As I arrived at the spa for that 4:30 appointment, I realised I’d been booked in for a traditional Thai massage. Not knowing what that meant, it didn’t take me long to realise that this wasn’t going to be one of those relaxing, aromatherapy-oil laden massages I was used to.
I was handed a white cotton uniform to put on before my therapist began the ancient massage technique; stretching the muscles with applied pressure along the body’s main energy lines via acupressure and assisted yoga postures.
When she climbed onto the bed and knelt on the back of my thighs I was definitely surprised, but she proved once again that the staff at this place knew me better than I know myself, as the way she pulled my arms up, arched my back and lifted my entire torso off the bed with her strength, my post-long haul flight body loosened up more than any oil-based massage could have ever promised to.
Many of the resort’s other activities are aimed similarly at physical wellness, with a tennis court, yoga barn and fully-equipped health club just waiting for you should the desire arise. Others are slightly less physical – although by no means sedentary – with buffalo bathing, rice planting, fabric dying and brilliant pottery classes on offer nearby in the Chaan Baan.
One of our favourite activities – perhaps ever – however, was a private cooking class. Hosted at the hotel’s Rim Tai kitchen, a thorough programme has been designed by the in-house culinary team.
After a tour of the herb garden with the incredibly talented – and very funny – head chef, Suwattana, where we picked everything from lemon basil and lemongrass to kaffir lime leaves and coriander root, we stopped by the traditional Thai spirit house to receive a blessing before being shown quick demos of how to prep, chop, ground, sauté, season and plate each dish at the Chef’s table.
Three hours, and endless laughs, later, my husband and I were sitting down to a four-course feast of vegetable and lemon basil soup, summer rolls with a chilli dipping sauce, vegetable fried rice, and a spicy papaya salad – the fact that it was all made from scratch by our very own hands rendering it all the more delicious.
Of course, we didn’t cook every meal we ate during our trip – that would have dramatically decreased our time spent lying by that exceptional pool. Instead we sampled, and (spoiler alert) adored, each of the retreat’s three main restaurants.
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