Spa Village Tanjong Jara

I was a bit more excited to check out this spa because of its tagline "unmistakably malay". I've always wanted to try malay traditional spa because almost every spa I've gone to is either Balinese or thai type of spa. How come we dont have many Malay/Malaysian type spa?

Anyways...

My package for this trip includes a 50 minutes massage and a snorkeling trip but due to the rain, we were unable to go for the snorkeling and so, they compensated by giving us an additional 150 minutes in the spa. Wow. That's 200 minutes of spa.

1st day I tried the 50 minutes massage. It was a malay traditional massage. The pressure was perfect and the technique was good too. I was in heaven and enjoying it a lot.
Before the massage, I was given a cold herbal type of drink. It tasted like jamu of some sort and it was ok, quite nice. Different from the ginger tea that we always get at almost every spa.

After the drink, it was the mandi bunga or floral bath. That was interesting and a bit funny.
You basically just sit there and they shower you while saying stuff like "happiness to you.....beauty to you..." I wanted to laugh. But the flowers and lime smell was very strong and nice that I decided to go for the bath again the next day.

I love this spa the most out of all the YTL spa village, even pangkor laut. I prefer this one.

I'd come back just for the massage

Anantara Spa - Maldives

I went to Maldives a couple of weeks back for a second honeymoon :)

And of course it wouldnt be right if I didnt check out the spa there. It will be insane not to try it out.

On my first day, I decided to try the massage. I asked for strong pressure because I was almost sure that it cant be THAT strong and I almost died during the massage cuz it was so painful. OMG.

Anyways, I was first told to come earlier to enjoy the spa facilities but I went late because I was busy enjoying the food so I went straight to the changing room and then to the treatment room.

The treatment room is the most beautiful room EVER! It is on water and overlooking the beautiful white sea. The view was breathtaking, truly.

First was the foot bath and scrub and then the massage. The therapist is from Thailand. In fact, all the therapist are from there. They speak very little English.

As I lay down on the massage bed, I could see some beautiful coloured fishes swimming underneath. It was amazing and calming as well to see them swim so happily despite the really really strong massage. I really wanted to die.

At one point, I even told her to reduce the pressure and she completely ignored me. I think she heard me cuz she asked if I was ok.

God!

But surprisingly, after the massage, my body didnt ache at all. Didnt feel any pain after that so I guess it's a good massage.

After the massage, I spent some time in the jacuzzi, sauna and steam room. It was very nice.

I just love the view.

On my last day there, I went again for another massage. This time, I asked for something not so 'brutal' and it was also just as bad. I dont mean that it's bad, it's just really painful.

I somehow enjoyed both the massage but it was just really too painful.

I wish I spent more time at the spa trying out other treatment but I didnt have time.

I loved the experience there. Everything was expensive though because everything is in U.S dollars. My massage was USD200 for one half hours. That's like almost RM600!

I still love it tho...

Spa Village, Pangkor Laut Resort

I went for my 1st honeymoon to Pangkor Laut Resort and it would be a crime if I didn’t pamper myself at the spa.

The spa is gorgeous. It’s huge and I love the décor. Kind of makes you feel like you’re in Bali or something. When I arrived, I was greeted by a friendly lady at the reception. She offered me this interesting lemongrass plus orange drink and a cold towel.
I opted to try the massage first. They have so many different types of massage but the Lomi Lomi massage caught my attention. I’ve always wanted to try that.


But before all that, I was given a foot bath. It was alright, nothing great. But still, it was quite nice.

Then, I was escorted to the changing room. I was given a sarong to change to. The massage was 50 minutes but I was told to come 45 minutes earlier to spend some time at the spa to enjoy the “Bath Experience”.

1. Wishing well. I was given 1cent to throw into the well and was told to make a wish. “I hope your wish will come true” she said… it was as if she had a script to read to each client.
2. Next was the “Malay Bath” experience. Hmm…I don’t know what is so malay about the bath but it was basically this pool and I was asked to walk across from one end to another. Nothing much. The pool was nice tho….but I didn’t understand the concept.
3. Japanese bath house. Nothing much here as well. I was asked to sit on the stool and was given a shower gel so I spent like 3 minutes in there before moving on to the warm Japanese pool.
4. This was ok. Quite nice because the water was nice and warm. It was outdoor as well and I was all alone. It was quiet and I could only hear the sound of birds and the wind. I was there for about 5 minutes.
5. Then comes the scrub. It wasn’t a proper scrub. The therapist only scrub my back. Not that nice
6. Finally was the massage. Massage was ok. It was interesting but I’m not sure if I like it that much.

