A world of your own
**Luxurious resort offers tailored wellness vacations **
Writer: KANOKPORN CHANASONGKRAM
Published: 25/09/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: Realtime
With a lagoon as a beautiful backdrop, Banyan Tree Phuket charms as a wonderful getaway. However, the hustle and bustle of the lobby with guests checking in and out may at first make you think that this isn’t the place to find peace of mind.
A deluxe villa makes a luxurious home away from home.
First impressions can be misleading and once out of the lobby, stepping into one of its 150 villas, you will be transported into a world of your own.
The luxurious Thai-style lodging with stylish contemporary decor makes a comfy home away from home while the villa’s privacy allows blissful relaxation as well as a reflection on life.
Due to the stresses of daily life, urbanites definitely need to get away from it all, not only for a much needed holiday but to optimise it as a wellness vacation, which may no longer mean enduring a tormenting health camp.
“It’s now more about lifestyle and wellness. We want to create wellness retreat programmes tailored according to individual lifestyles and preferences. However, we don’t want to make it too strict, like in a health resort, and so guests still have time for relaxation and other enriching activities,” said Ravi Chandran, managing director of Spa Operations for Banyan Tree Spas and Angsana Spas.
The recently launched Retreat for the Senses programmes aim to be a personalised sojourn of self-discovery for beginners to kick-start healthy lifestyle changes and for health-conscious folks to further help them attain mental, physical and spiritual harmony.
Ayurvedic treatments are given by professional Indian therapists.
“The all-inclusive package comprising accommodation, spa treatments, meals and wellness activities offers a quintessential Banyan Tree experience,” said Chandran. “It’s also a wellness vacation enriched with healthy tips, which people can take home to better their lifestyle.”
Customisation begins with a lifestyle assessment to determine the most suitable programme out of four options: Sense of Bliss, Sense of Heritage, Sense of Ayurveda and Sense of Purification.
Upon arrival, a wellness consultation with the resident Ayurvedic physician diagnoses each individual’s condition to recommend diet choices and lifestyle and to fine tune the programme to address specific needs.
In addition, a dedicated wellness host ensures personalised service, to assist with requests and make recommendations on the best activities and spa treatments during the four-day stay.
The rejuvenation part of the programme takes place at Banyan Tree Spa, one of Asia’s largest spas with 20 treatment pavilions in a tropical garden setting. Involving a series of daily treatments, altogether you will indulge in six and a half hours of spa pampering by professional therapists, trained at Banyan Tree Spa Academy.
Ravi Chandran wants his guests to have both a happy and healthy holiday.
“Instead of one to two hours guests will have an extended spa experience, not only for relaxation but to get healthy,” said Chandran, who oversees Banyan Tree’s 68 spas in 26 countries as well as the Banyan Tree Spa Academy located within the Phuket flagship resort and Banyan Tree Spa Academies in Bangkok and Lijiang, China.
Along with the wellness trend, he observes an Ayurvedic boom as more people including Westerners become interested in the age-old Indian therapies and hence in the last two years, Thai spas have added Ayurvedic treatments to their menus. Banyan Tree Spa has, however, taken one step further by having three therapists and two doctors from India to deliver the real thing.
The Sense of Ayurveda therefore combines authentic massages with yoga as well as Indian head massage lessons as introductory Ayurvedic healing.
The programme also includes other activities like aquacise in the pool, Pilates, breathing exercises, henna painting and even elephant trekking.
“We don’t overlook the fact that people come to have a holiday, and so we want to give them a host of leisure activities as well as a sumptuous culinary experience to complement the wellness programme,” he said.
The Dinner of Spirit takes place under the sacred banyan tree with a nice view of the lagoon.
No doubt, wellness is about eating good food, and the resort’s chefs care about taste as much as nutrition in creating a healthy breakfast and spa cuisines. As a result, wholesome yet delicious dishes are served three times a day, which include a divine dining experience, the Dinner of Spirit under a banyan tree overlooking the serene lagoon to impressively end the first day.
On the last day, the Sense of Ayurveda programme rounds off with a post-consultation session with the Ayurvedic doctor providing a prescription of treatments, yoga, meditation and diet to take back home and make it a part of a healthy lifestyle, in order to fully benefit from the wellness programme.
Retreat for the Senses programme starts from 12,600 baht per person per night and 21,350 baht per couple per night in a Deluxe Villa. Valid until October 31, these exclusive introductory rates offer guests savings of 30% off published rates and are limited to four bookings per day. From November 1, the starting rates for the three-night programme are 20,300 baht per person per night and 31,150 baht per couple per night.
For reservations, please call 076-372-452 or visit banyantree.com for online booking.
Get into the wellness swing by doing yoga every morning.
*Bron: Bangkok Post / www.bangkokpost.com *