Thailand Spas & Resorts

Pan Pacific Spa - Pan Pacific Hotel, Sukhumvit Bangkok

2007-04-12T08:32:00.000-07:00

Come for a refreshing workout in our professionally managed spa and health club. Wind down with any one of the superb at the Spa & Health Club, where our comprehensive menu includes;
Body Treatments

Swedish Aromatic Massage (55 min) Choose your aromatic oil for this superb massage involving soothing hand movements, which work into the muscle and soft tissue to induce relief from stress and tension. Covering most of the body and focusing on the back. Strength can be varied as you wish.

Sports (Therapeutic) Massage (55 min) A combination of Thai, Swedish and deep tissue techniques to ease aches, pains & strains, this massage will vary according to your particular needs, please indicate to the masseuse if you have any particular muscular problem.

Asian Blend Massage (55 min) A traditional Thai massage combined with the use of an aromatic oil of your choice to give a dual benefit. (Not recommended for back problems).

Foot Reflex Massage (55 min) Based on the original Ingham method, this specialist’s treatment involves the systematic stimulation of all the nerve reflexes in the feet, which correspond to the internal organs and all parts of the body. Far more than a foot massage, this holistic healing technique helps restore balance and harmony to your body. The treatment also includes some wonderfully relaxing head massage, and Lemon Grass leg massage.

Traditional Thai Massage (55min/1hr50min) Passed down the line from ancient times, this massage involves the application of pressure and a degree of stretching to the muscles, also involving prolonged pressure on the ‘meridians’ of the body. Without the use of oil, mainly on the legs. (Not recommended for back problems).

Aromatherapy Body Salt Glow (55 min) Aromatic sea salts are freshly ground in preparation for this luxury skin treatment. They are applied to the skin with pure lavender body oil and concluded with the application of lavender body lotion that will leave your skin as soft as velvet.

Dead Sea Mud Body Wrap (55 min) Using the healing and detoxifying properties of Dead Sea minerals, this superior treatment will leave your body feeling refreshed, energized and smooth as silk. It also aids in the reduction of cellulite and is excellent for cases of water retention.

Facial Treatments

Deep Cleansing Facial (55 min) Using the Purest skin care on earth, this facial begins with a deep pore cleansing and a gentle exfoliation, followed by a Jurlique mask specific for your skin type. This treatment will leave you with a lucent glow and soft, healthy skin.

Fitness Facial for Men (55 min) Uniquely designed for men, this facial will cleanse, hydrate, moisturize and refresh your skin. This treatment also includes a hand and foot treatment.
Aromatherapy Facial Treatment (55 min) A rejuvenating experience of cleansing, hydrating, moisturizing, facial massage and mask designed to purify and promote beautifully radiant skin. An exceptional facial treatment tailored to meet your specific skin condition and comes complete with a pampering hand and foot treatment.

Special Packages

The Spa Experience (1 hr 50 min) For complete pampering, choose any facial treatment and combine it with an oil massage of your choice.

Foot Reflex Combination (1 hr 50 min) At one hour fifty minute combination of Foot Reflex and Swedish massage using pure Lavender, Eucalyptus oil for relief of unwanted aches and pains.

Total Body Polish (1 hr 50 min) This complete body treatment combines Aromatherapy Body Salt Glow with the Facial of your choice for the ultimate in total body revitalization.

Three Treasures of Relaxation (2 hr 45 min) One Swedish, one Traditional Thai and one Dead Sea Mud Body Wrap are a complete introduction of three very different styles of relaxing Body Treatments.

Pan Pacific Spa

Aspasia Spa at The Aspasia Phuket

2007-04-12T03:17:00.000-07:00

Recently created in the south of the island of Phuket, The Aspasia is a stylish boutique resort reflecting an unusual retro-deco design with hints of Mayan style architecture. The muted yellow and green hues of the buildings blend exotically with the colors of the lush forest that sweeps down to Kata Beach. Each secluded apartment has stunning sea views, and guests only have a two minute walk to the white, sandy beach below. One of the best spas on the island is located here.

At the exclusive Aspasia Spa, highly experienced therapists are on hand to pamper guests with a choice of massage styles and treatments. The spa incorporates three individual rooms and one stunning double room, with every emphasis on calmness and relaxation. Contemporary abstract artwork by local artists, displayed in the treatment rooms and the relaxation area, blends in with the decor of the spa which encompasses natural tones of sea blue, jade green, mellow orange and ruby red. These colours are complemented by smooth wood, steel and bamboo fittings in the treatment rooms.

The rooms are fitted with hand basins and a shower, and the spacious double room has two deep Jacuzzis and a beautifully decorated private bathroom. As you lie on a massage bed, meditate on tiny fish swimming in a glass bowl placed under the headrest and allow the stresses and strains of everyday life to be smoothed away.

With mellow music, tropical plants and floating candles contributing to the ambient atmosphere, the spa experience at Aspasia Phuket is certain to add a new dimension to your well-being. Our therapists are trained to ascertain any particular health problems that guests may have before the massage takes place, so that treatments are suitable for your physical condition.After rejuvenation, you can sip a healthy drink in the soothing atmosphere of the Spa's plush seating area or linger awhile in the scented air of the outdoor herb garden.

