More than just a spa, It’s a Sanctuary!

More than just a spa, It’s a Sanctuary!

It is after Songkran and the summer heat has yet to completely dissipate. Bangkok, which gets abandoned once a year at this time, is starting to fill up again as cars from resorts and buses from villages all head back into town.

We, on the other hand, are heading out, looking for a short break beyond Bangkok. The long weekend holiday had been filled with merry-making, food, and too much partying – and what we really need is a relaxing de-tox to kick off the Thai New Year. We found the perfect escape in nearby Chachoengsao, an area of low basin rich in rice fields, fish farms and fruit orchards just an hour’s drive from eastern Bangkok.

The Rainbow Arokaya Holistic Longevity Centre is a health paradise that offers an alternative experience for spa clients who want to relax and learn to live a healthier life. With our recent holiday excesses, we couldn’t think of a better place to re-boot.

Powerful River, Powerful Land, Positive Feeling

Rainbow Arokaya sits on the banks of the Bang Pakong River and is set on 14-rai of lush land. The first time our small group of city-dwellers laid foot on the property, we immediately felt calmer and less tense. We could see blooming plants, fluttering butterflies, and hear birds chirping. It is a completely different world from the bustling city we left just a few hours ago. Our host, Thanawat Sittitampichai, the Managing Director of Rainbow Arokaya, showed us around the verdant resort, and told us that the property used to be a meditation centre by one of the provinces most revered monks. He also explained that the name “Arokaya” refers to a state of happiness without diseases.

Rainbow Arokaya The resort is sprawling, filled with blooming plants and greenery. The air is filled with fluttering butterflies and chirping birds, and the gentle lapping sounds of the river. We were excited to see more of the sprawling health farm, and couldn’t wait to explore the gardens, the aquatherapy pool, and the floating spa pavilion.

Khun Thanawat led us through the winding stone path dotted with rustic wood benches and stone Thai carvings, to the reception pavilion so we could be checked in. There we were welcomed by the Resident Manager, who explained that Rainbow Arokaya has 33 rooms including 7 Thai style villas secluded among the gardens and spread out through the resort. With the sheer scale of the property, this means that guests can enjoy relative privacy even at full capacity.

As the programme for the next few days was explained to us, we realised that every aspect of our stay at the resort is designed to promote healing. From the bed we sleep on, to the meals we enjoy, to the treatments we receive, everything leads to a deeper dimension of detoxification.

Re-energising, Rehabilitation, Re-balance

From the lobby, we were guided to the diagnosis centre next door, which is warm and inviting like any spa reception. Unlike a common spa however, we weren’t offered a menu of treatments to choose from. Instead, we had a consultation with a trained therapist who asked us about out health history. After discussing the various health issues we have, a full range of holistic therapies were devised for our stay.

Before we could begin with the treatments, we first needed to get settled into our rooms, and get ready for a couple days of detoxification and pampering. The resort’s golf cart brought us through winding path to the door of our contemporary Thai style room. Stepping in, natural light flooded in from the panoramic glass window that occupies the whole wall that overlooks the river. The hardwood floor and the customised furniture gave the room a warm glow. A flat screen TV was on a console at the foot of the large bed framed by a canopy of sheer fabric. We could not wait to sleep on the special far-infrared (FIR) & minus ion detoxifying mattress, blanket and pillows. There was time to relax and unwind before we headed back to the pavilion to begin our programme.

Rainbow ArokayaAt the spa area, we were given comfortable robes and garments appropriate for the treatment. Of the 50 or so member of staff for the entire resort, half are highly-trained therapists, and ours explained that the far-Infrared is part of the spectrum of light and the heat helps relieve pain, boost the immune and cardiovascular systems, burn calories, and detoxify the body. It can improve nervous disorders, digestive problems, weight loss, diabetes, and help to normalise blood pressure. With the treatments we were receiving, toxins are brought to the skin surface in perspiration, and washed away, leaving our body cooler, lighter, and refreshed.

Some of us began with hydrotherapy with mineral baths, some went for the popular Far-infrared Dome Sauna, and others had a chance to try the unique Volcanic Detoxifying Chi Sand Spa. The sand bath is a truly unique way to de-toxify. At the beginning of the treatment, you will be asked to take two glasses of mineral water to make sure your body is well-hydrated. Next is a cleansing shower, before a team of therapists measure your weight and body fat. Then you will be led to an oversized sand bath, where you are enveloped by beads of heated minerals that help your body flush out toxins. The therapists massage you with the beads, and keep you cool with cold towels. Throughout the treatment, someone keeps watch over you for any sign of discomfort. In our experience, one treatment resulted in 1 to 2% decrease in measured body fat!

Rainbow ArokayaWe all felt revitalised from our afternoon of treatments, and it was meal time. The floating dining room is surrounded by glass-panelled windows affording a panoramic view of the waterway. Occasionally motorised boats pass by; otherwise the scene is serene and almost meditative.

The programme here includes three-course meals of organic produce and fresh fish caught from the river. As can be expected, no alcohol is served or available at the resort.

Mealtime is perhaps the only time to socialise with guests and the atmosphere is very convivial. A lot of the patrons of Rainbow Arokaya are returning guests. That is not surprising since a number of them have experienced physical relief and improved lifestyles from the holistic approach taught at the resort.

We met a Swiss guest who has travelled from Europe to Thailand to seek relief for his chronic condition through Rainbow Arokaya’s health programme. He is one of the many guests who have benefited from the healing philosophy espoused by the resorts owner, Khun Vichada.

Holistic Health

Rainbow ArokayaKhun Vichada in fact practices what she preaches. She looks 20 years younger than her age, she is high spirited and her passion for a healthier lifestyle is infectious. Looking at her now, it is difficult to believe that in her previous career as a jeweller, she was high-strung and suffered chronic pains for 17 years that led to a bout of paralysis. While she pursued traditional medical treatment for her condition, she also began to earnestly explore alternative healing principles. Khun Vichada studied and practiced meditation, learnt about the healing benefits of nano-technology, and finally found relief. She firmly believes that the healing she experienced is due to a change in lifestyle and Khun Vichada wanted to share her newfound philosophy with others who needed healing. She launched a joint venture with a Japanese firm to manufacture in Thailand the special mattress pad, blankets and pillows using mineral stone fibre that promotes deep detoxification. Khun Vichada felt this was not enough and they went on to found the Rainbow Arokaya holistic health centre. The rest, as she say is history.

The next day, we woke up to the beautiful river view, totally refreshed by uninterrupted sleep. The healing energy bedding lived up to its reputation, and with a therapist giving us tips on sleeping posture, we had the best sleep we have ever had.

Breakfast was served by the river again, and afterwards we spent an hour or so relaxing, some went to the pool, others tried the stone meditation path, and others still found their own private bench or seat or gazebo amongst the garden.

After another day of treatment, it was time to leave the resort. With our holiday excess gone from our system, we headed back to Bangkok, refreshed and rejuvenated, and with a new perspective on living healthy. Rainbow Arokaya is truly a new way to escape city life when it’s time for a change.