STANDING at the doorway momentarily frozen, the thought “there must be a mistake with the rooms” crosses my mind.
I’m supposed to receive a nail treatment from the ‘World’s Best Nail Studio Brand’, not a dental treatment.
A buff reclining chair sits in the centre of a minimalist room and beside it, a side cabinet housing some unknown paraphernalia.
Condensation has gathered on a glass panel at one end of the room, which looks out to lush greenery, a hallmark of Langkawi Island’s natural beauty.
A soft-spoken local woman in a white uniform beckons me to the comfy single-seater. Carefully and quietly, the petite lady removes the contents of a pouch.
My mouth turns dry and butterflies start to flutter in my stomach as I watch her lay them out on the side workspace, one by one, revealing sharp-looking implements. Gulp.
I look away as the therapist begins cleaning my cuticles gently and soon my muscles loosen up.
But then I hear that sound — “WHIRRR!!” And my body feels like leaping off the chair to the exit. I’m not a fan of drilling sounds while confined to a chair but I brace myself, clenching whatever possible, only to feel light vibrations on my fingernail, like a mild electric toothbrush.
The therapist calmly explains that this painless procedure removes dead skin between the nail and skin. Curiosity and concern appeased, my body and mind surrender to the hum of soft vibrations.
NAIL CARE WITH A DIFFERENCE
It’s one thing to experience a manicure in the midst of The Datai Langkawi’s enchanting environment. It’s another to experience an award-winning sophisticated approach to feet, hands and nail treatments, designed by French chiropodist Bastien Gonzalez.
For the last four consecutive years, PEDI:MANI:CURE STUDIOS has taken the top accolade in its category at the World Spa Awards. A combination of these two desirable experiences unexpectedly soothes me into a snooze.
I’m woken by the same drilling sound but continue to drift in and out of sleep, half aware that someone is buffing my nails with an unusual-looking ergonomic natural horn buffer.
This buffing technique can apparently improve blood circulation for the nails while increasing regenerative effects. It’s an example of how this nail studio brand fuses beauty with wellness, a concept focusing on the health of one’s hands and feet, not just the aesthetics.
It took Spa and Wellness director Sunette Van Der Merwe about a year to bring similar aligning philosophies and brands together under a special canopy of spa treatments, focusing on the health aspect of beauty.
When I meet her at the reception area after the session, Van Der Merwe explains: “Without inner health, there’s no outer beauty. That concept, which is the same as with Bastien Gonzalez, emphasises your natural health, in your core essence. Our aim is to get you to focus and for us to bring out your most natural form.”
FUSING SPA WITH NATURE
I suspect that my natural form is that of a sloth! After 45 minutes of nail pampering, I’m ready to crawl to the comfort of another tree branch, or rather, the next reclining object — maybe something like a deck chair facing a powdery white sandy beach or looking out to lush jungle scenery on the balcony of my Rainforest Villa.
At The Datai Langkawi, Mother Nature integrates harmoniously with the recently refurbished resort, complementing the accommodation and facilities.
During a chat with Van Der Merwe at the Nature Centre later, she explains how nature and spa are intertwined.
“I’m sure the moment that you arrived you had an overwhelming sense of calm and yet vitality when you were enveloped by the forest.”
As I nod in full agreement, she continues: “My main focus will be to incorporate the spa in harmony with the natural surroundings. We’re talking not just about the forest and its elements but also the traditions, cultures and philosophies of Langkawi.”
Both local and foreign experts were consulted on various aspects of wellness. For instance, Malaysian herbalist and Langkawi resident, Dr Abdul Ghani Hussain, lent his know-how as a researcher in traditional Malay and Islamic medicine. The Spa team also worked with perfumist Razak Samad who specialises in essential oils that incorporate healing plants and herbs from the rainforest.
They even went so far as to find scientific support that bathing in morning dew (mandi embun) or a flower bath (mandi bunga) carry more health benefits than we realise.
