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In case you need a gentle reminder, take note that Mother’s Day will fall on 11th, Sunday 2008 this year.

If you work or live near a shopping mall, then it’s time to make a trip to pick up a gift for mother. Ideal Mother’s Day gift can include flowers, jewelery, cooking or baking ware, dresses, cosmetics, chocolates, bags, perfumes or even shopping vouchers.

For mothers who have had almost everything or if you decide to pamper Mother this year, why not get a spa or massage package for your mom? In fact, spa and massage packages has increasingly become a popular Mother’s day or Birthday gift for moms. For working moms, it’s the ultimate ideal gift for it gives mom a chance to pamper herself knowing she must have worked very hard; having to work and take care of the family at the same time.

If you know that your Mom will be free on Mother’s Day, you can easily call up your favourite spa and book a spa pacakge for her. Ideally, you should include a facial, scrub and massage if you can afford, so that Mom can really get the ultimate pampering experience! Be sure to book early as slots availability run fast on important days such as Mother’s Day for all spas, big or small.

If you can, pick up your Mom and send her to the spa yourself. Then, have a long lunch or dinner with her after her spa session and I’m sure Mom will remember this year’s Mother’s Day experience for a long, long time!

If you are unsure whether your Mom will be free on Mother’s Day, you can always give her a spa package gift voucher. Almost all spas will sell you a gift voucher so that you can pay for the spa package and give your mom the voucher which she can arrange a spa appointment directly with the spa at a later date. Be sure that the spa will honour the voucher for at least another 3 to 6 months when buying such a voucher from the spa.

If you know that your mom has never experienced a spa or massage previously, try to accompany her to the spa yourself. At the spa, let the massage therapist know that your mom has never visited a spa previously so that the therapist will make it a point to guide your mom and to let her feel at ease at all time.

If you have decided to pamper your mom to a spa session, then do hurry up! There’s less than a week to go before Mother’s Day!

I would not have come across this small but friendly spa boutique in Bangkok if I did not have a bad experience with another local spa. (See earlier article)

Relaxation Massage & Spa is a small spa boutique located on the 6th level of Big C Complex in Bangkok. The spa is located on the same level as the cineplex in the building.

As I stepped into the entrance, a smartly-dressed lady was sitting at the reception table talking over the phone in Thai. Although I did not understand a single word of Thai, but from her body language, I could tell she was trying her best to arrange an appointment with the other party.

While waiting for her to finish her conversation, she smiled at me and ushered me to take a seat at the waiting area and handed over their spa treatment price list. Shortly, she came over and explained to me their spa packages. To my surprise, she turned out to be the spa manager, and she spoke good English.

I told her my needs and she recommended their 2.5 hrs Herbal Rejuvenate Package which consisted of a Thai Herbal Scrub, Thai Herbal Bag Compress Treatment and a Traditional Thai Massage. I wanted a Thai traditional spa package and not having tried a Thai Herbal Compress Bag treatment previously, I agreed immediately.

It was almost 9pm when we walked into the spa and it closes at 10:30pm. The receptionist was very nice to ask if the therapists were willing to stay later than their usual working hours before committing to us. We were glad that they were willing to accommodate the extra late hours.

We started off with a a complimentary 15 mins floral foot bath. We then started on the Thai Massage and then it was the turn for the herbal bag treatment.

I was looking forward to the Thai Herbal Bag treatment. First, the Thai Herbal Bag was heated up in a hot pot. The therapist then used the hot Thai Herbal Massage Bag to quickly dabbed various parts of my back.

Ouch! That’s my first reaction but after a few seconds, as my body began to accept the hot body dabs, I began to enjoy the heat on my back as each dab began to stay longer and longer in one position. I was told that the herbal bag treatment is ideal for aching bones and joints, clearing blocked breathing passage ways and detoxifying the body.

I later read that this unique Thai Herbal Massage Bag or Luk Prakop (Thai hot compress) is one of the most interesting variety of the Thai Traditional massage. More than ten exotic Thai herbs (such as Lemongrass, Plai, Leech Lime, Curcuma, and Galangal) are pounded and put into small bags, heated up and then placed onto various body parts to relieve aches and pains. While under-going treatment, the Thai Herbal Massage Bag also gives a strong yet pleasant aroma.