A specially selected range of natural beauty products is available for guests to purchase. These include locally made massage oils, soaps, shampoos and scented candles. The products are beautifully packed, making perfect gift choices to take home for your friends and family.
The Aspasia Phuket
1/3 Laem Sai Road
Kata BeachKaron
Sub-DistrictPhuket 83100
Thailand
Tel.: (66-76) 333 033
Fax: (66-76) 333 035
Email: spa@aspasiaphuket.com
Web-site: http://www.aspasiaphuket.com/

The Aisawan Resort & Aisawan Spa

2007-04-12T02:24:00.000-07:00

The Aisawan Resort & Spa - A walkway to the ocean. A short journey that will be remembered for a lifetime.

The Aisawan Resort & Spa is located upon quiet and private Wongmat Beach with a tranquil backdrop of lush tropical gardens near Pattaya, one of Thailand's most established resort destinations.

A new, classically styled entrance of marble, sandstone and slate leads the way to a sumptuous lobby and reception area with own relaxing Piano Bar. The Aisawan Resort & Spa provides various accommodation options, designed to suit the style and budget requirements of its guests.From the fully equipped Superior rooms. Aisawan Resort & Spa proudly guarantees excellent level of service and standards that are unique to the area.

The resort features the totally refurbished large full sea view Aisawan Club rooms. With bathrooms that look out to the sea, polished redwood flooring and walls of silver leaf behind silk covered beds, these rooms simply ooze luxury and style.

Close to the spa are the Garden Villas, individual chalets that capture the feeling of being at one with nature. Aisawan Resort & Spa has two swimming pools with a poolside bar.

For those who prefer the beach, the Resort has its own, the only private beach in Pattaya.

Anodas Spa - Nora Beach Resort & Spa

2007-04-11T23:44:00.000-07:00

Discover a sanctuary of pure bliss and tranquility when you visit The Anodas. The Anodas spa offers a contemporary range of both East and West spa favorites. The secrets of the Asian beauty are unveiled in an exquisite range of spa delights that is supportedby tradition and modern science. Our extensive range of spa treatments from both East and West traditions will ensure that your every need is catered to. Feel your stress and strain slip away. Your complete relaxation our only aim.

Drawing on centuries of Asian wisdom, Ytsara is an invitation to look at life afresh, from the perspective of Asian beauty secrets. Self - indulgence is the core of the Anodas Spa’s. Our products provide answers to radiant skin with down-to-earth solutions for those who want to maintain purity, nurture their skin and rejuvenate their souls.

In the selection of our products we commit to create a truly unique global spa experience for our guest with a discerning eye for beauty and excellence.

Inspired by an Asian blend of healing and therapeutic remedies, Ytsara holistic spa programs and treatments offer an original and global approach to age-old rituals and native Asian holistic healing practices for modern use.

Nuat Namman Body oil ceremony (60 minutes) 1,500.- Baht/Net Experience the healing effects of Asian aromatherapy in a relaxing and restorative massage that combines the sense of tropical smells with the soothing value of acupressure massage. Individually chosen to suit your personal requirements, the essential oils will rebalance your vital energies restoring harmony and calm to your body and mind.

Choose one from our four signature aromatherapy blends:

Ponklai: Relaxing body oil massage with a synergy of lemongrass and orange essential oil that will embark your body and mind on a journey of ultimate relaxation and wellness.
Borisut: Purifying body oil massage with a synergy of cajeput and petit grain essential oil that will leave your body deeply detoxified with a replenished mind.

Phem Palang: Energizing body oil massage with a synergy of mandarin and peppermint essential oil that will ease away tensions and aching muscles to bring your senses with a renewed vitality.

Samunprai, Thai Herbal Heat Energizer (75 minutes) 1,800.- Baht/Net Drift away tensions while enjoying this unforgettable traditional hot Thai massage, unchanged since Thailand Ayutthaya period (14 th-18 th. Century) When a hot pack was administered to war-soldiers returning home with muscle and bruises. The balancing poultice opens the pores and brings a deep medicinal heat to the muscles to release tensions and revitalize your mind. Then an invigorating massage with a synergy of peppermint and mandarin essential oils will take your body on a journey of total renewal.

Anodas Traditional Royal Nora Thai Massage (60 minutes) 950.- Baht/Net Experience an exotic and unique traditional Thai Massage. Try an ancient art to relieve pain and stress accumulated in sore muscles. Focus is applied on pressure point, muscles, joints and ligaments to provide you with a wonderful healing experience.

PraSuthon foot massage (45 minutes) 850.- Baht/Net Balancing your body naturally, the feet will be stimulated on the reflex zones. This specialized foot massage assists in the relief of stress and tension, helps to improve circulation and fosters a restoration of the body’s natural state of equilibrium.

Back and Shoulders massage (30 minutes) 500.- Baht/Net Restore glory back to your crown! This massage concentrates on the back ,neck and shoulder areas to get rid of nervous tension and relieve tried muscles, With Traditional Thai massage.

