ABSOLUTE SANCTUARY
KOH SAMUI, THAILAND
The Setting
Another highly regarded fitness destination on the island of Koh Samui is Absolute Sanctuary. Located in the hills of the Cheong Mon peninsula, right inside the island’s northeastern corner, this boutique wellness resort recently underwent an extensive refurbishment that saw the grounds painstakingly tiled from the lobby to the spa to the 38 elegantly appointed guest rooms. The stately buildings utilise Moroccan architecture and decor that gives the resort a look that truly makes it stand out amongst its competitors.
Although it touts itself as Thailand’s “premier detox and yoga resort,” fitness has recently become a major component of the offerings at Absolute Sanctuary. After adding a modern fitness studio to the resort’s facilities in 2011, they launched their Be Fit and Absolute Weight Management programmes.
Be Fit
Absolute Sanctuary describes this fitness programme as utilising “a holistic approach to cater to those seeking to improve their fitness levels or for those who want to kick start a new fitness regime.”
The Be Fit programme starts with a comprehensive fitness assessment from which a programme is tailor-made to meet your fitness goals. You will undergo personalised fitness sessions comprised of both indoor and outdoor sessions encompassing a wide variety of exercises such as cardiovascular workouts, weight training sessions, boot camp workouts, Pilates reformer sessions and Muay Thai kickboxing sessions, ensuring that there is something for everyone and that participants will work out all the different parts of their bodies efficiently.
Resistance and cardiovascular training is balanced with flexibility workouts through daily yoga classes, ensuring that guests work out in a balanced manner. The five, seven or ten day packages all include healthy meals and power blast super shakes to keep your energy levels up, as well as daily healing spa treatments, including a wide variety of massages and sauna sessions, to knead away muscles aching from exertion.
Absolute Weight Management
The concept behind this programme is that effective weight management stems from a constant sense of awareness and self-control combined with healthy lifestyle choices. The goal of the Absolute Weight Management programme is weight loss that is healthy, maintainable and, most importantly, sustainable over a long period of time.
Utilising a holistic approach, guests will be guided towards a healthy lifestyle both physically and mentally. The programme combines personalised fitness sessions covering a variety of exercise forms such as Pilates reformer, cardiovascular, fit ball, endurance and resistance training, with group fitness and yoga sessions also included to help raise your activity levels.
Cleansing therapies are also included to help eliminate any physical blockages to weight loss, whilst emotionally, there are supportive therapies such as hypnotherapy and reiki to help participants break through their personal barriers to weight loss.
Nutritional supplements are also provided throughout the programme together with carefully crafted and well-balanced meals. There is also a hands-on cooking class to ensure that you are equipped with the tools to carry on eating healthily at home.
Slimming treatments are one of the highlights of this programme, with treatments centred on Green Coffee Concentrate, which is known for its fat burning properties. With a take home exercise programme, nutritional advice and optional Skype follow up calls, guests can be ensured that they maintain their weight loss well after they have gone home. The Absolute Weight Management programme is available in seven, ten or 14 day packages.
