Cheapest reflexology in town: $10 spa

Just when I thought I have found the cheapest one hour reflexology treatment last month (see Haniesah Spa Kiulap $15) a friend of mine showed me one spa which only costs a mere sum of $10! Of course, I can’t wait to try the cheapest reflexology treatment in town.

I just discovered the mini spa joints and outlets in Batu Besurat – and there is even one building that accommodates four spas! Talk about stiff competition! Hence some spas follow the I have the cheapest treatment to attract people to come and try out the treatments on offer. The cheapest reflexology treatment at the time of writing is at Treatmine Health Care, Batu Besurat.

Here is my review of Treatmine Health Care:

First Impressions:

Well just by looking at the price, I didn’t expect much from the spa except for the foot treatment itself. It is actually a bit difficult to locate the spa in Batu Besurat and the roads can be quite confusing especially to go and about. Finally, I was to locate the spa on the first floor of the building complex, the stairs leading up to the spa aren’t really flattering. It was dark and poorly lit and the door was not welcoming. It didn’t exude the sense of stepping into another world, that escape from the real world that you yearn for every time you enter a spa.

How did they welcome you?

Not much – I was not greeted at all with the empty reception. It left me wandering around for two minutes before being one of the employees asking what treatment I would like. He then showed me a list of treatments available such as a list of $10 treatments which includes ear candling, neck & shoulder massage, the signature foot reflexology and other treatments. All you have to do is to avail yourself around 10am until 4pm to get the off peak prices. I chose the foot reflexology from a friend’s recommendation.

As you can see from the blurry picture above, the spa area is pretty basic, it involves a cushy-sofa bed and where you lay your legs on when you experience the foot reflexology treatment. The therapist did not speak any word of English or Malay. My futile attempts to communicate with the therapist which included adjusting the pressure of the massage was unsuccessful. I finally had to just try to enjoy the foot reflexology treatment however in my mind was restless thinking critically whether paying cheap means I have to get a much less enjoyable spa time.

There’s also the problem with the ergonomics of the chair itself, the place where you rest your head and neck is way too low for my neck to rest, this led to a mild sprain on my neck afterwards! It does spoils the reason why you would go to a spa in the first place.

Verdict: 3/10 since cheap price I’ll give an extra point so 4/10

Treatmine Health Care

Lot 7753 Unit 8 Block A

1st floor, Jln Batu Besurat

Call in 245-0316

Zen spa escapades

I know I have told myself that I will not be coming to Zen Spa after the horrid experience of the Touch of Zen massage, their signature treatment but I felt that my review was not an accurate representation of the spa. On my return to the spa, they were very apologetic about my experience and they have noted that the therapist was transferred to another branch.

What I like about Zen Spa is the design of their interiors and the shower and steam room facilities available to the customers. This shows that Zen Spa is serious and after all they are the pioneers that paved the way towards the explosion of spas we see today.

 

Foot Scrub and Masque treatment $25

This was my first treatment after the Touch of Zen massage I tried last year, I kept telling myself perhaps if I choose a different therapist the experience would be different. I often hear rave reviews from my friends who tried Zen Spa, maybe I was just unlucky on that day.

I was offered a selection of fruit juices and herbal teas prior to the treatment, I chose the juice option. I was shocked to find that there were ants on my juice! Not good – I was not impressed even before the treatment starts! I mean in spa like Zen Spa, this little things cannot be overlooked. Anyway, the Foot Scrub and Masque treatment starts off with getting my feet soaked in soapy water to get rid of the germs and dirt and also to soften the soles of the feet. Then the therapist applied the clay masque liberally to my feet and was left on for 15 minutes, during this time the therapist gave a complimentary head, shoulder and back massage. I am beginning to relax and forget the fruit juice fiasco earlier.

Then the foot scrub: where my foot was filed and I start to see the hard skin shed off by the vigorous filing and scrubbing leaving my both of feet soft and smooth. Not bad, although you could actually do this on your own at home. Body Shop offers DIY foot filer, pumice and nail buffer at a fraction of the cost of the above treatment.

Verdict: 6/10

 

Aromatherapy Swedish Massage $35

I haven’t try the Swedish Massage in Zen Spa before, with a different therapist this time – I expected it to be better this time around. Swedish Massage involves long, continuous strokes of the whole body and was invented with lymphatic drainage in mind. The toxins accumulated in body are swept along the lymphatic nodes thus creating flow and balance.

At the end of the massage treatment, the muscles are relaxed and your well being improved. The question is whether the Swedish Massage is better than the Swedish offerings in other spas. With the $35 price, it is more expensive than Shiatzen Spa which offered the Swedish massage and the Swedish/Shiatsu combination massage.

The masseuse starts working on light strokes on my back and shoulders to reduce the tension of the muscles. And then the legs and arms. The music ambience was relaxing but it tend to be repetitive, the music played at the time of the treatment until just a day ago. It was still the same one played several months ago!

