Kamalaya Wellness Retreat, Thailand

Just as I like to experience many new places and cultures through my travels I sometimes periodically take a time out from life and will go on a health and wellness retreat. Unfortunately the previous ones I had attended- SIX SENSES in Phuket, were well before my blogging days so you won’t get to hear me rave as to how much of a fabulous time I had there and unfortunately that retreat is no longer operational. However, this time I can tell you about the new retreat I have tried which is Kamalaya, located on the island of Samui in Thailand. The retreat itself is probably not cheap but depending on what you want to get out of it, some would say it is invaluable. Me? I take a more pragmatic approach and use it for a bit of rest and relaxation and like the idea of cutting myself off from the hustle and bustle of the world for a little while. However when visiting this type of environment it is not unusual to meet others, looking to specifically detox, lose weight, work on personal issues or wanting to find greater meaning to their life.

At Kamalaya there are a multitude of programs that you can partake in, many of them involving some sort of detoxification process, which means for the better part of your stay you eat a combination of healthy vegetables, protein shakes and no carbs. I personally went with a more relaxed program which was the Rest and Renew for 5 days which meant I could eat all the healthy food I liked (including protein and carbs) and enjoyed a therapeutic treatment of some sort each day such as a massage or a body scrub. Accommodation was included in the pricing and as well as this, I could also partake in the daily holistic activities that were available including yoga, pilates, stretching and qi gong…..to name a few.

There are also visiting guest practitioners who offer anything from astrology charting to face reading.

My room was a hillside garden room, and was fine in terms of sleeping and chilling out, easy enough to do I suppose when there is no TV and you have no consistent outside communication with the world. At Kamalaya, there is a big emphasis at keeping mobile phones and the use of technology such as laptops out of the public areas to encourage guests to switch off from their daily demanding lifestyle.

Unlike some of the other guests here who are working through personal issues or taking time for personal reflection, I tend to seek different benefits from the retreat. I just want a bit of a "time-out" and don't really want to stay in a touristy hotel in some city with random other people, especially when travelling solo. At Kamalaya, many people often like to sit alone and contemplate what they have done during the day or where they are indeed headed in life. I actually seek out company particularly in the evening times often getting the greatest value through talking to others from around the world and hearing about their life experiences as well as enjoying all the other features the retreat offers during the day.

On my arrival, I was met by the reception staff at the open air lobby and to be honest, this place just seemed like another hotel in Thailand, the staff immediately clarifying my bill (it had to all be prepaid before I left), and as my room was not ready, I was escorted down the hill for lunch at the Amrita café. Eventually when my room was ready I only had time to place my bags in it before I was whisked off to the wellness centre for my “wellness consultation”. After visiting with the naturopath, one of the first questions she asked was whether I always “had this much energy?” to which I informed her that this was me in a relaxed state! She made a few suggestions about sleep patterns, and calculated my BMI-which is not a concept I am overly impressed by, not because I am overweight, but indeed the opposite. I am a keen fitness enthusiast often working out 3 times a week and I think this is not the most accurate way of measuring individuals' health outcomes or fitness levels unless obese. Like I have alluded to earlier, with these sorts of places, I take the parts that make sense to me and the rest, I take with a "grain of salt"....and to each their own. My personal philosophy about health and fitness involves balance and moderation, it is literally that simple. But it’s a pity that the rest of the guests did not share my same cavalier attitude, some of them get so caught up in what they should be doing that it almost stresses them out (the exact opposite as to why they have come here) and I can't help feeling that this process sets them up a little as there is usually no way such a rigid routine can be upheld back in their normal life…..but there definitely is a benefit to this type of place. Apart from the actual environment of tranquillity and peace, most of the time there are useful tools that can be adopted by some to help make changes to their lives in terms of health and well being overall but in a sensible way.

After the wellness consult, I head off to my first fully body oil massage that went for 90 minutes and it became quite apparent that it would be in my best interest to advise the therapist as to the appropriate pressure exerted. Thai people really can give quite intense massages!  By the end of my treatment I had built up such an appetite that I thought it was time I headed off to the dining restaurant for dinner. Lucky for me, one of the male wait staff asked if I would like to sit at the community table to which I enthusiastically accepted. The existence of the community table, where anyone is welcomed to sit as part of a communal group over dinner times allows us all to compare notes, get to know one another and have some social interaction. And for me a night of conversation and getting my bearings about this place is exactly what I needed.

The next morning I would get up and have breakfast which was buffet style and then at 8.45am I would do a yoga or pilates class. After that, because I felt it was a little passive I would head to the gym to run for a little while on the treadmill. After showering I would then head down to the beach, careful not to get too sunburned and get some reading in. Soon enough, it was time for lunch (the restaurant was open from 12-6) and then after this it was usually time for another treatment such as an Asian foot massage or a lotus body scrub. There were also more classes in the afternoon such as stretching if you desired and come early evening, I would often listen to a talk in the library about astrology or the benefits of detoxification and then dinner. And this is how my week continued. Slowly I was starting to appreciate this place and not only was I unwinding but I was really starting to enjoy myself.

