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| Four Seasons Chiang Mai / photo: hotel |
ANYONE FOR a Thai massage, wrap, body scrub, foot bath, mud pack, hydrotherapy, herbal polish or hot stone therapy? For a thoroughly satisfying pummelling look no further than your neighbourhood Thai spa. There's Javanese lulur, Swedish, Balinese and much, much more. Couples are welcome, too. When it comes to top Asian spas for serious coddling, Thai spas - many housed at chic beachfront resorts in Hua Hin, Phuket and Krabi - offer endless treatments for every taste, and then some.
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The coastal town of Hua Hin, a leisurely two-hour drive from Bangkok and the Thai royals' favourite retreat, may be a tad sleepy - but it is awash with aromatherapy oils and herbal massage potions. There's a treatment with your name on it, so why wait? Let's walk you through some top Thailand spa options. The 240-room Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa is the latest Thailand spa resort to grace the quiet beachfront of Hua Hin, its nine low-rise buildings encircling a 200m lagoon-stle swimming pool with views out to the ocean. Large 49sq m deluxe rooms feature the obligatory “Sheraton Sweet Sleeper Bed” and a 32-inch LCD TV. The Aspadeva Spa offers a variety of treatments for all tastes.
The rebranded Sofitel Centara Grand Resort & Villas Hua Hin has its SPA Cenvaree offering treatment packages from two to five hours. "Earthly pleasures", "Dawn of decadence" and "Total Zen" are just the tip of the iceberg. The beachfront Sofitel is an elegant colonial-style property with landscaped grounds and elegant topiary. There are also Cenvaree spas (formerly Centara spas) at the Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui and the Sofitel Centara Grand Bangkok.
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| Evason Hua Hin/ photo: hotel |
The neighbouring highrise Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa's 1,200sq m The Spa features Khmer design and 10 spacious treatment rooms. The "Massage of kings" blends Swedish massage, aromatherapy, Thai shiatsu and ayurvedic elements. The purifying salt glow, Thai herbal polish and rice body polish are all specially blended for The Spa.
Those in the know regard the stylish Chiva-Som resort as the mother of all Thai spas, built in 1995 and offering 100 therapies in 52 treatment rooms. Pick your choice - there's anything from Thai and Swedish massage to flotation and honey polish. Chiva-Som's spa facilities include a hydrotherapy suite, flotation tanks and relaxation rooms with heated waterbeds. Relax and float. The spread-out beachfront Hyatt Regency Hua Hin offers a "lifestyle" spa experience with a wide range of treatments and remedies on tap for weary limbs. A new addition to the Hyatt Regency, is THE BARAI, which launched mid 2008. This Khmer-inspired destination spa sits on 4.5 acres of land and features eight spa suites for overnight stays, as well as 18 treatment rooms, pool, yoga, and the McFarland House – a beachfront dining area.
The Anantara Resort & Spa, organiser of the yearly King's Cup Elephant Polo tournament, houses a Mandara Spa and dedicated spa suites with their own plunge pools. Among the exotic treatments available is the Shirodhara "massage of the third eye", which involves the use of a steady stream of warm herbal oil directed onto the forehead to release tension, as well as a head and facial massage among other delights. The 220-room Hua Hin Marriott Resort & Spa occupies 14 acres of landscaped garden a kilometre from the town centre. This property also has a Mandara Spa.
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| Stylish Anantara Hua Hin/ photo: hotel |
For more beach-front pampering try the spa at the trendy Veranda Resort and Spa Hua Hin - Cha Am, where you can watch the sunrise and then start the day with massage, body exfoliation, facial treatments and more. The Veranda has 13 pool villa suites and 84 guestrooms.
The Ayatana Wellness Spa at The Regent Cha-Am Beach Resort & Spa has a range of health and therapeutic treatments, from facials to wraps and massages. Body treatments include, handily for sunworshippers, a "Back Sunburn Treatment", as well as an "Aromatic Salt Glow Body Scrub".
A 30km drive further south brings you to Pranburi - a rapidly developing region for upscale resorts and Thai spa escapes - and the tucked-away 20-acre Evason Hua Hin & Six Senses Spa. The holistic Six Senses Spa provides milk and honey baths, jetlag and detoxification treatments and even stress management routines. The "harmony" face, scalp and shoulder massage features aromatic almond oil. Another alternative for a Hua Hin spa hotel is the old-world colonial style Worabura Resort and Spa with 77 rooms. Get down to aerobics, elephant trekking, or spa out at the Wora Spa.
Phuket has a number of new and sophisticated spas. The Aman Spa at the unobtrusively elegant Amanpuri (or "place of peace", the first Amanresort, which opened in 1988) offers consultation followed by a buffet of indulgent health and beauty treatments.
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| Sheraton Hua Hin / photo: hotel |
Options include Thai massage, lymphatic detox massage and kinesiology, the study of body movement and muscle. Try clay wraps or a "calming Thai sandalwood scrub". Treatment, yoga and meditation salas (pavilions) are located amidst the coconut grove that slopes down to the Andaman Sea.
Just before Bang Tao Bay, perched atop a vertiginous hill is the chic Phuket Pavilions with 21 one-bedroom pool pavilions and nine three-bedroom pool villas. The views are astounding, the setting romantic and the breeze enough to dry your hair in an instant, but it is a steep climb up to get here. You will need to buggy up a vertical road and then down again. This may be problematic for some. Spa out all day, in the privacy of your own breezy hilltop villa.
The 108 thatched cottages of The Chedi Phuket share the private and fairly pristine PanSea Beach with the Amanpuri. The Spa does a range of massages, and scrubs using tamarind, sesame seed and sea salt. Perched atop a hillside, The Spa offers a breezy vantage point for surveying the azure bay. Off neighbouring picturesque Surin beach are the clean, contemporary lines of Twinpalms Phuket. Its Palm Spa, with nine treatment rooms, combines Eastern therapies with Western techniques to offer body wraps, massages and Oriental foot rituals, to name a few.
