Durban - It’s a brisk but beguiling trip to the ninth floor of the Suncoast Hotel and Towers with an aquamarine blue view of Durban’s magnificent Golden Mile from the glass lift which opens out onto an entire floor dedicated to the spa.
You can’t help but turn back, step into the panoramic glass window to savour the view of the city and its sandy beaches.
There is a feeling though, in this tranquil setting, that you have left the world behind.
My shoes are whisked away in a grass basket as I slip my feet into comfy slippers and head towards a treatment room led by spa practitioner Lindi Khumalo.
The Sea Whisperer, the spa’s signature massage which is a fusion of massage styles from around the world, is 60 minutes, 75 minutes or 90 – depending on how indulgent you’re feeling. It doesn’t miss a spot.
This is a full body, deep, relaxing massage with long strokes that are designed to mimic the feeling of being in the sea.
The therapists trained in Indonesia and Bali are sensitive to tension in the body and use everything from the Japanese Shiatsu to the Hawaiian Lomi Lomi to work on stiff and sore muscles.
As a rule they don’t apply pressure to the spine. The therapist requests permission before massaging the tummy which helps break down lactic acid in the body.
Among the elements that set this massage apart is that the therapist never removes her hands completely from you during the duration of the massage. A connection is created and they work hard not to lose touch.
Other senses are evoked with sound (classical music, chill out or meditation) and smell.
Sight can always be evoked with views of the ocean, but at this point your eyes are likely to be shut as you’ll be blissfully asleep.
The temperature in the room can be manipulated while the bed itself is heated. I, however, would rather not be butt naked on a cold day.
You do get a sarong and disposable underwear; while the sarong is skillfully manoeuvred this is, after all, a full body massage.
My husband took me to the spa on an anniversary and I have to admit I do miss the soft printed sarongs they once used, as opposed to the new ones which are not as nice.
My pet hate during any massage is when you get to feel the therapist’s finger nails, or worse get scratched by them. Although I occasional felt manicured tips I was thankfully not clawed at.
However, it’s the facial I’m still dreaming of.
The Sea Water Pearl facial by Phytomer, that hydrates the skin by infusing it with sea water pearls through a bolus system, leaving the skin super supple, is made even more appealing by a bubbling self-heating detox mud mask applied to the back; a massage from the head down to the collar bone and either a hand or foot massage.
Rest assured that Phytomer is a marine cosmetic not derived from marine life.
During the treatment seawater pearls and “algae caviar” are used to moisturise and visibly plump the skin.
The facial is relaxing, purifying and moisturising.
Both massage and facial are 60 minutes long and cost R550 each. - The Mercury