At the end of the treatment, I was completely relaxed. I was very pleased with their service. The therapists did not do a rush job even though it was way beyond their working hours. I will strongly recommend this spa to fellow avid spa goers and will not forget to go back to them whenever I’m in Bangkok

Location of Spa:
6th Floor, Big C Rajchadamri (Opposite Central World Plaza)
Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Size of Spa: Three single treatment rooms, one open space of five beds for Thai Massage, 5 foot massage chairs
Facilities: Private Shower and jacuzzi
Friendliness: Extremely polite receptionist and massage therapists. Speaks good English.
Pricing: Ranges from US$18 to US$45 for massage only. Between US$85 to US$175 for spa packages. (The spa was having a 15% discount for spa packages when we were there)

Pix credit: http://www.wadudcorp.com

Thailand is well-known around the world for it’s polite people and good customer service standards. Spa and massage services are extremely popular among locals and tourists alike and there seems to be a small or large massage facility in every street in Bangkok offering the ever popular foot massage or Thai body massage.

Spa business is good and customer service has always been excellent where-ever you go; small and big massage facility alike. Until this one …

We were staying at the Amari Watergate hotel which is just a stone throw away from the Big C Complex, just opposite the Siam Square shopping mall. Both are popular tourist shopping malls and just next to the Big C Complex is the Indrana Spa.

Now, any seasoned tourist in Bangkok knows that if you’re looking for traditional Thai massage services, you can get them at any massage facility down the street and pay 1/3 the price for the same massage in a hotel spa. Unless you’re looking for Western-style massage services such as body wraps, aromatherapy, facials or hydro-massage, there’s really no need to use a hotel spa.

Indrana Spa is a fairly large non-hotel spa and I especially like their tag-line - 5 star massage services at 2 star prices. We walked into the spa and made enquiries with the receptionist. We were shown a spa menu and we deliberated about the packages we would like to take because the spa packages prices were indeed excellent. In fact, we were even planning our next few days activities around the spa packages we intend to take up here…

However, because of a prior dinner appointment, we decided that we’ll make our first treatment on the next day. What happen next shocked us … when the receptionist found out that we were not taking a spa package on the spot, the plastic smile she had on disappeared immediately and she literally snatched the menu from our hands! She continued to ignore us even when we were the only people at the reception area and wanted to tell her we were booking for tomorrow!

I had always recommended small and medium spa facilities in Bangkok because they offer excellent service at good prices. Never, ever had I been subjected to such rude and indifferent service attitude - expecially not so in Thailand!

Although this spa does indeed offer spa packages at good price, we decided to boycott this establishment. For the next few days, we bought multiple spa packages at an excellent spa establishment on the 6th floor of the Big C complex even though they cost more.

Spa consumers unite! Thumbs down to bad service!

Sivara Spa is a luxury chain spa exclusive to Amari Hotels and Resorts in various parts of Thailand (Bangkok, Koh Chang, Krabi, Patttaya, Phuket, Samui, Trang)

On my last trip to Bangkok, I stayed at the Amari Watergate and Sivara Spa is tucked away on the 8th floor of the hotel and facing the swimming pool and health centre.

The Sivara Spa at the Amari Watergate Hotel in Bangkok is newly renovated to a modern and contemporary Thai style. As you walk into the reception, you can find a delightful interplay of bronze “lotus flowers”, water walkways, stones, curtains, candlelight and flowers.

There are three spacious zen-themed double rooms and 5 single treatment rooms. Each of the themed double rooms is assigned to a signature treatment.

In the spa brochure own words, the various themes for the treatment rooms are:

The Mystical Forest room harnesses the spirit of the forest and allows guests to meditate on the power of nature. This botanically-inspired room features a tropical rain shower to wash away the stress of the day. The refreshing blends of essential oils used for the massages will leave the body feeling rejuvenated.

In Floral Bloom room, you can guarantee that tension will drain away and the spirit will be revived with a rose petal bath in this floral paradise. The fragrances of flowers will cleanse and purify your soul, whilst the ylang ylang, lavender and marjoram essential oils, used in the treatments, provide the ultimate feminine indulgence.

In the Herbal Inspiration room, the healing qualities of herbs - known for centuries, as nature’s gift to mankind - are combined with luxurious pampering.

I opted for the “Sarada Package” (2hrs) treatment which comprises a oil massage & facial. I was not keen to do a facial and the receptionist was flexible enough to change the facial to a body scrub instead.

From the lighting and temperature in the room, to the volume of music and pressure applied during massages or scrubs, the therapist was so caring and considerate for my entire treatment. The gentle therapist at the spa truly live up to the gracious spirit of the Thai’s spa culture.

For total relaxation, the Sivara Spa also offer a complete range of massage, spa, facial and body treatments. The selection of treatments include Thai and oil massages, body polishes and wraps, facials, and even a customized half day, full day, multi-days spa program. There is also the awesome 4-hands massage, which has become the signature treatment of high-end Thailand’s spa, but due to time constraints, I could not find time for this famous treatment.

The prices in the Sivara Spa are typical of hotel spas and are hence slightly on the high side. If you are a guest of the hotel, make sure you pick up a discount voucher at the hotel conceige which will entitle you to a 10% discount and a free floral foot bath.

Location of Spa: Amari Watergate Hotel, 847 Petchburi Road Bangkok 10400
Size of Spa: Three couple treatment rooms, five single rooms
Facilities: Private Shower and jacuzzi in couple’s room
Friendliness: Extremely polite receptionist and massage therapists
Pricing: Ranges from US$60 to US$120 for massage only. Between US$115 to US$220 for spa packages.

Here’s something interesting for fellow spa enthusiasts in a bargain hunting mood … a spa promotion online search directory.

This is how it works - supposing you are in the mood for a spa or massage session, and you jolly well know that spa establishments run promotions all the time - you look up on the internet: http://www.totallyspa.com, and bingo … you’re shown a list of spa establishments in Singapore that happens to be running a spa promotion! Just pick one and off you go happily!

This website is essentially a niche web search directory targetted to spas in Singapore. In their own words:

“totallyspa is your online source for Singapore spa promotions. Treat yourself to the many available treatments on promotion now.”

Nifty idea, isn’t it? Well, almost…

This website is useful if you are too lazy to check out various spa websites and so, you can find various promotions consolidated here on your behalf. However, I find their spa directory and promotions not comprehensive and seems to only cover spas that, I assume, has signed up for their directory services. If your favorite spa is not listed with them, you’ll not find their promotions even if they are indeed running a promotion.

The key attraction for this website is their spa promotions. However, I noted that these are standard spa promotions and not something at a even better pricing or discount. If I have a bookmark of my favourite spa websites or are on the mailing lists for these spas, the promotions I am likely to recieve from these spas will be as good if not better. Hence, this website may only be useful for the occasional spa customer and not hard-core spa and massage enthusiasts like myself or some of my readers.

However, I do appreciate the logic behind the website’s founders. What I can suggest to them is to expand their directory services to not only Singapore but the entire Asia region. Hence, if I intend to make a trip to Hong Kong, I will definitely do my research at this website because I am obviously not familiar with Hong Kong’s spa environment, much less the promotions being offered by Hong Kong spas.

I will also suggest that the website sign up independent writers or get readers to review the spa promotions that are offered. Due to competitive circumstances, almost every spa worthy of it’s name run price promotions almost everyday, and so it is important to differentiate the ordinary promotion from the really, special promotions.

In addition, not every reader go for promotions but some may choose a spa based on service, variety of treatments, location, ambiance and other reasons and hence, independent and well-written spa reviews may attract a reader more than the best price promotion. A poorly managed spa will still fail to attract customer despite the best price promotions!

Regardless, I must commend the website for their attempt in making spa promotions that are running wild all over the various medias into one consolidated location. If they can improve further based on some of my comments, then I am sure spa enthusiasts like myself will make this website a must-have reference in the future.

Pix credit: http://www.totallyspa.com

WASHINGTON (AFP) - - Drinking enough to quench your thirst is sufficient for the body’s needs, and there is no evidence to support the common advice to drink eight glasses of water a day, according to a new study.

“Just drink when you are thirsty,” was the advice from a study published Thursday in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

Doctors from the University of Pennsylvania said “there is simply a lack of evidence in general” that everyone should drink the recommended 1.5 litres of water a day.

Researchers Dan Negoianu and Stanley Goldfarb had examined the theory that drinking more water helped the kidneys flush more toxins from the body.

“So the question is does drinking more water increase these normal important functions of the kidneys. And the answer is no,” Goldfarb told NPR radio.

“In fact, drinking large amounts of water, actually and surprisingly, tends to reduce the ability of the kidney to function as a filter.”

