Hot stone therapy can be tremendously therapeutic to ease muscle tension and revive body and spirit after a long flight.
A nap gazebo overlooks one of many wooden houses built on stilts over the water in traditional Malay style.
THE SPA VILLAGE
AT PANGKOR LAUT RESORT
PANGKOR LAUT ISLAND, PERAK, MALAYSIA
Pangkor Laut, a small private island off the west coast of Malaysia, is home to an exclusive resort of exceptional beauty. Part of this resort is given over to a Spa Village, an entity that offers an excellent array of spa treatments. It comprises a series of pools and water features, "healing huts" offering Chinese herbal, ayurvedic and Malay treatments, as well as Thai and Balinese massages, bath houses and nap gazebos, a jamu bar and a herb garden. This is one of Asia's most unusual and exciting destination spas.
The Spa Village is exceptionally quiet and secluded, with dense rainforest as a backdrop and a sandy beach in the foreground, not to mention Malay village-style wooden guest houses on stilts over the water and first-rate facilities. Spiritual health is the focus at the Spa Village: one can participate in programs that enliven physical and spiritual wellbeing based on the themes of rejuvenation and longevity, relaxation and stress reduction as well as detoxification and romance—all necessary elements in leading a balanced life. Not to be missed is the unique Bath House Ritual, a seven-part celebration of Asia's varied bathing traditions (see page 219).
The poolside Jamu Bar serves nutritious and energizing elixirs, juices and teas. Served in an open pavilion, it has marvelous views over the pool and the Straits of Malacca.
Chinese herbs are brewed into a tea in the Chinese Healing Hut, while a Malay consultation employs a large array of locally-grown leaves and roots.
The range of other treatments offered here is vast. If ayurveda is your preference, your journey begins with a diagnosis to determine your body constitution or prakruthi via pulse diagnosis and body checking. The ayurvedic physician (who is also a qualified yoga teacher) dispenses advice on how to achieve a harmonious lifestyle and may prescribe a course of treatments. A consultation with the Chinese doctor gauges how well ch'i is flowing through your body and meridian points; treatments may include cupping, moxibustion and tui na an mo massage. In addition, daily tai ch'i chuan classes are held to improve one's breathing, posture and energy. Inside the Malay Hut, there is a whole world of traditional health disciplines to discover: many have been passed down through generations, and treatments are designed to bring back equilibrium using indigenous plants and herbs. Ukup Wangi, a scented body steaming ritual, and the traditional body rejuvenation treatment known as Sesegar Bayu are highly recommended.
Alternatively, if you simply need some time just to be by yourself, you can head to the private beach at Emerald Bay. Here the waters shimmer like a thousand green jewels and a nap in a hammock is sublime.
Serenity and total privacy are two of the great advantages of staying on a private island resort like Pangkor Laut.
In the Malay Healing Hut one is given insight into the traditional healing culture of Malaysia.
A steaming poultice of herbs is pressed upon the body.
Private bungalows suspended on stilts and surrounded by an endless sea are only a stone's throw away from the spa.
The Spa Village, with its tranquil reception area on left, comprises a cluster of villas and treatment pavilions set amidst a herbal garden and lotus ponds.
A stunning recreation of a Japanese onsen at the Japanese Bath House: guests are invited to take a traditional goshi goshi scrub, dip into the heated rotenburo pool and experience a Japanese green tea ceremony here.
Shimmering seclusion where forest meets the sea. Emerald Bay is a small cove that offers private swimming, candlelight dinners, a sandy beach and memorable sunsets.
The Malay Bath area, created to recapture the essence of ancient royal water palaces, is where you can experience the different bathing traditions of Asia.
Beautifully arranged traditional ingredients in ceramic pots are ready to be blended for treatments. They include lemongrass, ginger, Kaffir lime, cinnamon, saffron, star anise, Thai coffee beans and volcanic pumice.
ANANTARA SPA
AT ANANTARA RESORT HUA HIN
HUA HIN, THAILAND
Warm sesame compresses, dosha-balancing color therapy steam baths, and Thai healing massages—this is a spa that offers a unique blend of Indian and Thai treatments in a stunning setting on the Gulf of Thailand. Here you can roam through garden pavilions (salas) and courtyards intermingled with reflecting pools and tropical gardens filled with orchids.
The Anantara Spa is run by MSpa International, an international spa operating company well known in the region for an approach deeply rooted in the traditional healing philosophies of Asia. The Anantara name derives from a Sanskrit word reflecting the flow of water without borders, supporting the company's vision for health and relaxation in an extremely peaceful setting.
At the Anantara Spa, we suggest surrendering to signature Anantara packages that last a full or half day, such as the Soul Revival and Body Symphony, in which face and body rejuvenation treatments are combined with traditional beauty elixirs made with indigenous herbs and spices. Or, for the serious spa enthusiast, embark upon Anantara Journeys of three, five and seven days that can be individually tailored to provide the ultimate in rejuvenation and calming of the spirit. Traditional Thai treatments include the 200-year-old Thai herbal compress that contains five locally-grown herbs known to heal and rejuvenate. Given to war-weary soldiers during the Ayutthaya period, this treatment is great for anyone with aching muscles.
Another Thai favorite is the Thai Herbal Steam Bath which uses herbs and spices combined with heat and steam to detox and revitalize the body. The treatment is inspired by the herbal steam baths that Thai women use to regain skin tone after childbirth. Other treatments include a traditional Thai facial and a stress recovery facial made with local herbs and spices. The Enzymatic Sea Mud Wrap is a sequence consisting of footbath, wrap, shower and body lotion. Lasting 60 minutes, it is redolent of the ocean with ingredients like seaweed, botanicals and plant enzymes in a mineral clay base. Fruits including papaya and pineapple containing the enzyme bromelin are blended with essential oils of lemon, lime, lavender and petitgrain.
This is a spa founded on