It’s much more enjoyable to work on your health and wellbeing when you have the company of an amazing spa and specialists to usher you through the process. The past few years have represented a complete sea change in the way we think and talk about wellness, and wellness retreats have spiked in popularity as they have become one big piece of the puzzle in keeping our minds as well cared for as our bodies.
The serene Orchid Lounge
I decided to reset and recalibrate at one of the world’s most acclaimed wellness spas—Chiva-Som, located in the seaside town of Hua Hin in Thailand, three hours north of Bangkok. It’s hard to imagine anything more reinvigorating than a few days at this health-centric resort. As you are taken away from your normal daily life (that means no mobile phones), you can work on forming strategic health, spiritual, and wellbeing goals. It is a place where you can get away from it all—while getting back to yourself.
Chiva-Som, Asia’s first comprehensive wellness resort, opened its doors in 1995, and has been well ahead of its game ever since. The destination spa is still considered to be at the forefront of wellness, especially since emerging from a five-year, $20 million refurbishment under the guidance of founder and ex-Prime Minister Boonchu Rojanastien’s son, Krip. Legendary designer Ed Tuttle has introduced contemporary touches that balance the original dark-wood interiors—burnished-gold ceiling details bring a soft glow to the 54 guest rooms, which now contain pale, soothing bamboo and silk furnishings in mellow teals and sun-beached blues. It boasts vast marble foyers and modern luxurious rooms, with a relaxed Thai-inspired twist looking out to a two-mile tranquil white sand beach.
Whether it is for weight loss, cardiovascular health, longevity or for a healthy mindset—Chiva-Som equips you with the tools to make a positive change, in a supported, not to mention a 5-star luxurious environment. The beachfront property has six modalities, offering guests the opportunity to focus on their fitness, spa treatments, nutrition, physiotherapy, aesthetic beauty, or holistic elements. Personalized programs and treatments are designed for each guest, blending Eastern philosophies with Western diagnostic skills.
My Chiva-Som Spa Experiences
On the spa menu: South Indian massage
With more than 200 treatments on the spa menu, my “go to” was the the Quantum Healing treatment which combines both physical touch and energy healing. The use of energy during the massage not only serves to increase the therapeutic and energy work, but also allows for a deeper state of healing and relaxation. The therapist, using warmed, carefully selected white jade stones and therapeutic oil, uses massage techniques to relieve muscular tension while releasing trapped emotions.
I also had Energetic Cranial Therapy incorporating the Masa Method technique which uses traditional face brushes which stimulate, activate, and increase immunity. Through the release of tension and apparent relocation of the temporal bones, my face felt more sculptured and my cheekbones more elevated. The Spa and Physiotherapy treatment rooms now include a new hydrotherapy suite and flotation chamber, and the Bathing Pavilion has a new sun-bed area, changing rooms, plus a new hydro pool. The retreat’s old gym felt dated, but now there is a huge functional fitness area, an altitude chamber, and a state-of-the-art rehabilitation studio. A standout treatment is TECAR massage therapy, which utilizes a machine to send a high-frequency current through muscles to relax and repair them.
“Chiva-Som equips you with the tools to make a positive change in a supported environment.”
Chef Sinchai
The team of experts offer state-of-art Longevity Genomic Testing which looks at the ways in which your genes interact and how those interactions can affect your health. Testing your genetic predisposition for conditions such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes, cancer, or heart disease, provides strategic insight, and the opportunity to proactively manage your health and lifespan.
Uber-talented, head executive chef, Sinchai Srivipa, remains onboard and oversees the creative direction and development of the celebrated, pioneering wellness cuisine for which the resort has won international acclaim. Chef Sinchai’s Thai cooking technique fuses technical sophistication with cooking finesse developed to ensure dishes are high in nutrients, low in sugar, salt, and saturated fat, and packed full of flavor. My absolute favorite was the Chiva-Som Miang Kham which are the infamous betel leaves wrap.
The True Essence of Wellbeing
A stay at Chiva-Som leaves you not only feeling fitter and healthier, but also happier and in a more positive frame of mind. Guests leave with take home skills and a mindset that is determined to stick to healthier habits—myself included.
“Above all, enjoy your life,” is what founder Boonchu Rojanastien said when he first envisioned Chiva-Som almost three decades ago. He recognized that finding joy and cherishing every moment is the true essence of wellbeing.
Chiva-Som also recently opened its much-anticipated doors to Zulal Wellness Resort in Qatar. The combination of the famous Chiva-Som DNA with traditional Arabic medicine is highly tempting.
Marianne Vicelich
Australia-based Marianne Vicelich is a travel journalist who specializes in writing about luxurious wellness and spa destinations. She is a prolific author of 12 books, including her latest wellness book, "The Longevity Game." She has been featured on the BBC London, E News, NBC Network, and Bravo TV, among others, and in magazines including Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, and Marie Claire.