Downbelow Dive Centre will facilitate a free Project AWARE beach and reef clean-up on 20 September, co-sponsored by Sabah Parks.
Downbelow Dive Centre will provide the speedboat transfers to their dive station on Gaya island, also the location of the Sabah Park Headquarters for the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park.
The clean-up operation will be based here and will entail rubbish collection from the beach and river mouth, as well as from the reefs in the immediate vicinity. An open-water dive qualification is required for the latter activity.
Downbelow Dive Centre has made their diving infrastructure available for this event, and Sabah Parks has agreed to waive the park entry and jetty fees, which means this Project AWARE sponsored event is completely free for participants.
As a result divers cleaning the reefs will have equipment available at no cost to them and for everybody, the boat transfers, lunch, park fees and jetty fees will also be free of charge.
In summary:
Date: Saturday, 20 September 2008
Time: 10:30am – 4:00pm
Location: Depart from Sabah Parks Jetty in front of Hyatt Regency Kinabalu
Event Location: Gaya Island, Tunku Adbul Rahman Marine Park
Cost: As many bags of rubbish as you can collect.
Included: Return transfers, lunch, equipment rental, party entry fees, jetty fees
Remember, you’ll be out in the sun all day, so bring along at least sunscreen and a hat.
We only had space for 30 participants at this particular event, and we’ve already filled the quota. In future more such events are planned, so join the KK Dive Club and make sure you’re in the loop next time.
Sabahbah.com loves reporting on actual personal experiences, so when and earlier write up about Chi – The Spa at Shangri La’s Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa landed us an opportunity to try out their luxurious treatments, we were very willing to offer our bodies to be pampered in the name of research and reporting.
The Welcome
We stepped into the grounds of Shangri-La’s Chi – The Spa and stood there for a moment taking in the beauty and admiring the landscaped gardens with the island backdrop, before being pleasurably interrupted by a gentle wafting of a indistinctive scent that begged to be identified.
Even before we could venture a guess, Spa Manager Alyssa Lim greeted us and within seconds had us seated, sipping cool cinnamon and pandan tea, an appreciated chilled beverage in contrast to the heat and humidity.
As we settled in we were introduced to the spa’s concept of the five elements (wood, fire, earth, water or metal) meant to balance a person’s energy.
Based on ancient Chinese and Himalayan beliefs, Chi works on the philosophy of helping one’s life force flow freely throughout the body and harmonising the Yin and Yang energies. Therapies at Chi – The Spa are inspired by ancient healing treatments and rituals from the Himalayas, where Shangri-La, the legendary utopia that James Hilton wrote about in his 1933 novel, Lost Horizon, nestles.
A range of spa treatments, from all-in-one packages, to hot stone treatments, massages, wraps, scrubs, hand and foot treatments, and skincare all beg to be enjoyed. Sabahbah.com chose the Pulau Bayu retreat, which, according to the menu, includes a footbath, uplifting himalayan bath therapy, a body scrub, and a Borneo Therapy Massage.
“Traditionally, we try to identify our customer’s element of the day first to determine the best scent to use during treatment to balance out their energy,” said Alyssa, handing us a form, which asked for info such as medical background and preference in food tastes and colours. After determining our elements for the day, a therapist showed us to our villas.
Chi – The Spa Experience – The Pulau Bayu Retreat
Filled with anticipation we arrived at our private villa after a short stroll through the spa gardens. Both single and couple villas are available to suit customers’ needs and spa treatments.
Our private villa was equipped with a changing room, treatment room, outdoor shower, steam room and outdoor bath with sun beds.
Our footwear come off at the door, while our daywear had to wait till the changing room. The robes provided were ultra plush and light, different from the usual heavy cotton or terry cloth.
For most people, disposable underwear found at spas are an uncomfortable and unflattering necessity, but the Chi experience provides a breathable, albeit see-through, garment, which is suprisingly comfortable and will sculpt itself around body shapes ample and slim.
A sarong for ladies or a pair of shorts for the men will protect any modesty you may have. A ring of the bell later we were welcomed into the treatment room and the real pampering began.
Up first was another soothing cup of tea, served in cups fashioned out of pure jade, while our therapist explained the flow of the session. A foot soak started us off, with warm water peppered with lemongrass, lime, betelnuts, lime leaves, ginger and cloves, topped off with a foot scrub.
The outdoor bath, already thoughtfully filled with hot water, beckoned us to perpetuate the relaxation from the footbath throughout. Soaking in the tub amidst the creeping vines, looking out into the garden where we caught a glimpse of the South China Sea, is one of the most indulgent things yet we had the pleasure of doing here at Sabahbah.com.
After reluctantly getting out of the tub, we were lured to the treatment tables where it was time for the pearl cocoa scrub. Like its name suggests, the scrub is a scrumptious combination of crushed pearls from the east coast district of Semporna and cocoa beans, mixed with soya, ginger and pegaga leaf. It certainly smelled good enough to eat.
Our modesty was always protected by the therapists who respectfully veiled their gazes by lifting the sheets as we got comfortable on the table, either when lying down or turning over. Before the treatment begins, ladies are asked about their preference of having their chest area massaged.
After a shower to rinse the sinfully delicious smelling coconut off our bodies, a lovely experience with the outdoor-esqe rain shower, we once again were directed to the treatment beds.
This is where the Borneo Therapy Massage, a signature treatment of the spa, promised to get rid of any stubborn tenseness that remained in spite of the prior pampering. The massage treatment is inspired by the traditions of bobohizan, the Kadazandusun native healers, and uses palm and thumb pressure that releases wind in the body and promotes good circulation.
The soothing music did wonders to while away the two and a half hours and before we realised, the treatment had come to an end. Another few sips of tea later, we were back in the changing room preparing for our imminent return to the real world.
But fortunately or not, a whiff of Borneo Therapy seemed to have rubbed off on cellphone or notepad, and continued to linger around us for days after, a wistful reminder of the indulgent escape we had at Chi The Spa at Shangri-la’s Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa.
Relax Yourself
Chi – The Spa’s garden is extremely conducive to relaxation. With stone elements intertwined with lucscious greens, surrounded by calm blue ocean, the garden’s western corner features a glass-walled hut, which overlooks the nearby islands.
This is Chi – The Spa’s Yoga & Tai Chi room where everyone with a health-concious mind in Kota Kinabalu is welcome to join a class to de-stress and refocus their energies.
Yoga Sessions
Monday & Sunday: 8am – 9am
Wednesday & Friday: 5pm – 6pm
Price: RM 70 per person or RM 100 per person for a private session
Tai Chi Sessions
Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays: 4pm – 5pm
Price: RM 60 per person or RM 80 per person for a private session
For more information about Shangri La’s Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa Yoga or Tai Chi session, or Chi – The Spa, please email tah@shangri-la.com.
