Ladies, it's not at all uncommon to visit the salon in your luxury hotel or onboard your cruise ship before a gala night, but what about the men?
I visited the spa at Sandals for a relaxing massage the morning of my wedding, but it's not some place I'd normally see myself during a shorter trip or during one which doesn't immediately feature an event.
However, I've been on some looong vacations or lived in enough foreign countries that it just isn't practical to go without a trim. I've also been caught out once or twice with poor planning and had to ensure I'd return to work with a suitable haircut.
Local style might not be universal
I've had plenty of haircuts in Asia, I lived in China for 2.5, nearly 3 years. I had a fair few haircuts during that time and they were always an interesting prospect in communicating what I wanted. It didn't matter when my language skills advanced, the local barbers just didn't have experience cutting different styles or even the different type of hair I had.
I suppose it didn't help that I had just arrived via a month in Dubai and was sporting a beard to distract them...
The first such encounter, I spoke nearly zero Chinese and didn't have any photos of styles I'd normally consider. I pretty much got the Chinese equivalent to The Avalon.
There were other occasions in which I was away long enough to merit a trim, or where my work commitments required I get a little snip to maintain a professional appearance (or military duties!).
Have you had a haircut abroad with a great outcome or, my favourite, a comedic one?
The only one I've had while traveling was in Mantanita, Ecuador and about a week later in Bogota, Colombia last February. I was with my friend Will both times. The first, in Mantanita, was on my birthday to feel fresh after hiking and backpacking for several days and wanted to freshen up. The barbers were young guys who spoke next to no English, but gave a proper haircut just the same and cost less than 10 bucks. We felt good for the evening and it lasted until near the end of the trip when we got one in Bogota the evening before our flight out. Will wanted a fresh look for when he returned to work as a police officer. Then again, they spoke little English and 2 barbers were available for us to both get cuts. The place wasn't busy. Mine didn't take long as I opted out of the shave, but Will got the hot shave, and they neatened up the top of his moustache, just under his nose that rounded the top in just a way that it looked quite odd and he immediately shaved his whole beard off as soon as we made it back next door to the hotel. Interesting experiences to say the least!