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| Chic Amanpuri Aman Spa, Phuket/ photo: hotel |
There's also a 100sq m spa suite with its own Jacuzzi, steam sauna and four beds. All this in an elegant complex surrounding a freeform pool. Close by and upa breezy hill is Ayara Hilltops (formerly Treetops Arasia) with its charming villas and extensive spa complex. Lots of holistic treatments, relaxing decor, and private treatment rooms. This is an attractive villa resort with a dedicated spa area.
On Mai Khao Beach in the north, a fair distance from the airport and Phuket town, is the stylish 256-room JW Marriott Phuket, set in sprawling landscaped gardens. The Mandara Spa has added five new treatment suites due to high demand and offers menus for one or two, including herbal wraps and facials, Thai herbal steam and a selection of fresh water baths (there's a "Moor mud bath"; or release your inner Cleopatra with the "Honey milk bath"). Who said Thailand spas were predictable?
At the heart of the popular Laguna Phuket eco-development, on its own small island in the middle of a lagoon on Phuket's west coast, is the child-friendly Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket. Sessions at the Angsana Spa include a foot wipe, herbal drink and relaxation time. With pampering sessions named "Spirit" (including a 60-minute "skin enhancer", 60-minute massage and 60-minute facial), "Bliss", "Peace", "Glow" and "Zest", you should walk out revitalised. Visitors are asked to keep noise to a minimum. Gag your kids.
Also in the Laguna complex is the acclaimed Banyan Tree Phuket Spa, offering scores of massages and special packages, as well as body conditioners (such as aloe and lavender, turmeric and honey), scrubs and facials.
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| JW Marriott Phuket/ photo: hotel |
You are pampered hand and foot (try the Stimulating foot treatment), and even your hair can benefit - the "Papaya and chamomile volumiser" sounds delicious. Banyan Tree Bangkok offers similar services, in a skyscraper setting. The exclusive Spa Pool Villa has a "floating" bed pavilion set amidst lily ponds. Think Thai silks and sunken baths.
The Dusit Laguna Resort is steadily upgrading its rooms and restaurants and also has an Angsana Spa with an extensive menu. Treatments range from traditional to remedial. This is a welcoming family-friendly resort right on the beach and with access to golf and other distractions. Not far from here is the Layan Beach Resort & Spa Village, which offers yoga, massage, meditation and dance. Close by too is the tasteful and secluded former Pearl Village Hotel in the national park at Nai Yang Bay which has been reinvented as the all-new Indigo Pearl resort. Head for their spa to try out a signature pearl scrub, a sugar scrub, moist chocolate pudding scrub, seaweed wrap, mud wrap, or a relaxing massage. Indigo Pearl has stretch room galore with mature gardens and Nai Yang beach rates well. Still on Nai Yang Beach, a few kilometres out on the curve of the bay, is the smart Arahmas Resort & Spa, Phuket. It is a spread out low-rise getaway with a central pool offering open sea views and cooling breezes. There is a Spa at hand for those in search of pampering.
The 1,500-ft Spa at the all-pool-villa Trisara perched on a secluded northwestern headland comprises six private spa suites. The treatment suite for two leads to an open-side pavilion surrounded by tropical ponds and gardens for outdoor treatments. Spa sessions can also be enjoyed in the luxurious Pool Villas. The signature "Senses" massage is performed in tandem by two therapists, while "the Lomi Lomi" is inspired by Hawaiian dance. Aloha! If you must, plug into your complimentary iPod or go Wireless.
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| Pool at Twinpalms, Phuket |
Driving south from the Laguna Phuket development, the secluded Thavorn Beach Village & Spa, just before Patong, has a small and elegant Thai spa in a landscaped green setting amidst the cottages. Looking over one end of Patong Bay, the refurbished Amari Coral Beach Resort, runs the new and relaxing Sivara Spa, with treatments enjoyed alfresco or in a teak sala.
The compact but cosy Avantika Phuket at one corner of bustling Patong Beach - with its 31 rooms (all with ocean views and balconies) - has a small spa that offers indoor and outdoor treatments, as well as romantic packages for couples. Up a hill from here with fabulous Patong vistas is the Aman look-alike Baan Yin Dee.
This is a cosy and compact resort with fine dining, great views, a breezy - albeit above-the-beach location - and occasional traffic noise as a tuk-tuk whizzes by. Farther up the hill, villas are quiet and secluded. The resort is expanding though some would prefer it in its current small scale. An offbeat choice is The Village Resort & Spa behind (and run by) The Front Village, off Karon Beach. The spa complex is set in a separate walled compound with Hobbit-style ochre villas.
The 1,500sq m spa at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa resembles a Thai village, set in landscaped gardens with timber walkways overlooking a generous lagoon. It has 10 single treatment suites, four double treatment suites and one exclusive spa villa. This is a sprawling dedicated complex for serious spa-goers not content with a throw-in two-treatment-room offering at most hotels. The Hilton prides itself on actually offering an away-from-it-all spa experience within a stone's throw of a convention, an annual board meeting or even a large family getaway. The signature therapy uses a blend of wild mint massage oil and Thai herbal pack to soothe and stimulate.
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| Hilton Phuket's spread out Spa |
Like mum, like daughter: there's a "Princess for the day" package for under-12s, including a kids massage, hair braiding, "princess nail art" and floral foot bath. Next door the new Mövenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach Phuket (formerly, and briefly, the Crowne Plaza) offers a spa with an extensive menu of everything from wraps and facials to body scrubs and Thai beauty treatments. This property is a lively reincarnation of the old Karon Royal Villas. It sports a hotel-style highrise linked to meetings facilities and clusters of villa complexes.
