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Seychelles spa makes you feel good

Specially trained Thai massage therapists administer treatments.

MAHE ISLAND, SEYCHELLES - The delightful Tum introduced herself and then proceeded to kick and punch me; twist my neck; dig her knuckles deep into my shoulders ... and I loved every minute of it.

I surrendered my body to the young massage therapist from Thailand in the hopes she could work out the kinks one gets on the (well worth the effort) 17-hour airline journey it takes to reach this tropical treasure off the coast of Africa.

"I think a Thai massage is what will make you feel better," recommended the soft-spoken Tum, one of the specially-trained Thai therapists employed at the incredible Banyan Tree Seychelles Resort located on the southwest coast of Mahe, the largest of the 115 islands that make up this incredibly beautiful nation.

The scent of flowers fills the air at Banyan Tree massage room.

Remembering the long-lasting benefits I experienced from my last Thai massage in Bangkok a year earlier, I willingly accepted Tum's recommendation.

She led me to an open-air treatment room offering spectacular views of the turquoise Indian Ocean and surrounding mountains, lush with tropical vegetation. After serving some lemon grass tea - yummy - and massaging my feet, she ordered me to lie face down on the treatment table. Next thing I knew, Tum was straddling my back and teasing me with gentle strokes of her soft fingers - just the prelims to the delightful punishment she was about to administer.

If you have not had a Thai massage, may I suggest you’ve not had a REAL massage. In Thailand, massages are more medicinal than cosmetic and therapists like Tum go through rigorous training at a "university" in Phuket before being allowed to practice their craft here. Tum must have been a straight-A student.

"All the therapists here at Banyan Tree were trained in Thailand," reported Imelda Evasco, a Filipina who is the spa director at the five-star Seychelles resort.

"The girls - all the therapists at Banyan Tree Seychelles are women - have to go through four months and at least 200 hours of training before they can be assigned here."

The whole theory of Thai massage is based on attacking the pressure points of the body - hence the digging into one's shoulder blades, etc., with knuckles and knees. Tum was actually using her gentle fingers to find the points that needed the most attention.

The outdoor swimming pool overlooks the Indian Ocean.

"You have very tight neck and shoulder," observed Tum, who then got me in a full nelson and began twisting my neck from side to side. Next, she began digging her knees into my shoulders - never once hurting me.

For 90 minutes, Tum pounded on the soles of my feet with her fist - "to help circulation" - grabbed my hand, put her feet under my arm pits and pulled towards her - "this will stretch and loosen your arms" - and rejuvenated me to the point that even the prospect of a 23-hour flight (which included a six-hour layover in Paris) back home could not make me tense.

The setting, as much as the therapist, helps soothe your body and soul at Banyan Tree Seychelles. The spa's 18 treatment rooms are scattered about the tropical property and each offers stunning ocean views.

The whole scene is very romantic and appeared to appeal to the honeymoon couples this resort seems to attract in great numbers. In fact, there are several rooms where couples can enjoy treatments lying side-by-side.

"We cater mostly to women, but they try to introduce their new husbands to spa life once they get to the resort," said Evasco.

It seems to be working because I passed several couples heading for treatments on my way out of the remarkable spa.

Maybe these days women are asking men if they like spas before agreeing to marry them.

INFORMATION

- The Banyan Tree Seychelles spa is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day and a full menu of spa services is dished up.

- My Thai massage cost $100.

- Spa treatments lasting four hours cost about $300.

- For information on Banyan Tree Seychelles or any of the company's other excellent resort properties, go to www.banyantree.com

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