A LUXURIOUS NEW SPA IN UBUD
New spa openings are a dime a dozen in Asia, so when an established Bali hotelier aligns with a top international designer and one of Europe’s most exclusive natural spa product lines to create Ubud’s hottest new spa, wellness fans and industry experts can’t help but take notice.
In less than one year since its grand opening at Alaya Ubud resort in the heart of Bali’s artistic Mecca, DALA Spa has been recognised with a nomination by the prestigious AsiaSpa Awards 2013 in its highly competitive “New Spa of the Year” category. Exuding old-world glamour with lustrous raw silk textiles and hand-blown glass lamps combined with sustainable chic bamboo accents and traditional alang-alang ceilings, Moroccan-born creative Zohra Boukhari is a premier spa designer who has succeeded in conceptualising a warm and inviting enclave for wellness connoisseurs. Ideal for a unique and unforgettable gathering with friends, including hen parties, DALA’s stylish lounge and delicious spa cuisine create the perfect well-rounded retreat.
Honouring Indonesia’s authentic healing modalities, DALA’s Balinese therapists are highly skilled and are truly interested in sharing centuries of local knowledge with spa guests. Utilising the natural bounty of organically grown produce sourced from the region and beyond, DALA is the exclusive partner in Indonesia for France’s pure Thémaé spa product line, which hand crafts a seductive range of products formulated with four healing teas: the antioxidant green tea, the regenerating white tea, the soothing red tea and the stimulating black tea.
As you enter the warm and inviting reception area, peppered with crystal chandeliers, high-backed velvet chairs and a soothing view of the surrounding tropical gardens, an immaculately dressed assistant delivers a refreshing lemongrass and pineapple elixir along with a chilled hand towel to cool the senses. A short questionnaire presented on an elegant silver tray determines your preferences; shall classic, chill out or easy listening background music be played during your treatment? As you are led down the staircase to the lower level treatment suites, you can’t help but gaze at the beautifully framed batik hand stamps and intricately woven ikat fabrics.
Boasting one of the most expansive spas in Ubud, the Tuberose suite is one of several richly appointed spaces fit for royalty. Distressed furnishings, velvet area rugs, raw silk drapery, graceful stand-alone bathtubs and contemporary rain showers evoke a luxurious sense of peace. After changing into a soft cotton sarong and beaded slippers, your Oriental Massage begins with an ancient Malabar foot ritual. Indonesian black tea is steeped in a hand hammered copper pot and added to a wooden bowl filled with water. Your therapist adds a few drops of tea tree essential oil, slices of lime, chopped lemongrass and red flower petals before kneading your calves into relaxed submission. After your feet are exfoliated with a green tea scrub, the treatment continues on the massage table with eight taps of a Tibetan singing bowl, creating a hypnotising vibration throughout the space.
For this treatment, Thémaé’s “Baume de Quatre Thés” is thoughtfully selected, a body massage balm enriched with four teas, macadamia nut oil and essence of vanilla. Moisturising and nourishing, the balm is a welcome alternative to traditional massage oils and allows the therapist to work your muscles effectively without ever feeling greasy. Combining long strokes with Hawaiian lomi lomi and deft muscle manipulation, the Oriental Massage is at once relaxing and rejuvenating, freeing the body and mind from tension. After a leisurely shower, the treatment finishes with a Javanese jamu health tonic of the day, nourishing the body inside and out.
DaLa Spa
Alaya Resort Ubud
Jalan Hanoman, Ubud
Bali 80571, Indonesia
T: (+62) 361972200
