From the mountain-side villas the path leading down to the spa is steep, and walking up and down it is a work out in itself. Sometimes there’s a wait of a few minutes but it’s better than sweating it! From the spa reception, an impressive stone staircase descends past the spa treatment rooms on either side, to the swimming pool and restaurant near the bottom of the ravine. From here the views of the dramatic cliffs and rainforest are truly eye-opening. Ushered into an opulent, little treatment room I was instructed to lay face up, while my therapist went about setting up a brass funnel contraption directly above my forehead. Without much ado, he told me to relax, and opened a valve on the funnel and out streamed warm sesame oil, directly onto my forehead and over my scalp. The effect was almost instantaneous. David had called it an “artificial meditative state “. The sensation is deeply relaxing and I jolted back to consciousness a couple of times during the 45-minute treatment, having dozed off.
During my two-night stay at the retreat I also experienced the ‘malabar’ treatment which comprised a footbath and massage with rock salts, tangerine and peppermint. Not only do your feet come out smelling like polo mints, they are also scrubbed smooth with a pumice rock. This is followed by an intricate massage with three therapists working in sync –and includes a sesame oil massage, turmeric and coriander scrub, hot towel application, and yoghurt ’rinse’. I don’t know what the secret ingredient was, but after this I had a deep sleep and a bizarre dream which involved a friend haven’t seen for years, a Dalek, and a quest for some shoes. Any dream analysts out there?
A bit of Romance
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