Spa Retreat

Text by Mitzi Ibaya

The sound of flowing water instantly puts one into a peaceful trance. There is nothing like the sight of ocean ripples shimmering like sapphire under a lucid sun to calm the restless spirit. This and more is the promise of one of Bohol’s prime spas, Mithi.

The old world European Baths have been translated today into beauty and wellness retreats, commonly known as spa. This includes a variety of spas that offer physical and spiritual cleansing.

And Bohol, ever the tourist savvy tourism destination, has wizened up to the multi-billion dollar industry that mushroomed all over the world. Perhaps, the modern world’s fast-paced, over-competitive lifestyle has brought more people seeking vacations that offer more than the sun and sea.

In Bohol, Mithi is just one of several spas that are now incorporated in many of our high-end resorts. And these spas mostly cater to the A-list vacationers. The editor assured me however, this has a local-friendly rate that dispenses with the local-unfriendly resort entrance fee.

Modesty wrapped in a towel, I resolved to experience what many raved as the answer to the stress-ridden workweek; a spa retreat.

The thirty-minute sauna already loosened up the kinks from two months of political drama. Heat permeating every pore, sweat pouring from forehead to foot pads, I was surprisingly enjoying being subjected to intense heat that seeped through my soul and put me in hot, languid stupor.

A hot shower to wash away the toxins and a foot soak with a view of the sea and some tea to relax were all I needed to remind me it is still a beautiful world. My musings were broken by soft-spoken ladies dressed in asian-inspired costumes in muted colors who beckoned me to my massage.

Like several Filipino spas, this one also offers the local massage traditions of the hilot, bentosa, and the like. I, however, am treated to the combination of massage techniques. The customary query of “soft, medium or hard”, momentarily placed an impish thought. But the candle-lit room coupled with soft music and the knowing ministrations of my wellness attendant transformed my thoughts from impish to congenial.

Calm yet invigorated, I ended my retreat with a determination to subject myself to more of these beauty and wellness treats. The day’s experience has left me with nothing but happy thoughts that for a moment made me forget political madness, breakwaters, and manmade islands.