I celebrated my most recent birthday with a cleanse in Koh Samui, at the beautiful Kamalaya.

This award-winning wellness sanctuary has raving reviews from a few people I know. It was also a birthday present, a seven-day comprehensive detox package. With a full schedule, it felt like I was always going to appointments and figuring out my program. It took me a couple of days to realize the protein shake was twice a day, not just the one time.

My spastic cough was very draining and walking up the hill from my room to the restaurants and wellness centre was tough.

I did relax. Here and there. I napped, and that felt really good. I slept early to make it for morning yoga. Simon Loh was on-site and his classes are not to be missed. The yoga pavilion is also a beautiful space to be in.

I also had to be mindful of the fasting requirements for some of the treatments. Instructed not to eat an hour before a Chi Nei Tsang session and two before a colon hydrotherapy, I chose the delicious breakfasts over yoga in order to make my appointments with the required fasting times. Breakfast was a buffet, a spread of fruits, juices, vegetables, and on alternating days, a delicious lentil-based veggie broth. It’s like dahl, which I love. Everything that was detox-friendly was clearly labelled so people would not unknowingly scoop the “wrong” seeds and nuts into their bowl.

Truth be told, I was not tempted at all by the other food. I never felt deprived. What I could eat was so delicious and filling I craved for nothing. Absolutely nothing! Not even when people at the communal table raved about the lobster dish, cheese soufflé or chocolate mousse.

It probably also helped that I was a hermit for the first half of my stay and I got into the groove of my meals before any temptations could take hold. When I arrived, I could barely spit out a complete sentence between my coughs and I didn’t want to be with others anyway. It was just as well. I needed an inward journey, and in that stillness I discovered the exact thing that was causing and prolonging my cough.

Emotional Purging

Whenever the throat is affected, it’s a good idea to look if and where in your life you are not speaking your truth. I thought I was. I had been very forthright and honest with how I felt. In reality, I was only dancing around the actual issue. Once I got it, my cough went down by 90% overnight. Seriously.

Some people go on a detox for weight loss. What many don’t realize is that a lot more is happening than purely the purging of physical toxins. Emotional toxins are also released and it can be quite a roller coaster. Don’t be alarmed if all you do is cry or get angry or whatever it is that needs to be let go of. Crying is good. Tension and conditioning go away with tears. Why hang on, right? Hanging onto past hurts, not forgiving the other and yourself, and believing being right prevails put our whole being into disarray. We cut off parts of ourselves and disallow flow. Healing is realizing and remembering we are whole. It is a return to our natural selves.

My Kamalaya Experience

The hotel/resort/wellness industry where turnover is high changes very quickly.  Service is everything. Compared with the reviews and personal recommendations, my own experience appeared less than. Everyone was friendly and restaurant staff always remembered my name and what program I was on. It’s important to remember that not everyone was on a cleanse. Many guests return regularly for relaxation. (Tip: if you are having difficulty with the detox meal plan, don’t sit at the communal table! It could be torture for you to see their no holds barred meals! The food really is delicious.)

A few things happened that took away from my experience at Kamalaya. I was quite disappointed that, instead of the detox birthday cake they offered, which I was looking forward to, I got a chocolate/avocado cream cake. It was a beautiful gesture and I was grateful. The cake looked so good, too. However, I was on a detox program and I had just begun. Luckily it didn’t go to waste. I had made a new friend and she happily ate it. Thankfully I held back so it did not derail my detox.

Privacy was an issue. I think a colonic is my business and I am a very private person anyway. Having two strangers (nurse & nurse assistant) in the room is already daunting enough…So I think it’s not unreasonable to want the window blinds to be pulled down for privacy. The window of the treatment room opened up to a walkway and the maintenance staff walked by several times. A colon hydrotherapy session isn’t the easiest for many people and it wasn’t comfortable for me, despite it not being my first time. Partly it was because I couldn’t relax with the lack of privacy.

While at Kamalaya I had an assortment of treatments, aside from colonics. My Chi Nei Tsang therapist Got was an expert. She made it an art. My session with her was amazing and she set a standard for my other sessions. Chi Nei Tsang is so much more than a simple abdominal massage.

The resort’s policy is for the therapists to leave the room to allow guests to unrobe. So I was surprised by the Ayurveda therapist who remained in the room, standing in front of me and waiting for me to undress. Already having had my treatment with Got, the CNT therapist, and knowing the policy, I was taken aback and bewildered. And uncomfortable.

