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! 

Body Scrub at Shiatzen Spa, Kiulap

Shiatzen Spa: Living Radiance promotion Body Scrub & Mask with Massage $65 (120 min)

February 2008 – Kiulap

“Restore your skin’s natural balance and radiance with a body scrub to exfoliate and smooth the skin, followed by a firming body mask and an hour’s massage. Emerge radiant, glowing and totally relaxed.”

Absolute Indulgence. That was the word to describe the Living Radiance spa package offered by the ever legendary Shiatzen Spa. After several weeks of contemplating on whether I should try out my first spa body scrub experience and having to compare the scrub treatments offered by different spas – it was not difficult to finally choose Shiatzen Spa.

Body scrub for glowing healthy skin

After a series of exceptional massages that have exceeded my expectations every time, I know I could rely on the spa to make me feel relaxed and revitalised at the end of the treatment. Obviously having to splurge that amount of money, definitely at the end of the day getting your money’s worth on what you have paid for.

I have never had a body scrub and mask spa treatment before, as most of my visits to the spa are mainly for the body massage or the foot reflexology. For two hours of ultimate indulgence, the experience was just bliss. I was given a choice of scrubs to choose from, sea salt scrub, tropical scrub, Javanese Lulur with an array of exotic spices, Japanese green tea infusion scrub were the ones I can remember. I finally chose the Javanese Lulur due to its detox and skin-brightening properties.

The scrub treatment took about 30 minutes where the spa therapist spread the variety spices over my skin. The exotic aroma from the Lulur and the mixed ingredients blends and shedding away the dull skin revealing a healthy skin glow underneath. The therapist really do work the scrub on my back leaving my skin soft like a baby.

Just like the scrub, there were plenty of body masks to choose from: Italian White Mud Masque, Tropical Mango and Avacado, Green Tea and Camphor. I chose the tropical mango and avocado body mask for its skin brightening and replenishing properties. The body mask treatment after the scrub treatment definitely fitting, the skin will continue to absorb the nutrients and vitamins during the course of the body masque treatment. This is definitely a serious attempt towards healthy and glowing skin.

Body masque compliments the body scrub

Next, the Swedish and Shiatsu combination massage. Well, what can I say, I was deeply relaxed and it was exactly what I have described in my previous review. Consistency is what sets Shiatzen Spa apart from the others. Shiatzen Spa still remains one of the top spas here in Brunei – with its pricing and exceptional spa experience.

Verdict – 9/10

Reservation is a must. Call in 8980628 for more details.

Health Express Day Spa, Kiulap

Health Express Day Spa: Relaxant massage $15

So I was just around Kiulap as usual trying to finding parking, its just annoying especially if you wanted to head to HSBC Bank. People normally just park near the roundabout which tend to cause more congestion in the already traffic-jammed Kiulap. I saw a white leaflet tucked at the door handle of my car, normally I would just throw them away – seeing this tacky advertisements usually involves promotions for gold and platinum jewelleries which people can pay in installments. Yuck. I don’t approve and get why some people actually would like to get a loan to buy engagement rings and any jewelleries. People should actually save up to buy such things, thats the whole point of anticipating and saving up to buy the prize: in this case jewellery. My eyes lit up when I read, 1 hour of relaxant massage $15 and Foot reflexology $10. How very exciting – a spa in Kiulap with such affordable prices!

A couple of days later, I’ve decided to check out Health Express Day Spa. Apparently the spa have a new management now hence the new affordable prices. The previous management charges way too expensive and certainly do not match up with their cheap interior and out-dated massage beds. So, the spa interior is still the same with the addition of a hair salon in front near the spa reception. Their rebonding hair relaxant treatment only costs $50  which includes hair wash and blow. Absolute bargain! The receptionist was welcoming and she takes the time to explain the various treatments available on offer.

I’m actually apprehensive when it comes to out-dated spas offering cheap massage treatments to people, I do not want the Pearl Health hygiene episode. So I am wary that hygiene can be an issue in some spas in Brunei. I chose the 1 hour relaxant massage and then was led to a private massage room to change. The interior in the massage room was pretty much outdated, but with the affordable price offering, I’m not complaining. The most important thing is actually the massage experience itself.

The massage was actually quite good. The masseuse really knows what he’s doing, he claims to have a couple of years of massage experience and this is evident with the right amount of pressure that he’s using and the continuous long strokes at my back. Mostly Swedish techniques and then a lot of clapping at my back producing loud sounds which definitely do not make you sleep during the massage experience. The music background was non-existent, I could hear people talking from the thin walls. The new management should probably play soothing yoga music in the background. I actually prefer to be relax and in a state of neither awake nor asleep during my massage but then again it would be asking too much for a $15 massage.

For those who wants a no-frills, cheap massage experience, I would definitely recommend the relaxant massage offered at Health Express Day Spa. Although, with outdated equipments and zero spa ambience you get what you paid for - a good massage. So with that in mind, you will definitely enjoy the massage experience. Can I just point out that, the Health Express Day Spa also offers a  90 minutes Hot Stones Massage treatment at a bargain price of $25. Shiatzen Spa charges $75!  I will definitely try that one day!

Verdict: 6/10

60 minutes of Relaxant massage costs only $15. Call in 2238492 for more details.

Health Express Day Spa B2, Ground Floor Shakirin Complex, Kiulap Gadong