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The Twinpalms Spa is located within the Twinpalms Resort located at Surin Beach, Phuket, Thailand. Like the hotel, the spa is elegantly designed with a modern and clean touch that adds calmness and serenity to any guest that walks in. (For reviews on the hotel itself, please see earlier article)

As a guest of the resort, we were given a 15% discount voucher if we take up any spa treatment within a day of arrival? Why only a day? I guess Phuket has a proliferation of good spas and if the in-house spa fail to capture your business within a day, you’re likely to have found a good spa elsewhere…

We were served a cold tea and towel upon walking into the spa. Typical of Thai spas, we were enthusiastically greeted with the Thai greeting of “Sawadeeka”. The spa menu indicate that the spa provides a wide range of treatment and some of the more interesting spa treatments include mud-wraps, cream bath, body masks, clay wrap, coffee scrubs to the usual facial, massage, body scrubs and manicure/pedicure treatments.

The massage rooms were reasonably big with a separate changing room and toilets. Some rooms also have a private in-house jacuzzi.I chose a Scent of the Ocean spa package which included a Mud body wrap and a Palm Spa Deep Pore Facial. Warm mud was applied to my body and followed by heated blankets. I was kept ‘under wrap’ for more than 30 minutes and was told that the wrap relieves body tension, aids in detoxification and helps to retain body fluid.

For the facial, I was put under the jet of a continuous stream of steam followed by a deep facial cleanse and a face mask. I certainly feel so clean and fresh after these two treatments.

I was also given a short shoulder and back massage before being lead to the resting area for tea and hot towels. All in, it was a nice and relaxing session especially having just landed in Phuket and checking into the hotel.

I must say that treatment prices are high in comparison to non-hotel or resort spas that are available around almost every corner in Phuket. As an example, my 2-hour spa package cost about US$155, which is pretty high by Thailand standard. However, the high quality of service, the spa’s ambience’s and the 15% discount voucher made it an acceptable choice.

Location of Twinpalms Spa
Twinpalms Hotel, 106/48, Moo3, Surin Beach Road, Cherng Talay, Phuket 83110, Thailand
Size: Mid size spa with mostly private couple’s suite. Hydro-massage bath and jacuzzi available in most rooms.
Facilities: Large massage rooms. Reception and rest area. Separate hair and beauty treatment room.
Friendliness: Polite staff and good massage therapists.
Pricing: Starts from US$50 for a facial, wrap, bath or body massage. Various spa and beauty packages available and starts from US$160.

The ginger plant has a long history of domestic cultivation and is thought to have originated in China and then to India, Southeast Asia, West Africa and the Caribbean.

Ginger is commonly used as a cooking spice in Chinese and South-East Asian culinary. Ginger is a pungent food that promotes energy circulation and increases the metabolic rate.

However, in the medical world, Ginger has been an important component used in Chinese and Asian medicine for both external and external use for many centuries. Ginger is most commonly known for its effectiveness as a digestive aid. It helps to relieve indigestion, diarrhea and stomach cramping. It is known to increase vital energy and balance our internal ‘chi’.

In the wellness realm, Ginger has been used widely to effectively stimulate circulation of the blood, remove toxins from the body, cleanse the bowels and kidneys and nourish the skin.

You can always find treatments like the Ginger Scrub and Ginger Wrap in a spa menu especially in a spa that specialises in Javanese or Balinese massage. In Indonesia, it is believed that ginger can also help to relieve aching muscle and detox your body. In fact, a ginger scrub and wrap is also a popular Indonesian post-natal treatment for women who had just given birth as it helps to reduce the body from being bloated and clear toxins from the body system.

The sweet aroma from a ginger scrub will also help your mind de-stress and in turn relax and rejuvenate your body. No wonder Ginger Scrub and Ginger Wrap have been very popular with spa goers in the past few years.

So after hearing so much wonders about ginger, I finally decided to try out the Ginger Scrub and Ginger Wrap. When I walked into the treatment room, the fragrance of ginger was already in the air. A bowl of crushed ginger was being heated over a burning candle. The masseur started by gently rubbing the heated fresh ginger on my back. As she moved along to the other part of the body, she kept asking if the ginger scrub was too hot for my body. When she finished, she gently wrapped my entire body with clear sheets and led me to a steam room. I was asked to stay in the steam room for half an hour. She explained that with the aid of the heat in the steam room, the purifying, detoxifying and hydrating process of the body under the effect of the ginger wrap will be enhanced!

The stimulating effects of the ginger scrub was an awakening experience to the skin. The Ginger Wrap is supposed to help reduce “wind” from my body and burn fats. No wonder I was perspiring like crazy. I should remember to weigh myself before and after a ginger scrub and wrap the next time!

After a warm shower and a 60 mins massage, I really felt so much lighter and refreshed. I highly recommend that you should add a Ginger scrub and wrap to your next spa visit especially if you are into detoxification or weight loss!