#ExperienceTheEscape At Rewa Escape Spa This Valentine’s Day

Imagine this, you and your date at a restaurant filled with couples, the standard, cliched decorations of hearts and balloons and the standard love ballads playing over the music system.

Now, imagine this. you and your Valentine in a  peaceful, tranquil cocoon, away from the urban cacophony enjoying a rejuvenating massage followed by a milk bath with rose petals….

Which one would you rather experience? If the second option seems more appealing to you, then read on to know more about this oasis of tranquility in the heart of South Bombay, the Rewa Escape Spa….

 

Located on a piece of prime real estate in the heart of South Bombay, near the busiest, traffic-logged junction of Breach Candy, Peddar Road and Mahalaxmi, is a cosy little oasis of peace and tranquility that makes you forget that you are in the heart of the concrete jungle, The Rewa Escape Spa. Built in one section of the Maharani of Rewa’s bunglow, the Rewa Spa overlooks the Arabian Sea and transports you into another world.

This morning, I went for to the Rewa Spa for an indulgent signature ritual, the Sampoorna Abhishek which is a two hour long de-stressing full body ritual comprising of a body scrub, a body wrap and a massage. It was so, so awesome, that I had to write about it immediately so that you can get your appointments in time for Valentine’s Day.

The Sampoorna Abhishek Ritual starts with a foot wash where the masseuse gently cleans your feet with warm water. You are then given disposable undergarments and a bathrobe to change into. You can choose from any of their natural body scrubs but I decided to go for the Spice Scrub that the masseuse recommended. This is a traditional mix of Indian spices to relax sore muscles and improve blood circulation. To me, it felt like a self-warming scrub since it started feeling warm on application. Perhaps it was the massage action that gave the warmth but I think it had more to do with the ingredients of the scrub. I loved that slight warmth in this cool weather. After the scrub was applied, the masseuse covered me with a thick towel and let me relax for a few minutes. I was so relaxed that I think I dozed off for a while. After a while (I don’t know how many minutes, though. You can’t really keep track of time in a spa!), I was told to go for a milk bath to rinse off the scrub.

With a milk bath.

With rose petals in it.

In a copper bucket with a traditional “lota” to pour the water!

What a nice way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, don’t you think  😉

 

After the milk bath, there were fresh disposable undergarments waiting for me on the bed. It was then time for the body wrap, the Black Soil wrap. Rich black soil mixed with Multani Mitti (Fuller’s Earth) and certain other fragrant ingredients was applied all over my body with a gentle massaging action. Unlike other spas where foil and plastic sheets are used for the wrap, at Rewa, a soft, thick towel was used to swaddle me. I felt like an infant being cocooned in the swaddle and it made me feel so cozy and warm. It was time for yet another snooze as the therapist left me to “relax” in my wrap for some time.

It was then time to shower off the dried wrap, this time with the normal shower, not the milk bath.Again without using a shower gel. As I was rinsing it off, I could feel that my skin had become super soft and smooth. This was followed by an oil massage with a special blend of oil designed to relieve tension and improve blood circulation, thus making the skin appear radiant. I could smell rose in the oil blend as well as sweet fennel (strange I know, but my nose thought it could smell fennel). I tried asking the masseuse about the ingredients in the oil but all I got was “almond oil, rose and other things”.

The masseuse told me that this oil had to be left on the body for at least an hour to be beneficial so I didn’t have to shower again. What was surprising was that my body didn’t feel oily at all like it usually does after a massage. Perhaps my dry, dehydrated skin totally soaked up the oil??

Once the rituals were over, I relaxed one of the armchairs taking in the view of the sea at low tide while sipping on my green tea. Though we live in an island city, we don’t really have the time to admire the sea. Either we’re zooming away in our cars and hence too busy to admire the view at Marine Drive or Worli Sea Face, or we’re stuck in traffic jam in which case we are frustrated and cursing the BMC, the traffic police etc. It felt really nice to have take a couple of minutes out to just sit. And watch the sea.

 

Coming back to Valentine’s Day, I truly think that a session at Rewa Spa would be a far better gift than any of the other cliches. And if your relationship isn’t still at the stage where you can indulge in a massage together, you can always gift an individual massage.

 

And if you are a bride-to-be turning into a bridezilla, then I strongly recommend you book yourself in for the Sampoorna Abhishek. This ritual that I experienced, is a favourite with brides to be since it relaxes them and gives them a radiant glow. The bride can get away from all the stress of the wedding for a couple of hours and be rejuvenated for all the functions with this ritual.

The Sampoorna Abhishek ritual is priced at ₹5,000 and is totally worth it. Rewa Escape Spa also offers massages, scrubs, facials as well as manicures and pedicures. Do check out their website, Rewaescape.com for more information.

 

*Disclaimer: I was offered a complimentary service. My opinions are honest and unbiased.