Art Of Retreat

The secret weapon of many a celebrity, Chiva-Som's award-winning wellness programmes are designed to make guests leave feeling fresh and rejuvenated. But before that, there's work to be done, writes Mark Lean.

- Mark Lean

It’s a well-known secret that many of the world’s beau monde practise the 10+2 rule; that is 10 months of unabashed indulgence in champagne, caviar, and everything else that’s excessive, followed by two months of near-religious detoxing with cucumber shots, calorie counting, and fresh coconut juice sipped from newly opened husks. Chiva-Som, which means Haven of Life, in the idyllic seaside town of Hua Hin, is one such place that caters to such discerning – and disciplined – folk.

The 54-room resort, recently given a facelift by the late American interior designer Ed Tuttle, is less about over-the-top design gestures and more about gracious curves and bends, and ornate teak carving embellishments of ancient Ayutthaya. Guests are encouraged to leave their worldly cares and electronic devices (digital time is only allowed in rooms and not in public areas) at the check in desk. The experience is made less traumatic with the resort’s general manager Vaipanya Kongkwanyuen’s clever distraction of showing his pet koi dancing in the pond encircling the arrival pavilion on his command.