Top Tips for settling into Kamalaya
Taking time to unwind & detox has been just what I needed. Kamalaya in Koh Samui Thailand is a perfect place for it. At U$3400 per week including massages, treatments, food, beverages, stay & airport transfers, it is very worth it. Read about the arrival in my Day1 blog. I am continuing my blog after my return as I got immersed into the unwind!
- I chose the Embracing Change package, and once you get here, go through the schedule that has been made out for you.
- If you don’t have a package, Kamalaya has lots to offer that other places don’t, so speak to the folks to make one for yourself.
- Chill, unwind, slow down.
The Schedule
My Kamalaya 1 week Embracing Change package has 19 sessions of treatments and massages over 16 hours. So planning your time is important. To start, you get a quick body check up of your blood pressure, extent of fat,water & muscle in your body (all non intrusive). Then a consultant will introduce you to the program, ask you about what you want to do here, and explain basic logistics. At this stage you may not know enough, but you can always make changes later.
Here are my suggestions:
- Plan a maximum of 3-4 activities in a day. You need time for meals and, most importantly, to unwind.
- You must to go to some of the free sessions of yoga, meditation & breathing, so note them down on your package schedule. You can then reschedule the package sessions if they clash.
- There are also some tourist activities that you need to pay for if you want to soak in the local charm.
- After each activity, it is good to relax, so keep gaps between them.
- Allot at least an hour for meals. The food and the experience is awesome.
- The package activities are well chosen, but you can switch to others.
- You can also change timings, but you need to give at least 4 hours notice.
- Look at the map you are given so see where everything is.
Experiences
This is the reason we are here. My Day 2 started with a morning meditation. I have heard a lot about how this helps us unwind. I reached a few minutes late as I didn’t check the map so didn’t know that the amazing Yoga pavilion was 10 seconds away from my room. As I can’t squat, I couldn’t get into the groove of things. There were aids like cushions & a legless chair to rest ones back on, but I stupidly decided not to try them. Nonetheless I enjoyed the session, soaking in the early morning atmosphere.
Mentor: my schedule had 4 such sessions. I didn’t really know what this meant and frankly dismissed it. However, this has by far been the most useful part of my visit. My Mentor has been a psychiatrist & calming instructor, both of whom I sorely needed. This is not the forum for me to describe the session in detail. All I can say is that it was extremely catharcic, and taught me simple ways to unwind that are calming and help me fall asleep.
The Facilities
The Rooms: in my day1 blog I said stick to the basic room. But I later saw the next level (Hillside with balcony is what its called), and it was really worth it. It was twice the size of the room without a balcony.
The Library next to the Reception: has a good range of cable channels and I was able to watch the Belgian Formula 1 while I was there. There were books in English, German, Dutch & French. And a 3 computers to access the net. As usual I forgot to get my adaptor, but they have spares here.
Though I did not eventually go to either, there is what appears to be a very nice gym, and a small but clean beach.
Food & Drinks
The food here is mainly detox and vegan. You also have regular food, but made in a more healthy manner. If you are on a program, you are supposed to stick to the regime, but its not a jail, so you can cheat if you want.
Breakfast is available from 6.30am to 10.30am, lunch from an amazing 12noon to 6pm, and dinner from 6pm-10.30pm. There is a lounge near the reception that serves snacks/ drinks from 2pm-11pm. Plus room service if you want it from 7am-10pm. So you have catering from 6.30am to 11pm. Lunch and dinner menus have prices, but that’s for those not on a package. If you are on one, food & drinks (excluding alcohol) is included.
The cuisine is mainly Thai, but also has Indian, Japanese & Western. My favourites so far have been the Vietnamese spring rolls, the vegetable curry, the wheatgrass shot, my morning masala omelette, and the salad pictured below. You eat it my putting the ingredients into a betel nut leaf and garnishing with tamarind sauce.
A super stay so far. In my next blogs I cover how to unwind, a sample day at Kamalaya, what my fellow guests were like, and how to prepare for going to real life. Read on.
Hey! Kamalaya in Koh Samui Thailand is a perfect place for it (La Voile).