Exotic Treats

Sun Herald

Sunday August 17, 2008

By Angela Cuming

No private jet at the ready? Don't worry, now you can get the best spa treatments the world has to offer without leaving Sydney.

Hawaii

Now you don't have to endure a marathon flight to say "Aloha" to a traditional Hawaiian lomi lomi massage.

The Ka Huna Centre in Paddington offers the next best thing to a tropical Hawaiian beach.

Lomi lomi or ka huna bodywork, as it is also known, originated in the Pacific and was used during rites of passage as a transformational massage and healing system.

In this traditional massage, a favourite of Britney Spears and Cameron Diaz, the practitioner uses their hands, forearms and elbows to make flowing hula- and tai chi-style movements for soft- and deep-tissue massage. Music is played while the practitioner adjusts the flow of the massage so that it is in harmony with the rhythm of the client's body, mind and soul.

The Ka Huna Centre, 76 Oxford Street, Paddington. Phone (02) 9358 3777 or email info@kahunacentre.com.au.

The Outback

So Arnhem Land is not overseas, we know, but it is such a magical and remote area it might as well be.

Experience a massage based on traditional Aboriginal healing knowledge with The Dreaming treatment at The Last Resort Wellbeing Spa at North Bondi.

For ultimate indulgence, this therapeutic journey includes Mala Mayi body wrap, Kodo body massage, Mirri facial and Paudi head massage, all embracing the traditions of Aboriginal healing techniques.

The spa uses products from the Australian-made LI'TYA range which includes Australian desert salts, nourishing aromatic oils and clarifying earth ochres.

LI'TYA has recently partnered with the Yothu Yindi Foundation (YYF) to support one of their recent initiatives - Dilthan Yolngunha: The Healing Place. It is a community respite and rehabilitation service at Gulkula, near Nhulunbuy in north-eastern Arnhem Land for the local indigenous community.

Ten per cent of all profits go back to indigenous communities, so not only does the treatment leave you looking great, but feeling good on the inside, too.

The Last Resort Wellbeing Spa, 2 Brighton Boulevard, North Bondi. Phone (02) 9300 6033 or email info@thelastresort.com.au.

Thailand

Traditional Thai massage, regarded by many as the perfect massage, has its origins in Buddhist philosophy.

It is still taught and practised today at many Buddhist temples throughout Thailand but Sydneysiders only need to go as far as Coogee to the Mum Sa Bai centre to experience it for themselves.

The Thais claim that regular Thai massage, as a result of the improved circulation it induces, can slow down the ageing process, especially the wrinkling of skin on different parts of the body. No wonder, then, that Scarlett Johansson and Kate Moss are fans.

Similar to reflexology, pressure is placed on different points of the body, with special attention given to the feet.

Mum Sa Bai, 175 Coogee Bay Road, Coogee. Phone (02) 9665 5729.

Bali

Bali is as famous for its spa treatments and massages as it is for Bintang beer and sarong hawkers.

If you fancy a traditional treatment without the risk of Bali belly, try The Grace Hotel's Cendana Spa.

There you can enjoy a Javanese Lulur spice body scrub, a traditional beauty ritual for royal brides.

The spa uses an ancient recipe of selected herbs and spices to exfoliate, leaving the skin soft, supple and glowing.

Celebrities Kate Hudson and Delta Goodrem are fans, so if it's good enough for them, it is good enough for Sydney's pamper princesses.

The spa also uses aromatherapy oils that are quintessentially Balinese, such as sandalwood and frangipani.

The Cendana Spa, Level 1, 77 York Street, Sydney. Phone (02) 9299 8948 or email enquiries@cendanaspa.com.au.

South Korea

A holiday to South Korea is not complete without a visit to a traditional bath house but now Potts Point is as far as you have to travel to experience it for yourself.

Body Inc Bathhouse and Spa (previously known as the Korean Ginseng Bathhouse) has reopened after a makeover and is now owned by Body Inc.

All the traditional treatments are still on offer, such as the hot ginseng baths and hot towel facials.

Just be warned: the previous policy of compulsory nudity in the public-bath areas still applies.

But for more modest folks, the new owners have created private rooms and couples' rooms with their own baths.

The official opening is on Wednesday when the public also gets to enjoy a yoga room and a boutique hair studio which is open until midnight.

Body Inc Bathhouse and Spa, Level 1, 224 Victoria Street, Potts Point. Phone (02) 9356 3477 or email bathhouse@bodyinc.com.au.

India

Celebs such as Demi Moore and Cindy Crawford love the relaxing properties of a traditional Indian Shirodhara massage, but they can afford to travel there.

Mere mortals can get the same thing at the Ayurve Beauty Salon & Wellness Day Spa in Sydney.

Treatments include a 70-minute body massage followed by the slow pouring of warm oil on the "third eye" (forehead) to give strength to the nervous system and eliminate toxins.

It is also popular for providing complete relaxation to the head and neck and alleviating insomnia and headaches.

Ayurve Beauty Salon & Wellness Day Spa, Level 7, 99 York Street, Sydney. Phone (02) 9262 3466 or email feelgood@ayurve.com.