An easy walk from Patong beach, but slightly removed from the crowd, is the new Deevana Patong Resort & Spa in modern Thai style. The Deevana Spa, with six treatment rooms, offers the full range of spa services, including fragrant baths, scrubs and wraps as well as “Ocean mud therapy”. In February 2007, The Pearl Beauty & Spa opened in the Royal Phuket Marina, offering combined European and traditional Thai treatments. Specialities include chocolate and bamboo wraps (no, you can't eat them!), lymphatic draining and anti-aging facials.
On Kata Beach are the well-regarded Boathouse and the 27 villa suites of Villa Royale. Both offer guests access to Mom Tri's Spa Royale with massage rooms, steam baths and soaking tubs. Try ancient Thai remedies or just have a rejuvenating scrub. In the far south of the island on Nai Harn Beach, is The Royal Phuket Yacht Club, which has refurbished 16 of its prime oceanfront rooms. The Royal Spa in southern Thai style has four private treatment suites and offers a range of local and international treatments.
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| SriLanta, Krabi: chic getaway |
The small and intimate Solitude spa at the 42-villa Mangosteen Resort and Spa on a breezy hilltop nearby offers a perfectly adequate list of treatments, culminating in the marathon four-hour "Mangosteen magic" package. You may be sorely tempted to take a bite of the "papaya honey wrap", but save your appetite for one of the special spa dishes on offer.
On Phuket's southeastern Rawai Beach, the Evason Phuket Resort (sister property of the Evason in Hua Hin) offers a Six Senses Spa and 64 acres of landscaped garden. The exterior structure is a bit dated but the rooms are modern and open. The Evason Phuket also has a private stretch of attractive beach on nearby Bon island.
Also in the far south is the familyrun Thai luxury villa resort Sri Panwa with several minimalist settings. Enjoy a secluded beach, great views, private infinity pools, plug-in to WiFi and enjoy the Sai Spa and Wellness Centre. Treatments range from aromatherapy and body wraps to reflexology, exfoliation and yoga.
Across the bay in Krabi is the Rayavadee, a deluxe resort accessible only by boat and set in 26 landscaped acres with three beaches (one of them fairly pristine). The accommodation is in one or two-bedroom Thai-style pavilions. Personalised treatments at private spa pavilions centre around massage and aromatherapy. There's a special health food menu.
The Mandara Spa at the beachfront Sheraton Krabi Beach Resort is a member of the Starwood Spa Collection and uses “centuries-old Asian healing remedies and contemporary beauty treatments” in its six private treatment rooms. The sprawling Pimalai Resort & Spa on Krabi's Koh Lanta island has a generous stretch of excellent beach. The Pimalai Spa features small, walled treatment rooms named after local flowers. You can enhance the "Royal Siam massage" with aromatic Thai herbs, prepared as steaming poultices. Sports and Swedish massages are also on the list.
The Zen-style SriLanta resort, also on Koh Lanta about 70km south of Krabi town, is a hideaway for nature lovers, with 49 villas. The resort’s SriSpa combines “spiritual Thai healing traditions” with natural therapies from the sea and the earth. Also in Krabi, the Layana Resort & Spa's Linger Spa is secluded within its own walled garden. Be massaged and scrubbed (fancy some Thai coffee?) to your heart's content, or make it a wrap (papaya, coconut and more). Luxury packages include the intriguing "Secret of Andaman". Amidst all this tranquility, be prepared for the sauna's "shock shower".
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| Le Meridien Khao Lak Spa / photo: hotel |
Situated on picture-postcard Phi Phi Don (off the Phuket and Krabi coastline) is the Zeavola, with 52 villas offering an away-from-it-all boutique hotel experience. The ambience is charmingly rustic and dinners on the beach are a must. Get a full treatment at the Zeavola Spa.
Hard-to-find Nakamanda is a very chic boutique resort with clean lines, grey-slate roof tiles, airy rooms, great views and charming Thai decor. The beach is not the best at low tide but the spa offers a very extensive menu. Choose from herbal baths, aromatic scrubs, massage and more. Close by is the boutique-flavour Tubkaak Resort Krabi with several interesting flourishes, a stylish Thai design and a dedicated spa offering everything from sea salt scrubs to cream banana body wraps. Check out the library, splash out in the pool, head off sea kayaking, or enjoy some meditative yoga.
The Sarojin in Khao Lak, just an hour north of Phuket airport, aims to provide an experience "reminiscent of staying at a friend's private estate". Its Pathways Spa is reached by a boardwalk leading into the mangroves. Get in touch with your wild side while lounging on the two double and two single treatment pavilions with outdoor tree showers and secluded couples' baths, or doing yoga and tai chi. Warm and attentive service and attractive open design. Also bringing life back to Khao Lak's regenerating coast is the Le Meridien Khao Lak Beach and Spa Resort. The luxurious Le Spa provides full body treatments. Private spa treatment villas are set in landscaped gardens. Each offers personal steam rooms for a couple, double massage beds, a Jacuzzi and a "relaxation area". The Spa La Flora at the compact and green La Flora Resort & Spa also offers reflexology and yoga. The Khao Lak Resort offers its very own Baimai Spa. The place offers a choice of rooms, villas or bungalows. There is a sleepy air to the resort and the beachside pool is perhaps the best place to succumb to the rays and the sound of lapping water.
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| Tongsai Bay Prana Spa/ photo: hotel |
On Ko Samui, Thailand spas are everywhere like a rash. Koh Samui is Thailand's third-largest holiday island. The hillside Tamarind Retreat, a "tropical oasis for body and soul", has eight villas with private gardens. The emphasis is on rest and reflection - guests are asked to switch off mobile phones, put away their cameras and leave "to do" lists behind. The Springs Spa has a host of fabulous treatments. The "Thai for two" package, focussing on stressed back and neck muscles, with acupressure, sounds like fun. There's yoga and tai chi too.
