On my first day at Chiva-Som, I woke early and went for a walk along Hua Hin beach where, every morning, local Buddhist monks dressed in faded saffron robes walk along the sand. On this particular morning, because it was the Thai king’s birthday, there was a special celebration and the monks were chanting. I sat with them. It was 7am, and an incredibly peaceful start to my week’s stay.
I usually go on holiday with my sons, Flynn, 10, and Cy, five, but since I share custody with their father, I also have the chance to travel alone. And as it happens, Chiva-Som (meaning Haven of Life) doesn’t allow children. Mobile phones are banned, there is no nightclub or loud music, and alcohol is served only after 6pm, so it’s very tranquil.
Set on the beach resort of Hua Hin, Chiva- Som is three hours’ drive south of Bangkok, and it’s worth the journey – my room overlooked the sea, a brilliant butler looked after my every need and elegant teak pavilions and outdoor pools are set in lush tropical gardens planted with palms, oleanders and banyan trees. After my first breakfast of fruit, I had a consultation with a health adviser about what I wanted to get out of my week. The treatment programme is tailor-made (they even ask what your hair type is so they can give you the right products in your bathroom, and you can choose whether you want a firmer or softer mattress).
I wasn’t particularly interested in losing weight, more in my general wellbeing. Juggling two children and running my business means I don’t have the time to pamper myself at home. I opted for the cleansing diet, which meant only fresh juices and light soups. Luckily, they were delicious. I had a juice every four hours – at breakfast, mid-morning, at lunch, in the afternoon, at dinner and one at bedtime. I didn’t feel that I needed to detox particularly – I don’t smoke or drink – and I saw it as more of a rest for my digestive system. I mainly eat vegetables at home so it wasn’t too much of a hardship for me, although if you don’t feel you could live on liquids for a week, Chiva-Som has won awards for its food (it might be fat-, salt- and sugar-free, but it looks delectable).
I began each day with yoga or t’ai chi as I watched the sun rise over the Gulf of Thailand, then I had some treatments. The marble spa is large, so even if the resort is full – there are 57 bedrooms – you rarely come across other guests. It’s heaven for holistic sybarites – it has relaxation areas, a Jacuzzi and a plunge pool covered in fresh rose petals. First up were appointments with the acupuncturist and chiropractor, followed by a training session with a gym instructor who put me to work running on a treadmill while breathing in oxygen from a tank – apparently this makes you work more efficiently and you get less tired.
I tried iridology, where a therapist examines the irises and whites of your eyes to see the condition of your organs, which I found fascinating. I also had colonic hydrotherapy – I won’t go into the grisly details, but afterwards I felt revitalised. Then a seaweed body wrap left my skin glowing and soft. I also went for long walks and runs along the shore. You don’t have to be active all the time, but there is a lot on offer: stress management, Thai boxing, Pilates, yoga and salsa.
Many of the things I experienced have followed me home. At Chiva-Som I meditated every day, either with the local monks or by myself, and now I’m back home I am using a meditation CD the monks kindly gave me. I also loved their iced lemon-grass tea, so I bought some from the Chiva-Som store and I’m still drinking it. I bought some divine-smelling incense, too. But really it is the staff and their incredible sweetness, elegance and discretion that make the spa so extraordinary.
A three-night stay at Chiva-Som (+66 32 536536, chivasom.com) costs from £600 per person full board. Chiva-Som’s award-winning chef, Paisarn Cheewinsiriwat, works in partnership with British Airways’ Culinary Council.
