Spa Magazine
BEGAWAN GIRI ESTATE, BALI
The Setting
A decade in the making, this dream of a tropical retreat is made up of nine luxury bungalows (there are 21 suites in all) hidden among jungle gardens and perched over the Ayung River Gorge near Ubud. Each residence has a theme: Fire, Water, Forest, Wind and Earth. My suite in Tirta-Ening (Clear Water in Indonesian) has a turquoise seamless pool directly opposite the front door and a private oasis off the back where I luxuriated for hours between a zen-styled Jacuzzi, a bathtub carved from a two-ton boulder and under a small waterfall in the plunge pool.
The Spa
Descending 350 steps into the river gorge, the path to the spa is lined by lush jungle gardens. Brightly colored firecracker hibiscus, fragrant sandat, and masses of flowered vines glow amid the dense greenery. Birds I can't see make exotic calls. The deeper into the gorge, the greater the roar of the river and the stronger the scent of the jungle: dewy leaves, thick soil and aromatic flowers. About halfway down, I find a wooden platform with a small stone pool that glitters emerald green in the dappling sunlight. This is the first sign that I'm at Como Shambhala, Begawan Giri's breathtaking open-air jungle spa.
Satisfaction Guaranteed
Originating in the 15th-century palaces of Java, Javanese Royal Lulur was traditionally practiced daily for the week preceding a royal bride's wedding. The two-hour spa version of this sensual ritual begins with a massage of fragrant oils, accompanied here by the lulling sounds of the river. As a mask made from rice flour, turmeric, sandalwood and jasmine is gently applied to my body, its spicy floral scent insinuates itself in my nostrils. When the intoxicating blend dries, I am rinsed and rubbed with yogurt and honey, then led to a bath scattered with jasmine and hibiscus. Time has slowed down if not stopped, and I bathe with eyes closed.
THERME VALS, SWITZERLAND
The Setting
Located in an isolated mountain valley of Switzerland's easternmost canton, Therme Vals's original draw was the elaborate baths designed by Peter Zumthor -- an architectural monument that became the Bilbao of bathing overnight. My husband and I made a pilgrimage planning to spend one night; instead we stayed for three and left reluctantly. But our experience went beyond the baths. We loved the whole curious but charming dissonance of the place--from the hamlet town of 1,000 with its rösti restaurants, to the unsettling first impression that you've arrived at a drab '60s ski resort (the mind-bending baths are built into the side of the hill), to the chain-smoking after-dinner lounge act.
The Spa
The bathing halls kept calling us back throughout the day. Constructed from ribbons of silver-gray Valser quartzite, the baths are sleek and monochromatic, but the panoramic picture windows invite the rich greens of the Swiss mountain face inside. The velvety sensuality of the stone encouraged focus on all the sensory experiences surrounding us: the smell of calendula in the flower petal pool, the bubbles of the naturally carbonated water gently clinging to our bodies, and the water massage provided by some powerful brass spigots. We felt like explorers spelunking through the vast labyrinthine world of Zumthor's baths.
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Best of all were the silent midnight soaks. After dinner we returned to the bathing hall, careful to observe the signs at the entry that reminded us not to speak. We followed a tunnel to an outdoor pool where steam rose above the 97°F water and the moonlight splashed down on us--snowflakes powdered our eyelashes. Nearby were other couples, silently floating together, each engaged in their own private water dance.