Water has also been touted as an ideal aid to those who want to lose weight. But while drinking more helps dieters feel full, no clinical study has proved that it will help keep the weight off.

“There were some studies that suggested that in fact, calorie intake was reduced when individuals were given water prior to eating. Other studies suggested that it wasn’t,” Goldfarb added.

Increased water intake was only really justified in extreme cases, such as for athletes, people living in hot, dry climates and those suffering from particular illnesses.

Article credit: AFP - Friday, April 4
Pix credit: http://bizchicksrule.com

Bangkok has always been a popular holiday destination for tourists from all over the world. Bangkok is the ideal holiday city because it has great shopping bargains, wonderful food, excellent nightlife, pleasant people, fascinating culture and history, awe-inspiring temples and palaces, great massages and many more enticing features.

Tourists from all over Asia tend to make Bangkok a quick weekend getaway holiday destination while those from further away such as Europe or USA may spend weeks and even months in Bangkok and other parts of Thailand.

Accommodation standard in Bangkok can differ in quality and prices tremendously. Unfortunately, Bangkok also suffer from massive traffic jams, crowded and noisy streets, a polluted environment and constant hot sun or torrential downpour. Tourists, especially from non-Asia countries will find their energy and strength sapped quickly by the sun and the noisy and crowded environment.

Here’s a recommendation for good hotel accommodation to stay healthy and constantly re-charged in Bangkok. Check into this excellent Amari Watergate hotel! Here’s why I am recommending this hotel:

• Excellent location - Located in the middle of a shopping district so you never need to walk too far
• Short walking distance to the Skytrain - Bangkok’s mass rapid transit system to beat the traffic jam
• 5-star quality modern rooms and facilities
• Great breakfast spread every morning
• Street hawker food and excellent restaurants all round the hotel
• Excellent in-house swimming pool, gym, spa and health facilities

The hotel lay smack in the middle of a busy and noisy street intersection filled with street-side vendors, large shopping malls and besides the infamous Pantip Plaza computer mall and the Pratunam fashion warehouses.

Coming back to the hotel from all the noise, heat and people is often a relief in itself. And after a day or two of Bangkok, you’ll somehow want to find your oasis of peace and the Amari hotel offer exactly that. They have a good swimming pool, an excellent gym and studio, two squash courts as well as a health centre that is maintained by Clark Hatch fitness centre on the 8th floor of the hotel.

Sun-tan at the pool or work out on the gym machines or practise your Yoga at the studio. Or use the sauna, steam room or the hot-pool at the health centre. I guarantee that it will drain away all the exhaustion from all the walking and shopping as well as re-charge you for the next shopping session! I particularly like the health centre as it is brand-new and the hot jacuzzi even has a large 42″ LCD for you to relax to!

And if this is not enough to re-charge you, there’s always the Sivara Spa, an excellent quality spa located at the same level where you can further relax to. Try out the 4-hand massage if you dare… you’ll never want to try any other kind of massage after this!

Amari Watergate Hotel
847 Petchburi Road Bangkok 10400
Bangkok, Thailand
Tel. +66 (0) 2653 9000
Fax. +66 (0) 2653 9045

A personal home massage chair has suddenly become a vogue item to have at home.

A few years ago, some people would have purchased a massage chair at home because they may be suffering from back pain, neck pain, buttock pain, headaches, and even leg pain and stress and hence would want a chair to release some discomfort at home.

In those days, most chairs would be made from artificial leather and offer only one or two mode of massage - mostly vibration and kneading. Most of these chairs cannot fully recline and to be honest, most were not good-looking and may not blend well in a home if you are a fussy home maker.

Most chairs would have cost about US$1,500 to US$2,500, and were mostly bought by children as a gift to their elderly parents or by the elderly themselves.

Fast forward to today - and you’ll find that the trend of buying massage chair is not a one-time fancy or fad but instead, massage chair has almost become a vogue item to buy for the home.

No longer is the massage chair bought by children for their elderly parents but most likely by the children for themselves or for their new homes. The new massage chairs of today are likely to be made from real leather or suede, are good looking, can fully recline, has multiple massage functions and can even massage or vibrate in accordance to music or a movie!

Hence, some people will simply want a nice massage chair that looks good in their living room or office so that they can relax and just listen to their surround sound movie or music system! For others who are still keen on ‘real massage features’, new massage chairs today can perform all of these massage functions: -

Kneading – also known as “shiatsu”, kneading rolls outward from the spine and feels much like 2 hands alternately rubbing your back.

