The island Spa at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa is located on a private atoll in the Indian Ocean.
the ultimate spa
experience
FROM THE SURROUNDING SPLENDOR OF RICE FIELDS AND INDIGENOUS PLANTS TO THE ELEGANCE OF THEIR ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIORS, THE EXQUISITENESS OF THE ASIAN SPA IS UNSURPASSED.
Nature is an integral part of the Asian spa. Imagine bathing in a rock pool on the edge of a riverbank with the sounds of the river rushing by and the cool mountain air caressing your face. Time melts away and the sheer luxury and space makes you feel as if you're the only person on earth.
The spa phenomenon in Asia is so much more than a massage or a scrub—it's a way of life. The daily rituals and ceremonies are all part of the spa experience and are designed to restore your body and soul. Treatment rooms, relaxation spaces and outdoor pavilions are fitted out with handcrafted furnishings and textiles; every bowl, cup and flower is deliberately selected for its visual appeal and significance—don't be surprised to find delicate offerings made for the gods placed outside your treatment room by the spa staff.
"Grace is what separates the Asian spa from any other in the world," says David Haughton of Bagus Jati Wellbeing Resort in Bali. "That, and the staggering variety of treatments on offer."
Where else in the world can you immerse yourself, at the very source, in the treatments, philosophies and wisdom of the Asian ancients that have been refined over centuries? Influences from the Orient can increasingly be seen and felt in all the most beautiful spas around the globe. But only in Asia itself can one experience the real thing first-hand.
Just consider the following options. Trekking through the mountains in Yunnan province in China, renowned for being a center for the finest traditional Chinese physicians, herbal medicines and treatments. Stay in a traditional Tibetan lodge and experience the tui na massage in the country of its origin.
Or travel to the Himalayas where you can revitalize your body against a backdrop of majestic mountains, over looking the birthplace of yoga and the ancient wisdom of ayurvedic medicine. Elsewhere in India, select spas are situated in restored Moghul palaces or in Maharaja-style luxury canvas tents in the wild.
Spas are places to reflect and restore ones inner balance—the royal spa suite at Four Seasons Bali Jimbaran Bay is alluring, private and peaceful.
The divine Asian foot ritual at the Kirana Spa, Ubud, Bali. Here the Japanese know-how of beauty company Shiseido is combined with celestial surrounds.
Alternatively, take a trip to Northern Thailand where spas resemble Buddhist monasteries and offer treatments that were originally only performed by saffron-robed monks. These have been revived, adapted and reintroduced into tranquil destination spas near Chiang Mai.
Water babies can dive off a boat into the translucent waters of the Maldives and feel what it must have been like to live upon a pristine earth. Afterwards, a traditional Maldivian wooden dhoni boat transports you to an island spa for a soothing massage while watching marine life swim by. Observe how the tropical weather provides inspiration for treatments such as the Maldivian Monsoon Ritual where a gentle rain of rosewater rinses you for rejuvenation.
In Indonesia, spas are located in bamboo forests where frangipani gardens, outdoor bales (pavilions) and sunken baths strewn with flower petals and fragrant with aromatic oils are the norm. In a similar fashion, spas in Thailand merge indoor and outdoor in an innovative way. Expect a massage on a sarong-clad table in an open-sided sala