To celebrate the opening of their new West Vancouver location, Sabai Thai Spa graciously invited us to experience one of their signature treatments.  The invitation extended to any of their locations, so I chose to check out the Coal Harbour spa at 571 Cardero Street.  What can I say, I’m downtown centric!

Sabai Thai Spa offers a range of traditional Thai massages, facials, and body wraps.  If you’ve never had a Thai style massage, you’re in for a treat.  A combination of stretching and massage is used to leave you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.

When I arrived I was greeted with a calming atmosphere and a glass of sweetened ginger tea.  It was a perfect way to start relaxing before the treatment.  The room I was led to was Thai-inspired, aromatic, and, of course, dark.  I decided to try the Nuad Pra Kob, or the Herbal Compress Massage.  I’ve never had a technique like this before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.

It started with a soothing back massage, then I heard something being lifted and this incredible aroma filled the room.  I felt something dotting my back to acclimatize my skin to the heat, before the massage continued with what felt like a spongy ball.  This technique continued for an hour, with gentle stretching of each of my limbs and my neck.  Heaven. 

What I mistook as a ball was the herbal compress.  Anong, my masseuse, explained the process to me after.  Dried herbs like ginger, lemongrass, and cumin are pressed into a cotton compress and heated in water to rehydrate.  The compress is then used to massage the skin to relieve tensions and loosen up muscles.  Anong also told me that it’s commonly used in Thai homes to relieve aching muscles after a hard day’s work, adding that her own family employs the technique. 

Afterwards I was in a ridiculously good mood.  I smelled like a delicious glass of tea and my skin was super soft.  Though I felt completely relaxed, I also felt revitalized.  The perfect way to end the week! 

Next time you want to treat yourself, try a Thai massage.  It’s a totally unique way to experience a bit of Thai culture, and will leave you relaxed for days. 

~ Meghan Roberts