Maureen Hill
April 1, 2002

Session in Thai spa made an Eastern promise I'd feel 10 years younger

Columnist, Maureen Hill, pampers herself at Tamarind Retreat, which she said is "a tropical oasis".

"The next day was to be a time of self-indulgence with some pampering at the Tamarind Retreat, a tropical oasis where visitors are invited to relax, unwind and rejuvenate."

"I didn't need a second invitation. Starting with a herbal steam bath, I could feel the tension drain from my body though I still had it in me to strike up a conversation with a fellow visitor to the centre. However, before long it became clear she couldn't understand a word I was saying, so I opted to relax my jaw as well. A superb Thai massage and facial followed leaving me pretty well ecstatic"

A bit of rest and relaxation
"Besides the spa, it offers accommodation in the form of nine villas, each individually designed by Dettof Dirksen, an architect who draws much of his inspiration from the Southeast Asian arts. I asked the general manager if I could have a peek at them, and she agreed to show me around. The setting is beautiful and tranquil and I was reluctant to leave but the time had come for my driver to pick me up."

"He looked at me twice when I got in the car. I was in two minds as to whether this was because the spa treatments had worked so well that I looked 20 years younger, or whether he was just shocked at seeing me with no make-up on."