KAI ROMANTIC RITUALS AT THE SUITE HAVEN Enjoy the soothing treatments of the spa while in the company of someone special in this private haven for two. Every package includes the use of the thermarium, Kai welcome fruit drinks, Kai fruit selection, a warm foot wash with sea salt and flowers, a couple’s gift, a pot of hot ginger-lemongrass tea. This will allow you to truly unwind and luxuriate for hours on end, as you truly savor this romantic experience.
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IT has been around two years since I last set foot on the famed white-sand beach of Boracay, and the first thing I noticed upon arriving was how so much had changed in such a short span of time. Of course, the beach is still as stunning and beautiful as ever, but one very noticeable development is how most of the resorts now offer complete spa services to their guests.
Leading the way in providing truly exceptional spa services, complimented by a picture-perfect ambiance, is Boracay Regency Beach Resort’s Kai Spa. As a virtual addict in getting massages as often as I could around Metro Manila, I was informed and pleasantly surprised by Kai Spa consultant Cathy Velez that traditional Asian rituals are done by a therapist or therapists (depending on the type of massage you get) before and after all the massages, facial treatments, hand-and-foot services, body wraps and scrubs. For all my acquired knowledge from going to different spas around Metro Manila, I felt like a newbie on what these rituals are.
In fact, I even felt a bit worried when she suggested that I start with what they call as the “Gentleman’s Facial.” Having fair and sensitive skin, I have never tried nor dared to get any kind of facial whatsoever, as I have heard that it’s quite a painful experience from all the scrubbing and pricking involved to remove all the blackheads and dead skin cells on the face. My reluctance about the facial was eased by the assurance that there will be no pricking involved. With the promise of a pain-free facial, I finally decided to go for it.
Having just arrived that day, I decided to schedule my first-ever facial early that evening. I psyched myself up for the treatment for much of the day but didn’t discount the possibility that after the facial, my face could be full of red spots and blotches. Ultimately, I just had to trust what I was told and, as they say, hope for the best.
I spent the early part of the day eating at the resort’s new restaurant called Zhu and being toured around the resort’s newest Garden Wing, as well as checking out all their different types of rooms, suites and various hotel facilities, including the convention center, ballroom and indoor gym.
Boracay Regency is truly wonderfully laid-out and utterly first class in every respect. The tour took us nearly two hours, as Boracay Regency is the biggest luxury resort hotel on the island.
After a tiring day familiarizing myself around the resort, I finally went back to my room, relaxed a bit, and took a long hot shower to brace myself for the so-called Gentleman’s Facial. Then, off I went to Kai Spa, where I was greeted by their very friendly staff and then led to the men’s locker room, called “Thermarium,” to change into the spa’s preferred wardrobe. The locker room was very clean and inviting. There was a whole row of showers, a huge Jacuzzi, a dry heat sauna which can accommodate around four people at a time, and a hot steam sauna that’s good for about eight people. I was then led to the tea room where, of course, I was served some sort of herbal drink. I was then led by the therapist to their Facial Verandah.
Along the short walk to the facial room, I could already smell the scent of peppermint oil permeating the fresh cool air, mingling with the soothing sound of spa music and the soft gurgling of a water fountain. Upon entering the room, I was instantly treated to some pampering, which started off with my feet being soaked inside a wash bowl with lukewarm water, sea salt and flower petals. The therapist then proceeded to wash and massage my feet. Initially, I felt confused—wasn’t I supposed to get a facial? Apparently, this was how they start every treatment, which they call the “Welcome Touch.” After the foot wash and massage, I was then asked to lie down, face-up, on the bed to start the facial.
The facial started with the therapist lathering some mineral oil on my face and very gently massaging it. She then used some sort of suction tube all around my face. Normally, in Manila I seldom fall asleep when I get massages but the therapist’s hands were so light and gentle that I was going in and out of slumberland during the entire procedure. After the facial, I felt like my whole face was so soft and clean.
The next day started with me feeling so refreshed and recharged. The first thing I did was to check if I had any red spots or blotches on my face. There was none and I felt pleasantly relieved. I was informed by the organizer of the trip that we really didn’t have anything planned for the day, so we could spend all those hours before our next spa treatment in whatever fashioned we wanted. We were then asked to pick a time when we would like to schedule either a massage or another type of service offered by Kai Spa. I chose an early-evening schedule so I could still get a nightcap afterward. Or so I thought.
“Boracay Regency’s Kai Spa offers different kinds of services, including massages, hand-and-foot treatments, facials, scrubs and wraps, all of which start with the Kai Signature Soothing Ritual,” said Velez.
Having had my share of regular massages in Metro Manila, I personally wanted to experience something new that I haven’t tried before. I decided to try out their “Four-Hands Harmony Massage,” which Velez also recommended.
“What makes the Four-Hands Harmony Massage different from the usual massage is the fact that it is performed by two therapists working in synchronized movements all around your body. Using traditional Lomi-Lomi Massage movements, it can relieve stress and tension resulting in total relaxation,” said Cathy.
All I could say after the massage was, “Wow! That was fantastic!” One therapist started the massage at my nape going down my lower back, while the other one started on my feet working upward. Both therapists met in the middle with their perfectly choreographed movements. The massage lasted for 75 minutes-long.
The other massage services offered by Kai Spa include the Kai Signature Massage, Aroma Hot Stone Massage, Hawaiian Lomi Lomi Massage, Filipino Hagud, Aromalymph Therapy and the Well-Being Swedish Massage. All massages are more than an hour-long.
Kai Spa is a P50-million investment of Boracay Regency, and is inspired by and designed with modern Asian influences. It features 22 unique rooms with exquisite interiors that, together with the excellent massage treatments and other services, will surely restore harmony and serenity in one’s stressed-out busy life.
Boracay Regency Beach Resort’s Kai Spa is truly is a gem within the island paradise.