Wraps Anodas anti-oxidant green tea wrap (60 minutes) 1,600.- Baht/Net Give your body a chance to stay young longer, with Anodas signature bland of Thai white clay well know for its soothing & purifying effect and organically grown green tea full of anti-oxidants and vitamins. Enjoy a relaxing head massage while the nutritive ingredients gently permeate your body.

Saat, Complete Detox (90 minutes) 2,200.- Baht/Net Let your senses experience this wonderful tropical treat. The synergy of cajeput and orange removes impurities and dead cells to prepare your skin for a body wrap containing 100% natural papaya and Aloe Vera extracts that will eliminate toxic wastes and decongest your body by activating perspiration. Then, let your mind distress with a purifying aromatherapy massage using a unique blend of cajeput and petit grain essential oils. This treatment is ideally suited to refine your skin and boost metabolism, leaving your body deeply cleansed and your mind with a renewed vitality.

Sawan, Rejuvenating body delight (90 minutes) 2,200.- Baht/Net Give your body a new skin. This treatment starts with a moisturizing body scrub to remove dead skin cells and gently prepare your skin for a replenishing body wrap. The natural extracts of pineapple and tamarind are acting in synergy to rebalance your skin moisture and restore your vital energies. A relaxing massage using lemongrass essential oil is then applied on pressure points, muscles, joints and ligaments to provide you with a wonderful healing experience.This treatment is ideally suited to gently ease away tensions and stimulate your body by promoting relaxation and rejuvenating the senses.

Sunset tropical wrap (45 minutes) 1,200.- Baht/Net Feel the heat seep out of your body with a quenching wrap of freshly mashed pandan leaves & cucumber and lavender essential oil to cool, heal and regenerate. A Thai bergamot and mint gel complements the treatment to soothe and refresh your skin, leaving it silky smooth.

Face Na, Tropical fruit and flower facial (60 minutes) 1,600.- Baht/Net A mesmerizing ANODAS experience based on the brilliant osmosis of healing therapies…………

Royal Thai massage Energy massage points Pranayama deep breathing Chakra rebalancing ………and Asian secrets of organic natural beauty using rare & exquisite Thai aroma – formulations of White Orchid, Jasmine, Green Tea and Bamboo Shoot extracts for exceptional results.
Start with the exfoliating properties of Papaya and Tamarind extracts to smooth & soften the epidermis, while pure fossilized seaweed gently removes dirt and pollution from the deeper layers of the skin. Next enjoy the Eastern healing benefits of a Royal Thai massage that lulls you into a deep sleep by massaging marma points inspired by Ayurvedic healing principals, while reducing puffiness and promoting an immediate lift-sensation.A natural toning and tightening mask completes the treatment. This organic facial treatment will leave your skin deeply cleansed, revitalized and lifted for a brighter complexion and a relaxed mind.

Choose from one of four facials :

Sombun : Balancing organic facial for normal to oily skin with an exotic synergy of white orchid extract and jasmine essential oil to purify and decongest oily skin. Chum Chun : Quenching organic facial for normal to dry skin with an intriguing blend of green tea and bamboo shoot extract to heal dull & congested complexion and hydrate thirsty skin. Yothai : Regenerative organic facial for sensitive and aging skin with a stimulating blend of Pandan leaf and Pink Lotus extract to alleviate fines lines wrinkles and assist cell renewal & oxygenation.

Siam Sa : (1,800 Baht/Net) Nurturing organic facial for dehydrated combination skin with a rejuvenating blend of Lotus flower and neroli extract to reduce dryness and improve ciculation.

Manao, Head and face treat for male (60 minutes) 1,600.- Baht/Net Enjoy a deep exfoliation to remove impurities and help lift ingrown hairs, followed by a quenching facial mask to re-hydrate the epidermis. This advanced treatment incorporates a vital energy point massage through the application of a cranial herbal poultice over the back, neck shoulders and head, which ease away stress and tensions. Finally, restore health and vitality to the face with a floral elixir and a hydrating gel, which enhances muscle tone and leaves the skin fresh and supple.

Skin Enhancer Sikhao, Whitening exfoliation (60 minutes) 1,500.- Baht/Net A treatment specifically designed to deep cleanse and purify the body with a total skin exfoliation using natural fruit acid, which removes dead skin cells and whitens complexion. The treatment incorporates a replenishing body lotion to hydrate and leave the skin soft and supple.

Samsara, Purifying scrub (60 minutes) 1,500.- Baht/Net This exceptional skin softening body exfoliation combines sea salts from the Andaman sea and a purifying body oil of cajuput and petit grain to leave the skin feeling fresh, smooth and revitalized.Duration time is 10:00-19:00 Hrs.

Hand and Foot Wai, Silky smooth hand treatment (60 minutes) 1,200.- Baht/Net Pamper your hands with the same botanical healers Thai women are using to beautify their hands before ceremonies. This treatment starts with a gentle papaya and tamarind exfoliation to prepare your hands for a rejuvenating wrap that will nourishes the cuticles & nails, refine the texture of the hands and diminish dark spots. A relaxing massage is then applied to your hands and forearms to release all the tensions. This luxurious treatment will leave your hands softened, smoothed and moisturized.

Sukapap, Foot beauty rituals (60 minutes) 1,200.- Baht/Net Experience heavenly feet rituals that will embark you to new relaxation era. This treatment starts with a gentle exfoliation to prepare your feet to soak in a warm bath with lemongrass essential oil that will relieve stiffness and heaviness.An invigorating foot massage with peppermint essential oils completes the treatment to envelop you feet with a feeling of exquisite lightness and freshness.

Bath Sabai sabai, Serenity bath (90 minutes) 1,800.- Baht/Net Soak in a serenity herbal bath to release tensions before enjoying a relaxing massage with a blend of lemongrass and sweet orange for a total stress release experience.

Anodas , romamce bath (90 minutes) 3,500.- Baht/Net(for two persons) Relieve tensions and stress with a soothing massage before plunging into a heavenly scented bath, with essential oil and milk to soften your skin and floating flowers to uplift your spirits.

Anodas Package NAAKAA - Package for men (2 hour 15 minutes) 3,000.- Baht/Net Manao Samunpai HERAA (2 hours) 1,950.- Baht/Net Wai or Sukapap Royal Nora Thai Massage MAE KALAA (2 hours) 2,900.- Baht/Net Your choice of body oil massage Facial Massage choose from one of three Facial-Na Sombun for normal to oily skin-

Na Chum Chou for dry thirsty skin-
Na YoThai for dry sensitive and ageing skin
PITSAMAI (2 hour 45 minutes) 3,300.- Baht/Net Harbal steam

Sabai Sabai Facial Massage choose from one of three Facial-

Na Sombun for normal to oily skin-Na Chum Chou for dry thirsty skin-Na YoThai for dry sensitive and ageing skin JUYJIE (3 hours) 3,700.- Baht/Net Herbal steam And Jacuzzi Your choice of body wraps

Facial Massage choose from one of three Facial-Na Sombun for normal to oily skin-Na Chum Chou for dry thirsty skin-Na YoThai for dry sensitive and ageing skin KINNAREE (3 hour 30 minutes) 4,200.- Baht/Net

Harbal steam And Jacuzzi Your choice of body scrub Your choice of body oil massage Facial Massage choose from one of three Facial-Na Sombun for normal to oily skin-Na Chum Chou for dry thirsty skin-Na YoThai for dry sensitive and ageing skin

Chiva-Som International Health Resort - Hua Hin, Thailand

2007-04-11T23:07:00.000-07:00

For the past 10 years, Chiva-Som is the only destination spa to have consistently appeared in the top three of the Conde Nast Traveller (UK) Reader's Travel Awards. Chosen as the "World's Best Destination Spa" in the 2006 Travel+Leisure Reader's Travel Awards, Chiva-Som is also a proud member of the Destination Spa Group (http://www.destinationspa.com/).

A secluded world of beauty and serenity, Chiva-Som is the "Haven of Life." Nestled within seven acres of lush tropical gardens, our beachfront health resort represents tranquility at its best with luxurious accommodation inspired by a harmonious blend of East and West. With 57 stylish rooms, our Thai Pavilions offer privacy with traditional charm and the Ocean View rooms and suites provide spectacular views of the Gulf of Thailand.

Focusing on greater well-being and vitality, Chiva-Som offers extensive fitness, spa and holistic health facilities to help you relax, restore and rejuvinate. We combine ancient therapies of the East with the latest Western techniques to encompass the mind, body and spirit. Personalised programmes and treatments are available for everyone from weight management and stress reduction to skin rejuvenation and anti-aging regimens.

Pamper yourself with our extensive range of over 120 treatments, improve your fitness with Tai Chi, Pilates and personal training classes and heal your mind and body with yogic technologies, complementary therapies and medical services.

Our modern facilities include outdoor "salas", a bathing pavilion, a beachfront swimming pool, multi-level steam rooms, plunge pools, hydro pools, Watsu pool, a high tech air-conditioned gym and more.

The medical and complementary therapies and facilities allow full attention to be given to the mind, body and spirit to help you achieve overall health and wellness.
Indulge yourself in our award-winning Spa cuisine using organically-grown fruits and vegetables from the Chiva-Som garden, proving that low calorie, nutritious food can truly be a gourmet experience. Enjoy the elegance of fine dining in the Emerald Room or relax outdoors and the Taste of Siam restaurant by the sea.

Chiva-Som is located in the Royal city of Hua Hin on the Gulf of Thailand, 185 kilometres south of Bangkok

Relaxation options in Chiang Mai, Thailand, include the spa at the luxurious Four Seasons Resort.

2007-04-11T05:47:00.000-07:00

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — About 30 years ago, the gods of style looked down from design heaven on a town in central New Mexico. It was dusty and small, but they thought it had potential, so they nodded and turned it into Santa Fe.

They worked the same magic in Florida's South Beach, Morocco's Marrakech and California's Palm Springs, transforming unlikely places into global centers for cool contemporary architecture and design.

