Health and Wellness or Beauty and Pampering? by Caroline Major
Featured Hotel in Bali
Luna2 private hotel
See all hotels in Bali >
If the seductively worded and photographed spa menu in your hotel room didn’t get you first, then the incessant call of the beach-side masseuse would inevitably wear you down. Before you know it, you’ll be laying face down enjoying the warm handed strokes intended ultimately to nourish your spirit.
Since the early 90s, Bali has been acknowledged as a top spa centre. Famous for their caring touch and outstanding hospitality, the Balinese pioneered the concept of the 'relaxation destination'. The scope of treatments is impressive. The Balinese philosophy of balance in their daily lives, combining the physical and the spiritual with their culture of nurturing, discretion and the importance of human kindness has made them justifiably famous for their massage and therapy.
When I set out review the best of Bali's hotels, I inadvertently accepted a mission to submit myself to the touch of some of her finest therapists. In preparation, I sought the advice of an old friend and a spa consultant who’d encouraged me to Indonesia in the first place. Bryan Hoare is one of those men who you look at and regret not having spent more time in the gym. He has an airbrushed complexion and the body of an Olympian.
When he talks spa, he speaks of four phases: gym, spiritual awareness, healthy eating and beauty. He talks of the importance of setting expectations before you walk into a spa, and the benefits of knowing whether you are chasing health and wellness or beauty and pampering; of connecting with the therapists and the importance of being present within the treatment, of ‘leaving all your shit at the door’, and focusing on yourself. Following his advice I waded through the tomes of treatment menus searching for the combination of steaming, basting, scrubbing, pummelling, stroking and kneeding to bring my body and soul into peak condition and reset myself for a more balanced lifestyle. I banished alcohol from my diet and resolved to exercise every day while on the Island. What follows is an account of several Balinese spas and how they contributed to the mission.
Prana Spa at ‘The Villas’; Seminyak Thirty indecisive minutes spent narrowing my choices resulted in ‘Rejuvenation’:
"Utilizing Ayurvedic healing treatments this program has been specially designed to re-align the body’s natural elements. This selection of treatments will de-toxify and pamper, leaving you in a state of utter bliss."
It seemed like a good start to my mission, and when the Balinese beauty with a big smile led me into darkened, cool depths of the Rajasthani inspired spa and handed me a key to my locker I immediately relaxed. Moorish arches and opulent deep burgundy and gold drapes tented the ceiling, with flowers everywhere. Off came the street clothes and on went the spa bikini as I was directed back out into the brilliant sunlight in the courtyard plunge pools beneath the cobalt blue and gold topped minaret. Plunge hot then cold three times each was the form. The pool was icy and exhilarating.
Wide awake and ready to shed my outer layer of skin with a vigorous salt scrub I was led to a room, practically tiled floor to ceiling with deep blue. The therapist was strong and methodical and sloughed off the golden result of my first days of sun-worship. Not missing an inch, she handed me a carved wooden mask and turned on the rain shower. Ten minutes, a tap on the shoulder and it was time to do the other side. Feeling incredibly clean it was off with the bikini and time to get muddy. A half kilo of warmed seaweed mud was slathered on with approving comments of my ‘strong’ body. I was given a glass of iced water and shown to the steam room. Sitting amongst the fresh frangipani was heart-warming as I marvelled at the luxury of the iced water, and the attention to the details of experience. Twice they checked on me to make sure I wasn’t melting in the superbly plumbed hammam. A layer of skin thinner and I moved into a womb of a treatment room appointed with exotic opulence. A good Balinese massage, a facial and then a hair treatment in another room and I was officially rejuvenated. A plate of fruit gave me the energy to get my arse off the treatment bed and back out into the world to show off my new silky smooth and soft as the proverbial babies’ bottom skin.
The Pampering Pavilion; Amanusa: Nusa Dua
Days later and after fitball classes at Prana, Putu the pussycat got to work on me with a Sunday morning Balinese massage after an hour slogging it out in the swimming pool. We were down in the pampering pavilion set in a frangipani sheltered courtyard. Aman is one of the few hotels groups who have not raced to add full blown spa facilities to their resorts. Instead they focus on the therapists, recruiting the best on the island. Putus’ soft soft hands pawed my muscles in a way not dissimilar to the way a kitten prods her mothers belly for milk, only Putu was pushing and padding away the stress accumulated in my muscles from months of typing in a bad posture and a week of freestyle swimming twisting it into knots. The heat in her hands was phenomenal and she instilled an unsurpassable sensation of wellbeing. It was my fifth day in Bali and I was already glowing and well.
