27 Jan 2018
Ritz Carlton Langkawi goes back in time with treatments inspired by shamans
BY Tom Walker
The recently opened Ritz Carlton Langkawi resort has launched a new treatment menu inspired by the prehistoric culture of its location.
Located within an ancient jungle, the Ritz-Carlton Spa will offer therapies and healing rituals based on ceremonies practised by local shamans for thousands of years.
Therapists at the spa have been educated in the ways of local healers, known as Mak Bidan, and the new treatments use indigenous materials found on the island of Langkawi and its surroundings – such as marine mud from the Andaman Sea and heated volcanic rocks from the Machinchang formation.
The new signature treatments include the Mystical Ocean and Earth Ritual – a hot stone massage and marine mud wrap experience – and the Mandi Bunga Inspired Ritual, based on an ancient bathing tradition performed to dispel “bad energy”.
The new treatments are part of Ritz-Carlton’s plans for the Langkawi resort to “immerse travellers in the island's natural ecosystem and local culture”.
Designed by Philippe Villeroux of Kuala Lumpur-based Tropical Area Architects, the architecture of the resort reflects that of nearby traditional villages, known as kampongs.
The 917sq m (9,870sq ft) Ritz-Carlton Spa is spread across five cocoon-shaped pavilions which float above the sea.
The pavilions have been designed to resemble Malay Bubus – the intricately woven fish traps that have been used by local fishermen for centuries.
Connected by over-water walkways, each pavilion is surrounded by a circular platform with ocean views.
The pavilions house a total of five treatment rooms – a luxury spa suite, a couples’ spa suite, a couples’ treatment room and two single treatment rooms.
There is also a relaxation area with two vitality pools (female and male), a sauna, steam bath, hammam and a manicure and pedicure salon.
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