They're at it again in Chiang Mai, the old northern capital of Thailand. More than 700 years after the city was founded, a construction boom has given Chiang Mai some of the most stylish hotels and restaurants in Southeast Asia. Galleries and design stores have opened, showcasing textiles, ceramics, furniture, antiques and architectural salvage.

A decade ago, there was nothing cutting-edge about Chiang Mai, 400 miles north of Bangkok. The backpacker crowd chilled out in budget digs and trekked to ethnic tribal villages in the countryside. But then Thaksin Shinawatra, the prime minister of Thailand, started to spend lavish funds on the city of his birth, giving it new superhighways, an airport expansion and growth incentives. Almost overnight, locals say, things went from quite dull to dynamic.

Luxurious design

To find the city's best contemporary design, I relied on the lushly illustrated "Chiang Mai Style" and "Lanna Renaissance" by Joe Cummings, a longtime Chiang Mai resident and author of Southeast Asia travel guidebooks. His architectural books ultimately led me to the Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai and the new Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi. Both are the stuff of luxury-hotel fantasies, and they have rates to match.

I settled instead into a $50 double at the amiable River View Lodge, which has a small swimming pool, waterfront garden and idiosyncratic collection of Thai tchotchkes, and took the shuttle to the village of Mae Rim, about 20 miles north of town. It let me out at the Four Seasons entrance, so low-key that it belies the wonders inside. It's set in a veritable botanic park, where a small lake is surrounded by rice paddies, streams, waterfalls and flowering plants.
Designer Ajarn Chulathat Kitibutr evoked a traditional hill-country village by incorporating the style known as Lanna, and its signatures are everywhere: wood-plank walkways and bridges with slated railings, buildings raised on stilts, L-shaped verandas shaded by deep eaves, high-pitched roofs and ornamented gables.

The guest rooms are in pavilions on stilts scattered over the 20-acre grounds. The beds are canopied in gauzy white cotton, and the rooms have teak chests. The result is dreamy but understated, in harmony with the Lanna style, born when Chiang Mai was the capital of the La Na Thai, the land of a million rice fields, almost 700 years ago.

The craft of luxury

The Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, which opened in 2004, is in a walled compound on the east side of the city, near the umbrella-making village of Bo Sang and the weaving workshops of San Kamphaeng. The resort was the brainchild of Suchet Suwanmongkol, a Thai car dealer.

The resort was designed and decorated by a thousand of the region's most accomplished craftspeople. It reflects styles from all the regions that influenced the great Lanna kingdom, including Laos, China and Burma.

The 60-acre compound, with its own spire-studded skyline, is meant to resemble a Lanna city. From the front gate, a golf cart, pedicab or horse-drawn carriage takes guests to the open-air lobby. Wooden planks rumble under the wheels of the vehicle; they were built to rattle, evoking old Chiang Mai.

The lobby, under crenellated pagodas, is reached by a magisterial staircase. At the top is a long, burnished check-in desk, surrounded by decorated alcoves where it's easy to imagine W. Somerset Maugham or Joseph Conrad nursing a cocktail.

More traditional Lanna design inspired the guest villas, surrounding the resort's rice paddies, where you might see a farmer using a water buffalo. There is nothing rustic about the interiors, though, with their opulent blend of Thai silks, hill- tribe textiles and custom-designed teak furniture.

City sights

Back in Chiang Mai, the city now sprawls well beyond its medieval moat. Sidewalks are narrow and cracked. You need courage to cross a busy street. In the inevitable heat, sightseeing tends to be fatiguing but rarely fails to fascinate.

I temple-hopped and toured the Chiang Mai City Arts and Culture Center in a landmark colonial-era building on the north side of the old town. Another day, I hired a car and driver to take me up the mountain to Doi Suthep. There, a 300-step staircase leads to a gilded pagoda/temple.

The culinary landscape of Chiang Mai was as enticing as the visual one. At every turn, makeshift stalls with hot plates offered an enticing array of Thai street food: skewers of barbecued chicken coated in peanut sauce, steaming bowls of spicy noodle soup, ice cream for 10 cents a scoop.

The food and atmosphere were different but equally enchanting at the restaurant in the Chedi Hotel, which is so close to the city's Ping River that floods delayed its opening in 2005. At the heart of the hotel is the restored old British Consulate building as its center. This teak Thai-Victorian blend, built in 1913, now houses the restaurant, which spills onto a candlelit terrace.
The menu features international, Thai and Indian cuisine. Mine was a $50 meal, but prices in Chiang Mai are widely divergent. At most stylish shops, hotels and restaurants, you pay premium prices; everywhere else, it's inexpensive by U.S. standards. And shoppers can find cheap treasures at the Night Market and other street markets.

Upscale shopping

Chiang Mai's upscale design shops are clustered on Nimmanhaemin Road, Tha Phae Road and along Charoenrat Road in the Wat Ket district, on the east side of the Ping River.

With its mud-brown color and trash-lined banks, the river is no garden spot. But it is fun to cross on the footbridge with saffron-robed monks going to and from the 15th-century Ketkaram Temple. Many of Wat Ket's Chinese shop houses and teak wallah mansions have been restored and showcase goods made in traditional ways but updated by contemporary designers. At Sop Moei Arts and Vila Cini, I found Thai silk table runners, fabric and bamboo wall hangings, and beautifully woven chairs.

