We’ve just had a body composition analysis session at the VLCC Spa at Avani+ Hua Hin and even though we’ve been travelling around Thailand for four weeks, we are happily surprised that the local Singha beers and creamy coconut Thai curries haven’t had too much of an effect on results. But of course, there is always room for improvement.
The session doesn’t take long. We are told to stand as still as possible on a platform for 20 seconds while holding two metal rods. Within a few seconds, a printout is placed in front of us that tells us how much water is in our bodies, the amount of protein we need to build muscle, how many minerals we need to keep our bones strong and how much our body fat mass is.
The read-out also tells us what our recommended calorie intake should be and where the areas we need to improve. There are lots of numbers and percentages on the sheet that don’t mean much to us at first but our assigned Nutritionist Tangkwa, patiently goes through the analysis to explain what it all means (more weight training to help firm up thighs in my case, keep on doing what you are doing in his case).
Next, it is a visit to Dr. Joe who chats through any issues we might have around food, skin and health in general. I mention the occasional stomach bloating and I’m whisked away for a treatment where it feels like my belly is being gently (and pleasantly) ironed before Therapist Wi gives me one of the best Thai massages I’ve ever had.
VLCC at Avani+ means you can book in for a residential wellness programme that spans from one to seven nights, and include support with weight management, detoxification, health restoration, gut repair, immunity enhancement and anti-ageing. There are plenty of options and experts to choose from if you are feeling like you need a bit of help while travelling in Thailand or just want a reset or some advice to get going.
Alongside plentiful options for wellness, the Indian wedding season is also in full swing at Avani+ Hua Hin while we are there and it means the resort is busy with guests ready to celebrate. We get to enjoy the festivities from the sidelines and see a beautiful pool party set-up (it’s a heady mix of cyan blue and hot pink floral and fabric decor with added flamingo statues) as well as sampling some freshly made paratha and chana dhal at breakfast thanks to the chefs cooking up some Indian food for bridal party guests.
Before we checked into the resort we’d been told about the wedding season, it’s popular here due to the huge ballroom the hotel boasts as one of its features, but we hadn’t quite realised just how busy and colourful it can get. It isn’t much of an issue for us; between spa treatments (where we can’t hear a thing), trips around the city (the hotel offers a shuttle to the popular night market), cocktails at the club room and dinner at the beachside Brezza restaurant, we miss a lot of the partying.
It all adds to the good holiday mood of the resort and guests appear in fine spirits. We hear the banging of the dhol drums from our pool villa on the wedding day before the party retreats to the ballroom and then the next day meet a newly arrived American family who are there for the next set of wedding celebrations.
Our Lagoon Pool Villa at the resort is perfect. As you enter the first thing to notice are the large floor-to-ceiling windows that span the length of the roomy villa and offer a lovely view of your sun deck, plunge pool and the large shared pool beyond. The villa is large and comprises an elevated level for sleeping and a few steps down to a lounging and dining area. Perfect if you are there for one of the wellness programmes with optimum space for post-treatment relaxing.
The neutral tones, light wood and soft furnishing throughout keeps everything unfussy and fresh but the weather is so good we spend most of the time there lazing on the day bed and enjoying the pool.
Thanks to the benefits of staying in a villa we get the option to head down to the Club Room each day for post-bathing cocktails and snacks. There are rarely people using the room which is a shame because the selection of treats is great and the service is warm and friendly. We enjoy a dinner of fresh fish at Brezza where the sea breeze cools us down, but for lunch, we head to the much more informal poolside Aqua where casual-style pizzas, burgers and tasty Thai dishes are available.
Location wise the resort is directly between the town of Cha-Am and the city of Hua Hin. On Wednesday evenings the bustling market at Cha-Am is a great time to visit but there isn’t a great deal more to do on other nights. Hua Hin, however, offers up a solid mix of outdoor dining and drinking options plus shopping and if you want some entertainment many of the bars will have live music or you can catch local bands playing at the city’s Soi 88 market.
Great for: Mixing up wellness treatments and relaxation with good food and secluded villa options.
Ideal for: Couples, families and large groups – they cater for all at the resort.
Find out more about the wellness package offers here: https://www.avanihotels.com/en/hua-hin
