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Banyan Tree Spa at The Banyan
Tree Phuket, Thailand
Julie Register visited this resort spa in southern Thailand in
June 2001
 My
family visited the Banyan Tree Phuket, on the Andaman
Sea in June - the beginning of the monsoon season in Thailand. The only
evidence of this was a very rough surf and occasional overcast sky. The
resort had something for everyone. My teenage children enjoyed the free-form
pool with winding "rivers"
and swim-up bar that served a wide variety of exotic fruit drinks. My
husband and daughter enjoyed a round of golf at the 18-hole Banyan Tree
Laguna Phuket Golf Course. My son enjoyed taking the shuttle boat from
one Laguna resort to another to sample the beaches. My husband and I enjoyed
the private Sanya Rak Dinner Cruise with our own chef to prepare the traditional
Thai meal and our own musician to provide traditional Thai music while
we floated around the lagoon. We all enjoyed the beautiful room,
open-air tub, and
Jacuzzi in our private
garden. There were many nice touches: stationary with our names printed
on it, fresh fruit each day such as Chompoo (Rose Apple) and Som-or (Pomelo),
and a gift each night such as a ceramic candle holder and a traditional
Thai puppet.  I,
of course, enjoyed the Banyan
Tree Spa. Before I go into spa details, it is worth mentioning that
Laguna Phuket, home of The Banyan Tree and four other five-star hotels,
used to be an abandoned tin mine not that long ago. It had been written
off as too environmentally damaged to ever sustain vegetation again as
recently as 1987. The owners invested $295 million dollars to bring in
clean soil, replant the land, and create world-class resorts around a
lagoon. The results are impressive. The Banyan Tree Phuket opened in 1993
and the Banyan Tree Spa opened a year later.
Banyan Tree's motto is "Sanctuary for the Senses."
No where is this more evident than the spa. Unlike any other spa I have
been to, the Banyan Tree Spa, like the resort itself, is a loosely associated
group of spaces that blend the indoors and outdoors. The spa reception
area is accessed from the open-air spa lobby.
Here you can make spa reservations and check in for treatments. The vast
offering of spa services (below) blends ancient Eastern healing and relaxation
techniques, many using fresh ingredients,
with Western rejuvenation treatments.
I scheduled a Thai Herbal Steam and Thai Massage. I checked in, was escorted
to a bench next to the lap pool, and was given a refreshing drink. When
time for my treatment arrived, my therapist, Ms.
Junya, lead me to a group of small buildings
on the other side of the lap pool and to my spa pavilion. Entering through
beautifully decorated doors,
I found myself in a private open-air room. The decor was exotic and breathtaking
- inviting relaxation area with sumptuous fabrics and pillows, lush vegetation,
tranquil pools, and twin massage tables covered in silk. I relaxed on
the pillows, sipping safflower tea while Ms. Junya gave me a foot bath.
I disrobed and had a steam in the private steam room large enough for
two then rinsed off in the open-air shower.
I put on the loose garment for the Thai massage and climbed on the table.
This was my last Thai massage in Thailand. Time was suspended. Ms. Junya
was very thorough and gave me what may have been the best Thai massage
I have ever had. It was fantastic! When it was over, I relaxed on the
pillows, drank more refreshing safflower tea, and ate some dried fruit.
 It
was an outstanding experience in an outstanding location.
The spa has twelve self-contained treatment
rooms like the one I was in, 4 of them older (6 years) and recently
refurbished. Five rooms are located indoors in the Beauty Garden and are
air conditioned. Three private steam rooms are also located there. Thirteen
additional Spa Suites were built at the end of 2001.
The Banyan Tree Spa opened The
Banyan Tree Spa Academy in May 1951. Here it trains all spa therapists
for all Banyan Tree
and Angsana spas.
Employees go through a twelve-week course where they learn things such
as positive breathing and how to use proper body weight and energy (not
strength) in massage. Much like Tai Chi, they learn to use their centers.
They learn to transfer energy to their clients. After they graduate, they
have refresher classes every three-four months. With this program, Banyan
Tree can ensure quality and consistency of the spa services they offer
and protect their employees from the physical stresses treatments can
demand.
