Pampered at Panwa
With steam rooms, saunas, massage and much more besides, you'll feel like a million dollars after a session at Cape Spa
Tucked away in a quiet corner of Phuket fronting on to a private beach and the crystal clear waters of the Andaman Sea, the luxurious Cape Panwa Hotel has long attracted discerning holidaymakers. In addition to enjoying the wide range of facilities offered by the resort, guests find themselves drawn to Cape Spa where they find total relaxation in the hands of skilled masseuses and aromatic products extracted from local plants and flowers.
Surrounded by lush foliage, the two-storey contemporary spa is spacious and stylish, with separate rooms for reflexology, traditional Thai massage, Jacuzzi and steam bath and a beauty salon.
A popular massage treatment is the Oceanic Aroma (Bt1,400 for 70 minutes, Bt2,000 for 130 minutes), which combines a foot soak with a steam or sauna and an aromatherapy body massage with your choice of oil. Sensual ylang ylang helps you sleep well, geranium refreshes the skin and relaxes the mind, orange recharges the batteries, lavender relieves stress and vanilla makes you calm.
Another highlight is a 70-minute body scrub (Bt1,200). Options include a Coconut Scrub to improve blood circulation, Thai Herb Scrub to reduce wrinkles and eliminate dead cells and a Marine Salt Scrub that’s ideal for dry skin.
I opt for a 70-minute Facial Soothing Treatment that will repair the barrier function of my skin with a botanical serum and antioxidant vitamins. The moisturiser, my therapist tells me, will soothe my skin and protect against it against further weather assault.
She’ll be using Satira’s signature facial collection, a mix of Thai herbs that promise to revitalise the facial skin. She prepares me for my treatment by cleansing and scrubbing my feet with soap and salt. Then, she removes the last traces of make-up from my face and around my eyes with a cleansing milk that is extracted from grapefruit and centella asiatica.
Herbal toner with aloe vera gives a cool and hydrating lift while a ginseng facial scrub stimulates circulation. Jojoba beads are rolled on the skin, creating a mild exfoliating effect, followed by gentle essence massage to remove signs of premature ageing.
Next, my face is covered with a multivitamin mask, which is applied from temples to cheeks and chin to stimulate circulation and relieve stress. For the next 30 minutes, the therapist gives me a Thai-style massage on my legs, hands and shoulders to help me relax.
The process continues with a botanical anti-ageing agent followed by hydra eye gel to remove the lines around my eyes. The treatment ends with a shoulder and neck massage.
CHILLING AT CAPE
Cape Spa is located in Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket. It’s open daily from 10am to 9pm. Call (076) 391 1123-5 or visit www.CapeSpas.com, www.CapePanwa.com.
