Spa Getaways: Where to Spa in Asia

Guests have come to expect a certain preeminence of the luxury Peninsula brand, and The Peninsula Bangkok, along the west bank of the Chao Phraya, appears to, indeed, exceed expectations of even the most discerning travelers. The Peninsula Spa, within a three-story, colonial-type building, sets a certain spa-going precedence, from the lavish design (with hints of Thai silk fabric, red brick, and wood) to the bespoke menu combining Ayurvedic, European, and Thai disciplines. Another impressive asset? The hotel’s three-tiered pool, surrounded by teak wood gazebos.

Learn more about The Peninsula Bangkok here.

Image courtesy of the Peninsula Bangkok

Indonesia is the setting for some of the world’s most exquisite spas devoted to a rich history of traditional herbal/spiritual medicines and healing arts. Among them is Bali’s COMO Shambhala Estate, a residential health retreat with a large staff—a resident nutritionist, Ayurvedic doctor, physiotherapist, naturopath, and fitness instructors—and personalized programs like stress management, weight management, and detoxification. The destination is supplied with water from The Source, a natural spring celebrated for its therapeutic offerings; the spa’s Kedara water garden is another unique component.

Learn more about COMO Shambhala Estate.

Image courtesy of COMO Shambahala Estate

Living the wellness life is easy at the riverfront Fuchun Resort, Hangzhou, surrounded by forested mountains, rolling countryside, and a working tea plantation. No matter which treatment you try at Fuchun Spa, it’s an experience exclusive to the property—and you can select from osmathus flower foot baths, pearl body scrubs, the Dragon Well-Foot Treatment (incorporating tea leaves freshly plucked from the on-site plantation), and more. Treatment rooms come with steam showers and changing spaces, and a spa villa features water views and a private outdoor whirlpool.

Learn more about Fuchun Resort, Hangzhou.

Image courtesy of Leading Spas of the World

The spectacular Asian spa road extends to Vietnam, where you can visit The Nam Hai in the city of Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Not only do you have access to almost a mile of white-sand beach and views of the East Sea, you’ll be truly inspired at the on-site spa. Treatment villas border a lotus pond—each with a private changing area, chromatherapy bath, and steam shower—while a relaxation lounge overlooks a lagoon.

Learn more about The Nam Hai, Hoi An, Vietnam.

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Next we head to the Philippines, home to The Farm at San Benito. Set in the foothills of Mount Malarayat, 1,025 feet above sea level, this Batangas destination for wellness holidays and healing retreats (detoxification and internal cleansing are big here) won the 2012 Senses Award for Best Medical Wellness Resort—a first for the Philippines. Its team of integrated medical physicians, therapists, movement consultants, and living food chefs customize programs for you, and the spa’s collection of Asian-inspired treatments uses all-natural, organic, homemade products.

Learn more about The Farm at San Benito.

Image courtesy of The Farm at San Benito

The reigning Crystal Winner for “Best of Asia” in the 2012 SpaFinder Wellness Readers’ Choice Awards is pure wellness. On the Gulf of Thailand, the beachfront Chiva-Som, meaning “haven of life,” provides healthy living and luxury rolled into one; one of Asia’s first destination spas, there is an extensive (and we mean extensive!) range of beauty, medical, and wellness treatments to try.

Learn more about Chiva-Som.

Image courtesy of Chiva-Som

The list of reasons we love Willow Stream Spa at Fairmont Singapore is a lengthy one, so we’ll just share the cliffs notes: one of the largest spas in southeast Asia; bespoke treatments of the Willow Stream brand blended with local traditions; VIP couple’s suites with private Jacuzzis and aromatherapy steam rooms; meditation alcoves; a hydrotherapy room; and a steam therapy capsule.

Learn more about Willow Stream Spa at Fairmont Singapore.

Image courtesy of Fairmont Singapore

Spas in Japan are steeped in age-old traditions of mind-body wellness and the tiniest detail is paid close attention. Bloom Spa Toya follows this sense of history, with signature rituals that celebrate the region’s seasonal ingredients (the Wisdom of Ainu program uses medicinal herbs from the indigenous Ainu people), and traditions like the onsen, a sukiya-style hot spring. There is also a bathing area with Japanese cypress and stone baths, and a couple of treatment rooms overlook Lake Toya.

Learn more about Bloom Spa Toya at Windsor Hotel Toya.

Image courtesy of Bloom Spa Toya at Windsor Hotel Toya

An insatiable collection of customized treatments captures spa-goers at this rainforest-enveloped organic retreat on Berjaya Hills, set 3,000 feet above sea level. With a design influenced by the 18^th-century “Haut Koenigsbourg” French castle, this Malaysian property calls itself the world’s first organic spa and wellness resort, and its La Santé spa is the jewel in its crown. Treatment spaces include an aroma hydro pool, herbal bath, and Aquaveda massage bed, and a salt grotto comes embedded with Swarovski crystals.

Learn more about The Chateau Spa & Organic Wellness Resort.

Image courtesy of The Chateau Spa & Organic Wellness Resort

Hong Kong is home to some fabulously high-end resorts and hotels, but The Landmark Mandarin Oriental established itself from the get-go, leading the pack with cutting-edge amenities and the Mandarin Oriental brand’s signature touch. Its Oriental Spa takes up two floors with a decadent lineup of fixtures (including a Bastien Gonzalez PEDI: MANI: CURE Studio), and you’re more than welcome (in fact, encouraged) to arrive early to enjoy the heat and water circuit, which includes the vitality pool and amethyst crystal steam room.

Learn more about The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong.

Image courtesy of The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong

We’re not sure what’s better—the overwater spa or access to a private island—but what a fabulous debate to have! The all-villa Constance Halaveli, located in the North Ari Atoll, along the Maldives’ longest water villa jetty, boasts Le Spa de Constance, perched on stilts above the turquoise lagoon waters. Walk a wooden jetty to the spa, where you’ll discover not only an über-sophisticated design, but black- and white-pebbled thermal plunge pools, a beauty salon, sauna, and high-tech, anti-aging skincare services by Swiss-brand Valmont.

Learn more about Le Spa de Constance at Constance Halaveli Resort.

Image courtesy of Leading Spas of the World

Fivelements, Puri Ahimsa, is a place of true enchantment, where activities like yoga, martial arts, and meditation take place against a mesmerizing backdrop of the Ayung River, forested hillsides, and cascading waterfalls. Spa services uphold time-honored traditions and commemorate organic, plant-based wild extracts—petals, harvested flowers, spices and herbs—freshly picked and prepared prior to treatment using ancient usadha herbal recipes in the spa’s laboratorium.

Learn more about Fivelements, Puri Ahimsa.

Image courtesy of Fivelements, Puri Ahimsa