HOW long was it since the last pampering at the award-winning spa? I can't recall. But what I can remember was how the therapy at the Mandala Spa was the best I had by far.
It was a couple of years back since my most recent visit to Boracay. The place has become busy then and today, you can add “crazy” to busy. That’s how congested the island is in terms of visitors and business establishments. It’s like a small, busy city.
There are more spas this time. The proliferation is quite surprising.
There must be a demand for it. Spa services are now peddled along the beach lane pretty much how the paraw cruise and other island activities are offered—on a laminated brochure.
Island visitors don't even have to look for a spa, it will be presented to them every few meters along the pathway. If you have a suki among the original manangs along the stretch, she now has a stiff competition.
But there are those who will turn to the spa that they know will deliver the best therapy. Mandala is one of those world-class spas that they can rely on. The 2001-established spa has consistently been recognized as one of the Philippines’s bests by both national and international award-giving bodies.
This makes it difficult for the spa to keep its status of “Boracay’s best kept secret.”
To the regulars, they wish Mandala remains a secret. The spa’s popularity plus the large number of island visitors can make it difficult to book a therapy session, especially if they are staying in the island for a short time.
Unlike the other spas in the island, Mandala is a place of tranquility. Its exclusive address on a hilltop in Angol is a secluded paradise far from the crowd. In fact it seemed detached from the “real Boracay world.”
Walking along the entrance path already gives you that notion, more so when you make your way to your private hut. It's a tropical forest-like setting where the gentle sound of the rustling leaves as the wind blows urges you to relax. At nightfall, you can be serenaded with the songs of crickets and the occasional tune of the geckos.
On the recent visit to the island, Liza Gamo, Mandala Spa Director of Sales, invited me for another session of the Mandala Signature Massage. It’s the therapy I am very familiar and one that got me hooked to the establishment.
The 90-minute Mandala Signature Massage is designed to ease you to a deep state of relaxation. The treatment uses long strokes and gentle stretches, and is the starting point for various spa treatment packages at the spa.
As expected, the therapy affirms why Mandala is on top of my best massage list. I wish I could have it every day. But it’s also good to have something to look forward to whenever I plan a visit to Boracay.
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Email me at jinggoysalvador@yahoo.com