There is nothing better than the ocean of vitamins for the soul. I am sure that deadly darkness and delicious perversion White lotusI can’t get over it, whose upcoming season is shot in Koh Samui. Just as I immerse myself in the idyllic feel spread by the shimmering sea and plan to do yoga in Koh Phangan across the sparkling waters next, I’m called back to reality. “You don’t want to move that arm too much,” I’m warned by my learned neighbour in the chair next to me, before noticing that I have an IV in the dorsal vein of my arm.
As my liver detox IV begins, Kabir Saluja’s admission that the casual use of the word “wellness” makes him feel “weird” really comes into perspective. The definition of wellness travel is changing, and outfits like Samui’s Miskwan Beachfront Villas are at the forefront of it. When I stepped out of my sparsely furnished suite this morning onto palm-tree-lined Maenam Beach, I didn’t think a place like this could need anything more.
But the thing is, Asia’s fourth-largest wellness tourism market now wants the ‘wellness’ in wellness travel to be a priority, to the extent that industry visionaries are now rejecting prescription medicine for major chronic diseases. And it is complementing the existing buffet of therapies offered in serene natural environments with a whole new list of diagnostic technology, non-invasive therapies and new-age recovery programmes, all within the pockets of travellers.
Resorts like Miskawan have their eyes set on establishing a new global bastion of medicine that can address chronic diseases, with a particular focus on alternative cancer care. And at the forefront of this is functional medicine, a branch of holistic healthcare that rejects the ‘one pill for everyone’ ideology.
“Functional medicine originated in the US, but Thailand refined it by combining the latest techniques and knowledge of IVs, diet and supplements. They have combined the eastern philosophies of yoga, naturopathy, acupuncture – not to mention lifestyle changes – with meditation. And it is available in various resorts at very affordable prices compared to most European and US resorts,” Delhi-based nutritional scientist Dr Sanjay Sachdeva, who runs his own functional medicine centre in the capital, told me.
These days, more and more nutritionists and scientists around the world are debunking detoxification as a myth. But at resorts like Kamalaya, the country’s unwavering faith in moderation and the Eastern philosophy of the outdoors remains. “Detox here means rest and reset. The power of food as medicine can’t be stressed enough. And spending a week or two looking out over the Gulf of Thailand without looking at your phone screen,” sales manager Siriporn Tongvijit teases my wandering hand, which doesn’t understand how serious these guys are about their methods, over a round of homemade ginger beers before lunch.
It’s not just the views – the resort, which has received numerous industry accolades over the past two decades, also offers thorough and comprehensive pre- and post-stay health assessments, as well as a gym, plunge pool and sauna room spread across 20 acres of beachfront surrounded by lush hillside forest. Regenerative treatments, women’s health programs and diagnostics are combined with nutritional science, Ayurveda, naturopathy and other traditional forms of medicine.
Call it an embarrassment of riches? Well, if two days wandering around this tiny island left us untouched by its many charms, the extremely luxurious InterContinental Koh Samui Resort will revive them all. Its huge promontory lobby overlooks the ocean on three sides, including the famous “five islands.” But intent on causing as little damage to my new good habits as possible, I finish a round of grilled seafood and Thai rum cocktails (oops) and then take a fiery night walk on the beach, where I now have a secluded pier and waves to keep me company.
Coming back to Bangkok, we are at RXV Village Sampraan, a state-of-the-art wellness resort that combines modern scientific movement therapy with other integrative programs, which, again, organize themselves around a rainbow diet program, all the ingredients for which are sourced in-house. But what impresses me most is the huge hydrotherapy complex called Bor Nam, where the pop culture appeal of cold water baths and cryo-shock is enhanced with a combination of vitality pools, oxygen baths, soda baths, infrared saunas and the like.
Here, I once again have the chance to test sound therapy, which I have always dismissed as pseudoscientific nonsense. While we prostrate ourselves on the cold floor with our eyes closed and bodies surrendered, our therapist works with her drumkit-like singing bowl. But despite its extremely calming effect, I conclude that a 50-minute session is just enough to drive the fatigue of an early morning flight and a somewhat tiring drive in humid Bangkok out of your body.
But then, this is how health in Thailand is a harmonious conflation of opposites – specific and holistic, preventive and corrective, fundamental and technological. It works because this acceptance of physiology as requiring a variety of course-corrections makes it realistic and feasible. Just as the liver detox IV drip does not claim to completely reverse the harmful effects of alcohol, but rather enhances the liver’s efficiency to detox the body and convert fat-soluble toxins into water-soluble ones. The infusion menu at Miskawan addresses both quick recovery and longevity-based treatment programs, including ozone therapy, NAD infusions, and even IV drips for jetlag and hangovers.
From Samui to Bangkok, it’s clear that feeling good is everywhere in Thailand. And this goes beyond income brackets. For instance, at HealthWorld Onsen Spa and Massage in Bangkok, one can get a great massage for less than 700 baht (Rs 1,716). But if you want to see for yourself how the nebulous concept of wellness is being introduced in the country, Sukhothai Bangkok presents you with an opportunity that goes far beyond a luxurious hotel stay.
Spread amid greenery and pleasing water features, this prestigious luxury hotel on Sathorn Road boasts of a newly equipped spa that also houses the Miskawan Clinic. A teaser of a unique hospital to be built by the group later this year, the plush spa complex gives me a glimpse of its capabilities through a body massage. My therapist Cindy, a smiling and energetic local woman whose small stature belies her enormous ability in relaxing the human body, performs a blockbuster massage, making me feel every numb inch of my body.
The next afternoon, after a long walk on Sathorn Road, I wonder openly about the feasibility of spending more than we usually do on a wellness holiday abroad. “See,” said Tim, our witty tour guide. “Spending on prevention is better than spending on treatment; cheaper too. And then, you have to travel too,” he winked at me, confirming that the country aims to give prominence to wellness. And as Saluja had said earlier, “If people have to get treatment, why should they be surrounded by white walls? Why can’t they be here?”
Skin clinics line the streets and sidewalks everywhere in Thailand. IV drip bars and lounges and concept spas find space in malls and luxury hotels, as do homegrown massage places and Muay Thai clubs where you can learn to throw a punch or two. No wonder the Thai capital will overtake Dubai as Indians’ favourite holiday destination in 2024, according to McKinsey. That Indians can travel visa-free until further notice is an added incentive.
The author’s trip was sponsored by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
