We are here madam,” the soft, lilting voice woke me from deep slumber. We were finally at Chiva-Som, the much feted health and wellness spa in Hua Hin, Thailand. The soporific message delivered by the limousine driver was to become an intrinsic part of my routine, as my exhausted body was to later respond to all the massages and treatments by constantly falling asleep!

The nondescript entrance does not prepare you for the journey inside. Chiva -Som means ‘haven of life’ and cocooned from the world, the feeling of peace and well-being justifies the name. There is a no cell phone, no camera and no laptop computers rule while on the spa premises, which further bolsters the feeling of disconnect. For someone who is attached to all three via a metaphorical umbilical cord, I managed to sever all ties and survive. I discovered the computer in the library on the last day, but by then I was too blissed out to care.
I have to confess that I am not a spa person. Apart from celebrating 20 years of matrimony, I was really there to find out for myself what the fuss was all about. Post the experience, my husband and I would now like to celebrate every anniversary at Chiva-Som! The spa’s professional approach is what impresses the most. Even before we glided in through the gates, we had filled out forms declaring every conceivable ailment, physical, emotional, social as well as room preference, fragrance preference and what blanket, pillow, towels, toiletries we would prefer.
After the check-in formalities were complete, we were whisked off for the signature Chiva-Som massage and soon found ourselves firmly entrenched on the treadmill of activities that help to destress, relax and rejuvenate.

Chiva-Som adopts Western and Eastern techniques and has a multi pronged approach to well-being that incorporates holistic as well as health and fitness issues alongside spa facilities. The better half and I happen to be fitness buffs and while he decided to go for personal training sessions at the gymnasium, I decided to use the aqua route and got myself a trainer who took me through a rigorous session in the pool. Totally spent, I crawled through the next few days at yoga sessions and stretching classes. There was still kick boxing, pilates, tai chi...
“At least you have taken the first step and got your toe wet,” observed a lady in my meditation group. Meditation and I have been playing a cat and mouse game. But at Chiva-Som I finally gave in to curiosity and attended a couple of wonderful healing sessions.

One of them was conducted using music therapy. As I lay prone on the floor trying to ‘allow the sound waves to penetrate into my mind’ I was convinced that this was a load of mumbo jumbo. How was it possible not to listen to the music and to just feel the sound waves? By the time the third symphony filled the room, my body was acutely aware of the sound waves reverberating in the room. Unnerving to say the least.
The next day I was in a group session with a reiki master. His spot-on diagnosis of my aches and pains as well as the colours of my light visualisation, without my speaking a word, led me to finally accept that maybe, just maybe, it is not all mumbo jumbo.

In the computer-stress therapy, the physiotherapists, trained in Chiva-Som’s school in Bangkok for four years, use elbows and fingers to knead out tight muscles and stress areas of the body, along with back, neck, shoulder massages and soft tissue mobilisation sessions. We tried the deep cleansing facial to regenerate dead skin and a rebalancing facial for hormones gone awry. The salon is a popular destination for luxe manicure, pedicure and aloe hair treatments. On our second day, the cleansing cocoon which used spiced coffee beans and the revitalising cocoon which used a lemongrass and citrus scrub followed by a herbal Thai massage for me and an invigorating massage for my husband put us on a ‘massage high’ leaving me tripping by the time I soaked in a honey milk bath to wind up my day.