Travel To Wellness Inc.

PIMALAI RESORT & SPA, LANTA ISLAND, THAILAND

by Roberta Sotonoff

My husband and I longed to escape to some idyllic place where we would be spoiled rotten. We found it. Only problem was that it was half-way around the world. But after many in-flight movies, a drive by a guy who must have thought he was training for the Indy 500, a bumpy, hour-long boat ride into the rolling night waves, and a roller coaster walk - aided by staff - down a long slippery peer - it was all worth it.

Once we finally arrived at Pimalai Resort and Spa on Lanta Island in southern Thailand, we were whisked away to luxurious, Thai-style accommodations scattered throughout an undulating rainforest. Everything is so delightfully secluded. The trail to the dining room is hidden in lush greenery and colorful blooms. Our only companions on our walk on Pimalai’s pristine beach are some scurrying sand crabs.

Most importantly, pampering is honed to a fine art. Just let me share one of my spa experiences with you. A cool towel and a cool drink greet me at the reception hut. My therapist leads me past a fountain that soars above a tropical garden to a gated hideaway. She eases me into an outdoor, sunken Jacuzzi tub. It is covered with flower petals. A Japanese garden and soft music surround me. Pouring from a wooden trough is warm water that covers me. Thirty minutes pass. My therapist appears and helps me out of the tub.

“No wipe. I do it,” she says as she gently pats my body with thick terry cloth. I am led to the massage table in the indoor part of the treatment area where fresh flower petals are piled in a bowl on the floor. A soft breeze brushes past the open French windows. Holding her fragrant hands over my nose, she repeats one of her few English phrases, “inhale please.”

So begins my aroma massage and after that, a Pure Honey Delight facial. My face is drenched in honey and cucumbers. While the cucumber salad sets on my face, my feet and legs are massaged. Two-and-a-half-hours later, I am brought back to the reception hut and given a cup of ginger tea. My brain is blank and body is limp. I hardly have enough energy to make it back to my room. The cost for this bit of heaven? Less than US$100.

I can’t indulge myself forever. Yes I can! But, my husband and I opt for a hike in Mu Ko Lanta National Park. The drive down the winding road is strewn with rocks and ruts that are more like fissures. The driver finally stops and points to a path, promising to return in a couple of hours.

A little trail curves along the beach past a lighthouse and over a small bridge. From there, a red-brick walk leads into the lush tropical forest which becomes a series of stairs – big, little, wide and narrow. Humid air vibrates with the sounds of cicadas. The path twists and turns. Every now and then there is a soft breeze. Sweaty and tired, we reach the shoreline and trudge back to the parking lot.

Next time we venture off the property it is to kayak around Talabeng Island. Caves and rock formations hug the isle’s shoreline. In some places, sea urchins and coral are plainly visible. We paddle to a small beach on a nearby island. While we laze on the beach, two cooks magically appear to prepare a BBQ lunch. During the last leg of the kayak, I tell myself that this exercise earns me an Ageless Thai Herbal Scrub at the spa. Oh, if only some years can be successfully scrubbed away.

It doesn’t happen. I get over it and go elephant trekking. The elephant move treks noiselessly through the jungle-like forest. Except for the squawks and squeaks of birds and monkeys, it is silent. After about 45 minutes, we dismount at the elephant disembarking stop. We walk the rest of the way to a waterfall. The thick jungle hides much of the sunlight as we pass eerie caves that have giant tree roots bored through them. The rocks are slippery, in the shallow stream we ford. The cool water feels good on our feet. At the cascade, trickling water pours from a 30-foot embankment. Then it is back to our trunked transport and to Pimalai.

This is our last night. Over a candelit, romantic dinner, we sup on sumptuous, omelet-wrapped pad Thai. We do not want this great escape to end. Then again, our Pimalai visit has fortified us for our return to reality.