Arriving for our first ever visit, the tropical heat is a welcome contrast to freezing weather we have left behind in the UK. The humid warmth envelops us like a blanket as we leave Changi Airport for the short drive into the city and two nights in one of its most superlative hotels, the Grand Hyatt.
Our room on the 15th floor is spacious and comfortable with goose down duvets, city views and state-of-the-art technology. We are close to Orchard Road, Singapore's famous tree-lined boulevard of fashion emporia, but with only 48 hours in the city, I won't have time to hit the malls or designer boutiques. Instead of shopping, I'm spa-ing and visiting seven city spas during my short stay.
My first spa experience is at Damai, the Grand Hyatt's lovely spa. Damai (meaning peace in Malay and Indonesian) reflects the Singapore lifestyle by combining the healing philosophies, techniques and spa traditions of the city's Chinese, Malay, Indian and European cultures. Damai has 11 spacious treatment rooms furnished and decorated in restful neutral colours. Each has its own sound system, water feature and outdoor garden. There's also a couple's suite with twin massage beds and a deep stone tub overlooking a cascading water terrace. The spa menu includes Chinese Qi, European hydrotherapy, ayurvedic therapies and traditional Malay and Indonesian massage.
To ease my jet lag, therapist Jackie suggests I have the Damai Orchid signature treatment - a pressure point massage that eases tiredness, lifts the spirits and improves energy flow to the head and body. I select healing Malay oils for the massage and the treatment begins with a warm lime and sea salt footbath. I then succumb to 90 minutes of divine relaxation, during which I drop off to sleep about three times. Afterwards, when Jackie brings me ginger tea, she reassures me that I didn't snore that much!
We are too weary to explore the city, so we reserve a table in StraitsKitchen, the Hyatt's informal buffet restaurant in a contemporary market place' setting. Dining here is like a multicultural gastronomic tour, with chefs on hand to cook delicious dishes to order from Chinese, Malay and Indian show kitchens. The ambience is lively, the service second to none and you can eat as much as you like. Even the crockery comes in unusual shapes, colours and textures. StraitsKitchen is a busy popular venue and our favorite dining experience in Singapore. Great for people watching' too!
Next morning, we meet up with Wong Wee Tee, our petite Singaporean guide, for our spa marathon.' We start with a visit to Spa Botanica, Singapore's first garden destination spa. Located on Sentosa, Singapore's little getaway island, the spa is a world away but only ten minutes from the city center. Sentosa is accessible by road, but it is more fun to travel by cable car from Mount Faber, taking in the views of the city and the South China Sea. The spa is tucked away in the tropical gardens of the Sentosa Resort and has 15 indoor treatment rooms named after local spices and six outdoor ones named after local flowers.
Spa Botanica is famous for its outdoor spa facilities, and these include Singapore's only mud pools, float pools with cascading waterfalls, steam and mud detox baths and two labyrinths, designed for meditative walks to relax mind and body.
Spa rituals and treatment packages use local herbs, flower balms and essential oils. Exclusive treatments include the Singapore Flower Ritual and my personal favourite Jungle Rain, a heavenly massage by the warm water jets of a Vichy shower. All treatments include use of indoor and outdoor spa facilities.
The Garden, the spa's bright and airy restaurant is worth a visit. The d
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