On the way back to central Chiang Mai, I wandered into Ketkaram Temple, a classic Thai Buddhist compound. A dozen uniformed schoolboys assembled around a huge bronze gong. When a teacher appeared, they performed a series of prostrations and began banging on the gong.

I took that moment home with me, along with a suitcase full of shopping treasures.

Seattle Times Company

Sofitel Riverside Resort & Spa, Chiang Mai, Thailand

2007-04-11T05:27:00.000-07:00

Sofitel Riverside Chiang Mai is located in the city centre, by the Ping River in northern Thailand, 4 km from Chiang Mai Airport, close to the historic attractions the city offers including the famous Night Bazaar.

Situated along the banks of Chiang Mai's Ping River in northern Thailand, this resort offers a peaceful retreat close to the city's busy centre. Its Lanna architecture combines traditional features with modern amenities.

Each of the 74 Deluxe and Suite rooms has a private balcony with river views and combines ancient Chiang Mai heritage with modern amenities. The luxury resort hotel is ideal for holiday travel or a business trip with 2 restaurants, bars, meeting rooms, pool, Jacuzzi, fitness centre and spa. Premier rooms offering private balconies, mini-home theatres and Wi-Fi access.

Opened: 1 March
Owner: Accor
General manager: Marc Dumur
Bedrooms: 75
Designer: Yuttana Mohprasit
Facilities: Include three restaurants, bar, three meeting rooms, a fitness centre with swimming pool, Jacuzzi and sauna, and a spa offering beauty and relaxation treatments.
Prices from: US$390 (?200)
Address: 33 Changklan Road,
Chiang Mai 50100,
Thailand
Telephone: 00 66 53 999 333
Website: http://www.sofitel.com/

Doubletree by Hilton Golf Resort & Spa to open in Thailand in 2008

2007-04-10T04:29:00.000-07:00

Destination Properties Co., Ltd. is collaborating with IMG for a new internationally branded golf resort & spa in Thailand – the Doubletree by Hilton Golf Resort & Spa.

Destination Properties is developing the new Doubletree by Hilton Golf Resort & Spa located on Thailand's Eastern Seaboard. Hilton Hotels Corporation will manage the resort with its upscale, full-service Doubletree hotel brand and will become its first Doubletree by Hilton property to open in Asia. IMG - a premier sports, entertainment and media company through its IMG Golf Course Management will operate and manage the golf course. The property is set for official opening to travelers by early 2008.

Located 25 minutes from Pattaya, 40 minutes from the new Suvarnabhumi International Airport and 60 minutes from downtown Bangkok, the Doubletree by Hilton Golf Resort & Spa will feature 358 rooms and suites which overlook the fairway of the Sriracha Golf Club with spectacular views of the golf course and the Gulf of Thailand. The golf course was designed by renowned architect Gary Player, and was host to the 1993 Thailand Open.

Amenities and services at the Doubletree by Hilton Golf Resort & Spa will include an extensive collection of indoor and outdoor meeting space, day and night golfing, squash courts, tennis courts, a sports bar, a swimming pool, and a traditional Thai spa and Japanese pool spa. Room and suite sizes will range from 35 to 65 square meters, with many including their own private plunge pools.

The Doubletree by Hilton Golf Resort & Spa will be developed in two phases, with the first phase of 223 rooms and suites completed during the next 24 months and the remaining 135 suites developed thereafter.

Krabi Spa & Resort - Maritime Park & Spa Resort - The Adora Spa

2007-04-08T04:56:00.000-07:00

Maritime Park & Spa Resort is located close to Khao Kanab Nam, just a 10-minute drive from Krabi Airport. There are daily direct flights from Bangkok to Krabi and to Phuket. From Phuket International Airport or airports nearby, transfer to and from the resort will take around two hours.

The Maritime Park & Spa Resort, located in the heart of South Thailand's Krabi Province, is a haven of comfort and hospitality. Set in a landscape of exquisite beauty, with forested mountains. With lush tropical gardens surrounding a placid lagoon, the resort and its charming spa are conveniently close to pristine beaches and idyllic coral islands of the Andaman Sea and to Krabi's national forest parks.

The Adora Spa is inspired by the ancient Thai uses of herbs and principle of Traditional Thai massage, with the scientific study of Human body. Trained by “ Ajarn Somkiet”, the head trainer of the Traditional of Thai Massage Revival Foundation in Southern Thailand, all massage therapists are well qualified in the area of Thai massage as well as the application of essential oils and aromatherapy.

The range of herbal products have been sourced and created from traditional rural Thai origins.You will receive a unique experience and we hope you benefit from the rejuvenating and uplifting effects of our classic Thai therapies.

Head & Neck Massage (30 min.) Head & Neck massage promotes tension and stress relief, also helps alleviate strong headache. After 30 minutes, you will find yourself totally relaxed and uplifted.

Back & Shoulder Massage (45 min.) The back is the main supportive structure of the body and is also the center of all nervous system in our body. This Back & Shoulder assage retreat touches all of your body’s senses while loosening up your back muscles.