Overall, it was a good experience. Since I didn’t particularly love the massage, I decided not to go and enjoy other treatment offered by the spa. It was very expensive and I’m not too convinced that I’ll have a good time. I decided to go back to KL and enjoy a full on spa, cheaper than Pangkor Laut price but nicer. To me, this was ok but kind of like what I experienced in Cameron Highlands. Spa is overrated and overpriced but the treatment was not all that good. The environment was nice tho. Very relaxing. The spa is huge and beautiful…but the treatment….well, I personally think it’s not worth the price.
My massage was 50 minute and it was RM300++

Dewi Sri Spa, Hartamas

A day before my nikah I decided to go to Dewi Sri Spa in Hartamas to try the Ken Dedes spa treatment. One reason why I decided to go to this spa is because my designer (Syaiful Baharim) is just down the road from the spa. Since I have my fitting scheduled on the same day, I thought it would be better to go to a spa nearby. Plus, I’ve always wanted to try this one out cuz I heard its really nice.

I got there early before my appointment at 4.30pm. I wanted to do waxing as well but when I got there, they told me that they cant do waxing because they’re closing at 7pm. Wtf? I was so disappointed and so my mood changed. If I knew I couldn’t do waxing there, I would have gone somewhere else. Maybe it was my fault that I didn’t tell them that I wanted to do waxing when I called to make an appointment. But they didn’t ask me what treatment I wanted to do when I called anyway. I even asked if it was ok to just do my eyebrows at least, which wont take that long but the lady said “No. We close at 7pm. Maybe next time!” hmm….so much for good customer service.

Anyways.

I decided to try the Ken Dedes treatment. It’s a full spa treatment which includes scrub, steam, massage and bath. The extra is the viginal body smoke. It’s quite interesting cuz I’ve never tried this before.

Overall it was ok. I was disappointed from the start because they didn’t want to do the waxing for me so I was in a not-so-good mood through the whole few hours there. I really badly need waxing done. It was my fault that I waited till the last minute I guess. By the time my spa ended it was almost 7pm and couldnt find anywhere nearby to do waxing. I had to do it myself. :(

The spa is nice tho. It had the Balinese feel and it is quite big inside.
The treatment was ok. Nothing special. The massage was alright too.

Will I be coming back? Hmm…..maybe…but I don’t think I’ll be going there anytime soon cuz it’s a female only spa and I usually drag my other half along with me each time I go.

Here’s their contact details:

Unit F-0-8 Plaza Damas,
No 60, Jalan Sri Hartamas 1,
Sri Hartamas,
50480 Kuala Lumpur,
Wilayah Persekutuan,
Malaysia
Tel: 603-62035373
Fax: 603-62035372

Please call them to make an appointment and please ensure you inform them exactly what you want to do so they know what they can offer you during that time slot.

You can browse their website for more information

Dewi Sri Spa

Hammam Spa Revisited

The last time I went to this spa was quite sometime back. I loved the experience the first time but somehow I never came back because I wanted to try other spas. But I always remember that my skin was smooth for a long time after my Hammam experience.

Since I'm getting married next week and all, I decided to go back. I made an appointment and decided to go after work as they are usually busy during the weekends. The lady on the phone was a Philipino if I'm not mistaken. She was very polite, answered my questions well and was very helpful. She explained to me about the promotion that they have going on until the end of the month for Chinese New Year and asked me if I was interested in that package. Of course! It’s a good deal!

My appointment was at 6pm but I was running late. At 5.30pm, I called to say that I might be a little bit late. I got there at about 6.10pm and was directed to the changing room. I love the feeling of being inside that spa. I feel like a genie in a bottle. You know from that show “I dream of Genie”.. I love it.

The package is called Hammam Scents of the Orient and it consists of:

1. Gommage – which is the scrub thingy I think. First they shower you and put this black soap on you for about 10 minutes and after that, the scrubbing will start. You can see all the dead skin coming off you. Really weird…but after that, your body feels so damn soft, it’s the best feeling ever.

2. 7 Flowers Bath to rinse off the dead skin and all that. The lady also shampooed my hair but I was not too happy that she didn’t put conditioner after that. But still, the smell was nice.

3. 60 minutes massage with Huile Sacre, a blessing oil of Frankincense, Myrhh & Sandalwood. Apparently its good for attracting love, prosperity, joy and protection. Hehe..iye la tu. But nonetheless, the smell was very nice. Massage was good too. Too bad it was only 60 minutes. I was really enjoying myself then.


With the massage, my treatment for the day ended. I was not ready to leave yet!!!! Wish I could have more things done!

So anyway,

Initially, before I came to this spa today, I had the impression that I’d be getting a floral bath. As in, flowers in the bathtub kinda thing. But what I got instead, was a shower.
So I asked the lady at the counter and told her that I didn’t get my 7 Flowers bath. She said I got it. I asked when and she said it was after the gommage. I then asked her again, I where was the flowers as I didn’t see any flowers during the shower/bath or whatever they call it. So she went inside to check with the therapist. Apparently they didn’t use any flowers as they were not fresh anymore.

Hmm…well, they should have told me that earlier instead of telling me I got my 7 floral bath right?! To be honest, one of the reasons why I wanted this package was because of the 7 floral bath. I mean they say that it’s good to mandi bunga before wedding right?
So, I was quite disappointed.

The lady at the counter felt bad because I didn’t get my floral bath so she said she will give me 20 minutes reflexology for free the next time. Oh ok, that’s nice! :)

Overall, it was a fantastic experience yet again. I loved every minute in there.
I just didn’t want it to end so fast.

