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Driving in the middle of nowhere surrounded by the arid Bahraini desert the imposing structure of the Banyan Tree Desert Spa and Resort at Al Areen seems almost like a mirage from a distance.
Up close, the sand coloured edifice is as magnificent as it seems from afar as it rises from the flat landscape which is peppered by construction equipment that is an all too familiar sight on the island these days.
The Banyan Tree spa is the largest spa in the Middle East and the first of its kind in the region. It has a dizzying array of treatments as I discovered when I was presented the spa menu to choose the type of massage I wanted to experience that day.
I was booked for the 'Green Tea Indulgence' package which included a 30-minute body scrub with apple and green tea polish, a 60-minute body massage of my choice and to finish off the experience there was a choice of green tea delights at the Lobby Lounge.
My heels clicked on the stone floor as I was led through the airy corridors of the spa to my treatment chamber. This was no ordinary spa-in-a-hole packed in a couple of hundred square metres of space but a sprawling 10,000 square metres facility with style and extravagance inspired by the gardens of the Royal Arabian palaces. Everything about the Banyan Tree Spa spelled opulence and indulgence, from the impressive development to the luxurious spa services.
Once inside the treatment room, my therapist's prime objective was my comfort and an ambience that suited my mood. Right from choosing the incense sticks for aroma (I chose lavender for its soothing properties), to the volume of music and the temperature of the room, the treatment room was my domain. Noel, my Indonesian therapist, started the treatment with a green tea and apple body polisher.
Freshly prepared from green tea powder, green apples, rice grain and honey the grainy scrub deep cleanses and removes dead skin while rejuvenating the skin with the antioxidant properties of green tea and green apples. The deliciously warm honey keeps the body moisturized.
After a 30-minute session of rubbing the scrub on my frame I emerged from the shower cleansed to the pore with skin as soft and smooth like a baby's. As I settled on my massage table Noel poured a generous amount of oil containing the essential oil of ylang ylang and started the Lomi Lomi massage.
Lomi Lomi massage originated in Hawaii and was a healing practice of native Pacific island healers.
Now it is practised all over the world as a restorative massage to soothe and ease muscular tension.
My skilled therapist started the oil massage from my upper body and applied medium rhythmic pressure with her thumbs, palms and elbows and finished off each area with gentle stretches.
The Lomi Lomi massage lasted for an hour and my body felt extremely light and relaxed by the end of it.
With this languid feeling I proceeded to the lobby lounge to indulge in the green tea delights that included green tea cookies, crme brulee and the aromatic green tea.
"We have tried to link the spa and restaurant together to present a holistic experience to our customers whereby they receive the external treatment from the spa and have the internal experience with our cuisine," said Mr Hylton Lipkin, director of the spa.
"Although Bahrain has the first internationally-renowned Banyan Tree spa in the Middle East it is certainly not the last. These are exciting times for us as we plan to open a lot more properties in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah and by 2010 we will have a significant presence in the region."
Green Tea Indulgence package is available throughout December and is priced at BD65 (subject to 15 per cent service charge and five per cent Government levy) at the Banyan Tree Desert Spa and Resort, Al Areen.