Adora Massage (60, 120 min.)Focus on pressing certain body’s spots according to the Physiology study of traditional Thai Remedies. Thai massage harmonizes the four elements : Earth, Water Air & Fire, in the body by which endorses a vigorous and healthy being.

Herbal Massage (120 min.) Traditional therapeutic Thai massage with a soft touch of a Steamed Herbal Ball to treat muscular tension. The infusion of the herbs will penetrate into your body through the skin and reduce muscle ache.

Aromatic Adora Massage (60 min.) A unique blend of manipulative Thai massage and the soothing aromatic massage. This massage delivers positive effects to your muscle and nervous system while improving blood circulation.

Relaxation Massage (60 min.)This unique Relaxation experience promotes a gentle penetration of essential oil through your skin resulting in full body revitalization and stress relief.

Slimming & Firm Massage with Algae Cream (60 min.)Beside tension relief, algae helps eliminate cellulite and tighten up the muscle.

Foot Massage (60 min.) Reflexology is used to treat physical ailments by using pressure points in the feet to stimulate all nervous system.

Facial Treatments

Nourishing Mask (60 min.) The mask actively treats problem of dry skin and is perfect for sun lovers. It will nourish and moisturize the skin while maintaining the skin’s suppleness with main ingredients such as Red & Brown Algae Extracts, Avocado, Wheat Germ oil and Sheer Butter.

Mask with Spiruline (60 min.) An algae extract with spiruline suits perfectly for extra-sensitive skin. This facial mask concentrates mainly on soothing sunburnt skin, leaving your skin soften and moisturized.

Green Clay Mask (60 min.) One of the most effective way to clean and remineralize your skin.

Green Clay Mask is rich in minerals and botanical extracts, which absorb make-up, dirt and facial oils while restoring and toning the texture of face and throat.

Facial Mask with Algae (60 min.) Relax your skin with a combination of Algae Extract and collagen which will help revive and lighten up your dry tired skin.

Facial Mask with Local Honey (60 min.) Enjoy an ancient secret of beauty treatment. The local honey and special Thai herb powder blend will exfoliate dead skin cell from facial pores, leaving your skin feel smoother and more radiant.

Body Scrub

Body Scrub with Dead Sea (45 min.) A perfect way to unwind after a stressful day. Specially purified Dead sea Salts and tension-easing botanical extracts in the scrub help calm and clean the skin.

Body scrub with Marine Algae (45 min.) Refines and softens the skin while stimulating and generating the coetaneous tissue.

Krabi Coffee Scrub (45 min.) The Blending of ground coffee beans which is believed of having a detoxifying propery with Cinnamon and local Honey makes this scrub a perfect cleanser and also gives an uplifting feeling while moisturizing your skin.

Tamarind Scrub (60 min.) A well-blended scrub of Thai Herbs with Tamarind Juice used in the old days will create an exclusive touch and help cleansing the skin.Body Mask/Wrap

Adora’s Sun Soothe (45 min.) This treatment is an ideal indulgence for sunburnt and sensitive skin. The recipe originated from a traditional Thai remedy which applies coconut flesh and oil to heal flamed or sunburnt skin.

Body Wrap with Marine Algae (90 min.) An excellent way of eliminating toxins, increasing blood circulation and refreshing your skin. The treatment also provides general slimming without heavy workout.

Body Mask with Golden Moore Mud (90 min.) The most important property of the Golden Moore Mud is that it holds a high level of humic acids which help prevent arthritic and rheumatic pain.

Southern Spices Body Wrap (60 min.) A mixture of Thai spices; Cardamom, Cumin, Cinnamon, Cloves & Nut Meg. The paste will be masked on the body to stimulate blood circulation and lessen body ache. This body wrap offers an exotic experience and a fantastic spicy touch for any adventurous Soul.

Herbal steam Refreshing Floral Bath (30 min) Bath with Marine Algae (30 min) Golden Moore Mud Bath (30 min)

Adora PackageSouthern Route (3 hrs. 30 min.) Hot, sharp, yet gentle, this herbal treatment is the healing and revitalising energy.(Herbal steam, Salt Scrub, Southern Spices Body Wrap)

Earth Essence (3 hrs.) This therapeutic Mud treatment will be effect on all rheumatic diseases and neuralgia.(Herbal steam, Salt scrub, Golden Moore Mud Wrap, Therapeutic Mud baht, Relaxation massage)

Thai Touch (2 hrs.) Let’s do it the Thai way! In the old days, Thai people said water purifies body and mind and White Thai Clay, Din Sor Pong, draw a out the impurities while Khamin kills certain germs and gilt your skin.(Herbal steam, Tamarind Body Scrub, Floral Bath, Thai massage)

Sun Soothe Treatment (2 hrs.) Sun Lovers! Cool down your skin with the secret recipe of Krabi people. A combination of coconut oil with some local herbs is perfect for your skin before or after a Krabi sunny day.( Herbal steam, Coconut Sun Soothe, Floral Bath, Relaxation Massage with herbal coconut oil)

