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RESORT TO LUXURY

You want a break without a rush-rush, shop-shop itinerary? Forget about any destination that will take more than three

hours to reach, or that comes with a tour package. What you need is to just check in and luxuriate like

LEONG WAI KIT in the JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa.

Hold the gas, I willed myself. Out of concern for my friendly masseuse, I hoped my digestive system wouldn’t expel evidence of my afternoon tom yum goong meal.

“Please take off your shorts too.” Erm, okay. Maybe farting was the least of my worries. Pardon the shyness, but for someone whose last massage was years ago – by a Chin Swee Road sinseh for a sports injury (fully clothed, of course) – I was hesitant.

But I didn’t protest partly because Dao, my Phuket-born masseuse looked like she could wrestle a bull with her strong, fi rm arms; and mainly because I was determined to try this multi award-winning spa treatment. So what the heck. At least I was draped in a large, white towel.

The resort’s Mandara spa was named the Best Hotel Spa in Asia (and won second place in the World’s Top 25 Spas category) at the 2004 Conde Nast Traveller Magazine’s Inaugural Spa Awards (UK).

Now, I really would have shown Dao my two thumbs up during the hour-long Thai massage had I not been too busy purring away. And that wasn’t the only reason why I was so won over by

the Mandara spa. Royal treatment and

skillful massage aside, I enjoyed the enveloping calmness as I stepped into the resort’s 1,119 sq m spa compound. The 16 Thai styled suites there are each equipped with private outdoor garden showers and a herbal steam room – just so we urban visitors can relax

au naturale before our Mandara treatment.

Speaking of treatments, oh boy. I could go on and on over a steaming cup of sweetly spiced galangal tea (don’t I sound like a spa regular?). Besides different massage styles, there’re herbal wraps, facials, salt or seaweed scrubs, aromatherapy, fresh water baths… Ah, no wonder so many fl ock here to rejuvenate over a weekend spa package.

Mandatory Mandara

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The Mandara spa experience was just one of the highlights of my weekend trip. Another was the joy of not doing anything important. You see, for me, checking into a resort equals leaving worldly stresses behind (which sometimes happens after offi ce lunchtime).

So there I was, self-contained in one of the resort’s 265 guest rooms most of the time: Soaking in the oversized bathtub while gazing out into the garden; snacking in bed and channel surfi ng; day dreaming on the balcony; reading in my indoor sala (Thai for traditional resting area)… what more can a weary Singaporean ask for?

My travel mates sighed at having to leave their rooms at all. “Eh, I think I join y’all for a swim some other time lah,” one begged sheepishly over the phone. Yah, yah. But who can blame her? After all, guest rooms in the 11 ha resort are indeed cozy, with at least 47 sq m of living space each. And they all smell very good, I

Room suite room

must say. In fact, the entire resort smells of lemongrass, no kidding. A bonus ‘cos the faintly sharp

scent refreshed my tired mind, and constantly reminded me I was en vacances.

The view in the royal suites overlooks the vast Andaman Sea - perfect for honeymooners.

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Life of a resort reveler...

1 Champagne brunch: If there’s one thing that gets me springing off bed early, it’s FOOD. I can forsake extra hours of snoozing just to sit in the warm morning sun to sip freshly brewed coffee (followed by champagne) as I chomp heartily on breakie. 2 Siesta by the sea: Make full use of the resort’s location – take a stroll along the 17 km natural Mai Khao beachfront or if you must feel like Garfi eld, curl up on a chair and snooze to the rhythm of crashing waves. 3 Pool factor: Relaxing by the pool is the quintessence of a resort holiday, duncha think? Well, there’re three lovely pools here. The main pool’s 107 m long, complete with bubble beds, a children’s pool, and a slide. Great place to watch and be watched in your fabulous swimwear. The tranquility pool, as the name suggests, is made for those who prefer privacy as it’s tucked away in a quieter part of the resort. But I particularly love wading in the newly opened blue pool, thanks to the chic splash bar (with cascading waters from its roof) located smack in the middle. Excuse me while I breaststroke my way to a cocktail. 4 Wai, what great hospitality! There’s bound to be some merry Thai staff popping out of nowhere to offer a wai (the Thai clasped-hand greeting) every where you go. The Thais are genuinely smiley people. So needless to say, I had a warm stay throughout, thanks to their

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The best time to visit Phuket is when it’s not monsoon season. Daily rain is almost guaranteed during monsoon season (Sept-Oct). Warmest period is between Mar and mid-May (27-34˚C). For a full list of facilities in JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa, visit www.marriott.com/HKTJW. To plan your own luxurious vacation, log on to www.jwmarriottphuket.com

winsome hospitality and fi rst class service (I loved having staff come by in the evenings just to draw my curtains). 5 Thai your own cooking: Never mind what one heartless fellow cooking classmate said about my Phad Thai. It’s not burnt, thank you very much. My travel mates and I attended the resort’s interactive Ginja cooking class (and ended up squabbling over who’s the better chef). Under the supervision of the humorous Instruction Chef Tan and her four kitchen helpers, we had great fun whipping up authentic Thai food. The half-day class begins with a tour of a local wet market where we lugged bagfuls of fresh ingredients back to the cooking school. I’m told many men sign up for this class so that by the time their spouses return from their spa treatments, they’d be surprised with a romantic home cooked meal.

And for the fi rst time in my life that afternoon, I felt like a really useful person. I mean, hey, I’m a chef – and it’s not just of the instant noodles type, mind you. I single handedly (okay, I had a little help) prepared authentic Thai cuisine like Tom Kha Gai (chicken coconut milk soup), Phad Thai (which, I repeat, was not burnt), steamed sea bass in lime and chilli broth. Yum, yum. Oh, the satisfaction of munching on your own creations.

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