The hillside retreat of Tongsai Bay, with open vistas, private beach and villas, offers entirely redecorated Grand Villas, lobbies, walkways and restaurants. The Prana Spa's spa cottages can accommodate couples and sport herbal steam rooms, outdoor floral baths and foot treatment areas. Sun-seekers can indulge in the soothing "Samui dream" package with a "Sun soothe" facial mask and massage. Lovers will like the romantic "Return to Prana" package for two involving herbal steam and massage with oil.
A small Samui gem is the chicly rustic Laem Set Inn with delightful suites converted from reconstituted old timber houses. The resort has something for everyone, from honeymooners to children. The resort offers a refreshing spa routine from herbal oil massage and cellulite wraps, to half-day packages and Dead Sea mineral mud wraps. The Hideaway Spa at the spread-out Sila Evason Hideaway & Spa, managed by Six Senses Resorts & Spas and set on the northern tip of Samui Island, has treatments with a view - a panoramic ocean view to boot.
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| Santiburi spa/ photo: hotel |
Signature therapies include "Four hands hot stone therapy", with two therapists offering a harmonious massage using smooth hot stones. A sweet tooth? The "Chocolate sensation" treatment literally covers you in the stuff. There's a chocolate bath, chocolate body scrub and chocolate body wrap, followed by a one-hour massage.
Along the north shore of Bo Phut Bay is the 3,000sq m Anantara Spa with its six glass-walled treatment rooms, part of the Anantara Resort & Spa. For a marathon treat, try the five-and-a-half-hour "Anantara indulgence" special spa programme including everything from a floral footbath and choice of body treatment, to a spa meal, facial and manicure or pedicure. Take your pick. The Thai spa at the Bandara Resort and Spa focuses on plant-based ingredients and herbal anti-oxidants. Sink into infusions of Thai herbs or fragrant blossoms during an aqua-therapy session. At the western end of Bo Phut is the fast-developing and cheerful Zazen Boutique Resort & Spa. The youthful and energetic Alexander and his Thai wife Ti (Thitima) are the odd couple that run this constantly evolving, and very endearing, establishment.
The new boutique Bo Phut Resort & Spa, managed by the Santiburi Group, also has its own spa and fitness centre. Sala Samui, is an elegant hideaway with a Mandara Spa, offering spa detox packages from three days to seven days, as well as "Romantic getaway" couples packages and other indulgences. For an al fresco pampering session, swap your luxurious spa suite for a traditional Thai massage around the pool. The rebranded Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui offers guests its extensive spa menus and wellness treatments at the renamed SPA Cenvaree.
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| The Briza, Samui/ photo: hotel |
Also on Koh Samui's quiet north shore, on Mae Nam Bay, is the luxurious Santiburi Resort Samui. The Santiburi Spa (Santiburi means "peaceful village") has two signature treatments: the "Santiburi touch of heaven" (a combination of Swedish massage and a facial) and "Top to toe pampering" (using reflexology foot massage techniques followed by a facial). Seeking harmony? Try "Tibetan energy balancing". On Mae Nam Beach too is the small Health Oasis Resort. All its cottages have fans and some also have airconditioning. The place is basic but clean, with a vegetarian restaurant (you can order seafood in advance), colonics and fasting programmes.
The Spa at the Napasai, an Orient-Express Hotel, has delights such as the "Tamrap Luang seven flowers treatment", where a selection of "sacred flowers" with "healing powers" are gently rubbed into your skin before a massage. Just close your eyes... Or opt for their "Path to Tranquility" or pick from a list of massages and treatments. The resort is nestled along a hillside leading down to the sea.
Hidden away on the far west of the island is the luxurious Baan Taling Ngam Resort & Spa (formerly the Le Royal Meridien Baan Taling Ngam), with a plush, award-winning new spa, the Baan Taling Ngam Spa, featuring six indoor and outdoor treatment rooms with views, furnished with antiques. Sip herbal tea during your pre-treatment consultation. The spa prides itself in being the first in Thailand to use "the purest 'Chi' water", aiding detoxification and stimulating the immune system, throughout treatments. The "Herbal face mask" and "Oatmeal body wash" are speciality treatments.
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| Sheraton Pattaya/ photo: hotel |
The Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui is the island’s latest top-end entrant, offering a verdant hillside escape with the obligatory sea views and swaying coconut palms. The 63 villas (and residences) come with private pools and cinemascope views. This luxury resort offers spa services.
Another newcomer is The Briza Beach Resort & Spa, Samui, located right on Chaweng Beach with panoramic views and smart, roomy villas (some with pools) designed in the Srivijaya empire style. Expect butler service, non-allergenic pillows, 29-inch flat-screen TVs, DVD players and elegant facilities.
Check out the Sukko Spa, which calls itself a “cultural” experience, drawing inspiration – and treatments – from ancient Thai ayurvedic philosophy. Try a 120-minute “Jet Lag Away” or a “Sabai Sabai” with detoxing marine algae followed by an aromatic massage. The Briza is an elegant oasis in the buzzing, happening Chaweng beach strip.
The Thevalai Spa at the Renaissance Koh Samui Resort & Spa (formerly the Buriraya Resort & Spa) has six open-air "salas" and three airconditioned suites (with twin tables for couples). Also on Lamai Beach is the laid-back Spa Resort offering basic, wallet-friendly accommodation: small huts with thatch roofs. Fasting and colon cleaning, as well as morning meditation and reflexology, feature here. There is a newer hillside sister property in Lamai (3km from the beach) called Spa Samui Village. Reiki, anyone?
