The promise
To relax muscles and restore energy using oil-free Thai techniques.
The experience
The manicured Danat Jebel Dhanna Resort grounds sit idyllically on the shores opposite Sir Bani Yas Island.
While the Body & Soul health club is indoors, along with some spa facilities, the Thai massages are conducted outside beside the sea and pool. Before you panic about your modesty, you are given a linen pyjama-style suit and the massage is conducted in a cabana away from the busy areas of the grounds.
We change into our loose massage clothes and the friendly therapist walks us outside to the cabana, where we settle in. She tells us that though we are in the shade, if we feel uncomfortable at any time from the sun creeping in, we should tell her. We don’t mind a bit of sunlight though – it is cool and the ocean breeze makes the experience all the more enjoyable.
The masseuse begins by using a hot towel to rub our hands and feet, before applying pressure on the soles of our feet. She then progresses to squeezing our muscles, bending our legs and stretching our joints – which feels really good. She presses our feet to our back, and then works her hands into our back before pulling our arms back and stretching out our shoulders. We doze into a stupor – the sound of the waves, the warmth of the sun and the soothing massage all help us descend into a trance of comfort.
She then asks us to sit up, cross-legged, and circles our torso over our legs and back up, which causes our back to make several big cracking sounds.
In one of our favourite moves of the session, the therapist places one of her elbows on our shoulder and the other against our head, forcing our neck and shoulder apart. This seems to remove tensions we didn’t even know we had.
The massage lasts for an hour and we love every minute of it. We are disappointed to take off the suit too, it’s so comfortable and loose.
The results
Afterwards we feel lively and refreshed – the lack of oil means we are clean and ready to take on the rest of our day with renewed energy.
The pros
The outdoor setting is beautiful and we feel good for being outside. The therapist is extremely professional and she succeeds in loosening up our muscular knots and pains.
The cons
It’s a long drive to get there – but if you’re already in the area, there’s no con at all.
5/5
From Dhs250, Danat Jebel Dhanna Resort (02 801 2222).
