VOX
The Magazine of the Sun on Sunday
May 6, 2001

Chilling me softly

Maya Tan Abdullah gets hot on Thai fragrant remedies:

Sometimes, ignorance is bliss. I say this because before Tamarind Retreat in Koh Samui in Thailand, I had never been truly physically and spiritually indulged. Now, there's no turning back. At Tamarind Retreat, one is first greeted with soothing New Age music and the gentle movie star treatment that one easily becomes accustomed to here. The reception and guest building is a grand double-storey thatched pavilion with high ceilings and stucco walls. A refreshing welcome drink - tangy-zesty tamarind and ginger cooler - gives guests a taste of what's to come.

Inside the herbal steam room, a deep calm pervades while the pungent yet fragrant smell of herbs greets the nose. It is dark save for filtered daylight streaming through a frosted window, and the atmosphere is almost womb-like and mystical, with a great sense of being sheltered from outside elements. A low constant hum, and the occasional crackle and hiss of the steam fills the room, compelling guests in the room to feel they have to whisper.

It is best to make your visit to the spa a leisurely afternoon's event. Pop in after lunch and spend an hour or two in the herbal steam room and plunge pool. Then, spend the next hour and a half being massaged to a soft and supple new you. Afterwards, spend some quiet time reading and enjoying a wholesome tea. A shower, an evening out and a good night's sleep later, be prepared to wake up to the effects of your day at the spa: baby-soft skin and hair; and a lighter, more energetic body.