Detox Vacations

The Hong Kong lifestyle – client dinners, late night boozing, and long distance travel – can catch up to you. Perhaps you’ve noticed you’re are not sleeping as well, and maybe, despite hitting Pure a few times a week, have gained a little bit of unwanted weight. Possibly your vacations involve more of the same. If you want to reset to normal, revitalize your body, and renew your wellbeing, a detox vacation could be the perfect solution. While “detox vacation” might seem like an oxymoron, South East Asia, and Thailand in particular, offers luxurious detox venues in stunning settings, just a 3 hour flight away from your Hong Kong home.

A-list, Traditional Detox
Chiva Som International Resort, Hua Hin

The queen of detox vacations in South East Asia, Chiva Som, meaning “Haven of Life”, attracts celebrity clients including Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, and Maria Sharapova. The resort prides itself on offering a variety of customable programs to meet your personal goals, and is also known for its colonics offerings. Colonics seems ominous to the uninitiated, but at Chiva Som, you go through it with your hand held, with the aide of a cleansing machine and a therapist. Through this process, you learn about your diet, how you eat (do you chew your food fully?), and your digestive system.  One guest lost 3 kilos after her colonic therapy. No wine with dinner a deal breaker? No worries. Here you can be “bad, like Kate Moss”, as one of the spa therapists said to a guest in June, as Kate Moss enjoys her red wine nightly at Chiva Som. Programs range from the 3 night minimum to the 21+ days stay option.

Currently, a 5-night program will run you about 19,000HKD (but note that it is “lean season” and prices rise after the summer). For this price, the “Art of Detox” 5- day program, for example, includes: 5 nights accommodation in an Ocean View Twin room that has its own balcony overlooking the beach and the Gulf of Thailand, 3 meals daily, a health and wellness consultation, 5 massages, 3- 5 days cleansing diet, 1 colonic hydrotherapy, and choice of daily fitness activities. Chiva Som was awarded Top 5 Destination Spa, Conde Nast Traveller 2010 Readers’ Travel Awards.

Getting There: From Hong Kong, fly to Bangkok and the hotel can pick you up for the 3 hour drive to Hua Hin, where the hotel is located. Want to get there faster? Arrange a helicopter ride from Bangkok to Hua Hin with the hotel. For more information see http://www.chivasom.com/

A Very Relaxing Detox
The Kamalaya, Koh Samui

Koh Samui is one of the most famous destinations for detoxing, and the Kamalya offers a fantastic program for those new to the detox adventure.  For a “really good time,” as a guest described his stay this spring, the “Intro to Detox” package, is a comfortable, rejuvenating option that includes a detox diet of solid food and an abundance of massages.  A 5-night “Intro to Detox” program in the Hillside villa garden view costs about 19,600HKD/single occupancy, and includes full board, 3 meals a day, an initial wellness consultation, a 60 minute detox scrub and wrap, a 90 minute vital essence oil massage, 3 x 30 minute Chi Nei Tsan (healing massage), 3  x 30 minute Far Infrared Sauna, 2 x 90 minute lymphatic drainage massage.

Getting There: From Hong Kong, fly 3 hours to Koh Samui Airport.  Bangkok Airways offers direct flights.  Kamalaya is a 45 minute drive from the airport.  For more information see http://www.kamalaya.com/index.htm

The Intense Detox
The Spa Resort, Samui Village

For a serious liquid detox, The Spa Resort offers programs that flush you out.  A recent guest described the experience as no less than “tough”, but well worth feeling 15 years younger when he was done, and he lost 7 kilos after a seven day cleanse.  The Spa Resort offers three 7 day cleansing options, as well as a 3.5 day cleansing fast.  There is no eating of any solid foods in these programs. Every 90 minutes you have either a detox drink (i.e. psyllium fiber or pineapple juice mixture) or supplement pills.  The day starts at 7 AM with your first drink and ends at 8 PM.  The program also includes twice daily intestinal cleansers, which you complete in your own room (as opposed to Chiva Som’s colonics done with a therapist). The “Semi Fast Detox” program is a 4 night/3.5 day cleansing fast, and the resort recommends you stay an extra day to ease back into solid foods.

In total, this detox cleansing option would cost you about 3,040HKD for a 5 night stay in a single room and 3.5 days worth of detox drinks and supplements. Spa Resort also offers raw food classes, where you learn in depth about different good foods and how to recreate healthy dishes at home.

Getting There: Fly direct from Hong Kong to Koh Samui via Bangkok Airways and the airport is about a 30 minute drive from The Spa Resort Samui Village.  For more information see http://www.thesparesorts.net/locations/samui-village

Traveling alone? Dine at the “Talkers Table” at Chiva Som, or the “Community Table” at Kamalaya where you can meet fellow guests from around the world.
Traveling with a detox adverse hubby? There are 5 international golf options within half an hour from Chiva Som, and a plethora of spa options for your partner to enjoy at the resort.  The Spa Resort Samui Village will arrange Elephant safaris and temple tours for you and your partner, as well as tours for other sites in the area.

So stop the excuses and imagine returning from your next vacation healthier, happier, and more refreshed than ever before.