Bagus Jati, Health and Wellness Retreat: Outside Ubud Later the same day, I arrived at the Bagus Jati Health and Wellness Resort set amidst the jungle north west of Ubud. Far from anywhere else, away from the noises of civilisation, I sat down to a consultation where my goals for the stay were discussed. I would do massage, Shiodara and yoga with a little bit of trekking. I was expectant as I showered before my afternoon massage to ease me into the resort.
The tiny therapist though had an uneasy manner. She was nervous. I’d been sat on an uncomfortable bench seat for the foot polish before my second Balinese massage in the space of six hours and despite the cushions these benches in the treatment rooms were way to narrow for my ‘strong’ body and served only as an anti-relaxant. Her hands though had the requisite warmth and a strong technique that on occasion was so hard it hurt. She found a knot in my right hip that I hadn’t known existed. The pain was agonizing and I was wincing but far too proud to speak up. She didn’t notice. For the first time ever I was happy to have a treatment end and managed to just drag my arse up the mountain and collapse into bed for a record fourteen hour sleep. She had neglected to work on my knotted arm and shoulder as I’d requested in the consultation. I fell asleep pondering Bryans holy grail; the importance of the connection with the therapist.
Next morning I woke feeling fabulous. Was it the result of two Balinese massages in one day? After yoga in an awe inspiring open air pavilion overlooking the jungle, a plate of fresh fruit and a trek it was back to the spa for a ‘Rebalance’. I’d been sold on the Ayurvedic Shiodara, their specialty. Having tried it medicinally in Rajasthan years earlier, I was not a fan. Apparently this was about to change, with the skill and cohesion of three therapists working my body at one time; One cooking up the herbal elixirs and the other two to work them in tandem into my body. First though, it was another foot polish. While one worked the others watched and gossiped about me wincing in discomfort back on the narrow bench. They all stared unashamedly at me as I disrobed to climb onto the bed and I’m sure I blushed. Where were the drapes? But all was forgotten when the scrub started.
With four hands working concurrently and methodically I was lost in it. The girl working my right side was firm but less thorough. I found myself wondering which girl would win the race. Who would make the circuit from my hands, up my arms around the shoulders, over my mountainous breasts, across the plains of my stomach, down my legs to the euphoria inducing finish at my feet before the whole process started again? The discombobulation was distracting but I liked it. A little disconnect between the team connected me to them. The girl cooking up the elixirs kept the good oil coming, bordering on hot but not. Warm enough for me to catch my breath in that second before it hit my skin in its warm and seductive dribble. After several circuits with different potions, they brought on the heavenly hot stones. For a moment, before they asked me to turn over I had a sensation of my body coming into alignment, the touted outcome of this treatment, but I lost it with the turn. Two days of yoga, treatment and jungle seclusion left me feeling rested and ready for action.
Another Pampering Pavilion; Amankila; Candidasa Nights later on the eastern coast of Bali after a guided day biking through the villages dotted along the mountainous coast, a treatment seemed the appropriate way to relax the muscles. Cena Enk, the Amankila signature seemed the best way to finish the evening. The foot polish was divine, the way she wielded the flower shaped pumice was a good indication that I was in for an exquisite three hours. I didn’t find out until later that I was being treated to a session with the woman who recruits all of Amans’ superb therapists, a woman who spent a good many of her years training with the Oberoi.
The ambiance in the converted villa was perfect and her attention to the detail of my comfort commendable. Candles, warm lighting, loads of flowers and an enquiry as to whether Enya was ok music for me set the mood. Her massage technique was expert – sensual yet firm, but over all too quickly. Instead she wrapped me in Banana leaves and slathered on a mixture of fresh papaya and yoghurt milk. While I marinated, she gave me some facial attention that left me clamouring for more of her magic finger work. Twenty minutes later and I was in the shower sluicing away papaya pulp and then dipping into the milky Hibiscus bath. Ginger tea and fresh fruit with an ‘essence of orange’ sauce was served, delighting both my taste-buds and stimulating my circulation. I loved the massage and the ambiance, but am sworn off fruit wraps. Messy and uncomfortable they fail to deliver the silky softness of a sea slime wrapped skin.
Amankila days swimming and sailing, biking and trekking worked wonders on the soul and with the healthy fresh cuisine I’d been craving my body had contracted a good centimetre all round. I was glowing and had still not reached for a drink.
