oceanside Retreat on the pristine Puna Coast of the Big Island.

Last April I enjoyed not only yoga, massage, mind-body healing classes and organic tropical feasts at Kalani, but also guided adventures through Volcanoes National Park, swimming with dolphins at the nearby black sand beach, snorkeling with turtles at a hot pond and hiking through mystical rain forests to magical waterfalls. There is no better place to commune with nature and leave your stress behind.

The next Hawaii Health Getaway is May 3-10. The cost is $1,950 per person, including all workshop classes, excursions and meals (three buffets daily), plus double-occupancy accommodations and use of the resort's facilities.

Contact: Hawaii Health Getaway: (808) 651-7988, www.hawaiihealthgetaway.com.

You can also stay at Kalani on your own, and pay for meals and classes as you go. Nightly rates for private double rooms at Kalani are $115 for a lodge room with shared bath, $150 for a private bath. Dormitory lodging, campsites and vacation packages are also available; check the Web site for details.

Contact: Kalani Oceanside Retreat: RR2 Box 4500, Pahoa, HI 96778. (808) 965-7828, www.kalani.com.

ROMY FOGEL

Lafayette

Avignon B&B; owner creates inviting oasis

Walking in the front door of Le Clos du Rempart in Avignon, France, I felt I was returning to a favorite place.

This bed and breakfast inside the walls of Avignon on a narrow street is warm and inviting. There are two large rooms, each with bath, and also a two-bedroom apartment to rent, all beautifully and colorfully decorated.

The owner, Aïda Assad, provides an excellent breakfast in the garden, weather permitting, or in her spacious, gleaming kitchen. Knowledgeable about the area and points of interests, she clearly wants everything to be perfect for her guests but makes suggestions without interfering. Guests are encouraged to relax in the cozy living room at the end of the day.

The pictures on the Web site are beautiful, but cannot convey the warmth of feeling found here and cannot describe the attention paid to every detail. The whole property is immaculate, yet it is clear that the guest's comfort is the goal. This is a special place - one to return to again and again.

Room rates, including breakfast, are 100 to 140 euros (about $154 to $216 U.S.) a night, depending on the season. Weekly apartment rentals are 650 to 1,100 euros ($1,003 to $1,698).

Contact: Mme. Aïda Assad, Clos du Rempart, 35-37 rue Cremade, Avignon, France 84000. www.closdurempart.com.

BARBARA TRUONG

Martinez

This article appeared on page E - 6 of the San Francisco Chronicle