LYING flat on my back, I inhale deeply, breathing in the hum from the golden bowls being softly drummed behind me.
Each tap of the gong against the metal sends gentle vibrations quivering through my body, lulling me into a sleepy fuzz.
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The district of Cha-Am, where a spa is preparing to welcome its first international guests on herbal retreats that ‘cleanse the mind and body’Credit: Shutterstock
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The night markets in Bangkok’s Chinatown are now some of the tastiest and safest in ThailandCredit: Getty
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Dip your toes into Thailand’s wellness pool by flying into Bangkok, booking a room in a plush beachside hotel on Hua Hin’s dreamy coast and hiring a driver to whizz you from door to doorCredit: Shutterstock
I’m ten minutes into a sound meditation class at the new The Standard Hotel in Hua Hin, a hundred or so miles south of Thailand’s capital Bangkok, where a huge wellness boom is taking place.
This is just one of many holistic offerings here at The Standard.
There is also a mud lounge, where guests can slather themselves in skin-purifying layers of black, pink, green or yellow sludge, a wellness-focused spa with cooling aloe vera body wraps and yoga lessons held in the early morning sun on a seemingly never-ending stretch of sandy beach.
Unlike some of the clinically modern resorts scattered further along the beach, The Standard has a truly laid-back vibe — straw umbrellas by the outdoor pool and swaying palm trees creeping over cushioned daybeds.
It’s lush and super-stylish, but the crowd is a mellow mix of relaxed holidaymakers and bare-footed yogis.
Blissful treatment
And it’s not just the hotel that draws them here either.
In the neighbouring district of Cha-Am, another spa is preparing to welcome its first international guests on herbal retreats that “cleanse the mind and body”.
A family-run business, the small Cha-Am Garden Cannabis Wellness Centre, part of the Cha-Am Garden Hotel, has been growing and harvesting the plant for the past two generations to produce a soft chocolatey smelling oil that it uses in massages and other holistic treatments.
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The centre believes the medicinal benefits of the plant to be so impressive that they even cook it into noodle soups, curries and other traditional dishes.
Although I’m yet to experience its full power, a body treatment here is nothing short of euphoric. </…….
Source: https://www.thesun.co.uk/travel/19355098/thailand-cannabis-spas-michelin-food-flights-from-212/