The difference between a destination spa and a resort with a spa is immense, but the message still has to get across to many travel agents, particularly those new to the concept.
Spafinder defines a destination spa as a place where guests come for the blend of wellness education, physical fitness, healthy cuisine and relaxing spa services. Six Senses Destination Spa Phuket on Naka Yai Island in Thailand, which fully opens November 1, is a prime example of a destination spa and is the brand’s first to be unleashed.
Here guests are given the chance to re-evaluate their lifestyles via a programme of holistic spa treatments, seriously healthy organic or raw cuisine plus fitness activities to achieve wellbeing through balance.
TTN visited the property for four nights and five days, where an insight into the concept was gleaned, and although the ideal stay for therapeutic purposes is seven nights or more, the holistic programme given incorporating recharge and energise treatments more than achieved its goal. The visit also proved that this resort would appeal to more high-end customers than many Middle East based travel agents or tour operators may realise.
Pick up from Phuket Airport is in a seven series BMW limousine offering bottled water and a cool lemongrass scented towel. It is a 20 minute drive to Ao Por Pier where we transferred to a speedboat waiting at the jetty. A 10 minute boat ride across the turquoise waters of Phang Nga Bay brought us to the private island of Naka Yai where the resort staff or ‘hosts’ met us in a buggy. We stopped at a huge good luck wishing gong upon which we were instructed to “hit hard and make a wish” – it could come true.
Both sides of the winding path leading to the heart of the resort burst with edible foliage such as groundnuts, lemongrass, Chinese bitter, kale, coriander and other herbs and Thailand’s ubiquitous Pandanus latifolious plant. All the food here is natural, organic and 70 per cent locally procured. Later on it was difficult to tell whether or not Dining at The Point, a raw food restaurant, was better than that in the spa cuisine restaurant Ton-Sai. Both proved that natural, healthy food and strictly fishetarian fare served with unprocessed organic ingredients, is extremely palatable.
The welcome drink at our beach villa overlooking the ocean was 100 per cent pure goodness - crushed leaves of the Pandanus latifolious. There are 61 private pool villas and pool villa suites that radiate subtle rustic luxury. The ablutions are attached to the villa by a covered walkway flanked by mostly edible greenery, at the end of which is a shower incorporating a steam room. Within the villa garden is a rain shower and a deep bath sunken into the ground with one side opening to the elements. The separate lavatory has a half open roof allowing the call of nature to be shared with nature such as an occasional wall climbing gecko.
Natural personal care toiletries plus slippers, bathrobes and yoga suits are all provided. A point worth noting here is that the yoga pant suits can be worn everywhere even in the restaurants – it is casual comfortable attire at all times, so only a hand luggage sized suitcase of personal clothing is necessary. Other points to note: outdoor sala for massage or meditation, indoor ipod with docking speaker, private pool, IDD telephones, safe, personalised butler service (includes electric golf buggy transportation), a mini-fridge stocked with water, soft drinks and organic low fat food items and mosquito nets on either a king or twin beds.
The wellness centre/spa area is the kingpin of the resort around which all other activities revolve. Initially a personal well being assessment then a programme for each guest is established. Other consultations depending on guest needs are also available (such as a nutritional consultation), plus the opportunity to see wellness consultants who visit the resort for short periods every month.
There is a weekly wellness activity schedule that includes a fitness consultation, meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, pilates, private boot camp at the beach and personal training. These themes are integrated into a holistic approach to wellness that the spa has called “life passages’, where guests take a break from everyday life and work on regenerating their whole system.
The spa offers four traditional concepts – Thai, Chinese, Indian and Indonesian. Illnesses of the 21st Century such as stress, fatigue, coping with society, relationships, allergies plus weight loss programmes are typically addressed.
Water based sports and other activities are also available, including a lap swimming pool which blends into an infinity pool.
The resort can also accommodate groups of up to 12 people in The Enclave, a cluster of six hill pool villas with a communal area attached, ideal for small incentive groups or a family group seeking privacy. The Retreat on the Hill is a private 2,500 m2 three bedroom villa located on the tip of the peninsula.
More points worth noting: mobile phones are not allowed in public areas, children under the age of 16 are not admitted, organic wines and champagnes are available but only after 6 pm.
by Cheryl Mandy