sd’s world tour

February 13

Today, we were a little sad because we had to leave Phi Phi.  Since we had to check out at noon, but our boat to Phuket wasn’t until 3:30, our activity was obvious: spa!

We had gone back and forth on whether we should do a spa treatment in Phi Phi.  Our hotel was the most expensive of the ones we stayed at in Asia, so should we really add to the cost?  I can now safely say that it was the best 3000 baht I have ever spent in my life.  Since we both had gotten a little bit more sun than we wanted, we both opted for the soothing body wrap and facial.  It lasted two hours and I have never been more relaxed in my entire life.  Since many of you have told me you are living vicariously through me, I hope you can vicariously enjoy the treatment. 

First, we were brought to separate (thank goodness – again, lots of nakedness) bungalows for our treatments.  The room was lovely, with a shaded view over the bay.  And it smelled like . . . well, I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it smelled like relaxation.  Lemongrass.  Jasmine.  I got in my warm milk Jacuzzi for about twenty minutes.  Then I lay on a massage table that was covered with a gigantic body-sized piece of saran wrap.  The masseuse covered my entire body with a crushed cucumber . . . relish?  She wrapped the plastic wrap around me, followed by a sheet, and covered me with a sarong and left me to soak for 30 minutes.  It kind of felt like I was marinating in a bowl of gazpacho.  (Oddly, Maura said the exact same thing.)  It felt wonderfully cooling, but strangely not cold.  (Maura did not agree with that.)

After the luxurious thirty minutes of soaking, she unwrapped me and sent me off to the outdoor shower to rinse off.  So nice and warm.  And necessary as I had cucumber in places.  Then I lay back down on the massage table.  I was face down and, looking through the face hole in the table, I saw there was a large bowl directly under me full of floating jasmine.  They just thought of everything.  She gave me the most relaxing massage I have ever had.  Not a rough and tumble to force out knots.  More like non-sexual, full-body heavy petting with oil.  It was basically a very relaxing way to get lotion on my burned spots. 

She then began my facial.  At this point, I was so relaxed that my body felt numb.  Normally, in massages and the like, I will suddenly realize that some part of my body is tense.  Today, I kept trying to find my tense spots, but there were none.  If I were any more relaxed, my body would have disintegrated.  I would have melded with the table.  Then, after she put my mask on, she brushed and braided my hair.  Ahh, hair out of face.  After the mask was off and the massage was done, she pulled the rest of my hair into a tight bun and put a jasmine flower in the back.  I felt so pretty.  I looked a little less pretty.  Aside from my moony, relaxed face, I looked all the world like a tourist in Tijuana.    

***

So, all in all, we loved loved Phi Phi Island Village Resort, even after we got the bill.  It was luxurious without being decedent and peaceful without being boring.  We tried to think of exactly how to describe it, and I hit on “rustic elegance.”  We highly recommend it to honeymooners or anyone who likes happiness. 

Just so I don’t effuse for pages, here are our top five complaints about the resort:

1)      When we arrived, a lovely boat of fruit awaited us in our bungalow.  But then they never replenished it and eventually even took the boat away.  Sure, we could get free fruit in the main area, but that was like, a five minute walk.

2)      Re: free fruit – more bananas, please!

3)      Ugh, they don’t have the delicious banana jam for sale in the gift shop. 

4)      What was up with that barge parked in the bay for 20 hours.  It really affected our view and annoyed us.

5)      Mean yoga instructor.  Boo.