Along the way, the Malay concept of Ramuan was discovered; that local tradition of gathering and blending plants to deliver healthful benefits. It subsequently inspired the Ramuan spa menu and product line.
“These are age-old beliefs and traditions that we’re fusing into the spa and the entire wellness regime of The Datai where nothing is separate. Just you being here within the forest, within this environment, is healing for your soul,” remarks the affable spa director who hails from Cape Town.
Softly, she adds: “It’s really a question of working with traditions within our environment, being sustainable to the culture that’s here and incorporating different brands that have this same philosophy of beauty through health. Health being the core of that.”
A SPA PRELUDE
“It’s a facial but not a facial.” That’s the second time I’ve heard that statement from two different people in the last two days.
Incredibly intrigued but clueless, my turn to sample the spa finally arrives the next afternoon. I’m informed that my session will be a combination of Ramuan and Phyto 5, the latter being a Swiss-made skincare range that offers a holistic experience by addressing physical, energetic and emotional balance.
Just the spa preliminaries alone are an experience in itself. Nestled in the lobby’s rustic ambience, a therapist guides me through a selection process that’s intended to determine the essential oils and skincare products that she will use during my treatment.
“I’ll let you smell and you choose which one you like the most,” she begins.
What follows then reminds me of a personality-cum-nose test. There are no right or wrong answers, just personal preferences.
The spa treatment rooms resemble little standalone villas. Inside, a sweeping view leads me to let out a blissful sigh. It’s hard to pinpoint the source of my rapture. The large bathtub filled with floral water looks very inviting. So does the outdoor deck where a rattan chair beckons. Or is it the open plan concept whereby half the room is without walls or windows, just pure open space.
But the winning hook for me is the mesmerising view. Just metres away, thick green foliage and trees fill the sun-kissed scene, while a shallow stream lies in the middle, its clear waters meandering ever so slowly, tempting me to leap across the shrubs and wet my feet. For the next two and a half hours, this will be my private sanctuary, a little piece of mini paradise.
RAMUAN AND PHYTO 5
The Ramuan treatment begins on the deck with a familiar foot bath ritual and mandi bunga where the therapist pours floral water on me at seven points, from the feet up to the head.
At each point, a blessing is bestowed, a traditional Malay ritual that’s still practised today for special occasions. The rustling of branches catches my attention and I wonder if there are monkeys out there spying on drenched sarung-clad guests.
This grounding session soon makes way for a customised body care experience on the treatment bed.
Based on a scent which I’d chosen earlier, my therapist applies a body serum with a light effleurage, first massaging the legs before working upwards. Her long slow strokes are firm yet relaxing, exactly as requested on the form I’d filled earlier.
An equally soothing application of Seven Flowers hair serum to my scalp and hair follows, marking the end of my Ramuan journey and the start of the Holistic Harmony Phyto 5 facial.
While the Ramuan treatments utilise local Malay traditions and locally-sourced ingredients, Phyto 5 offers a fusion of traditional oriental medicines and Swiss technology.
In a seamless transition, the therapist proceeds to gently apply cleansing milk, a facial scrub and a mask. With the mask keeping my eyes closed, I hear the therapist tinkling with equipment.
My neckline feels it first, followed by my face. It’s the unusual sensation of tiny suctions! I learn that this machine-based technique delivers lymphatic drainage and stimulation which apparently helps to drain toxins and infuse a glow to the skin.
Guests can add such technologies to their Phyto 5 treatments if they wish. After more facial cleansing and face cream, the whole treatment concludes with vibration therapy for my hands and feet.
I recall Van Der Merwe’s words to me, explaining how science and traditions support the wellness treatments through their common denominator that is health. “…But not focusing on health to the point that it becomes a wellness resort, but to focus on your natural ability, assisting you to get there on your own, to heal yourself.”
By the time I’ve refreshed, changed and parked myself on the deck for some herbal tea and cake, I can’t imagine a better feeling or a better place to rejuvenate.
Where: The Datai Spa, Jalan Teluk Datai, Langkawi, Kedah.
Go to www.thedatai.com for more details