Banyan
Tree Spa Treatments
Massotherapy
and Body Treatments
- Massage (Tension Relief, Banyan, Swedish, Lomi Lomi,
Essence of Earth, Sports, Indonesian, Honey, Thai, Asian
Blend)
- Balancing Treatment: Senses
Reviver
- Spa Body Cleanser (Honey Seed Rub, Body Stimulating
Polish, Salt Glow, Oasis of Enlightenment)
- Spa Body Treatment (Oriental Foot Massage, Soothing
Body Mask, Calming Back Treatment, Royal Thai Honey Steam Wrap, Natural
Thai Herbal Body Wrap, Thai Herbal Heat Treatment, Mud Body Mask, White
Mud Body Wrap, Seaweed Body Mask, Javanese Lulur, Natural Thai Herb
Exotica, Thai Herbal Heat Reviver, Thai Herbal Heat Rejuvenation)
Beauty Treatments
- Facials (Thai Honey Facial, Earth Essence Facial, Exhilarating
Lifting Mask, Natural Indonesian Facial, Banyan Cleansing Facia, Valmont
Collagen Facial, Valmont Skin Whitening Facial, Desensitising Facial
Massage)
- Depilatory Waxing
- Nail Care
- Hair Care
- Margy's Jet Lag Treatment
Steam Room Body Treatments
(for single or couple)
- Heavenly Package (Breath of Herbal Scrub)
- Natural Dream Package (Mist of Paradise Scrub)
- Purity Package (Ocean Diamond Scrub)
- Sweet Harmony Package (Tropical Heaven Scrub)
Body Cleanse &
Massage (2 hours)
Includes Steam or Sauna
Oasis of Peace
- Steam or Sauna (20 min)
- Body Stimulating Polish
(40 min)
- Lomi Lomi Massage (60 min)
- Vision Enhancer Elixir |
Oasis of Bliss
- Steam or Sauna (20 min)
- Body Stimulating Polish
(40 min)
- Indonesian Massage
(60 min)
- Dream Elixir |
Oasis of Bliss
- Steam or Sauna (20 min)
- Body Stimulating Polish
(40 min)
- Indonesian Massage
(60 min)
- Dream Elixir |
Oasis of Harmony
- Steam or Sauna (20 min)
- Salt Glow (40 min)
- Swedish Massage (60 min)
- Aromatic Elixir |
Oasis of Serenity
- Steam or Sauna (20 min)
- Loofah Scrub (40 min)
- Essence of Earth Massage
(60 min)
- Herbal Elixir |
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Massage & Body Treatment
(2 hours)
Spirit
- Indonesian Massage (60 min)
- White Mud Body Wrap
(60 min)
- Ginger & Cinnamon Elixir |
Prana
- Tension Relief Massage
(30 min)
- Seaweed Body Mask
(90 min)
- Herbal Elixir |
Chi
- Senses Reviver (60 min)
- Calming Back Treatment
(60 min)
- Yin & Yang Elixir |
Earth
- Essence of Earth Massage
(60 min)
- Mud Body Mask (60 min)
- Vision Enhancer Elixir |
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Body Cleanse & Massage For Couples
Romance
- Steam or Sauna (20 min)
- Loofah Scrub (40 min)
- Lomi Lomi Massage (60 min)
- Tropical Fruit Elixir |
Sea of Senses
- Steam or Sauna (20 min)
- Salt Glow (40 min)
- Essence of Earth Massage
(60 min)
- Aromatic Elixir |
The Asian Affair
- Steam or Sauna (20 min)
- Body Stimulating Polish
(40 min)
- Swedish Massage (60 min)
- Dream Elixir |
Javanese Lulur
- Indonesian Massage
(60 min)
- Exfoliation Scrub (30 min)
- Yoghurt Rub Down (20 min)
- Scented Flower Bath
(10 min)
- Jamu Elixir |
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The Spa offers half day, full day and two day programmess.
Other activities at Banyan Tree Phuket include: Full Range of cardiovascular
machines and weights, Yoga
and Meditation, Stretching, Step Aerobics, New Body Aerobics, Aquacise,
Circuit Work Out, Abdominal Classes, SCUBA Diving, Beach Jogging and Volleyball,
Darts Tournament and Pentaque, Sailing and Windsurfing Lessons, Fruit
Carving and Coconut Leaf Crafts, Phuket Town Fresh Market Tour, Thai Cooking
Demonstration and Bike Tour.
Photos copyright 2001, Julie Register
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