At the heart of The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat, you will find various health treatments to lift you out of a rut. The resort’s Spa & Wellness Centre offers more than 40 types of holistic treatments and therapies inspired by the ancient practices of Malay, Chinese and Indian cultures. These include Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurvedic treatments, Malay ramuan spa and various well-being massages, facials, body treatments, cleansing therapy and more.
The Banjaran’s Spa & Wellness Centre prides itself for using a combination of natural ingredients, pure extracts and essential oils for its treatments along with sustainable practices in respect of its natural surrounding. During a recent stay, editor-in-chief, Cai Mei and myself had the opportunity to try out The Banjaran Signature Massage, which is touted to be body and soul reviving.
Our sessions started off with a quick consultation on where our sore points are, what are our health concerns, how we’d like our massage pressure, etc. While we ticked off the questionnaires, we were served special ginger tea that was refreshing to the taste buds. We were then led to our respective private villas to begin the treatment.
Here’s how the experience was like for each of us:
Editor-in-chief, Cai Mei
“With wellness as the main focus at The Banjaran, you can expect a comprehensive spa menu that lists massages and spa treatments from Malay, Chinese and Indian cultures. Alongside Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) therapies such as acupuncture and cupping (if it’s good enough for Michael Phelps, it’s good enough for us), you can also experience Ayurvedic massages and traditional Malay packages that include ‘mandi bunga’ (flower bath) and urut (traditional Malay massage).
“No wellness getaway is complete without a visit to the spa so I opted for The Banjaran Signature Massage, 90 minutes of utter bliss that combines an Indian head massage, traditional Malay urut massage and Chinese pressure-point foot therapy. Using a mixture of long firm strokes and pressure-point techniques, my therapist eased out the knots and tightness in my muscles gently but firmly. The massage oil was mixed with the Banjaran Signature Essential oil, which lulled me into a state of calm and relaxation, and had me emerging from my spa treatment suite feeling a sense of lightness and ease.”
Deputy editor, Gwen Ong
“To begin the treatment, I was seated at the chair where my therapist started with the Indian head massage. The massage is based on the Ayurvedic practice to relieve the tension in the upper back, shoulders, neck, scalp and face. Traditionally, this massage is used to realign the body’s chakras or paths of energy to encourage healing and balance. The rhythmic movements were divine as I felt the strains being eased out of my stressed areas.
“Moving on to the spa bed, I was ready and completely relaxed for the body massage based on traditional Malay urut techniques. The urut combines stretching and deep tissue massage using long kneading strokes and pressure. It features slow, flowing motion that promotes lymphatic circulation and enhances the immune system. This was boosted by the traditional herbal oil used, which has warming and detoxifying properties. The therapist took great care in focusing on my problem areas – my shoulders and neck were stiff from long hours on the laptop. She alternated between soft and hard strokes to unknot my tension and stresses.
“Following this, the therapist proceeded with the Chinese pressure-point foot therapy. This form of foot reflexology is said to help open up the body’s meridians to ease stress, improve circulation and release toxins. Overall, I was comforted by my therapist’s skilled techniques and her attention to my problem areas that I felt renewed after.”
To experience The Banjaran Signature Massage or any other treatment, check out thebanjaran.com
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