We all know the drill, at the end of every spa treatment you’re presented with a relaxing herbal tea and a form asking you to fill out your thoughts about what’s just happened. Most of us just rush through the form (the last thing you want to do after a treatment is use your brain power to evaluate something) and tick the good or excellent box without caring or really thinking. That is, unless you’ve had a really bad or a body-blowingly good experience.
It takes the perfect balance of elements to elevate your average massage into one of greatness, and Le Veranda’s simple named Le Spa ticks all the boxes perfectly. It’s so good you actually want to write in the comment section of the form to tell them so.
Welcome
A warm smile meets your arrival. The delicate smell of Lotus Flower No.3, La Veranda’s signature scent, hits you you. A crisp, refreshing welcome drink of lemongrass is served and treatment choices are presented to you. Staff are on hand to provide further detail, descriptions and recommendations – we were gently steered toward the ‘holistic’ after consultation, and boy, we were not disappointed.
Décor and Ambience
Le Spa is all minimalist elegance and sophistication. Furnished with gentle, unobtrusive hues of turquoise and yellow, from the moment you enter, a zen-like calm seems to fall over you. This is even before the expert massage (more of that later).
Furniture forgoes excessive frippery in favour of a slicker finish, which, for us, is just right for a humid climate.
Treatment
The list is varied without succumbing to the more far-out language often favoured by the industry. Clarity of description and helpful staff negate the fear one is usually gripped with when presented with the paradox of choice.
With wellness a watchword of the resort, and every fine detail tailored with this in mind, we chose the holistic massage treatment. Other options include skin beautification packages, as well as more medically inclined neuromuscular treatments, but the holistic seemed apt according to the vibe of the resort.
The massage itself takes place in a room refreshingly simple in design. Low plucks of harp provide a perfect, serene soundtrack and beds are just the right side of firm. The aroma of the resort’s artisanal organic oils smell wonderful. Often a complaint for us, but certainly not here, the headrest was soft and giving, keeping any hint of discomfort at bay.
The main event was a lesson in skill, professionalism and serenity. No aches were left unseen to during the 90 minute session, the masseuses experts in the soft, attentive holistic approach. Constant contact was maintained and at times the movements of the professional were so graceful and elegant it felt as though we were dancing. Genuinely, this was the finest massage we’ve experienced. A 10/10 knockout.
Why Go
Everyone deserves a bit of relaxation time occasionally, that’s why you come to Phu Quoc after all. So go the whole hog and treat yourself do one of the best massages you might ever have.
We were told a new spa is under construction and will be open in 3 to 4 months, in time for the island’s high season. If this is suggestion that the superb experience could be improved, we may well have to come back and visit!
To book (just do it) and for information visit: www.laverandaresorts.com
IDEAL Magazine’s treatment was courtesy of La Veranda