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Reclaiming Vigour at Mandara Spa
Thinking of proposing to your partner while Shania Twain's Thinking Of You plays in the background?
Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and instead of popping the question at your favourite restaurant over candlelit dinner, why not a spa, while the both of you are soaking in a floral bath or getting a massage. The Mandara Spas in Malaysia - six of them with the seventh opening in April - have become the place for couples looking to rejuvenate mind, body, soul and all those aching muscles.
With many packages catering for couples, the largest management company of resort and hotel spas in the world with more than 60 spas under contract across the globe, Mandara Spas in Malaysia are becoming a much frequented place. The six Mandara Spas in Malaysia are at Hotel Sofitel Palm Resort in Johor Baru; Sheraton Imperial and Prince Hotel and Residence in Kuala Lumpur; Magellan Wing in Sutera Harbour, Kota Kinabalu; and Sheraton Langkawi Beach Resort and The Datai on Langkawi island.
"Mandara Spas have been in Malaysia since 1998 and in the last six years, we have seen more and more couples coming in together for various treatments or massage at our spas," operations manager Gusti Ayu Made Mudiasih says. "While most of our clients are young, we do get our fair share of older couples who rather spend time rejuvenating themselves, now that their children have left the nest.
"With all these in mind, we have introduced special packages for couples - the Indulgence, Bliss and Nirvana. For Indulgence, couples spend two-and-half hours at the most at the spa where they will receive aromatherapy foot massage bath, lavendar body wash, body srubs, floral bath or steam, massage, facial and foot massage. The best part is, each couple will be given two beauty therapists and the heavenly massages will be done in synchronised movements. For couples who opt for Bliss, they will receive aromatherapy foot bath, lavendar body wash, body scrub, ginger tea ceremony while soaking in a floral bath and a Balinese massage, all done in two hours.
"Those who are hard pressed for time can opt for Nirvana lasting 80 minutes. Customers will be given aromatherapy foot bath, herbal steam, tea ceremony and either a Balinese or warm stone massage. We also have other treatments and massages which can be completed in 80 minutes," says Gusti Ayu.
Warm stone massage is quite new to Mandara Spas and stones with energy from the moon and sun, are used. Once a month, the stones are left overnight under a full moon to re-energise.
Prices for the packages start from RM245. According Gusti Ayu, more and more couples are investing in themselves by spending more time at the spas. On the average, a couple will come in once in every two months for treatments and massage. "While Malaysian women are gung ho about going to a spa, men are more reluctant clients. But many are changing their mindset because they know that spas are good for relieving stress and taking a rejuvenating journey," says Gusti Ayu.
As for Valentine's Day, all six Mandara Spas will have special packages for couples. Mandara Spa was founded in Bali, Indonesia in 1995 and was one of the pioneers of the tropical Asian spa based on natural products, tropical settings and open-air spa suites for couples.
The name Mandara comes from an ancient Sanskrit legend about the gods' quest to claim tirta sanjiwani a powerful holy water that held the secret of immortality and eternal youth. The legend pitches good against evil as it tells of the 10 stages of destruction and the eventual return to harmony. In this legend, Manadara Giri is a sacred mountain from which tirta sanjiwani flows.
Langkawi 2003
