Spa & Cuisine Treat - A unique concept under one roof

With Samui rapidly developing as Thailand's biggest spa culture and gourmet paradise, Impiana Samui Resort & Spa has combined the two in a unique concept and have introduced their Spa & Cuisine Treat which takes place at their Swasana Spa, which in my perception can be described the best as a true boutique Spa, and Tamarind restaurant, renowned for its award winning innovative Pacific Rim Cuisine.

With an anniversary coming up I decided to surprise my partner and indulge her with our shared compassion: relaxation and fine dining. I made the reservation by telephone and our experience started with a free pick-up service, which is available no matter where you are on the island. Your hotel transfers come in the form of a luxury car and friendly driver. Can you impress your partner better than that? I could hardly wait for the day to begin.

Finally the day of my plan is there and my surprise becomes real. I have secretly packed a bag with clothes and other things which my partner and I need for this day. I booked the Leelavadee Package which starts at 10.00 am, our pick-up is at 09.15 am. The surprising look on my girlfriends face when a private chauffeur showed up on our doorstep is one I will never forget. On our way to Impiana she of course wanted to know where and what we are going to do. I tell her to sit back, relax and enjoy the island trip that I had arranged for her. A little bit later we arrive at Impiana Resort & Spa, located just 1 kilometre away from Chaweng Beach Road on the way to Lamai. We are welcomed by Khun Pheeraphat, the Guest Relations Manager of the resort who by the way speaks perfect English. He explains what our day will look like in Swasana Spa. The even more surprising look on my girlfriends face now changes into a great blush of joy and when she looks at me the only thing she can say is: "You...!."

After showing us around in the resort we are introduced to KhunWasinee, the Spa Supervisor. She explains the Leelavadee Package I have booked for us: a 5 hour treatment which includes 30 minutes Thai Herbal Steam in a private couples' suite, a 60 minutes Siam Herbal Scrub, followed by a 90 minutes Siam Aromatherapy massage, a 60 minutes Foot Massage & Reflexology and the finishing touch of a 60 minutes Facial Deep Cleaning. She also explains the benefits of the various treatments and what's recommended for our particular requirements and asks us which of the 5 essential oils we want for our body massages. The look on my girlfriends face? Bewilderment followed by excitement!

Before we start our first treatment in the world of peace and serenity, one of the friendly staff serves us a hot towel with herbs and our first healthy injection of the day; Tamarind fruit. In between our indulging treatments in a perfect setting with soft lighting, scented candles and peaceful background music we are treated with Ginger Tea to warm us up from the inside and not to forget a healthy mouth-watering lunch. All the treatments are sensational and certainly the Foot Massage & Reflexology is a truly amazing experience for us. The therapist starts with a fresh tamarind scrub followed by a massage of specific areas in our feet. There are 63 points on the feet that connect to a specific part in the body, so if you have any problem such as a shoulder ache or muscle pain, tell them and they will do their best to ease the pain.

After a pampering afternoon in the spa and my girlfriend being in heaven, I give the bag to my girlfriend and tell her to get changed. Another surprising look shows up on her face and I can't wait to lead her to the restaurant where a special table is waiting for us. After ten minutes she shows up and I guide her to Tamarind Restaurant. At the entrance we are warmly welcomed by Alfredo Alonso, the Food & Beverage Manager who shows us our table and presents us our welcome cocktail. He leads us through the menu, which is gorgeously prepared by Senior Chef Khun Kittichai Sroythong (better known as Khun M) and his team. Khun M, a Bangkok native, is just 29 years and already has an impressive background in hotels such as the Ambassador, the Montien Riverside, the Century Park and the Emerald, all in the capital city.

We choose "Fillet of Mackerel, Macerated Grapes and a Traminer Riesling and soy vinaigrette" and "Grilled Duck with okra salad" as our starters. The main course is the "Crispy-skin snapper fillet with sautéed water spinach, plantain banana and coconut curry sauce" for my girlfriend and the "Moroccan-spiced lamb with rosemary potatoes and a shot of chilled gazpacho" for myself. Fine dining as fine dining should be, even better at this stunning beach front location where we both enjoyed top quality in every aspect! A unique concept we highly recommend served by truly dedicated people, from the moment we walked in. Our compliments!

And for me and my girlfriend, we definitely will be back next year as newly weds, because during dinner I had an extra surprise on top of the whole day and she gave me the right answer!

For reservations and further details of Impiana Samui Resort's Spa & Cuisine Treats call 0 7742 2011.