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| Aisawan Resort & Spa, Pattaya/ photo: hotel |
On the southern coast of Koh Samui about 25km from the airport, is Kamalaya's Holistic Spa & Wellness Sanctuary, which offers an "integrated approach" to well-being. The emphasis is on personal development. "Wellness services" range from consultations and treatments in traditional Chinese medicine (treatments include a classical Taoist abdominal massage) to naturopathy, homeopathy, ayurveda and Western medicine. Guests stay in villas, bungalows or suites furnished with natural materials and Asian textiles and blending in with the landscape, but not to the exclusion of 21st-century amenities such as high-speed Internet.
The X2 Resort at Koh Samui (X2 is pronounced "cross two") is the latest Samui spa resort to throw open its doors. Spread over five acres this contemporary designer escape includes an X2 Spa with an outdoor massage pavilion.
Below a private headland close enough to but quite removed from the bars and bustle of Pattaya, is the four-in-one Royal Cliff Beach Resort. The Cliff Spa is situated in two separate areas of the resort, the Royal Cliff Grand and the Royal Wing & Spa. Combined they offer 18 treatment suites. The 156-room Sheraton Pattaya Resort on the cliff headland south of Pattaya has the Amburaya Spa, with six large, private treatment rooms with Jacuzzis surrounded by restful gardens. More treatments are available at the rocking Hard Rock Hotel's Hard Rock Spa & Health Club. Set by the poolside, the spa has five treatment rooms offering Thai massage, reflexology, steam and sauna.
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| Sofitel Chiang Mai/ photo: hotel |
The Royal Garden Spa at the Pattaya Marriott Resort & Spa is set in peaceful, verdant gardens. Choose from body wraps, facial treatments, massages, therapy baths and more.
The Aisawan Spa at the beachside Aisawan Resort and Spa is surrounded by tropical gardens, with lotus ponds spanned by wooden walkways. You'll be welcomed with a Thai herbal juice, before you can indulge in a wide selection of exotic treatments and massages, from soothing foot reflexology to the spa's signature aromatherapy therapies with exclusively blended oils such as the "Asian Refreshing Blend" and the "Romantic Blend". Detoxes and water therapy are available too. The "Aisawan signature massage", which lasts for 50 to 80 minutes, is said to be very effective in relieving tension, aches and pains. Various spa packages, including the intriguing "Aisawan bliss" package including an exfoliation with algae and an "Algae gel wrap", as well as a range of Retreat packages, are also on offer.
The Amari Orchid Resort & Tower on Northern Beach Road opens its five-star Ocean Tower, as well as a luxurious Sivara Spa, in mid-2007.
Farther east on rustic Koh Chang is the large and relaxed Ramayana Koh Chang Resort with its Sita Spa offering holistic remedies, traditional Thai massage, aroma therapy and a fitness regimen for the energetically inclined. Need beauty treatments? They have a few in their bag. Accommodation is rustic on the outside but with fairly modern interiors. Try out the Hanuman Deluxe Residences or the Ravana Honeymoon Residences for a tad more flair. The Amari Emerald Cove Resort & Spa on Koh Chang is a spacious getaway with more activities than you can shake a stick at and its signature Sivara Spa with a good range of massages and treatments.
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| Shangri-La Chiang Mai CHI/ photo: hotel |
The all-new Shangri-La Hotel, Chiang Mai in the centre of town offers vast infusions of steam, incense and aromas at CHI – the Spa. There is a yoga pavilion as well for those practising their deep-breathing techniques. CHI, The Spa by Shangri-La is a an extensive retreat with a wide range of holistic remedies, both local and international. Book into a large spa suite and get those muscles rubbed down. (The Shangri-La Hotel, Chiang Mai features in our exclusive Top Asian Hotels Collection, featuring the best Asian hotels, resorts and spas in a printable A4 page with stunning visuals.)
The Spa at the luxurious new GHM Hotel, The Chedi, Chiang Mai, has gardens and water features as backdrop for its 10 treatment rooms and suites and manicure/pedicure parlour. Two of the suites have built-in saunas. Treatments include massages such as warm stone massage, as well as all the usual wraps, scrubs and herbal baths. The riverside Chedi’s 84 rooms and suites have private courtyards, open balconies and views.
Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai spa resorts offer both exotic locations and healthy mountain air - with the occasional monsoon lashing. The five-star Anantara Resort & Spa Golden Triangle in Chiang Saen, Chiang Rai (at the confluence of the Ruak and Mekong Rivers, overlooking both Laos and Myanmar), is on the site of the former Baan Boran Resort. Guests can explore the forest on an elephant, then ease stiff muscles at the luxurious Anantara Spa. Ancient Thai herbs complete the picture.
The compact but pleasant Puripunn styles itself a "baby grand boutique hotel". The hotel compound is built around a pool with attractive rooms featuring flat screen TVs (DVDs in suites), wooden floors and bright walls, often in a deep olive green that is surprisingly soothing on the eye. Puripunn's Sala Spa offers a classical Thai massage menu along with aromatherapy rubdowns.
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| Phu Chaisai spa resort/ photo: hotel |
The stylish and tranquil Phu Chaisai Mountain Resort & Spa (literally "mountain with a clear heart") near Chiang Rai has 34 rooms- most without television - which is perhaps not a bad thing at all. The rooms, in traditional hill tribe style, have open views and feature lots of bamboo. Continuing the theme, the open-air Phu Chaisai Spa uses a host of herbal formulas and fresh ingredients (in addition to the rabbits that roam free in the spa garden!). Treatments include "Asian blend massage", "Floral bath sensation" and "Thai herbal beauty wrap". Or opt for a Swedish massage, a "Soften Skin Salt Glow" or a "slimming" massage. Water is drawn fresh from a mountain spring and care is taken to ensure that the atmosphere and services are authentic and natural. A recent hill fire affected a few rooms but restoration work will continue until around June 2007 and the resort remains open.
The Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, with its Lanna-style pavilions finished in teak and rich cotton, features the three-storey The Spa with suites for couples or individuals, herbal aromatherapy steam rooms and deep-soaking tubs on semi-enclosed terraces. Each Elemis spa treatment starts with "The welcome touch", a warm aromatic compress on your feet to "remove the urban environment, focus your senses and centre your thoughts". Greet the sun at the yoga barn. Designed by well known Thai architects and designers, The Rachamankha offers an authentic immersion in Lanna North Thailand culture. The temple design and peaceful surrounds combine harmoniously with chic design touches and Lanna motifs, statues, and artefacts drawn from Burma, China and Laos. Grassy courtyards add a sense of space and scale. An open sided sala above the pool area serves as the massage area. Expect simplicity and style.
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| Puripunn Chiang Mai/ photo: hotel |
The 3,100sq m Dheva Spa at the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi with its spacious traditional Lanna architecture is modelled on the Burmese royal palace that stood near Mandalay in Myanmar, with a seven-tier roof symbolising the seven steps to heaven, or nirvana.
There are 19 treatment rooms and suites and the treatments encompass European and Asian (including Indian) therapies. Indulge in the rarely practiced "Tok Sen" or Lanna massage or the " Mandalay ceremony" (using the traditional Myanmar cosmetic thanaka). The Rhassoul and Hammam treatments are derived from ancient Arabic cleansing rituals. The friendly, stylish, 131-room D2 hotel Chiang Mai from the Dusit group, set smack in the heart of downtown close to the Night Market, is a hip hangout with vibrant colours that will appeal to the younger set and it offers a Devarana Spa.
Another alternative for a North Thailand spa escape is the Tamarind Village with 38 rooms in a simple, traditional Thai village setting. This is a Chiang Mai boutique hotel, set, as the name indicates, around the spreading vines of an ancient tamarind tree. Nice facilities and set-up. Check out The Tamarind spa.
The Chiida Spa at the elegant Sukantara Cascade Resort & Spa offers peaceful surroundings and a host of treatments, including the three-hour “Chiida gold: India paradise” package comprising an “Indian herbal foot bath and warm massage”, “Indian herbal sauna”, the mysterious sounding “gold body mark”, light and sound therapy, as well as a shower and Indian head and body massages. Herbal tea and refreshments are part of the deal. The “Men’s Spa Programme” treatments are said to be “perfect for a strong, healthy man or businessman who prefers strong and deep tissue massage”.
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| Sukantara Chiang Mai / photo: hotel |
More Lanna treatments are on hand at contemporary-style The Ayatana Hamlet and Spa Chiang Mai on Suthep Road in the Muang district, where the one-hour “Lanna back herbal heat” is particularly recommended for a painful back and incorporates a “warm Thai herbs bag” and gentle massage with aromatic oils. The spa is an integral part of the boutique hotel with only 36 guest rooms.
The new RarinJinda Wellness Spa Resort, with 35 boutique rooms with balconies overlooking the swimming pool, is set in a traditional teak house on the east bank of the Ping River.
Its spa promotes holistic healing and prides itself on its “up-to-date” treatments, including its fully equipped indoor heated hydrotherapy pool, infrared sauna, herbal steam room and whirlpool with chromotherapy. Its one-and-a-half-hour “Elements of life” treatment is a whopper of a treatment, including a “sensuous herbal foot soak”, a “guava foot polisher”, warm sand bed therapy, Tibetan sound therapy, a “East meets West body massage”, a “cold rose body freshener” – and tea and a snack.
The Kaomai Lanna Resort consists of 18 barns that have been renovated into 36 guestrooms that are decorated in contemporary Lanna style with teak antique furniture and set in verdant gardens. While there is not a full spa, there’s a “massage house” offering Thai massages.
The revamped SPA Cenvaree opened in September 2008 on the fourth floor of the four-star Centara Duangtawan Hotel Chiang Mai, right in the heart of town. As well as an aerobics studio, pool, sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi, there are six treatment rooms and suites for couples. Therapies incorporate an east-meets-west theme; there are traditional Asian remedies and the latest from Europe. Signature treatments include a “Royal Thai Massage” and the “Cenvaree Pa-Lang Experience”. The spa is open daily from 10am until 9pm. A two-and-a-half hour “Cenvaree Signature Journey” is Bt3,000. There are also SPA Cenvarees (formerly Centara spas) at the Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui, Centara Karon Resort Phuket, Centara Kata Resort Phuket and the Sofitel Centara Grand Bangkok.
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| RarinJinda hydrotherapy pool/ photo: hotel |
The Chiang Mai Oasis Spa is an upscale day spa in several locations, including the Amora Rydges Hotel. Guests can choose from a range of two to four-hour packages. The "Oasis pampering" package includes a soothing aromatherapy massage and facial. Reflexology is performed using the traditional Tibetan "hands-on" method. Don't put your foot in it. Aroma oils, treatment masques and refreshments come in decorated gold chinaware.
The AKA Spa on Rattanakosin Road is an elegant Lanna-theme day spa with a range of programmes. The three-and-a-half-hour “Siam serenity” package (Bt3,900) includes your choice of scrub and wrap followed by an aromatic oil massage and Lanna herbal facial, followed by reflexology. Serenity guaranteed. The new Maninarakorn Hotel, which also has long-stay options, is set in the heart of the city and linked to a shopping arcade. Its Kinnari Thai spa offers a number of treatments and massages. If you're in the vicinity armed with an over-stuffed shopping bag, the spa may be worth a quick pit-stop to recharge before tackling the rest of the day.
