Ann Rickards discovers the luxurious and the quirky in a variety of Malaysian spas.

Mix It Up In Malaysia

Ever had a couple of hard boiled eggs rubbed over your face as a spa treatment? Had hundreds of tiny ? sh nibble the dead skin off your feet? Soaked in a bath of warm tea? If not, you haven’t visited some of the fascinating spas in Malaysia.

On the luxurious Malaysian island of Pangkor Laut in a Spa Village of specially built structures backed by a two million-year-old jungle, most spa treatments begin with a Bath House visit. After an invigorating Chinese foot pounding you can feel the blood singing in the feet as you are led inside the subdued atmosphere of the Bath House. Sitting on a low wooden stool before a tap of rushing water, all inhibitions slip away, and as you slosh small buckets of warm water all over the body while exfoliating with a ‘goshi-goshi’ cloth, you begin to appreciate the heady pleasure of this ancient ritual.

Outside in tropical surrounds, it is a quick dip into the breath-sapping cool waters of a plunge pool followed by a relaxing ten minutes over a cup of ginger tea in the warm Rotenburu rock pool. When the therapist leads you into a special wet room, assists you onto a thick waterproof mattress and throws buckets of warm water all over you, you must give yourself over completely to the whole water experience.

But as relaxing and gorgeous as this ritual is, it is mere preparation for a variety of unusual treatments or indulgent massages. In the dim quiet of a Malay pavilion, I succumbed to the Malay herbal wrap as a mixture of lemon grass, ginger, galangal and camphor was pasted all over the body to help detoxify and reduce water retention. Once fully basted and wrapped in warm sheets I surrendered to a little nap; it was indulgence of the highest level … and all this a prelude to the real bliss, a Malay massage. Strong hands soaked in oils laced with turmeric and cinnamon slid over the body, kneading into hollows, probing into muscles, instantly revitalising and rejuvenating. Malaysia is so diverse, the next day I was up in the cool of the Cameron Highlands where the steamy jungle of Pangkor Laut was replaced by undulating green hills of tea plantations. At the Spa Village in the stately Cameron Highlands Resort, healing therapies based on produce from the surrounding area are combined with knowledge drawn from the Orang Asli or ‘original people’ with their deep understanding of the healing powers of plants, herbs and ? owers. Every treatment here begins with a soaking in a tea bath with a tray of limes and salt to scrub and soften elbows, and strawberry infused teabags to sit soothingly on the eyes. Even though you know there are pleasurable procedures to follow it is so peaceful and soothing, getting out of the scented water is a small disturbance. However, once inside the tranquil treatment room having the entire body polished with a paste of fresh strawberries, yoghurt and crushed oatmeal, the memory of the calming bath blends so harmoniously with the buf? ng, and melds so musically with the sound of water trickling in the fountains outside, it becomes an almost out- of-body experience.

Even in the bustling city of Kuala Lumpur spa treatments can take your mind to a surreal place. In the spa at the Ritz-Carlton I closed my eyes while gentle cleansing, toning and massaging of the face lulled me to sleep. It was my own soft snoring and the smell of food – so foreign in this muted and fragrant room – that woke me.

Even in the bustling city of Kuala Lumpur spa treatments can take your mind to a surreal place. In the spa at the Ritz-Carlton I closed my eyes while gentle cleansing, toning and massaging of the face lulled me to sleep. It was my own soft snoring and the smell of food – so foreign in this muted and fragrant room – that woke me. “What is that smell?’’ I asked the therapist as she gently rolled two balls all over my face. “Something to take the heat and redness out of the skin,’’ she replied and it wasn’t until later I found out it was two hard boiled eggs, a remedy many Malaysian mothers use on a child to take the heat out of a bruise. The heat of the eggs was quickly replaced by icy smooth rollers gliding over the face resulting in a tingling freshness never before experienced no matter how many scrubs, masks or face polishes I’ve tried. But perhaps the most quirky of the many spa treatments in Malaysia is the experience at the Fish Spa in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Sitting on soft cushions on a timber deck with the feet and lower legs dangling in a pool, thousands of tiny “Doctor Fish” go to work on the hard skin of the feet. These Garra Rufa ? sh, found in the waters of a hot spring in Turkey, have unique dietary habits and who are we to judge them? At ? rst the sensation of them nibbling on the feet is so shocking, only the brave do not swiftly lift the feet out of the water and emit girly squeals. But after ? ve minutes of cautious dipping and lifting the feet, the sensation becomes less shocking, strangely enjoyable. It’s best not to look down into the water to the cluster of tiny ? sh clinging leach-like to your feet and legs; best to concentrate on the baby-soft skin of your feet after a half hour session. One thing is certain: you will come home buffed, scrubbed and perfectly polished from a spa holiday in Malaysia.

+IF YOU GO:
Jetstar offers a low cost ? ight service from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur three times a week. www.jetstar.com
Fish Spa Therapy – Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. www.kenko.com.sg
Spa Village Kuala Lumpur – The Ritz-Carlton. www.spavillage.com
Spa Village Pangkor Laut – Pangkor Laut Resort. www.spavillage.com
Spa Village Cameron Highlands – Cameron Highlands Resort. www.spavillage.com

• Magazine
• Holidays for Couples
• April 2008