I would have loved a mid-stay check to see if any adjustments would be necessary. I tried to contact my naturopath consultant several times. The nurses kept telling me that vegetable juices (because of their ease of absorption) were okay to consume, even with gassiness. Just no salads and cold foods, they said. At my exit consultation, when I finally got to see the naturopath, he confirmed my suspicions that it wasn’t a good idea. Even though I had already greatly reduced my vegetable juice intake, the colonics were so painful that I chose to forgo the last one. That was disappointing as colon hydrotherapy was no longer available at home in Singapore.

All these points I diligently discussed with the naturopath, including the suggestion of assigning the same nurse to a guest the entire stay for the colonic. Comfort with the people administrating the process and with consistency of the process eases the discomfort of colonics. Trust is important. So is monitoring the progress.

I did have a great time otherwise…. As I pointed out, the staff was professional and friendly. I also met many fantastic people, from all walks of life, from all over the world – a Tibetan Buddhist monk, foreign office professionals, ashram dwellers, Dubai bankers. A very interesting crowd. I felt these encounters enriched my life.

For a week I ate only healthy delicious food. My favourite? The Green Bull. The spa treatments were relaxing – I fell asleep every time.

The estate is absolutely beautiful. I was cocooned in nature, so quiet and so peaceful. Kamalaya’s schedule is filled with interesting talks and interesting people. The classes were great. There was a lot on offer.

As a resort and wellness sanctuary, Kamalaya is fantastic. The idea and concept behind it? I love. It was founded by fellow Canadian John Stewart and his wife Karina. The story is that because he was suffering from liver disease and they moved to Koh Samui for his recovery. Not unlike many Buddhist monks who come to the island to meditate in the energy of one of its many caves.

 

Going to kamalaya? Consider this.

Room or Villa

First I can’t believe I’m recommending a normal room or suite over a villa. My villa was beautiful and it overlooked the sea. I was in the Villa Sea View, above the pool’s changing rooms. For those prone to mosquito bites, the villa may not be your best bet. The bathroom is outside, or at least mine was. And let’s be honest, when you are on a detox, you go to the bathroom a lot from all the liquids you are consuming. Including throughout the night.

The staff leaves a mosquito coil burning when they turn down the bed. The coils only burn for maybe three hours. I asked for extra ones to burn through the night. Even then, on my first bathroom trip, I got several mosquito bites on my behind.

And for those a little embarrassed about their bodily sounds, you may also pass on this particular villa. The outdoor bathroom is exactly that – outside. No roof. Of course where each villa faces makes a difference, depending on where you are on the estate. My villa sits on the hill to the beach and my bathroom is by a rather well-frequented path – golf carts, gardeners, maintenance, etc. There is only a brickwall separating the bathroom from the walkway and I could hear all the conversations. So.

Pick a room if you have lots of treatments. The hillside rooms are a short skip from the wellness centre. The pool and the beach are, however, at the bottom of the hill.

I did love having the villa, all that space to myself, all that aura space was priceless.

Eating Solo vs The Communal Table

If you are not used to eating alone, the communal table may be your thing. It is an easy way to meet people. Don’t forget there isn’t a communal detox table so you may be eating with people not there for a detox. Many people go for a spa getaway or a quiet retreat. The detox menu is full of delicious food…imagine what the full menu would be!

Eating alone is quite the norm at Kamalaya. The restaurant staff will not offer you a book to read, or otherwise distract from you being by yourself. Being alone especially on a detox has many emotional and mental benefits.

The Sacred Cave…

The Monk’s Cave is a centuries-old space where Buddhist monks came to meditate and for their retreat.

If you do go, don’t forget to visit this sacred cave. It’s a beautiful space. Light the candles. Light the incense. Sit on the mat. Close your eyes. I don’t know how long I sat there. Being in the cave, surrounded by rock, away from the rest of the estate carries you to another world.

(Don’t forget the mosquito repellant)

Kamalaya is a beautiful sanctuary, whether you are there for one of their many programs or for a relaxing getaway. I had brought work with me and while I had the time to tackle some of the tasks on my list, I quickly relaxed into detox-mode and also enjoyed a digital detox. I mostly left my phone by my bed when I left for my appointments and I enjoyed my meals without it.

Kamalaya
102/9 Moo 3, Laem Set Road, Na-Muang
Koh Samui, Surat Thani, 84140, Thailand
Phone: +66 774 298 00

www.Kamalaya.com