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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 overlooking a shimmering sea. Fresh ingredients are hand blended to make the most of treatments and the approach to service is absolutely divine.

Both India and Sri Lanka offer ayurvedic journeys that can be life transforming. Ayurvedic spas appear more "earthy" than other Asian spas—the treatment rooms are often built out of clay, with wooden slats for massage tables and perhaps a little camping cooker nearby to heat up medicated herbal oils. Drying herbs hang nearby, ready to be picked and placed inside one of the intriguing-looking steam boxes. Plants and flowers are close at hand for therapists to cast into copper bowls to bathe your feet. Choose from a seven-to 28-day package monitored by therapists, doctors and yoga teachers. Holistic treatments merge with yoga, meditation and herbal therapy to bring the guest back to balance.

Modern Asian cities like Singapore are steaming with spa potential. Interesting day spas are perfect for a self-indulgent treat, and, for the more adventurous, traditional Chinese healers and herbalists practice their ancient arts in small shophouses and medical centers.

New spa concepts are born in Asia daily. Here, spas are so much more than treatments—perhaps this is why people are intuitively drawn to the East. Certainly the influences from this region can be seen and felt at spas all over the globe.

The quality of care and service is legendary. Thailand is renowned for a people who have elevated grace to an art form, so expect to be greeted with a prayer-like bow before treatments. Many therapists in Malaysia and Indonesia come from a lineage of healers: channeling thousands of years of knowledge, they are renowned for a strong sense of community and this energy transports effortlessly into the spa environment. It is the goodness that flows from the therapist's hands that matters. Caring is in their blood.

This nurturing feeling distinguishes spas in Asia from others elsewhere in the world. It is also revealed in the way that treatments are shaped. An example is the difference in heat therapies. In the West, sauna and steam are the usual healing via heat practices. In Asia, there are herbal poultices, hot packs, warm wraps and even reiki, all of which are performed through the warmth of a therapist's hands.

The feeling is far more intimate. Personal contact is one of the consoling ways towards healing—and this is emphasised in Asian spas. In cultures like Bali and India for example, bathing and anointing the body with oils and giving massages to others or self are regular daily rituals. These centuries-old practices continue in today's spas.

A life force flows throughout Asia that is so alive that once you've had a taste of it you will be ravenous for more. It permeates into the Asian spa in many ways. Be it the deep resonating sounds of a Tibetan bell, the colors that shimmer from crystals and stones or the ingredients used in herbal teas, medicines or treatments—all is exotic, all so appealing.

Another reason to travel to the East is that there are a handful of spas and wellness destinations that are easier on the pocket. Unlike in the West, spas here cater to all budgets and styles. In Bali and Thailand, for example, a number of affordable retreat destinations with excellent reputations offer detox, fasting, yoga and spa therapy programs. Observe where the locals go... and follow.

As there is beauty in diversity, Asian spa menus are a melting pot of enticing treatments and therapies. Because the countries that gave birth to ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and the healing systems of Malaysia and the Philippines are virtually neighbors, it isn't uncommon to find spa menus that combine a number of different influences.

The Spa Village in Kuala Lumpur honors Malay, Indonesian and Chinese cultures with treatments that combine unusual ingredients like warmed herbal eggs with jade rollers and bamboo stick tapping Their resident TCM doctor is also a tui na massage specialist. Not far away, the sister property at the Spa Village on Pangkor Laut offers traditional Malay and Chinese therapires—and also Indian ones. There can be few places in the world where a yoga and tai chi teacher is also a physician and therapist.

While there are definite differences between spas in Europe and the US and those in Asia, there are also similarities. Certainly the word "spa" came from the original European town where people went to take the waters or bathe for health, but many Eastern cultures have their own wellness through water traditions too. Japan, Taiwan and Korea are just a few of the countries where hot spring bathing is celebrated on a regular basis. And, today, many Asian spa operators are offering guests the finest in both Eastern and Western therapies. A new breed or hybrid is being born.

Yoga is originally from India but is now offered in almost all spas throughout Asia—including Martha Tilaar Eastern Rejuvenating Center.

A beautiful example is the Ayurvedic Ceremony ritual at the spa at the Mandarin Oriental in Chiang Mai. Here, guests are given an ayurvedic ubtan scrub while they lie on a warm marble slab inspired by the traditional hamam or Turkish bath found in Eastern Europe. Another example is at the Ritz-Carlton in Bali where you can bathe with friends in the French inspired thalassotherapy pool and follow a session here with a Balinese massage or hot sand pouch treatment and a Japanese Shiatsu massage.

The graceful architecture and interiors of Asian spas also give them great beauty and individuality. When you enter Kirana spa in Bali, for example, it's like walking through a temple of living spirit. There is a sense that something special is about to transpire. It is as if the creators have succeeded in capturing the quintessential soul of Bali within the spa's walled gardens.

Other creations have a distinctly royal aura. From India to Indonesia and China, ancient temples, monasteries and palaces provide the template for contemporary spas. Ingo R. Schweder, group director of spa for the Mandarin Oriental hotel group, explains why he seeks spiritually influenced locations for unique spa developments:"There is an energy that is manifested where prayers and worshiping have been practiced and when you walk through ancient sites such as those in Angkor and India, you can feel sacredness emanating from the grounds—devotion, friendship, love and spirituality. It makes good sense to create spas upon them." Special things happen in sacred spaces. There is a rich energy to tap into—and spas in ancient healing places vibrate with mystery and sensuality.

Asian spas are also blessed with the luxury of space. Treatment rooms are often enormous luxury suites with private steam rooms, saunas, changing areas and relaxation spaces with outdoor baths and tropical showers. Visualize a holiday where your villa accommodation includes a private spa and gymnasium—and you get an inkling of the potential of the rituals on offer.

But before you sink into the bath and disappear into bliss, remember that the Asian spa is not only about grandeur. Beneath the aesthetics, there is much more to uncover—and this is what makes these pockets of paradise so appealing. Treatments are far more than mere pampering and pots of dripping oil. Whatever their derivation, they help balance the senses and work deeply to restore equilibrium. Their aim is to stimulate the body's own natural healing system. In the same way that modern medicine is integrating Asian systems like acupuncture into its practices, the Asian spa movement is introducing other traditional therapies to the modern world.

This Tibetan thangka painting is one of a set of 79 illustrations of the Tibetan medical system demonstrating the diagnosis, treatments and cure of various ailments.

What resonates with many is that the philosophy behind Asia's medical systems is based on the mind-body connection. Guests find it reassuring to be diagnosed and given treatments by qualified practioners and practice yoga and tai chi with those who understand that the mind and body are one. In fact, all Asian treatments advocate that it is only when the entire mind, body and soul are rested that true healing can begin.

As the marriage between traditional, allopathic and alternative medicine deepens and health becomes the new wealth, the world is looking towards Asia for knowledge. The Asian spa is part of this global movement that is encouraging all of us to value not only our earth's natural elements, but also our own inner glory. Through the treatments of the East we learn to trust our body's inner wisdom. No longer do we need to put our health and wellbeing in the power of a select few. The current renaissance of Asia's spas is intended for all.

The spas and treatments celebrated in the following pages have been selected for their individual atmosphere as well as for their variety. Each one is unique. Through these pages, discover what treatments and places appeal to you most—there is a perfect spa experience waiting for everyone. Whatever your choice, the simple joy of bathing outdoors in a petal-strewn bath with fragrant tropical air filling your being will remind you there is still so much beauty in the world. It isn't hard then to realize that it is our earth, in its entirety, that is the ultimate spa.