On to Bangkok, or Krung Thep (City of Angels). The Oriental Spa at the grande dame of hotels, The Oriental, Bangkok on the Chao Phrya river, is famous for attracting movie stars and VIPs. Set in a beautiful Thai-style teak house, the spa has a range of over 50 different treatments, including the "Oriental massage", "Jet lag recovery treatment" and "Oriental herbal pack". Some of the spa's latest innovations include a treatment facility incorporating a "Rhassoul bath" using a blend of Thai clays, and a new whirlpool bath.
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| Rachamankha Chiang Mai/ photo: hotel |
Conveniently adjacent to the Saphan Taksin station on the river is the brisk twin ensemble of the Shangri-La Bangkok and its executive Krungthep Wing. This was one of the first properties to truly exploit Bangkok’s riverside location with a tall glass-front lobby, and an extensive perky revamp has introduced fresh shine. The CHI spa offers river views and plenty of space and style (the Garden Suite is 107sq m). The standalone holistic wellbeing spa covers a fair bit of area and is very much a city escape into dim, aromatic candle-lit interiors where the latest therapies await.
The luxurious Peninsula Bangkok's spa is a joint development with the spa consultancy ESPA. The spa occupies a three-storey Thai colonial-style building overlooking the river and set in the hotel’s lush gardens. It has 18 treatment rooms, including four couples’ rooms.
The Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok has a Spa by MSpa with state-of-the-art treatment rooms and suites in traditional Thai architectural style. Spa suites come with private plunge pools, steam and complimentary herbal tea and cookies. The large and highly acclaimed spa at the Banyan Tree Bangkok has 25 treatment rooms. Therapists have undergone 420 hours of training at Banyan tree academies, ensuring you're in safe hands when succumbing to a heady mix of aromatic, herbal and spicy massage oils.
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| Bangkok Shangri-La's CHI Spa/ photo: hotel |
The stylish Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit has the attractive self-contained Grande Spa. Signature body treatments include "The Grande daily wrap" using fresh local products (no, you can't eat it). On deadline? Get the lemongrass or natural salt express scrub in 25 minutes. Across the road at the Westin Grande Sukhumvit, the Vareena Spa offers an array of options from exfoliations and scrubs to body masks and facials.
The Conrad Bangkok on Wireless Road has a Seasons Spa, which is extensive (there are 12 treatment rooms), relaxing and rather swish. The Conrad itself is a silk and teak experience where, post-spa, you can see and be seen at the chic and happening Diplomat Bar. The Grand Hyatt Erawan's innovative i.sawan Residential Spa & Club offers six residential villas and nine treatment villas.
Also on Wireless Road next to the Conrad Bangkok, the 382-room Plaza Athenee Bangkok, A Royal Meridien Hotel offers its Spa Athenee, opened in 2006, on its fifth level. The spa, operated with MSpa International, has a veritable arsenal of treatments "from various cultures, including Indonesia, Thailand and China". The cherry atop this mollycoddling ensemble is "The Athenee retreat": 130 minutes of head-to-toe pampering, starting with a tantalising "Foot ritual", including an "Exotic ginger body polish" and ending with an energising massage. There's a beauty salon and large swimming pool set in a Thai garden, too.
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| Conrad Bangkok Seasons Spa/ photo: hotel |
The tropical-themed Royal Orchid Mandara Spa at the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers overlooks the Chao Phraya “River of Kings”. It has nine treatment rooms, offering luxury facials, raps and scrubs, Thai and modern massages. The signature “Mandara sanctuary” combines a floral foot bath with and Asian herbal scrub, steam fruit bath, Thai spice massage and a refreshment. Renovations at the acclaimed Devarana Spa at The Dusit Thani, Bangkok ensures it now sports a more modern look. The 14 private treatment rooms were upgraded, a new relaxation area was added and the spa has introduced its new signature Devarana Scrub exfoliating recipe. There are also Devarana Spas at the Dusit Resort, Pattaya, and the Dusit Resort, Cha-am.
The Metropolitan, Bangkok, is a contemporary style hotel with modern Oriental touches and a holistic spa, part of the COMO Shambhala health club. On offer is a range of treatments including reflexology and Thai massage, as well as private instruction in yoga. The contemporary-style Dulaya Spa among a cluster of Thai houses at the ecclectic Davis Hotel Bangkok has a wide selection of spa, beauty and health treatments. Indulge in “Dulaya Spa rituals”, “Rites of massage” and much more.
The JW's Health Club & Spa at the JW Marriott Hotel in Bangkok has a good menu of treatments, including the usual scrubs and wraps, as well as foot baths, paraffin hand treatments and massages. The new 90-minute “Four hands ginger back & feet relaxation” approach, with two therapists working together to relieve tension in the back, scalp and feet and using ginger as the main ingredient, was recently introduced. The treatment begins with a foot scrub.
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| Devarana Spa Dusit Thani/ photo: hotel |
Then, while one therapist massages the feet, the other massages the hands. A mask is applied to the feet “to purify the skin and reduce water retention”, followed by a head, shoulder and stomach massage, and palm-pressure massage of the legs. Finally, a back scrub and massage. Relaxed yet? There’s a spa restaurant and lap and plunge pools to cool down in. On the river, the splendid Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa runs an extensive facility with scrubs, wraps, paraffin hand treatment, plunge pools and waxing. The resort hotel is a leisurely ten-minute ferry ride from the nearest SkyTrain station.
The Sukhothai Spa at the Sukhothai Hotel on Sathorn Road provides a selection of beauty, massage and spa treatments. The Jasmine and Orchid Suites with Thai herbal steam baths or showers, among other luxuries, accommodate two people. For men, there's a special "Fitness facial". The "Golden moor body treatment" focuses on hips, tummy and thighs and involves cellulite oils and mud masks. The Sukhothai is a stylish Thai-style complex with signature colonnades, water features, serene statues and gardens.
