110
FAHTHAI
THEGUIDE
thailand
HOT TIP
Explore the high seas on Chantara's traditional junk. Beyond its ruby red sails and modern fittings, there are enough cabins to sleep 8-10 people. junk-boat-cruise.com
SPA TREATMENT FOR TWO; MUAY THAI TRAINING
S
waying palm trees lead
down to a white-sand
beach and turquoise sea.
It’s not the typical setting
for a muay thai training ring, which
is more commonly associated with
sweaty gyms and neon lights. Try your
hand plus arms, elbows, knees and
feet – this is the “art of eight limbs”
after all – at the Thai combat sport in
the most luxurious of settings. One-
on-one classes are tailored to each
fighter’s ability, catering for everyone
from kickboxing newbies to athletes
considering going pro. Following
these rigorous sessions, new muay thai
masters can sign up for the muay thai
recovery treatment, which is offered
at the spa. Guests are welcomed with
a high-protein almond snack and
then led to an herbal steam room.
Ingredients like ginger, lemongrass
and turmeric are mixed in to help
rejuvenate the body. The massage
focuses on stretching the muscles
most used during kickboxing, ideally
leaving the body well prepared for
another fight.
fourseasons.com
K O H S A M U I
A ring with a view
Kickboxing at the island’s lush Four Seasons resort
SIX SENSES SAMUI SPA
This earthy but plush resort on the northern tip of Samui remains one of
the island’s standout retreats. About 70 private, luxurious wooden villas
are scattered across a canopy-covered hill overlooking Koh Phangan. The
resort caters for couples and the same goes for its signature spa. All treatment
rooms and salas come with twin massage beds that look out over the rocks
and crashing waves below. The design pays homage to the resort’s rainforest
surrounds with its rustic driftwood, bamboo and stone. Birth months are used
to determine whether you’re “warm” or “cool”. Try the Harmonic Senses
Therapy, which includes the spa’s signature sound therapy. The treatment starts
with a rain shower and foot scrub followed by a soothing, 90-minute massage
that encourages chakra-balancing energy.
sixsenses.com/resorts/samui
Island’s
best
couple
spas
K O H S A M U I
THE SPA
Perched high on a rocky cliff in the island’s south, the Conrad Hotel’s pièce
de résistance has to be its magnificent, uninterrupted 270º views of the ocean
and the nearby five islands. The hotel spa – which won Thailand’s best luxury
spa award this year – also serves up sweeping vistas. The two-storey facility
itself is large and luxurious, featuring treatment rooms with rain showers, a
beauty salon and a spa library. Try the Eden for Couples treatment and be led
to a “royal” VIP couples suite, a vast room with massage beds and floor-to-
ceiling windows overlooking a private infinity pool. The oversized bathroom is
where lights are dimmed, candles are lit and a hot, fragrant spa bath is strewn
with rose petals. The three-hour treatment is bliss, including aromatherapy
massages, body scrubs and expertly-executed facials.
conradhotels3.hilton.com
If drinks and dinner dates are losing their lustre,
indulge in a very different formof pampering
TWO OF A KIND
Enjoy romantic
treatments at Six
Senses (left) and
the Conrad (below)
I N D U LG E