As usual, I felt relaxed as ever. The massage was way, way better than before, the therapist knew what he was doing. I guess, to answer the question whether this one is better its down to your personal preference. The room is no doubt bigger and the interiors was well spent, there is a shower in each treatment room. It changed my original prejudice of the spa, but it is not yet in the same level as Thann Sanctuary Spa due to the inconsistencies and little mistakes.

Verdict: 7/10

 

 

Herbal Foot Soak Reflexology, Standard Bucket $20

Firstly, was the healing herbal foot soak to soften heels and invigorate my tired feet. I love the vintage, traditional look of the bucket. This plus a complimentary head, back and shoulder massage! I’m not even sure if I would call it as complimentary! It was another massage on it own right. Soft towels infused with aromatic oils served to cover the head and eye area for total relaxation. I swear with the addition of the eye cover – I was pretty much asleep afterwards! The spa certainly have gone further to make sure their customers were happy and relaxed that they might come back for more.

Then the foot reflexology – one word Nirvana.

I highly recommend this as your first treatment in Zen Spa, do ask for Kaye. I personally request Kaye every time I’m at Zen Spa.

Verdict: 10/10

See also:

Thann Sanctuary Spa review - avant garde boutique style spa in Brunei

 

Haniesah Spa Kiulap 60 min Foot Reflexology $15

May – I have dreaded this month and cannot wait for this month to be over. I tell you why: after countless of procrastination and constantly delaying the promised revisions, spas that have yet to be reviewed – finally May comes and tells me, the time is now to act and spend the limited time left to revise for my law examinations.

Winston Churchill once said:

“The era of procrastination, of half measures, of soothing, and baffling expedience of delay is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences.”

This is “the” month for me, the month that determines I sink or I swim towards the bright future that I have dreamt about. I know it will be tough, and the finishing point is still far off but the measure of success comes down to this, hard work. 

Anyway – I have the chance to visit a recently opened spa in Kiulap called Haniesah Spa Kiulap. Poor choice in the spa name, could use a name that exudes a sense of sanctuary. With that name alone, in my opinion it wouldn’t attract a lot of people compared to a spa called Zen or Mandara nearby.

With the spa explosion especially in the Gadong area is welcoming and exciting for spa-goers like me. Offering a whole lot more variety on the many spa treatments available – I’m afraid the market for spas is getting saturated. There are those who will be very successful and those who don’t. So – prices for the spa treatments hopefully will become increasingly competitive and people will become more demanding and choosy with the many options available.

Now that I have experienced the spas in this country, I like to know that what I paid is worth when experiencing the treatment. So when it comes to trying out new spas, I tend to choose the cheapest offering before forking out for other more expensive treatments. The foot reflexology offered here is the cheapest so far in Brunei at a price of $15.

The foot reflexology treatment begins with the foot soak in warm, soapy water. Other spas normally offer a herbal foot soak with nicer, bigger buckets. I have to constantly remind myself that the treatment is the cheaper compared to the others. The massage was technical and robotic, it was not very fluid to say the least. Unfortunately, the foot reflexology treatment just didn’t work for me. I was very annoyed with the fact that the therapist was also the receptionist – there were three occasions where my session was interrupted because she had to answer the phone from the customers. She didn’t seem to be apologetic with the situation.

I get the feeling that she kept looking on the time and waiting for the session to end. Being that most therapist in the spas here in Brunei are paid by commission, the more people they serve the more they get. At the end of the day, I felt that it was more of a chore and a job for her then actually enjoying giving the massage to customers.

 

This spa is at best mediocre. There are plenty of better spas around in Kiulap.

Verdict: 3/10

Foot Reflexology at Palm Garden Hotel Spa

Palm Garden Spa, Kiulap 60 min Foot Reflexology $23

Palm Garden Hotel is part of the more exclusive and coveted area of Kiulap. I noticed that Kiulap have begun to grow more upmarket day by day, I feel that some day it will overtake Gadong area as the place to be seen. The strategic location of Fitness Zone, a premier gym and fitness centre attracts people to the area. The gym membership fees is on the steep side, which you will have to dig deep at least $550 to join as part of the exclusive circle of people in Fitness Zone Kiulap.

Porsches Carrera & Cayyenes , Mercedes CLS, 6 series Beemers, Lambos really expensive cars can be seen park around the Palm Garden Hotel.Also this is where I saw the rare 3 series coupe as only the saloon is offered here in Brunei. Although in my opinion, its only at best a 3 star hotel when compared to Risqun International Hotel, The Mall. The allure of the Palm Garden Hotel is of course  it is co-owned by Brunei’s own heart-throb actor, Wu Zhun, famous in Taiwan and China for his acting role in mandarin dramas and if I’m not mistaken he is also part of a famous boy band in Taiwan.

Prior to trying their foot reflexology treatments, I have heard from various sources that the massage therapists at Palm Garden Hotel Spa hails from Mainland China, and are well-trained for Traditional Chinese reflexology and acupuncture. Definitely a much welcomed addition to many spas in Brunei which are mostly dominated by Swedish massage styles of the Filipinos and the saturated Thai massages in Brunei.

