3 Places To Visit For The Best Self-Care In Phuket

What comes to mind when you think of Thailand? Sun, sand, tropical jungle… and massages. Lots and lots of massages.

But as tempting as a 100-baht (that’s around $5 AUD) massage might be, the cheap-and-cheerful spots might not be everyone’s cup of tea. If you’re likeme, you usually spend a fair bit of time Googling for the best massage in the area and scrolling through reviews to find somewhere five-star, rather than strolling in off the street.

Sure, doing it this way usually means you’ll fork out a little more – but at somewhere around $20 instead of $5, you’re still not likely to be breaking the bank.

After a trip to Phuket earlier in the year (and a lot of massages to sort the trash from the treasure), these are three of my favourite places for a massage and a facial on Thailand’s biggest island.

1. Oasis Spa (Turquoise Cove Spa), Kamala

This is the ultimate in luxe spas in the area – and, to be honest, they have a price list to match. For a one-hour Thai massage, you’re looking at 1000 baht, which is round $50 Australian. But if you’re looking for an upmarket treatment, you really won’t find much better than this, and it’s worth the splurge.

We were staying at Patong Beach, about a 10 minute drive from Oasis Spa at Kamala Beach (you get a free transfer to and from the spa), and its name isn’t wrong – it really does feel like an oasis tucked away from the busy-ness of the surrounding streets. It’s clean and sleek, with Mediterranean-esque decor and a calming atmosphere, and staff who are welcoming, soft-spoken and happy to snap your pic by the sparkling pool that forms the centrepiece of the courtyard, just beyond the open-air reception area.

The spa feels like a luxe resort, complete with swimming pool centrepiece

One of the big clues that a spa is on the bougie side is when they bring you out a little refreshment pre-massage. Which they did – a glass of deep-red ‘rosella juice’ to sip while we filled in our pre-treatment forms (another big hint that these guys are serious about a quality treatment) in an open-air lounge area next to a small waterfall.

When we stepped into the refreshingly cool air-conditioned treatment room, I could still hear the water bubbling away, which added a nice little extra Zen element to my 60-minute aromatherapy massage.

The room’s adjoining bathroom was about three times the size of my bathroom at home, with a deep, black-stone bath and an outdoor shower featuring two side-by-side copper rainfall shower heads – perfect for a splash down before and after the massage.

A cup of tea and fruit balls shaped into a flower is the best way to finish!

2. Let’s Relax, Patong

I’ve actually been to Let’s Relax twice – the first time while I was on Koh Samui (it’s a chain, but don’t let that turn you off), in a visit that was part of a planned itinerary. The second time, I stumbled across it when I was scouring Google reviews for a good massage on my last day in Phuket, and I didn’t realise it was the same chain until after we were done and they served us tea and their specially made coconut wafer rolls (that were so tasty I bought a box to bring home – I recognised the packaging. Yes, it’s always about the food).

Now, the thing with this place is, the traditional Thai massage (which I accidentally opted into during my most recent visit) is not for the faint-hearted.

I was nearly in tears while my back and shoulders were being pummelled into submission, which might make you wonder why it’s on the ‘best massages in Thailand’ list, but the reason is this: I know a lot of people LOVE a solid Thai massage them leaves them in agony. If that’s you… this is for you.

Me? I want my massages to be relaxing, not painful, but I can definitely appreciate that this was a “good” Thai massage. So it’s up there on the recommendation list for anyone who likes a strong, makes-you-want-to-punch-the-masseuse-in-the-face-style session.

A pre-massage foot wash is pretty standard in the better spots.

Let’s Relax is another little haven of tranquility tucked away from the craziness of downtown Patong. Worlds away from street vendors, market stalls and scooters, and set just off the beach, the space is tucked away at the bottom of a set of stairs, and has all the trappings of a quality spa. (Including a pre-massage pandan juice and moist towel that you’ll be super thankful for when you roll in out of the billion-degree heat.)

It took them about 15 minutes to prep for our treatments (I’m guessing they don’t get many people walking in at opening time…), but the calm, quiet waiting area was a comfy space to chill in (or, it would’ve been if we weren’t stressing about making our flight out of the country a couple of hours later – we were on a tight schedule).

They also took our temperature, which was kind of odd but also weirdly comforting – given the world is currently in the grip of the novel coronavirus outbreak, it was good to know that they’re on top of it.

The minimalistic treatment rooms were cool, dark and peaceful, gentle strains of calming music amping up the relaxation factor. Plus, I got some cute PJs to put on for my (oil-free) massage.

Unfortunately, all the cute pyjamas in the world didn’t take away from the immense pain of my one-hour back and shoulder massage. If you, like me, prefer 60 minutes of peaceful relaxation to an hour of torture (I swear I’m not exaggerating), don’t go for the back-and-shoulders option. My friend had a foot massage and said it was great; there are aromatherapy options (which you can usually rely on to be more calming than killer), facials and even though I was hurting, I still stand by this as a great choice (I just made the wrong one when it came to the treatment menu!).

3. HEALTH LAB2, Patong

I didn’t actually get a massage here – our trip was wrapping up and I wanted a relaxing facial before we got back on the plane to head home. But this place deserves a shoutout because it was dreamy, and I definitely intend on going back.

Again, Health Lab wasn’t the cheapest – but if you want quality, expect to pay a little more. It’s worth the extra spend. Health Lab2 was modern, clean and almost clinical feel to it, but the hanging plants brought a splash of colour and life into the space to keep it from feeling sterile.

My hour-long ‘Organic Elite Treatment For Ladies’ cost me 850 baht (around $40 AUD), and it was good. (Sure, I’d had a couple of piña coladas in the lead-up, but I still stand by my reco.)

The whole experience was calming, gentle and professional – everything you could ask of a facial. The treatment went through 12 steps, covering all the basics – makeup removal, deep cleansing, steaming, peel-off mask, suction of the pores, plus an extraction that I had to request (but they happily obliged).

I definitely nodded off a couple of times (did I mention the piña coladas?), and I was so damn Zen as I walked out, I had quite possibly the best night’s sleep I’d had my entire trip.

I visited Oasis Spa and Thailand as a guest of Thailand Tourism and Busabout.

Travel, WellnessAlix Nicholson26 February 2020