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Tamarind Retreat, an oasis for body & soul
Extracts from Samui Community Magazine April 2003
…….. “Now something of a landmark on Samui,
the Tamarind Retreat has an ambience that has intelligently
capitalized on retaining as much of the natural environment
of original Samui as possible, and has created a garden space
that actually fits the description of an exotic tropical jungle
oasis.
…… The designers of the spa took clever advantage
of the eccentric natural landscape, utilizing the huge granite
boulders that can be found all over this part of the island.
By preserving the coconuts and the clearing away the wild
bushes and then planting plush lawns and laying out garden
paths, the builder redefined the naturally rolling landscape.
Set at the foot of the local mountains, the site provides
a perfect natural amphitheater, protecting the spa from what
seems like an ever increasingly busy outside world.
………..Brochures for the spot call it a tranquil
oasis of rest and
relaxation, and that's exactly what it is. However, it's got
more than that going for it. Hollywood makes a lot of motion
pictures every year, and a lot of them have great casts, great
directors, big budgets, and good stories, but they don't all
turn into truly compelling cinema or Oscar winning movies.
It's always a strange and almost accidental combination of
hard work, top talent, and the natural chemistry between the
performers, the directors, and the writer’s word’s
that allows one out of 100 pictures to become a classic. When
the different people that were involved with realizing the
Tamarind put this together from the bare threads of their
inspiration they had no idea that they were making something
that would have such a powerful influence over the island.
……….Samui is quickly marching toward becoming
one of the premier Spa destinations of the travel world. You
could stay here for two weeks and go to a different spa every
day of the week and still not do all of them. More and more
refined and well-designed spas are opening every day, and
as of this writing Samui has close to a half a dozen truly
top level ’R&R’ (rest & relaxation) spas.
Even with the wide variety of spas, done at all
levels of quality, that are currently operating or will be
opening on Koh Samui, I'm sure that the Tamarind Retreat will
remain one of the most popular and highly regarded spas on
the island.
………..It’s no surprise that this small
portion of land of the foot of a rocky mountain at the northern
mouth of the Lamai Valley will maintain its widely held reputation
of being the most serene spot to get a massage or a herbal
steam bath. The location carries its own strange and pacifying
energy, one that seems to set it apart from every other spa
location.
……….Every time I go there I am reminded
why I like the place so much. Something I should mention is
that the Tamarind spa really hasn’t changed all that
much since it first opened, which is one of the great things
about the place. The only thing different is that there are
more and more people going there. It was a winning combination
to begin within, and it still is. I hope you get a chance
to experience for yourself and soon, but please, just don't
show up on the day that I'm going to be there!”
By NPR
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