Ritz Carlton Thalasso Spa; Jimbaran Bay Back down in the luxury enclave, I set off to test drive the newly opened, heavily awarded five million dollar Thalasso spa. So many cubic metres of seawater continuously refreshed from the ocean you view as the powerful jets pummel the toxins from your cells. The two hour pool circuit is a great source of giggle therapy as you fight the currents and grin at the tickly, ouchy sensation of high pressure jets beating your lymphatic system into action. It’s a light-hearted look at dealing with cellulite and burning six hundred calories before you head into the treatment room for a recovery massage or to continue with the slimming treatments. Opting for a mixture of both in the ‘Marine Deluxe’ treatment, I surrendered to the Vichy shower in a clinical room. The therapist was extremely efficient, perhaps trying to churn me out so the next holiday maker could get their turn in the heavily booked centre. The smell of seaweed permeated the purpose built room and a gardener tended the flowers in my full view, but I was quite comfortable. The massage with balm under the shower was a little slimey to be deep and effective although the warm water felt great. I wondered how much of the body a ‘wider’ person would fit in the drenching zone of the shower. The treatment had a clinical approach but the end result was good – silky smooth and soft skin and I was left with a competitive feeling that propelled me into the gym for an hour of cardio induced fat burning.
Next day I opted for the anti-aging facial in one of the more luxurious upstairs treatment rooms after another circuit around the Thalasso pool. The therapist was sweet and gave a good explanation of the product and warnings of the uncomfortable heat I might feel as the top layer of my skin was burned off. The things we do for beauty! Moments later she was slapping on a thick layer of snow white goop which hardened into solid white mould of my face. It became uncomfortable, itchy and heaty and I begged for an early removal. Apparently given my complexion it was ok, and I emerged radiant. Glowing and clean but very shiny. The next day the skin was smooth and bright but I noticed no visible wrinkle reduction. A very competent Balinese massage later and I was done with the Ritz Carlton spa. My skin was shining, my muscles relaxed and my circulation stimulated and I felt like I’d worked for it.
The Legian Hotel and Spa; Seminyak The first view of the Legian facilities is the infinity pool merging with the ocean so I dived right in to crack off a half hour of laps in my now primed for working it body. Right after, I ran off to check out the gym, the yoga studio and the spa. The legian takes yoga seriously and has set aside prime space for the studio; on the top floor of the hotel in the middle of the building overlooking the ocean. The instructor is world class, and gives personal tuition. I booked a class for the next day and sat down with the spa menu selected the signature massage, ate a chicken Caesar and weighed in. I was nearly three kilograms lighter than when I’d arrived in Bali and feeling on top of the world.
After an energizing yoga class, a chat with the yogi and some lemongrass tea, I lay spread-eagled on a wide spa bed facing the ocean. The sounds of the beach set the ambiance for my Hawaiian ‘Wave’ massage. Another sensual style of long body sweeping, well oiled strokes left me feeling seductively gooey afterwards. The therapist had metaphorically wrapped me in cotton wool in a pleasingly endless hour. The simplicity of the room complemented the sound of the ocean lapping just outside and the massage melted away my stored shoulder tension. It was a fabulous way to wrap up the Bali spa experience.
Without question, a course of nineteen treatments in twenty one days is a luxurious way to reinvent oneself. The almost constant attention to your body by others inspires one to work hard to maximize the benefits by eating well, drinking little (alcohol), drinking a lot (water) and exercising. What becomes apparent is that achieving change in your body is hard work. While many see spa simply as a way to relax and unwind, itself a good antidote for this centuries killer disease; stress, many miss is that spa is also a useful complement to achieving change in your life. Both have benefits but to maximize those, it’s useful to understand the possibilities and choose the appropriate spa for your goals.
There is a deeper level of a spa philosophy being missed by those hotels who are getting into the business as a means of maximizing revenues on the high room turnover. Spa should go beyond maintaining beauty to create wellness. Beautiful facilities are part of that, but what’s on the menu and who the therapist is and how involved they are willing to get with you is even more important. The good spas are adding treatments like Ayurvedic, and combinations of spa cuisine, counseling, spiritual awareness and yoga because it promotes total well being.
Spa for health and wellness is beyond the skin, beyond beauty and pampering and stress relief. It becomes internal; it can help your whole body from your digestive system to desensitizing your hormonal system to the stresses of modern living. It can create awareness of body and is a useful key in helping tuning your life for the changing world environment. There is a difference between a health spa and a beauty spa and it’s worth knowing what that is.
After a combination of intensive treatments with some fine (and not so fine) therapists, I not only lost centimeters of weight, gained radiant, healthy tightened, toned skin and kick started my energy levels. I was happier, more focused and emotionally balanced than I’d been before I started. I left my issues behind in Bali and I felt ready to conquer the world and still do. I changed my life.