There's something spa-cial here for your body and soul

It seems you just stepped into solace. There’s a fountain with a meditative flow of water that pours from pot to pot. Calm is in the air. Women attend to you, bringing you warm tea. And then, they usher you into a hallway where the tender face of Buddha awaits.

At the Balinese Spa in Festival Supermall, Alabang, Buddha’s philosophy for finding nirvana lives on. In this quaint Balinese style-spa, the mood is sensual and soothing. The ceiling and doors are made of native nipa that blends with Indonesian-style decor. The lighting throughout the spa gives off a warm glow. And the music can send any weary soul to peaceful sleep.

The Balinese Spa opened its first branch at the Liberty Center in Mandaluyong before opening its latest branch at the Festival Supermall late last year. It’s been known to offer various Indonesian-style massages that are usually done with fragrantly scented virgin coconut oil, which is specially made for the spa.

For my weekend nirvana at the Balinese Spa, I opt for two body treatments: a body scrub with honey and a Balinese massage. My visit begins with a trip to the sauna. It’s 15 minutes of sitting in a warm wooden chamber, where there’s therapeutic heat. After this comes a refreshing cold shower and then, the relaxing treatments begin.

The Balinese Spa’s body scrub treatment lasts for a full hour, where your therapist rubs and massages a cream-based exfoliating honey mixture all over your body. A gentle scrub is done. After it’s been rinsed off, your skin is left feeling smooth, silky, and glowing.

The Balinese Spa’s massage treatment includes a full body massage and foot reflexology. The massage is done with long, soothing strokes and some body stretching. This method helps smooth out a lot of body aches and pains.

The Balinese Spa also has other equally soothing massages. There is the one-hour signature full body massage, which one can choose to have with or without massage oil. And there are also the stone healing massage, back massage, Balinese massage, and the Legong massage, which is done with two therapists working simultaneously to soothe one’s body.

Or you can opt to have a foot massage, foot and back massage, foot scrub, body wrap, and a body scrub with stone massage.

Indeed, at the Balinese Spa, you can ooh and aah your way to nirvana.

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The Balinese Spa’s Liberty Center branch is currently on renovation. Meanwhile, you can visit the spa’s newest branch at the second floor of Festival Supermall, Alabang, beside Union Jack Tavern.