Coffee Break (2 hrs.) To make your day, take a break from a tiring hours! Simply Cleanse yourself with uplifting feeling of the Coffee Scrub and lazily lay down in a bath for refreshment then finish off with an aromatic massage.(Herbal Steam Krabi Coffee Scrub, Floral Refreshing Bath, Relaxation massage)

Slim Line: Slimming & Firm Treatment (3 hrs.) For those who are tired of heavy work out, but always want to keep yourself in good shape. We recommend this treatment program. It is also believed that the seaweed deeply nourishes the skin. The Algae Scrub and Bath will help your skin look healthier.(Herbal steam, Algae Body Scrub, Marine Algae Body Wrap, Bath with Algae, Slimming & Firm massage with Algae)

Adora SpaMaritime Park and Spa Resort
1 Tungfah Road
Paknam
Krabi 81000
T: +66 75620 028F: +66 75612 992
adora@maritimeparkandspa.com
http://www.maritimeparkandspa.com/

The Hip Veranda Resort and Spa in Hua Hin, Thailand

2007-03-31T20:39:00.000-07:00

Veranda Resort and Spa, a hip hotel in historic Hua Hin, Thailand, has officially opened a stunning new collection of 21 rooms called Veranda Sky, bringing the total number of rooms to 118.Veranda Sky comprises three room types – 18 Jacuzzi Sea View rooms, 2 Sky Villas and 1 Sky Spa Villa. The stunning new Jacuzzi Seaview Rooms include a bar where guests can mix an evening cocktail before jumping into their private Jacuzzi on the terrace.

These 60sqm stylish rooms offer Hollywood twin beds and an open style bathroom with separate rain shower. At the highest vantage point in the resort, and with unrivalled views across the Gulf of Thailand, will be the opulent new Sky Villas, which as well a two stylish bedrooms, include a lounge, steam room and private swimming pool.

The two-bedroom Sky Spa Villa comes complete with its own private spa room and a number
of daily treatments are included in the package. Each villa is attended by a butler who will take care of the guests every need.

This cool boutique resort featuring modern Asian architecture and contemporary Thai décor, creating a stylish and peaceful ambiance, is already becoming the new favourite hangout amongst Thai movie stars, singers and socialites from Bangkok.

Veranda Resort and Spa, situated on a beautiful beachfront between the traditional Thai resort towns of Cha Am and Hua Hin, is only 40 minutes by plane or a two and a half hour drive from Bangkok.

Panit Boonyaratvej, Resort Manager said: “Using the combined knowledge of our team who have international five star hotel experience, we aim to create a relaxed atmosphere and hip sense of style that is completely unique to the Veranda Resort and Spa.”

The luxurious rooms and suites, set in five acres of Feng Shui gardens with water features, matured evergreen trees and tropical palms, redefine standards of comfort with open plan bathrooms, bright airy décor and modern furnishings designed by some of the finest craftsmen in Thailand. In keeping with high-tech modern demands all the guest rooms have access to high-speed wireless internet links, satellite TV, 24-hour room service and IDD telephone.

At the helm of the food and beverage outlets – The Dining Room, The Rabiang Lay and Lobby Bar – is Executive Chef Suphan Hemchayarti who has extensive experience of Western and Thai cuisine having spent many years in Europe before working in hotels in Bangkok and Hua Hin.
The Dining Room features a modern open style kitchen with grill and noodle station offering both, western and Thai cuisine with outdoor al fresco dining on a wooden deck beside the water or shaded indoor dining in cool air conditioned comfort.

The Rabiang Layis a funky open air, beach bar-restaurant with spectacular views over the Gulf of Thailand, offering a unique menu of Thai fusion seafood. The bar features a range of fruit smoothies and shakes, as well as a selection of fine wines from around the world.
The place to chill-out and soak up the Veranda vibe is The Lobby Lounge where guests can indulge in the house speciality – a Frozen Cappuccino – a perfect way to cool down on a hot sunny day.

At the Veranda Spa guests can immerse themselves in a sanctuary of relaxation where body, mind and spirit can be fully restored. The Spa offers an array of signature treatments including massages, foot reflexology, body exfoliation and facials.

Veranda Resort and Spa, has conference facilities to accommodate groups from 30-200 people for meetings and banquets and the beachfront can cater for special themed parties with live music, shows and firework displays for up to 250 people.

Guests wanting to explore further than the infinity pool, can head to the activity centre and hire mountain bikes to explore the local area – rice paddies, pineapple plantations, nearby beaches or even the local temple. Other activities on offer include, tennis, dinghy sailing, kayaking tours, jet skiing and banana boating.

The resort also provides a shuttle bus twice a day to take guests to explore historic Hua Hin.

Jacuzzi Sea View Room: Guests can relax at the end of the day in their own private Jacuzzi

Sky Villa: 2-bedroom villa includes a lounge, steam room and private swimming pool

Sky Spa Villa: Complete with its own private spa room and a number of daily treatments are included in the package

e-Travel Blackboard

Thailand Spas - The Ultimate Experience in Relaxation

2007-03-28T16:25:00.000-07:00

Thailand is fast becoming the number one destination of choice for the weary executive to rest and rejuvinate their weary bones.