Spa craze sweeps Asia

Spa craze sweeps Asia

Mynardo Macaraig, Agence France-Presse/Lipa, Philippines

Coffee-water enemas and meals of raw vegetables may not sound very relaxing but for a revolutionary spa outside the Philippine capital, these are part of a wider healing experience.

"The Farm at San Benito", located in Lipa town, 70 kilometers south of Manila, tries to combine exotic massages, skin scrubs and a quiet atmosphere with new-age, "alternative" treatments intended to heal body and spirit.

This is just one of scores of health resorts that have mushroomed all over Asia in recent years, from basic yoga retreats to luxury spas in resorts from Bali to the Maldives.

High-end spas attract the wealthy and health-conscious from around Asia and the West, with resorts such as Chiva Som in Hua Hin, Thailand, proving popular with celebrities such as England footballer David Beckham, actress and model Elizabeth Hurley and tennis star Serena Williams.

The Philippine Department of Tourism says such spas are the fastest growing tourism sector in Asia with as much as 20-25 percent growth annually and an estimated total value of 27 billion dollars.

A survey by the department in 2001 found that the majority of spas required investments of 30 million pesos (US$550,000) Net income varied widely but 85 percent of respondents said they were profitable.

The Philippines is now moving in on this lucrative market, but "The Farm" hopes to stand out by offering a "wellness lifestyle", aimed at both stressed executives and the genuinely-ill.

Visitors can enjoy a day of special"pampering" packages including lounging by a pool, Swedish, Thai, Philippine, Balinese or stone massages or gentle body scrubs using salt, honey, coffee, papaya or a cocoa-coconut mixture that invigorates the skin and loosens tense muscles.

But The Farm also offers medical vacation packages focusing on "detoxification." In such programs, lasting a minimum of five days, patrons largely consume nothing but juices, undergo "colon hydrotherapy sessions" and psycho-therapy using "neuro-linguistic programming".

Even casual vacationers who drop by The Farm's restaurant will taste the difference: all of the food is strictly vegetarian -- not even fish, dairy products or eggs are allowed.

The Farm's chef, Felix Daniel Schoerner strives to show that delicious meals can be made entirely out of vegetables -- preferably raw ones which he says are healthier.

His restaurant serves rice and pasta meals in a concession to those still unaccustomed to this radical cuisine but he insists he can turn out gourmet dishes that are just as good under the "live food" system.

"Live food," refers to dishes of organic vegetables, herbs, seeds, spices and nuts that are not cooked -- just marinated or slightly heated which supposedly preserves their health-giving properties.

"The philosophy of the place is to support life. You put life in your body," said the German-born Schoerner, a veteran of European gourmet restaurants.

"I get a lot of positive feedback from people who can't believe you can have delicious vegetarian food," said Schoerner as he whips up meat-like eggplant croquettes in pesto sauce and a no-bake tiramisu using coconut milk and nuts instead of dairy products.

Frances Joy Espino, manager of the massage and scrub area, said they can have as many as 80 people a day during the peak season. At least half of the patrons are foreigners with Europeans and Japanese making up the bulk. But South Koreans and Hong Kong residents are slowly catching up as well, Espino said.

The Farm has also bowed to popular demand and is now offering cosmetic surgery on its premises -- with massages and other alternative treatments to speed the healing process.

"We have a package called de-tox and botox," said sales manager Jennifer Sanvictores, referring to a combination of detoxification and botulism toxin (botox) injections that eliminate facial wrinkles.

The Farm's resident physician Jeanette Belen-Rosales said their focus is on prevention of illness, but their treatments can complement conventional medical care.

"We know our limitations. If it's really necessary for surgery we tell them, but if we can help them by telling them the proper lifestyle, we tell them that," Belen-Rosales said.

Some guests come to The Farm because they are tired of taking medication and want to try something else, but some of the patrons have said it has helped them in dealing with illnesses as diverse as hypertension, diabetes and even one case of possible cancer, she added.

To protect the privacy of patrons, journalists are not allowed to speak to guests.