I (heart) spas. I love everything about it --- the plush robes, the dim lighting, the scent of flowers or citrus, the water with lemons or cucumbers, the New Age music playing the background. Love it all. I could go everyday. Whenever I travel, I make time to try out a spa. So far the best spa that I've been to, hands down, is the Well Being Spa in Bangkok. The worse was the one in Vietnam in the New World Hotel. I was tortured for an hour by a tiny but freakishly strong Vietnamese woman. If I had any national security secrets, she would have gotten them from me within the first 5 minutes.
Spas are the only place that I can feel relaxed in, except in Vietnam. And its the only place where I can sit still and just veg for an hour or so. I almost always fall asleep during my treatment. I could never tell whether I leave feeling refreshed because of the treatment or because of the nap.
Massage parlors are as prevalent here as Starbuck's is at home. There is literally one on every corner. But I can't tell whether they are massage parlors or "massage" parlors. Or as my friend Sam calls them, the "happy ending" parlor. A popular one here is Dragonfly, which is open until 2am. I would not have tried it out but for the fact that Frommer's recommended it and I don't think that they would recommend a "massage" parlor.
I've been to several now and they rank from ok to great. They are good enough for me to fall asleep during the treatment. But they are only $25/hour (one was $25 for 2.5 hours) so even if they are ok, it's hard to complain. But for that cheap price, you don't have the ambience that you have with American spas.
Every Monday when I stand outside waiting for a taxi, I make a mental note to make an appointment at a spa as soon as I get into the office. And every Friday, I count down the minutes until Sunday rolls around so that I can go to my spa appointment. I know, there is a 1-800 number I can call to talk to someone about my spa addiction. But I would rather spend that time in a spa.
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