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Body & Soul
Ambiance:Coconut grove
heaven
Approach:>
Nature and nurture
Price Range: Facial B300; massages B300-
B400; special packages B700-B1,000
Recommended: Tamarind and Ginger welcome
drink; herbal steam and plunge pool (a must); relaxation massage;
wild mint foot massage
Best Buys: Prai and Aloe Vera Aftersun Lotion,
Prai Shampoo, conditioner and soap, Thai herbal teas, Indonesia
and Thai style cotton sarongs
A bumpy dirt track is not the best thing for
a hangover, but that was the sole detraction on my road to
wellness as we jostled our way towards the Tamarind Retreat
spa on the island of Samui. "What a fabulous coconut
grove!" my companion Amanda chirped, craning her neck
out the jeep in a serious attempt to decapitate herself. Peering
blearily at the sun-speckled trees, I feebly agreed. But the
full effect hit only me when we disembarked from the jeep
and started up the gravel path leading to an enormous thatched
pavilion. Surrounded by emerald foliage, lush blossoms, and
the island's ubiquitous coconut trees swaying in the floral
scented breeze to the sound of sweetly chirping birds, the
Tamarind Retreat spa seemed too idyllic to be true. At the
entrance, I could even see attractive young sun-bronzed customers
clad in sarongs lounging around the verandah. Everyone looked
relaxed, except the receptionist at the giant slab of rock
that served as the front desk; there was too many customers,
and space was limited. Those who hadn't booked in advance
would have to return later.
One yummy tamarind and ginger drink later
(don't let the colour put you off), we were padding up the
grassy slope to the herbal steam and plunge pool, nestled
among natural boulders in the hillside. Obeying instructions,
we plunged into the rocky pool, only to jump out shrieking
a second later. Cold! Sufficiently cooled off, we eagerly
proceeded to the next step of herbal steaming.
There can't be a steam room in the country
as unique as this one, set between two boulders whose rocky
sides serve as wall. Light filters through glazed panes in
the ceiling, lending a mysterious haze to the misty, hot room.
The spa has a charming policy of providing sarongs for customers
to wear during plunging and steaming. Frolicking under the
plunge pool's mini waterfall in my floral sarong, I felt lusciously
exotic, like one of Gauguin's island nymphs. Inside, the sarong
took on a different tone. Learning against a steamy stone
beside a wilting Amanda, clad in our sarongs but still wearing
jewelry, we hunched, Wilma Flintstone-like, as if waiting
for Fred to barge in with a hunk of dinosaur.
However, the results were truly therapeutic.
Early into the steaming and plunging process, my hangover
had miraculously vanished. Later I was told that among the
herbs used in the steam mixture, beach morning glory was said
to clear hangovers and clear breathing. Other ingredients
included lemon grass, camphor (aids breathing), prai, tamarind
leaf, and kaffir lime (soothes skin).
Once accustomed to the steam and plunge, we
grew to like it; it seemed that all too soon we were being
called to our massages. We chose from a selection of tangerine,
wild mint, prai, ylang ylang, nutmeg, and lemongrass for our
oil massages. Then, in the spacious open-air pavilion we were
kneaded to the background sounds of new age music, real live
birds, and the cooling sea breeze. The Relaxation Massage
here focuses on the upper back, a remedy for those who don't
sit properly, tend to slouch on sofas or hunch at their computers
too much. Ever-so-soothing facials and foot massages are given
in planter's chairs so comfortable that I dozed off during
mine.
Spa manager Shelley Poplak opened this' Oasis
For Body and Soul' less than a year ago. Her very first experience
upon landing in Phuket was a Thai herbal steam in a tiny cement
room with herbs cooking in a pot outside. "Why not have
this in a pretty garden?" she thought to herself, and
so the Tamarind Retreat concept was born. The herbal steam
is a traditional Thai therapy still found in country temples
in the north, though the plunge pool is a western adaption.
A sense of well-being pervades as customers
pad around barefoot, sipping on concoctions from the juice
bar. Above our heads, colourful Tibetan prayer flags flutter
from the ceiling, the lobby is protected by both a Buddhist
shrine and a Hindu Ganesha, and not one, but three spirit
houses guard the grounds outside.
"One for the spirit of the land, one
for the spirit of the trees, and the smallest one for the
spirit of the house," explains Shelley, "Spirituality
is an important part of this spa," she murmurs in her
gentle manner, "but with all the offering that entails,
you can imagine how long it can take getting ourselves started
in the morning!"
Chami Jotisalikorn
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