There is a place I have continued to visit  for the last 13 years.   I come to this place at least once a year,  but one year I was here 3 times.  it is the Chivasom Spa in Hua Hin Thailand. 

outdoor pool in Chiva-Som

Hua Hin is about 3 hours driving from the Bangkok airport. This Chinese New Year, I decided to ask a few friends of mine and my sisters to join me.  I must say, as usual, this place is forever satisfactory.  One of my good friends was skeptical about spas and was reluctant to come, but he came anyway, and by the time he left 6 days later, he actually did not wish to leave.

Such is the charm of Chivasom.  We all know, in the last 10 years in China, the word Spa is used all over.  A little mom-and pop store with 2 facial and nail operators is called a spa.  Most hotels today claim they have "spa"".  but in reality, the difference is that most of them are hotels, with a spa on the premise. 

The Chivasom however is a spa, totally.  All the facilities are devoted to the creation, maintenance, restoration of health.  Whenever I find that life is getting too unbalanced, I come to this place to balance my body, mind and spirit. 

foot therapy in Chiva-Som

Most health spas serve food not edible.  A lot of people think that if they wish to be healthy, they must eat tasteless food.  It is not so at the Chivasom.  The food here is super delicious.  The menu reminds me of what really healthy food should be.   The last 1.5 years, I have lived in China totally and I have gained so much weight.  Chinese food is actually very fattening, with too much salt, too much oil and far too much in quantity.  we have a habit of serving too much food becuase this is cultural. 

stir-fried lamb chops

Black sticky rice with mango

Then comes the exercise routine.  From 7 am to 7 pm, there are endless classes you can take.  from Tai Chi Chuan, to Aqua Aerobic (which i love)  to pilates etc.  you can go from class to class all day long totally occupied from the simplest to the most demanding. 

yoga

Then the massages.  I adore massages.  There are a minimum of 8 types of massages that are done by the most professional masseuses.  (The Chivasom operates a professional massage school in Bangkok to train superb professionals)    Then for your mind, there are private classes of every type you can take too.  This time I took meditation classes from a superb master who got his many degrees from Thailand, Oxford, Harvard and also a university in Hamburg.  It was enlightening to say the least. 

Finally, they even have a beauty salon for everything you will need to make you look beautiful.'

What has changed since 13 years ago?  well, the age of people who come to the spa.  When I first came, the people here were really old,fat and old.  but the age has come down dramatically and while they still have older people, there are also slim and young good looking guests.  The biggest change however is in the ratio between men and women.  It used to be that 90% ladies came, only 10% were men.  Today, amazingly, there is almost  fifty fifty!

 
I have been to many famous total -health spas in the United States. The guests were mostly Americans.   However today at the Chivasom, there are people literally from all over the world: from  Karzastan, Moscow, Hong Kong, singapore, France,  Italy.   Anywhere indeed.  So interesting.  I usually came alone, so i would sit with strangers who soon become friends.
The other new phenomenon this year is that lots of people from China come.  Not native Chinese so much, because the languages spoken here are English an Thai.  I suspect that if you do not speak either of these languages, it would be a little more difficult for you to enjoy this place.

(from left to right) Colleeen jackson, Douglas Jackson(president of Coca Cola China),sister Yu-San Kan, me, sister Brenda Kan and in front our Columbian brother, the famous lighting and furniture designer Sergio Orozco. 

Douglas and Colleen Jackson, the vivacious and most charming President of Coca-Cola and his wife who live in Shanghai, Simon Echkersley, Partner of the Hao Capital investment fund
and Jessica  Zhang who is the Managing Director of China for  the concierge service Quintessentially Yours.   Brenda Foster who is the President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai came for a spa day.  Sigrid and Guenther Wecherlein  who used to work for Siemons and who built the famous train Maglef in Shanghai.  I never saw so many people from China before.  I feel totally at home.

Simon Echkersley and Zhang

Last word:  i must say something about the staff service in this place which  I just have never experienced anywhere else.  The staff here has a habit of not only being totally efficient, but would automatically smile at you WHENEVER you just look their way.  This extends to not only the senior staff members but even the ground sweepers!!!  How they train staff so well, I would never know.  I wish we could get service like this in China.  Thais in general are polite, but the staff here is absolutely out of the ordinary.    Of course, everything starts from the top.  The Swiss General Manager Paul Linder who is not only handsome like a movie star, but is really a fantastic manager.  this place is run like a smooth humming machine!  While most hotels in the world are empty (since no one travels much these days)  this year, this hotel is fully booked.  I could not even add another guest into the hotel while I was there. 

Paul Linder(General Manager)

Don't we look very relaxed and happy?

This year of the OX, I must concentrate on taking care of my health.  i was under too much stress last year and ignored exercising and eating healthy food. I did not feel well whole year last year.  Chivasom saves my life.  It makes everything right again.
This year is going to be a stressful year due to the global economic downturn.  My wish is that you will take the year to learn things that would benefit you for the rest of your life. For example, learn a new skill, learn to speak English better, or learn to meditate.  get into an exercise routine.  learn to eat well....this learning  should include academic, spiritual and physicial lessons.  Take good care of yourself.
Wishing you a great new Year of the Ox!

ys