Also, the last time I went there, they didn’t give me a tube top…so I was half naked basically and that Turkish lady gave me a bath and it was quite embarrassing. This time was different, they gave me a tube top so its much better. Less memalukan although, I don’t really mind being topless (cuz I just close my eyes and pretend like I’m on my own, in my own world)

One thing is for sure, the scrub is the best I’ve tried. I mean, your skin really does feel super smooth. I think I’m going to come back at least once a month…..

I feel like a queen. Queen Rania…

Taman Sari Spa, Jakarta

I was in Jakarta again last weekend and because my schedule is not that tight this time around, I decided to spend some time at the spa. I think with the stress of being in Jakarta, the traffic, the delayed flight, I deserve some pampering.
The problem was, I didnt do any research before coming to Jakarta so I had no clue which spa to go to.

Taman Sari Spa was recommended by the hotel staff at the Ascott where I was staying. (Although they have their own spa at the Ascott!)I figured, this must be worth trying.

The Spa was situated not too far from our hotel.

The place was huge. I was really impressed when I walked in. It looked like a typical traditional Indonesian spa and it's huge and grand. We were greeted by this lady at the front and asked us what kind of treatment we wanted to go for.

I decided to go all out since I had nothing planned for the day. Yeayyy!!!

1. Body Massage
2. Body Scrub
3. Body Wrap
4. Milk Bath
5. Facial
6. Manicure
7. Pedicure

I spent approximately 7 hours there in total.

The room was quite nice. Had a Balinese feel to it. But somehow they didnt switch on the aircon so it was quite warm in there at one point. Even after telling them to switch it on, the room was still warm.

My therapist looked super young. She must have just graduated from their beauty school or something. She was quite good I guess..but very very slow.
She did everything slow motion. It got quite frustrating at times..

Overall it was a good experience. I shared the same room with my mum and it was a good bonding session for us too. It was quite funny especially when we were in the bath tub together. I was quite shy at first but my mum reminded me that she use to wipe my ass when I was little! hehehe...ok!

It was quite nice this spa. I will come back for sure. Especially since it's quite good and very cheap compared to the spas in KL. I always have this thing for traditional spa... I want one of my own..

The whole package cost me about RM300. Not bad at all....

Unfortunately, I dont have their contact details...but you can check out their website if you are in Jakarta.

Taman Sari Spa, Jakarta

Morino Kaze

I walk past this place called Morino Kaze in Bangsar Telawi quite a lot but never got the chance to check it out. Today was the day.

I decided to walk in to try something.. I didnt know what to try but when I saw the promotion that says they have a Chinese New Year promotion, RM28 for 30 minutes back massage, I think it would be silly not to try. Dont you think so?

I was greeted by this guy, must be one of the workers there and he spoke very little English. I couldnt guess his accent, whether it was Japanese or Chinese. Anyhow, I walked in and asked for a 30 minutes back massage.

I was told to take off my shoes and wait inside. The lady in front said she will take care of my shoes i.e keep it in the cabinet or wherever but then, she just left it there! What if someone steals them or something... ?

I waited for awhile for my therapist to be ready so I went to the washroom first. When I got out of the toilet, this malay looking lady guided me to my room. She didnt say a word but just she left me in there. I didnt know what the hell I was suppose to do. Lie down? Change? or what? I wanted to change but I didnt see anything to change to, and since the lady in front told me that they wont be using any oil, I thought maybe I dont have to change. The malay looking lady left me there for quite some time and then I started thinking, perhaps I am supposed to change?~

And then she came in and was quite surprised that I still had my clothes on. Well duh!! She didnt tell me that I had to change pun!
Then I asked her if I have to take off my top, to which she said yes. OK fine, so I did. She also asked me to take off my pants and I said I dont want to. I mean, what the hell for since it's only a back massage. Then she said she needs to put oil so my pants might get dirty. Hang on, didnt the lady say no oil? I said I dont want her to use oil so I didnt need to take off my pants. Not that I mind but just malas.

The massage was quite good actually. She started the massage with "Bismillahirohmanirahim". So ok, she must be muslim then.
The pressure was good, very strong pressure just like how I like it. I must say that I was really happy with the massage although I think it she had used oil it would have been better. And better if it was a full body massage instead of just a back massage.

After the massage, I asked her for her name. I asked her in English and her reply was "Indonesia". So obviously this girl doesnt understand English.
In the end she said "Sulastri 44" ok. I guess that's her name and her code number or whatever.

For RM28 it's damn bloody worth it.

They offer all sorts of massage there include foot massage, ear candling and also fish theraphy although it doesnt look so exciting. The place is ok, nothing too fancy. It's clean and simple, which is good.

From the outside, it does look a bit like a Japanese type of spa but I dont think it is as I dont see any Japanese style of treatment on the menu book. I guess it's the same as any other or the spa next door to it. But I think I will come back to try the full body massage with miss 44!

If you're interested, here are the details

Morino Kaze
Bangsar Telawi (few doors away from Telawi Bistro)
Tel: 03-3388 1916

Enjoy...