Spas of Koh Samui

As I mentioned in an earlier post, where you stay when you're on an island is super important as you will tend to spend most of your time at the resort. Due to the short tenure of our trip, we opted to forgo the tourist hotspots such as the Mama & Papa Rocks and the National Marin Park Day-tour which sounds amazing, so what did we do other than lounge by the pool? Got massages of course!

Le Meridien Spa

Our stay at Le Meridien included two free massages so we booked an hour each at the spa. After about 10 minutes of looking through the menu and testing the different spa oils, we were led down a calming walkway with a waterfall wall into a clean room with wooden accents and a private changing area. We were offered a cup of juice while our feet were cleansed then we got a good classic Thai massage. I really enjoyed my experience at the Le Meridien Spa and although I didn't pay for my massage, I did peek at the menu prices and they were very reasonable. The masseuse was very responsive and did a great job of figuring out the ideal pressure for me.

Tip: Be sure to be clear when giving instructions and speak using easily recognizable words, as English is not likely to be your masseuses first language.

After the massage, we had a moment to relax in a room overlooking a small pond which was very calming- I would have liked to spend more time on the lounge chairs but we were soon guided back to the top floor. I forgot to mention in my earlier post that the hotel has a library and does allow guests to check out movies so we rented out A Walk to Remember, which was just as heartbreaking to watch as the first time.

Six Senses Spa

We booked a massage at the Six Senses before we arrived at Koh Samui because we were told that it was the best place to get a massage. As per instructions, we booked the massages at sundown and the view was nothing short of miraculous. Unfortunately, I was unable to get a good photo of the view, but believe me, it is amazing. Check in for the spa here was a little more complicated as their forms are a little longer and there was some confusion about which massages we had booked. 

Eventually, we were each given a drink of our choice then shuffled off to our personal rooms- a private wooden shack elevated in the jungle! It was something straight out of a movie, my one warning is that you should let them know if you can't handle stairs as there are lots of stairs in this resort. The room was beyond description and each room had an interrupted view of nature. The massages were quite good, I expected more given I was in Thailand and that it cost quite a bit more than our other massage- I was not disappointed but also not blown away. 

Halfway through my massage, the sun began to sink and my heart dropped, the masseuse was stunned that I had her stop the massage so that I could fully absorb the beauty but it was worth it! I would actually recommend getting your massage so you end about 30-60 minutes before sundown so you can head to Dining on the Rocks (I reviewed this restaurant in a previous post) and have your meal there as the sun sets so you can fully enjoy the effect as it's hard to appreciate a setting sun while having the knots elbowed out of your shoulder. Alternatively, have a meal before your massage- this is a little risky with the timing and also,  I wouldn't generally recommend a massage after a meal due to discomfort.

Overall, I enjoyed both massages for different reasons, if you are on a budget, I definitely would recommend the Le Meridien, however, if you will only be having one massage and you want to truly immerse yourself in the Thai luxury experience (or if you live in a desert and you're desperate for beautiful nature) then I absolutely would go for the Six Senses Spa.