The interior and ambience of the Palm Garden spa is very Oriental with Chinese watercolour paintings and traditional Chinese art painted on glass as shown on the picture above. The music on the background is also traditional Chinese music. Together this creates the feel of the spa: Oriental. Its so different than the other spas which I have tried previously, I can see that spas in Brunei are getting more specific – just see Intan D’Zaress Spa in Gadong with its Balinese and Javanese influences in their interiors and spa treatments.

Starting with a warm foot soak with a traditional Chinese bucket flown from the Mainland China, with Chinese Herbal Tea infusion, they ensure your total comfort throughout with a complimentary 15 minute head, neck and shoulder massage. Do request for massage therapist number 22, who specialises in traditional Chinese nerve healing massages.

The muscle strain in my neck was instantly soothe away. She is intuitive on which parts of the shoulder and neck needed to be massaged, I do not have to inform the therapist that I have a muscle strain!

Pressure points are applied along the body’s energy lines, tendons and ligaments, muscles and nerves system to clear blocks in the body that cause back aches, digestive problems and arthritis. The foot reflexology uses medium pumping technique with sliding method to ease the tension and stimulate the acupuncture points. It reminded me of the Ryo-Shur reflexology techniques I experienced in Kuala Lumpur last year.

At last! I have found an excellent and affordable foot reflexology place in Brunei. Compared to the Thai reflexology and other spas reflexology, this one at Palm Garden Spa is the real deal!

Verdict:  8/10 

The spa ambience could use a little bit of improvement. Begin with replacing the Giant brand tissues!

60 minutes of Foot Reflexology including a complimentary head, neck and shoulder massage costs $20. Call in 2232211 for more details.

Palm Garden Spa, Ground Floor Palm Garden Hotel Kiulap

 

Update: I have tried this twice now in the course of one week! 

The return to Amanha Spa, Orchid Garden Hotel

Amanha Spa, Orchid Garden Hotel: Foot & Leg Massage $25

 

Its been nearly six months since I have checked out the Amanha Spa at the Orchid Garden Hotel, Anggerek Desa. I know this because I had with me one gift certificate that I have received during the spa’s roadshow in Kiulap last year. The gift certificate issued have only a six month validity, and its a few more days from expiring. So I hurried to the Amanha Spa to try another treatment of theirs.

 

Orchid Garden Hotel, Anggerek Desa

To be honest, I was a bit hesitant of going back to Amanha Spa based on my previous experience with the foot reflexology which was just mediocre. There was nothing special about the foot massage and adding the fact that the ambience of the reflexology area felt like a bar or café. With the television on and glaring white fluorescent light from the bar counter, I get the feeling that the area was not intended to be a spa during the planning stages of the hotel’s establishment.

Anyway, I like to point out that Amanha Spa have different treatment times for men and women. For convenience, it is best to call in the spa before on the specific times which you can drop in. I had a bit of time to check out the facilities offered by the spa – I was brought to the massage area for the body massage treatments, it looks tranquil and the ambience was a mile better than the foot massage area. The massage beds are laid down on the floor and each massage area was separated by light and airy curtains. It reminded me of Asianel Spa, Starhill Gallery which I have visited last December in Kuala Lumpur.

The facilities offered in the Spa are extensive: Steam Room, Infra-red Sauna Room, Rain showers, Jacuzzi and changing rooms with private guests’ lockers. White, thick bathrobes offered for the hotel guests and spa visitors. Spa visitors are welcome to use the facilities before starting their treatments. Other day spas in Brunei are lacking in this department including the infamous Zen Spa and Thann Sanctuary Spa. I had a look through the spas in Japan and England on the web, such facilities are the norm offering spa guests more time relaxing in the spa thus further enhancing their spa experience.

Amanha Spa Foot Reflexology area

 

The foot and leg massage didn’t feel like it was from an experienced masseuse. What I don’t understand is, the masseuse keeps on talking and yapping. He just could not shut up. Spa business 101: Spas is a place for peace and tranquillity, customers paid for that privilege. I was not relaxed during the course of the treatment and after. The masseuse basically talks about his years of experience in the spa industry in Brunei, having to previously worked in Health Express Kiulap under the old management. With him talking all the time, I felt that the only movement came from his mouth and not his hands working on my legs and feet. His massage techniques weren’t fluid and often disrupted, sometimes painful! It wasn’t really enjoyable at all and at the end of the day, I was more annoyed than I first came to Orchid Garden Hotel.

It raises the question of whether, this particular spa experience was worth calling a spa treatment?

 

Did I feel relaxed afterwards? No.

 

But have I paid for the treatment? Yes (Technically, I added $5 with the $20 gift certificate)

 

And all I get was a lecture and a life story of an inexperienced masseuse on how he claims to have experience in the Brunei spa industry? Hogwash I’d say!

 

What a shame, it really ruined my perception to Amanha Spa. I wouldn’t suggest the massuese although I couldn’t say much on other massage therapists – they might be better.

Verdict: 0/10