After a handful of sweltering summer days sightseeing in the city of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, ice cream seemed like a good idea for a refreshing treat. But I didn't eat it; instead, my body was enjoying a nice cooldown as the masseuse spread the delectable dish all over my body.
However, there were no chocolate chips, peppermint or pralines in this ice cream that doubled as a body scrub during my treatment at the Devarana Spa in the DusitD2 Chiang Mai hotel. Based on ube ice cream from the Philippines, the blend comprised sweet potatoes, taro and oatmeal. The full-body scrub was followed by a 90-minute Swedish massage with a jasmine oil blend that melted away the cares of the day.
Assistant spa manager Jeerawat Yothaithiang said the scrub moisturizes the skin, while the cool temperature reduces skin inflammation.
The treatment, called the Pilipinas Island Hideaway, is part of the Devarana Spas' new Asean Remedies program, highlighting unique treatments and natural ingredients from 10 Southeast Asian countries. The 30-minute ice cream scrub started with my feet and continued upward to my legs and back and later to the front of my body.
Though at times a tiny bit chilly, the scrub, which was light purple and kept in a large bowl (the ice cream scoops were for show only), felt fresh and crisp against my skin as the masseuse rubbed it in, sloughing away the dead skin cells. Afterward, I showered off the scrub and headed back for the second half of the treatment: the soothing Swedish massage.
In a land where Thai massage therapists are bending, pushing, contorting and grunting, the elongated strokes and gentle muscle kneading of a Swedish massage were appreciated. My skin felt smooth and firm following the scrub, perfect for the medium pressure of my masseuse. Though the pressure felt light at times, it was exactly what I needed after days of the deep, forceful touch of Thai massages.
Moxie, the hotel’s signature restaurant, has a mix of different dishes from around the world.
The spa at Devarana, which means "garden in heaven" in Thai-Sanskrit, features an assortment of massages, body scrubs, facials and body treatments. The popular and signature treatment, called the Heavenly Nantha Garden Experience, combines the Devarana bath, body scrub and massage experience. The massage uses Thai, ayurveda and shiatsu techniques with Swedish influences.
The DusitD2 Chiang Mai, which was built in 2006, is steps away from the city's popular Night Bazaar, a collection of street vendors selling jewelry, clothing, trinkets, food and more from dusk until around midnight. The hotel comprises 131 rooms, ranging from deluxe to the uberchic D'Suite.
All of the rooms feature contemporary Thai designs in a simple and stylish manner. DusitD2 is a brand of Dusit International, according to Varisara Charoentrakul, the hotel spokeswoman. The D2 stands for "second generation," a young, hip offshoot of the parent company, more directed to the needs of travelers who are younger or just young at heart.
The 10th-floor gym, DFiT, contains treadmills, stationary bikes, elliptical machines, weight machines and free weights, and Moxie, DusitD2's signature restaurant, serves an eclectic mix of cuisines from around the world. The Mix Bar offers a hip location for nightlife.
In addition to its Thai clientele, DusitD2 caters to Chinese, American and European guests, Charoentrakul said. Directories and guest amenities are written in Thai, Chinese and English.
One of the deluxe twin rooms at the DusitD2 Chiang Mai in Thailand.
Deluxe rooms start at approximately $125 per night. The D'Suite, featuring a living room, dining room and separate shower and bathtub, runs about $596 per night.
Special promotions for travel agents are available but change based on the seasons.
For more information, go to www.dusit.com/dusitd2/chiangmai.