A day spa popular with locals and foreigners, with a host of treatment rooms and 22 therapists, is Spa I am in Bangkok. If traditional Thai massage bores you by now, you can always try the "Mud body mask" or "Sensational salt scrub".
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| Oasis Spa Bangkok/ photo: Nina Nanta |
The Bangkok Oasis Spa, which opened in January 2007, is one of five Oasis Spas (the other four are in Chiang Mai) that have sprung up since 2003. The spa’s concept is that of a garden villa in the middle of the city, surrounded by bird song and peaceful greenery, and the idea is to provide luxury “without unnecessary formality”. Located at 64 Soi Swaddee, 31 Sukhumvit 31 Road, the 15-room spa has treatment rooms furnished with waterfalls and uses “authentic Thai herbs” in its treatments. Packages include the four-hour “Oasis Experience”, including delights such as “Thai herbal steam”, a body scrub, “Morocco red clay body wrap”, an aromatherapy bath, “four-hand massage” and traditional Thai facial (Bt5,700).
NIBHANA Spa, located in the Natural Ville Executive Residences near the Chidlom Sky train station (exit 4), has 10 treatments rooms, including three premium couple suites. Therapies at this highly rated day spa combine Indian, Chinese and Thai elements. To spice things up, choose the “Siamese Princess” treatment, comprising a ginger body scrub, warm, detoxifying ginseng oil and a warm herbal compress filled with Thai herbs, combined with specially designed massage techniques.
Almost opposite the National Stadium (one of the last stops on the BTS SkyTrain line) near Siam Square, is the Siam @ Siam Design Hotel with 203 rooms and free WiFi throughout. The designers clearly pulled out all the stops with this converted office block. It blends - if not always successfully - minimalist Zen, Thai flourishes, and hi-hop grunge with original grey cement walls smeared with bright casual daubs of orange and red oil paint. This is factory-floor-art-gallery chic. There is a dedicated wellness spa, Spa Ten, with a fitness area and gym.
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| Nibhana Spa Bangkok/ photo: spa |
The wild and wilder Dream Hotel Bangkok on Sukhumvit Soi 15 offers a somewhat surreal escape into blue-light fantasy. Funky bedrooms offer 42-inch Flat Screen TV, Broadband access, Egyptian cotton linen, and iPODs. Pop by the Avatar Spa on the third floor for relaxing treatments after a busy day around town.
Samsara Spa near the Saphan Kwai skytrain station (N7; exit 3) and just a few minutes’ walk to the famous Chatuchak weekend market, offers “holistic traditional Oriental treatments”. Treatments – from body oil massage and shiatsu to “marble hot stone therapy” and head massage – are designed to strengthen your immune system and prevent disease. You’ll need them if you’re going to brave the market’s masses. Also in the developing business area near Chatuchak market, the Sofitel Centara Grand Bangkok has a SPA Cenvaree and that offers a comprehensive range of treatments.
Divana Spa has three branches dotted around the city. The first to open in 2002 was the Divana Massage & Spa at Sukhumvit 25. Divana Nurture Spa at Sukhumvit 35 just opposite The Emporium shopping mall, and Divana Divine Spa at Thong Lor17, opened more recently. There’s a huge range of treatments, massages and facials for men and women. Dull skin? Try the “Caviar and Collagen Body serum”, including an “oxygen body massages”, “energising steam”, “warm milky bath and “caviar and collagen body massage” (180 minutes).
The Palm Herbal Retreat in Bangkok’s Thonglor area has everything from massages, baths, and wraps to paraffin treatments for hands and feet. Anyone for a “Chinese crushed pearl body scrub”? There are half-day, full-day and lovers’ packages. New mums can recover with the special post-natal treatment.
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| Spa at Plaza Athenee Bangkok/ photo: hotel |
Another day spa is the C T Spa Life on Soi Thonglor off Sukhumvit Road. Therapies include the curious-sounding "Indian ear massage", but there's hydrotherapy, aromatherapy, Thai massage and facial treatments too. The St Carlos Integrated Medical Spa (part of the St Carlos Group of Health Services) in Pathumthani offers a range of programmes and packages - from a post-natal package for new mothers wanting to regain their ideal weight after delivery to a honeymoon package and smoke toxin release package. There is also a range of more conventional treatments.
On Phaholyothin Road near a BTS SkyTrain station is the bright hallucinogenic designer "art hotel" Reflections where no two rooms look the same. Opt for a nutty rabbit kiddy decor, trendy grafitti, or something contemporary. Or opt for the LOVE room. Various designers have worked on the interiors of each room and the hotel website offers a quaint "walk-in" concept with each clickable door image leading into that particular room with details about the designer and concept. A fun place with a quirky and colourful spa to boot.
The Siri Giriya Spa on Sukhumvit 60, open daily from 10am to 10pm, offers the usual body wraps, scrubs and Thai massage, in addition to herbal hydrotherapy and the saucy-sounding "Double comfort" massage, as well as an 80-minute "slimming massage". Across the Chao Phraya River in not-too-far Nonthaburi is the garden-setting Ban Ing Nam Health Resort and Spa with a small selection of bungalows and herbal rooms. Expect a balcony, ceiling fans (there’s aircon too), satellite TV and DVD. On the fitness side choose from a broad menu of wellness, relaxation, fitness, diabetes reduction and cholesterol management. Also available are yoga, kayaking, fishing and walks.
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| Divana Bangkok casa/ photo: spa |
Finally, the Being Spa on Sukhumvit, in a converted Thai family house, offers scrubs and massages, as well as shower beds (if you must know, you lie face down with water from four sprinkler heads "raining" down on you). The "Being Siamese" three-hour package includes a pepper scrub, Siam herbal heat body massage and an oat-meal-mask facial.
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