Not much of a well-kept secret if I'm blogging about it, I suppose! And I know, many of my friends from my pre-Indonesia time will be hard-pressed to believe that this is actually me writing this... but it is... just hear me out.
Living in Indonesia has exposed me to the spa, or salon, experience. Before coming to Indonesia the only reason I went to a 'salon' was to get my hair trimmed... and in fact, my whole life, we called this place 'the hairdresser's'.
I still remember my first 'cream bath', on the recommendation of one of our teachers at language school in Jogjakarta. I subsequently, timidly at first, and then in what became a borderline addiction, embraced, the spa experience. What made me decide to share with you all the pleasure of 'the spa'??? Well, I just got home from one today after not having been for months... which made me remember just how luxurious it is! So you see, I'm not an addict... but it certainly is something I enjoy... However, I do know some people that, if they don't get their weekly creambath and foot reflexology, they're 'slightly off' (like, compared to this, PMS is nothing!).
Even though I decided I should try all the available spa treatments in order to make a complete and thorough assessment of the choices (ha - great excuse!), after finding heaven, I rarely bother with anything else now, so I can't tell you about a lot of the fancy stuff... but a few of my favourite treatments and locales, I am dying to share with you:
The Creambath -- I've blogged about it before, here, so I won't go into more detail here except to say I believe it to be an experience akin to heaven... aaahhh....
I even convinced Martin to try a creambath, and although wary at first, he's never looked back!
Reflexology -- A natural healing therapy which constitutes the practice of massaging or applying pressure to parts of the feet (and sometimes the hands and ears) with the goal of encouraging a beneficial effect on other parts of the body, and to improve general health. Whether or not the 'maps' of the feet that they give you which show the part of the foot and the corresponding part of the body are accurate or not, it certainly does feel good.
My two absolute favourite places:
Bale-Bale Spa in Jakarta
I have to thank my friend for introducing me to this place... I've only been there twice, since I am so rarely in Jakarta (thankfully, for other reasons!), but I was really impressed with the ambiance, the therapists, and the prices!!! Bale-bale is not your typical sleek spa setting... it's a traditional javanese house with a cozy, homey feeling.
I had a full body scrub, milk bath, and then massage... and it was amazing. They use mostly natural products as well. Their website. The other thing I love about this joint is the cheap waxing (3 dollars for the legs), which is followed up by threading (another first for me).
COZY Renon
At Cozy, you are welcomed into the tranquil environment, asked which blend of natural essential oils you would like for your aromatherapy, as well as those which you'd like for your hair treatment, then given a choice of music to listen to (with some very soothing tunes on their 'relaxin' track)... then you're lead into your semi-private treatment space with a soothing fish tank to lull you to sleep (if the combination of the music and massage don't!?)... I can't imagine a more conducive setting... My favourite treatment is the 'cozy cozy', which combines the two above treatments (cream bath and foot reflexology), and leaves you feeling vibrant and refreshed. And if you feel like you still need another boost of healthfulness, you can order a yummy fruit or veg drink from their juice bar, before, during, or after your treatment.
** I can't believe it but Cozy Renon has closed!?!? Cozy Kuta is still open (with another 'Super Cozy' going up on 'the other side' as well... but Sunset Road is far from the path that I frequent!)
No comments:
Post a Comment