Percussion/Tapping – this is the light “karate chopping” on a client’s back that you’ve probably seen before on TV. Increased blood flow and muscle stiffness relief is the benefit gained. It feels wonderful.

Rolling - Basically, wheels just roll up and down the muscles on either side of your spine. Here are the benefits: 1.) gentle moving of the spinal bones, and 2.) stretching of the spine and the muscles around it.

Foot and calf massager - many of the new chairs have an attached ottoman that has a calf and foot massage feature administered by an airbag system. This feature is a real “must”, especially if you spend a good portion of your day on your feet.

Full recliner – if you want your massage to be as deep as possible, you need to get a massage chair that has a reclining feature. And the further back the recline, the greater the intensity of the massage.

Prices has not only not fallen over the years but have gone steadily up especially with a number of new features and are generally between US$1,500 to US$8,000 depending on leather quality and number of fancy mechanism. Most of these chairs are manufactured in Japan or China under a few big Japanese brands such as Sanyo and Panasonic. In other parts of Asia, local brands such as Osim, Oto, VGO, Omega has sprung up and are active sellers of the home massage chair and other home health products.

If you live far away from shopping malls or prefer to shop online, you can buy new massage chair recliners at a good price at this massage chair online site. This company offers a 90 refund policy, ships internationally, is managed by a doctor and carry most of the major and reputable brands. By far, this is one of the best on-line website for massage chairs I have seen.

I’m sure everyone of us had faced this before - going to work everyday and wishing we’re on holiday somewhere else! Yes, I face the same rut too; getting up every morning to go to work but in reality wishing I was on a spa holiday somewhere else, especially so when work is hectic and giving out too much stress!

Well, to stay motivated at work until the next holiday, here’s a video of a classy 6-star spa resort in ChiangMai, Thailand. Tip: Tell yourself you need to go to work to earn a pay to enjoy this!

Back pain is a very common ailment for moms, gardeners, blue-collar workers, weekend sports warriors and sedentary office workers. Most back pain sufferers have tried traditional pain relief like muscle rub creams, muscle relaxant pills, chiropractors, and even physical therapy. If your pain is still nagging you, massage should be something you are willing to investigate.

Healthcare professionals are recognizing the value of massage therapy and recommending to their patients to include massage therapy as part of their pain management treatment plan. Today, many healthcare professionals, are in favor of using massage therapy, in additional to more traditional treatments.

A study on back pain and massage therapy conducted in 2001 at the University of Miami found that massage does lessen lower back pain, depression, anxiety and improve sleep. It also showed that massage improved range of motion and improved serotonin and dopamine levels (as reported in the International Journal of Neuroscience, 106, 131-145).

Research shows that massage has the following benefits to those who suffer from back pain:

• It improves blood circulation, which aids in the relief of sore muscles from physical activity
• It relaxes muscles so that range of motion can be improved
• Relaxation also improves sleep, which can be a problem for those who suffer from back pain
• It increases endorphin levels. These endorphins are chemicals that the body produces to make you feel good and which helps to manage pain

The massage therapy that has been the most beneficial to lower back pain sufferers has been “neuromuscular therapy“. This therapy is also called “trigger point myotherapy“.

This massage technique uses alternating levels of concentrated pressure for the areas of spasming muscles. The therapists uses the fingers, knuckles and elbow to apply the pressure. The Japanese Shiatsu and Chinese TuiNa massage therapy employ such massage methods and are hence suitable for pain relief massage.

When someone is suffering from back spasms the muscles are painful to the touch. The muscle is lacking in blood flow, which causes the pain, due to an excess of lactic acid. The lactic acid makes the muscle feel sore especially after physical activity.

Massage relaxes the muscle, which in turn, releases the lactic acid from the muscle. Now the muscle should be receiving more blood and thus more oxygen. Some patients will feel initial pain until the lactic acid is released from the muscle. The therapist will respond to the physical level of pain as experienced by the patient. The therapist will adjust the pressure based on what the client tells them.

The massage should never be overly painful. The patient will usually describe the pain as being a “good pain” when describing the pressure. The patient should experience a fading of soreness following the therapy after a day or two.

Pix Credit: http://images.jupiterimages.com