Some spas are really thinking outside the box and going great (or bizarre) lengths to provide beauty and wellbeing benefits. If you're squeamish about live algae rubs to refine, firm and detoxify...then read no further.
I'm referring to Malaysia's Sampuoton Spa's fish therapy. The spa has two fish ponds stocked with omnivorous Garra Rufa fish, which feed on dead human skin cells (which brings to my mind the medieval art of leaching). The Diamond Hawaii Resort and Spa in Maui borrows an ancient Japanese secret often used by Geishas - a facial that utilizes Nightingale excrement. It's reportedly full of enzymes that help keep the skin smooth, clear and white. And not for the faint of heart, there's the "ideal" stress reliever - as touted by therapist Ada Barack. At her Northern Israel spa, she offers a $70 snake massage: slithering snakes to soothe knotted muscles. As the snakes slip and slide down the spine, tension supposedly slithers away too.
This just goes to show that there's something out there for everyone. Some spa-goers like to find "adventurous" ways to unwind. Others find these treatments just hair-raising (yours truly).
By: Chelsea Orth, KWE Group
