by Laura Miller

www.absolutesanctuary.com

Ohmmmmm my… Absolute Sanctuary is an absolute paradise on the island of Koh Samui and the perfect escape for anyone looking for a healthy, invigorating holiday. To celebrate HipHongKong’s new look, the exclusive resort is offering HipHongKong readers in Hong Kong and Macau an exceptional deal on the 5-day Yoga Retreat: take a friend and he or she gets 50% off! Not just for the flexible among us, Absolute Sanctuary is exactly what its name suggests and offers an idyllic getaway to anyone who fancies a break that actually makes them feel good - whether they’re practiced yogis or don’t know their downward dog from their crow pose.

Ever get back from vacation feeling worse than when you left? After all that overeating and lazing about, now you have to deal with the post-holiday blues AND a diet. There is an alternative however. An alternative that gives you a blissful break in beautiful surrounds, all the poolside chilling, beach action and pampering you desire, and as much or as little yoga a day as you fancy. The result? You get back home feeling truly refreshed and looking fab. Isn’t that what escapes are meant to do? We think so, and at Absolute Sanctuary that’s what you get.

It’s not called the ‘Island of Healing’ for nothing. Koh Samui is one of Asia’s top spa destinations boasting many serene retreats for detoxing, pampering and all-round rejuvenating. Absolute Sanctuary is one of the best, located just ten minutes from the international airport between the white sandy beaches of trendy Chaweng and the more peaceful Choeng Mon Beach. This means that with a direct flight from Hong Kong, you can leave after work, and be chilling on your balcony at Absolute Sanctuary just a few hours later.

Situated on a forested hillside, Absolute Sanctuary is completely surrounded by nature, with views extending over coconut groves to the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Thailand beyond. While it’s a short motorbike cruise or complimentary shuttle ride to the beach, you may well find yourself not wishing to leave Absolute Sanctuary at all, considering what it has to offer.

Sparkling clear and inviting, the salt-water rim-flow pool is at the heart of the resort. Behind the comfortable sun-loungers and umbrellas is the Juice Bar which serves up healthy and delicious fruit and vegetable juices, smoothies and energy boosters, as well as light snacks. Included in your 5-day Yoga Retreat are two fresh juices or smoothies a day, as well as three a la carte vegetarian meals – but more on the food later, for now, suffice to say it’s divine.  A sweep of steps on either side of the Juice Bar leads up to the 38 luxurious rooms and suites, housed in three individual Moroccan-inspired buildings all offering panoramic views over the resort and out to sea. The interiors of the rooms continue the Moroccan theme, with vibrant yet soothing colours, roomy mosaic-tiled bathrooms and unique decorative details such as Moroccan lamps. Free wireless internet, aircon, terraces or balconies, crisp high-quality linen and flat screen TVs up the comfort quotient even further.

And then there’s The Spa. Housed in the same airy structure as The Detox Centre, the Spa is a welcoming haven of peace and cool offering four indoor treatment rooms and an open-air massage sala with six massage beds. A vast range of treatments are on offer, from scrubs and wraps to a number of facials, all using Jurlique products. The 5-day Yoga Retreat includes one complimentary 90-minute Thai massage or one 60-minute Aromatherapy massage a day, as well as a 10% discount on all other treatments – you’ll be so relaxed by the end of it all, you’ll be practically horizontal. The Detox Centre features nine private treatment rooms with colon hydrotherapy beds. If you take up the complimentary colon hydrotherapy treatment included in your 5-day Yoga Retreat, expect an initial consultation with the resort’s resident doctor, Dr. Alister Bredee, and superb care thereafter from professional and personable nurses who make the whole experience a breeze.

So you’re tanned, relaxed, pampered and perhaps even… internally cleansed, shall we put it: time for yoga. Absolute Sanctuary is no boot camp – you can choose exactly how much yoga you want to do and when you want to do it – if at all. Four yoga classes are offered a day in the large, lofty-ceilinged yoga studio and different classes suit different levels of experience. Long, slow stretching makes 60-minute Yin classes popular with beginners while the 60-minute Detox Yoga is another gentle class focusing on ridding the body of toxins and promoting blood flow. 60- and 90-minute Flow classes speed things up a little with more complicated vinyasas or sequences of poses, yet they are still suitable for beginners. 90-minute Hot Flow and Hot Classes challenge more intermediate students and will give even a seasoned yogi a serious work out – exactly what you’re looking for if you’re used to regular practice at home with expert teachers such as those at Pure Yoga in Hong Kong. And the two resident teachers at Absolute Sanctuary certainly are experts, and rather fanciable to boot. South African Shaun has taught yoga in Australia, Hong Kong (with Pure) and Singapore, while Canadian Harreson was a professional tri-athlete before taking up yoga and helping set up Absolute Yoga in Thailand.

After a yoga session and a dip in the pool, you are guaranteed to be ravenous. Cue The Love Kitchen, the resort’s homey restaurant which serves up superb healthy, hearty and tasty cuisine. From completely raw meals to decadent dark chocolate cake, the menu is incredibly varied, but what each dish has in common is its freshness and health value. Vegan dishes on offer include favourites such as the excellent Choeng Mon burrito with cashew cheese and the delicious Cashew Nut Stir Fry (try it yourself, we’ve got the recipe for you). Healthy non-veg dishes such as the delicious Prawn Summer Rolls with homemade peanut sauce are also available for those who fancy more meaty fare.

Other facilities within the resort’s grounds include the Mini Theatre which shows movies nightly, but if you do feel the need to explore, there are plenty of options further afield. Hire an automatic scooter from Absolute Sanctuary for 300 Baht a day and tootle carefully off to Fisherman’s Village or the beaches nearby. Don’t miss a sundowner on the gorgeous Padma Deck, perched right about the waves at The Karma Samui, the stunning boutique resort just a two-minute walk down the road from Absolute Sanctuary. A gastronomic treat not to be missed is dinner at Ocean’s 11, situated right on Bophut beach. Supping on fine seafood by candlelight while barely-there waves lap softly just metres away? Pure seduction. Day trips to the picture-postcard beaches of Koh Pha Ngang are another easy option, just a ferry ride away, and scuba diving or snorkelling trips can also be arranged on the pristine reefs around Koh Tao.

So what are you waiting for? Clear five days in your diary, find a friend and take up Absolute Sanctuary’s exclusive HipHongKong offer before it’s too late. Remember, the offer is only valid until 31st July 2009. For all the details, see below:

SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR HIPHONGKONG READERS

(Based in Hong Kong and Macau)

The bottom line: Buy one 5-day/5-night Yoga Holiday Package at Absolute Sanctuary and the second person gets 50% off.

First person:              Bt 34,500
Second person:        Bt 17,250
Total :                         Bt 51,750 (Bt 25,875 or HK$ 5,651 per person)

Booking & Travelling period: 1st May – 31st July 2009

The 5-day Yoga Retreat includes:

-Unlimited yoga classes

-3 a la carte vegetarian meals a day

-1 x 90-minute Thai Massage or 60-minute Aromatherapy Massage per day

-2 x fresh juices or smoothies per day

-1 x colon hydrotherapy treatment

-5 nights’ accommodation in Superior Pool/Sea View room

-Pool, Steam Room, Mini-Theatre access

-Roundtrip airport transfer

-Additional 10% discount on all Detox and Spa treatments

Please email bookings@absolutesanctuary.com or call +66 77 601 190 and quote HipHongKong.

Terms & Conditions:

-Valid for 2 persons travelling and sharing room together

-Standard hotel terms and conditions apply

-Cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion