Oasis of Style

the streets of Legian, Kuta are hardly synonymous with discreet luxury, the grinding traffic, over-zealous hawkers, tasteless bars and ghost-town restaurants immediately dispel any notion of stumbling across even the slightest hint of five star pampering in this part of town

With this Kuta cliché firmly in mind it comes as something of a (very welcome) surprise to discover one of Bali's best spas tucked away off the main drag of Legian. Owners Michelle Tanaja and Jimmy Gunawan (of Villa De Daun fame) and interior designers Zohra Boukhari have painstakingly concocted one of the island's most beautiful beautification havens with DaLa Spa, (Jl Legian, T: 0361 755 728) and on entering the premises you can see the devotion and attention to detail just dripping from the walls.

Each of the seven treatment rooms represent seven different exotic flowers, continuing the theme of DaLa (a literal translation from Sanskrit being 'leaf') and each of the rooms has its own character and ambience, perfectly matched to the nature of your treatment. To try out this 'ambience to therapy' matching theory we chose the Tutti Fruity spa (in the funky Cattlieya room) for one half of the reviewing team whilst the remaining two of us found ourselves ushered into the grandiose Ixora room for the Royal Wedding Ritual, the title being perhaps a little premature considering we are in the early stages of dating but the treatment itself being utterly conducive to some serious romantic indulgence.

Once the privilege of royal brides in the ancient palaces of Central Java in the days building up to the wedding event, this two-and-a-half hour wedding treatment is the last word in romantic spa indulgence. Everything from the dark, subtle red hues and hypnotic background music to the highly experienced and professional therapists make for an unforgettable feast for the senses. After a rose petal foot wash the ritual begins with a sixty minute Balinese massage using essential aromatic oils of your choice before the highlight of the treatment, the Javanese lulur exfoliation. Using a very traditional Javanese paste of turmeric, sandalwood and rice powder the healing nature of the ingredients is left to soak into and replenish the skin before a hydrating natural yoghurt polish removes any trace evidence of the turmeric and brings you back to life.

Next comes the delightful seven-flower milk bath, which handsomely recreates the Javanese passage of rights to marriage as the bride to be is bathed by her parents. With no parents in sight (mercifully) it is left to the suitor to take charge of the cleansing duties and earn some well-deserved brownie points along the way…