One of the highlights here was when we partook in a lantern ceremony one night, not unlike the scene in the animation ‘Enchanted'. After dinner, a few of us headed down to the shoreline around 9pm. Here, there were these huge lanterns (one per person) about 1-2 metres high standing upright on the sand. The staff then asked us to tie a wish that we had written on a note of paper to the lantern and with its flaming torch inside (similar to a hot air balloon) you let it float up into the sky out into the ocean “releasing your wish to the universe". It was really beautiful and I know the Thai people do it all the time at New Years and I couldn't help thinking how beneficial it would be, if in my home city at this time of year we spent less money on fireworks and did this instead, as it is so simple yet so pretty and somewhat meaningful!

I only did the relax and the renew program for 5 days but stayed on an extra 2 nights to complete my stay at Kamalaya. That meant that I no longer had daily treatments scheduled but I could still partake in the holistic activities and book in for an additional treatments if needed. After 5 treatments I felt I was fine in that department but I thought it might be a good idea to head into the local town of Lamai to do what I thought was a bicycle tour of the south of the island. I had previously been into town a few days before to visit the weekly night market held on “walking street” every Sunday night from 6-10pm. Even then it was interesting at how leaving the retreat and being back in the normal world felt like my senses were being  bombarded and everything was so colourful and loud, it took a few minutes to adjust and to be honest, by the end of it, I was happy to head back to the quietness  and tranquillity of the resort…….Although I must say when it came to quiet time at night during  my stay at Kamalaya between a  bunch of American yoga hipsters ( I am sure they weren’t in Thailand for the yoga!) and the local temple having a 3-4 day festival with live music until 12am, my sleep was a little deprived. Maybe opt for a room that is not a few metres in front of the reception area, especially if you are a light sleeper? Fortunately, the days were so relaxing and chilled I would hardly notice if I were actually tired or not?

But back to the bicycle tour. I thought we would be doing a ride around the island getting off at different spots, taking photos, having morning tea and lunch as we casually cycled our way past the beach and through the fields, not unlike a trip I had done previously in Nha Trang, Vietnam. On arriving at the shop from which the tour started, I realized that my ideal and what reality was, were worlds apart once I sighted our German tour guide decked out in full spandex, looking like he was about to undertake the Tour de France. Another guy from the UK and his personal trainer joined us and when our tour guide said that we would be cycling around 55-60 km in the next few hours, I was thinking hmm….I wondered how long this could really take? Then we headed out single file, mountain bikes, helmet and gloves on, and at the speed we were cycling I soon realized that sightseeing would not be part of this ride. After cycling for a little while, up and down over a few hills and somewhat struggling with my gears, at the first water stop and in the tropical heat I was in dire need of water. I thought our effort wasn’t too bad and enquired as to how many km we had done, to which the instructor replied “around 3 km”……………….great just 50 odd to go! By about half way I started to think maybe this won’t be all that easy and before long the poor English guy who had started out so strongly and had initially given me tips as to how to ride best, suddenly confessed he could go no further and routinely hopped off his bike at any hint of the appearance of a hill. Unfortunately there were no other avenues back except to ride the remaining distance. After a stop at a 7’11 where I bought a Gatorade (an electrolyte drink) and he duly bought some water which is fairly understandable, I couldn't help but be amused by his additional purchase of a couple of mars bars (apparently to keep him going)and wondered how he would break this news to his trainer?  Finally, some 4 hours later we had come full circle, completing the 60km circuit and I was just happy to sit and rehydrate for the next hour or 3! I then took a taxi back to Kamalaya and felt I had done enough activity in those 4 hours to compensate for the whole week.

Another night at dinner, and I had the others in hysterics as to the theatrics of the day's events as we drank our detox juices, ate our energy salads and I felt my muscles ache.  There was almost an international incident when one guest discovered that there were no more of the chocolate mousse left on the menu for the night. You see, almost every guest had made it their plight to have the chocolate mousse on their last night at Kamalaya as their final reward. So you can imagine this poor guest at the realization that she was going to miss this great ritual, but fortunately the staff at the restaurant again averted disaster and came through for her......perhaps having stocked away servings of such in these cases of emergencies? The food really was very good!

Now as I sit here in my room, packing my things up and ready to leave, I have really enjoyed the last 7 days immensely. I feel relaxed, light and refreshed. Particularly though, I met some really lovely people and listening to the stories of people of all nationalities from across the globe all from different walks life, it's interesting that the themes are always the same and universal (this is my 3^rd retreat). Through adversity or not, through life’s ups and downs, we are all wanting time away for reflection, searching for understanding as to what and why and ultimately seeking contentment.  I am not sure if these are all achievable at once in our everyday life or whether we even have time to contemplate them in our busy schedule, but during your stay at Kamalaya you are certainly one step closer to gaining insight, perspective and rest. Would I, or do I need to come back? I am not sure, let’s see how life treats me?