Spa Stories

Read about places our team has been to.

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Marc Llewellyn discovers his inner warrior at a Malaysia eco tourism resort
with a luxurious spa.    

Apparently, a good warrior needs to keep up his strength, stamina, flexibility and sexual prowess, and the best way to improve all four is via a strenuous dose of physical intervention. So here I am, being blessed with seven pots of water and flowers, poured over my head in preparation for my Warrior Massage.

I’m in the Spa Village of the Tanjong Jara Resort on the east coast of Malaysia, dressed from the waist down in a sarong. My handmaiden wishes me purity and sincerity, health, happiness, beauty, prosperity, and longevity – one blessing for each water pot – then leaves the last for me to pour myself. It was supposed to be a secret wish, but I don’t mind telling. I wished life could be like this on a daily basis.

Massages are an important part of Malay culture, for both women and men, and the number seven is extremely auspicious. Hence, the seven pots, and the petals of seven types of scented flowers now clinging to my body, among them rose, jasmine, tropical magnolia and gardenia. There are seven levels to heaven too.

Earlier that day I’d followed a group of men and women wearing traditional dress and banging kompang drums as they trooped through the resort’s tropical grounds, scattering monkeys. They were collecting blossoms and water as part of Flower Bath Ceremony. They placed these blooms in large urns, and filled the urns with water. This liquid is supposed to represent rain, a waterfall, a lake, a spring, a river, a stream, and a well. Seven again.

But now it’s time for the massage itself, and I’ve been promised that this is a more invigorating procedure than your normal body rub. The masseuse begins with moves from Silat, the Malay martial art, using the outside edges of her palms to press deep into my muscles. There are thumb-rolling techniques too, and her elbows grind into my pressure points, concentrating on my inner thighs and back. These are the most important parts of the body for a fisherman (and vital too for a lover, I’m told).

A body scrub follows and I leave the spa feeling incredibly relaxed, smelling of coconut oil, nutmeg, and the dark red juice of hibiscus flowers. As for my improved sexual prowess? Well, I can’t possibly comment. And my strength? I’d need all I could muster for the activities ahead.  

While you could easily just lie around one of the resort’s two glorious blue pools all day, or snooze under a palm tree on the golden crescent of sand that fronts it, or indulge a bath full of lime slices, there are plenty of adventurous activities on offer too.

I start first with a short nature trek up Jara Hill, behind the resort’s lawns, herb gardens, and solid, dark-wood buildings. After a short uphill spurt the land levels out and our accompanying naturalist points out signs of wild boar, and the nests of sea eagles in the tallest trees.

The following day I experience real jungle, at the Cemerung Nature Park, just over an hour’s drive from the resort. It’s a challenging hike on a steep track, with fallen trees, thick buttress roots, and other obstacles to tackle. We end up basking on smooth granite boulders besides cooling pools, below a magnificent, 200-metre-high waterfall.

Later, I have time to explore the resort more thoroughly. I’m staying in an air-conditioned Serambi room, on the ground floor of a double-storey block. With its dark wooden floorboards and heavy-wood furniture it feels like you’ve part of the landscape. There’s a huge bathroom with a bathtub, a comfortable queen-size bed, a central entertainment unit with satellite TV, and a patio overlooking the beach and ocean.

Above the Serambi rooms are the Bumbung (yes you read it right) rooms, which are just the same, but don’t have a patio. The best on offer are the Anjung cottages, which come with a king-size bed, a sofa bed, and a large outdoor bath and shower in your own private courtyard.

The resort sort of hugs you from the moment you arrive. It’s aged nicely since it first opened in 1979 (it has been extensively renovated since). The trees in the grounds are large and dripping with ferns, bridges cross a muddy stream full of snakeskin gourami fish and the occasional huge monitor lizard.

Because the resort only has 99 rooms spread out over 38-acres, it never feels crowded. You can really get away from it all here. Another good point is its delightful reception area, edged by long rectangular pools full of fish and water lilies.  

As for more excursions, I could have chosen a bicycle tour along the seafront to a local fishing village, a river cruise, or an early-morning trip with a chef to a local market - but I opted for a real warrior experience instead. Hunting turtles.

Perhaps it was the massage that made me brave enough to opt for a couple of scuba dives instead of snorkeling, despite it being years since I last put my head so far underwater.

But the resort’s excellent instructor makes me feel comfortable enough to give it a try. ‘You can join a total beginner, if you want,’ he says. ‘I’ll remind you of the basics at the same time.’

While you can qualify as a proper PADI-certified diver here, it’s nice to know you don’t need any experience to get into the water proper.

So we jump into the warm bay waters and, after a 20-minute run through we are bravely sinking towards the coral-clad bottom. We see plenty of colourful fish of course, and Nemo puts in an appearance. We even spot a reef shark, luckily more interested in minnows than us. But soon the highlight appears, something we’d been almost assured we’d find – a turtle, chomping away at the coral.

We are so close that I can touch her shell, and we follow her dreamingly for what seems like ages as she swims and chews and nuzzles against the reef. And my legs feel strong as I paddle beside her, and my back muscles too. And I celebrate with a well-earned snooze on the boat trip home.

TRIP NOTES

Getting there: Malaysia Airlines flies daily to Kuala Lumpur from most state capitals with daily connections to Kuala Terengganu (a 50-minute flight). Call 13 26 27 or look up www.malaysiaairlines.com.au.

Getting around: Tanjong Jara Resort provides limousine transfers from the airport and runs a range of tours taking in the surrounding area.

Where to stay: Tanjong Jara Resort, is situated on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, between Kuala Terengganu in the North and Kuantan in the South. Rooms cost from around $300 per night. Look up www.tanjongjararesort.com.

Where to dine: The poolside Teratai Terrace does good hawker-like meals, The Nelayan specializes in fresh Seafood, and the Di Atas Sungei restaurant produces terrific Malaysian cuisine.

Tips: You don’t need a visa for stays of under 30 days in Malaysia. The northeast monsoon brings rain and stronger waves from late November to early February.

Further Information: See www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my.