CW climbs mountains, swims oceans and raids a private island to find Asia’s most luxurious spas. by Ocean Opulence

Palatial Paradise

Four Seasons at Jimbaran Bay | Bali, Indonesia
Built into a gently terraced hillside above Bali's Ayung River, this gorgeous resort, which Conde Nast ranked number four in Asia in 2004, features stunning views of the ocean and a sacred mountain. Spa treatments are renowned for using sea salt, seaweed and aromatic extracts. With excellent dining and luxurious accommodation in private villas, you will never want to leave this exotic fantasyland. With nine kinds of massage techniques, including Reiki and water therapy and an even larger selection of body scrubs, wraps and other treatments, you could spend an entire day at the spa. We recommend the ocean ritual body treatment which is two blissful hours of massage, sea salt scrub, sea body wrap, sea salt bath and ocean lotion moisturizing treatment. Be sure to take time to explore the resort’s gardens and take a Balinese cooking class, which starts with an outing to the local market. www.fourseasons.com/jimbaranbay

Himalayan Healing

Oberoi Wildflower Hall | India
Perched at an altitude of 8,250 feet and surrounded by Himalayan mountains, Wildflower Hall is an incredible location for an equally incredible spa. Winner of India’s Best Spa Resort in the World Travel Awards 2005, this Himalayan hideaway offers a range of massages, scrubs and body wraps, with a focus on the 5,000 year old Indian healing system of Ayurveda, which are designed to improve the circulatory and nervous systems. For nature-lovers, Wildflower Hall is ideal for hiking, horse riding, mountain biking and river rafting. Or scrap all that and just appreciate the cedar forest and unbelievable mountain views from the comfort of the resort’s outdoor Jacuzzi. The Oberoi spa menu includes many exotic skin treatments and healing massages, but we recommend sampling traditional Indian techniques, such as Marma therapy and Chakra head and shoulder massage. You can also enjoy the resort’s fitness facilities, or take yoga lessons with the resort’s in-house yoga instructor. www.oberoiwildflowerhall.com

Palatial Paradise

Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi | Chiang Mai, Thailand
A perennial winner at the Spa Asia Crystal Awards, the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, with its golden towers (which took 150 people and three years to carve!) and 60 acres of landscaped park, is designed to resemble an ancient Burmese palace. The spa is equipped with 25 treatment suites and is the place to go for the pursuit of physical and mental wellness: The spa’s Ayurvedic center enjoys an international reputation. If you get bored with the spa, be sure to go to the resort’s two beautiful swimming pools, where bathers are greeted with ice cold, mint-infused towels to cool off at the very height of indulgence. The spa specializes in a number of Asian therapeutic techniques. In addition to traditional Thai treatments, try those handed down from the Burmese kingdom of Lanna, the source of inspiration for the resort’s design, or Ayurveda, an ancient medical system that originated in India. Ayurveda combines herbs, massage and yoga, among other elements, to integrate and restore balance to the body, mind and spirit. We recommend the Royal Thai Ceremony to make you feel like royalty. It starts with a welcoming foot and leg massage, followed by a safflower scrub, steam with jasmine body masque, floral jasmine bath, royal Thai massage and facial massage. www.mandarinoriental.com/chiangmai

Island Indulgence

Pangkor Laut Resort | Malaysia
Being stranded on an island never felt so good. The Pangkor Laut Resort is located on a 300 acre private island accessible only to its guests. While enjoying the tranquility that comes with being surrounded by beaches and a two million year old rainforest, dive into the spa treatments which are based on ancient Asian techniques. You will be welcomed to the spa with an extravagant bathhouse ritual which begins with a welcome footbath and Chinese foot pounding, followed by a traditional Malay circulating bath, cleansing with a Japanese goshi-goshi cloth and a Shanghai-style exfoliating wash. Our pick of the pack is the refreshing Campur Campur body treatment, a blend of Malay and Thai massage techniques and aromatherapy with lemongrass and other fragrant herbs. www.pangkorlautresort.com

Cosmopolitan Comfort

The Grand Hyatt Plateau Spa | Hong Kong
Designed to resemble an oasis—literally—this spa features landscaped gardens, fountains, pools and even a waterfall. Its painstaking attention to detail has earned it a ton of awards, including Spa of the Year (Harper’s Bazaar). Their signature Plateau massage combines elements of Shiatsu, Thai and Swedish massage with aromatherapy while their terrible-sounding “Lymphatic Drainage Massage” does wonders for detox. We recommend installing yourself in a private, harbor-view treatment room and soaking in the oversized infinity bath while sipping from their welcome tea service. Then go for the “Relaxation,” which translates into a skin renewal treatment, massage, facial and finishing bath—a four hour extravaganza.
www.hongkong.grand.hyatt.com

-Sienna Parulis-Cook