RAKxa Integrative Wellness Review By Chris Wain

Healing Holidays Sales Director, Chris Wain, gives us the lowdown on his recent stay at RAKxa Integrative Wellness in Thailand

RAKxa Integrative Wellness – Busting the Myth 

Estate (and indeed Travel) Agents always stress the importance of three little words to clients – location, location, location – and there is arguably nowhere in the wellness world where this matters more than at RAKxa, located in bustling Bangkok.

Bangkok conjures up images of skyscapers, neon lights, congestion & the Blade Runner film, so when RAKxa launched during the dark days of Covid and announced their location as being in the heart of this vibrant city, the spa-weary amongst us raised our brows and thought that it would never appeal, or work. How very wrong we were.

As a long-time devotee of the city, I thought it prudent to actually make a visit and see if my preconceptions could be changed at all. Landing at Bangkok’s main Suvarnabhumi Airport, I knew the transfer would take about an hour, (the same time as it takes to reach the heart of the concrete metropolis), but after 45 minutes we reached the area of Bang Krachao, known as being the city’s green lung, and the scenery changed - leafy lanes & hedges were everywhere. Situated on a large kink in the mighty Chao Praya River, the area has the impression of being a separate island and on arriving at RAKxa - a Thai word meaning to conserve, and to heal - it was clear just how far from being in a large city we really were, (figuratively, not physically).

The peacefulness was extraordinary, the only noises being the distant putt-putts of traditional longboats making their way up and down the river, and the birdlife belonged in the wilds rather than in this city spot. Instantly shaking off the big town feeling, I very quickly settled into my wonderfully-appointed villa with its own private garden and pool, (an upgrade automatically secured for all Healing Holidays’ guests). Overlooking the calm waters of a lake, the villa would not have looked out of place in the Maldives or the Caribbean, and I had to remind myself that the bright lights of Bangkok were just minutes away.

What followed were five fantastic days on the Immunity Booster Programme. I enjoyed hi-tech Functional Fitness Assessments, I joined innovative group classes such as Active Brain Coordination & Aqua Ai Chi, and I had blood tests and immune infusion & blood ozone IV drips - RAKxa is linked to the world-class Bumrungrad Hospital so everything is property monitored. I spent time in the Hyperbaric & Cryotherapy Chambers, I sat under the bright lights for photo-light therapy and I was pampered thoroughly with some superb massages & treatments. I should also mention the acupuncture, meditation & Pilates, whilst any downtime I had was spent enjoying the spectacular hydrotherapy area, where the hot & cold pools were supplemented by water jets, experience showers, a sauna and two steam rooms with differing temperatures.

Each villa has its own bicycles which makes getting to and from the various classes and treatments a breeze, (and gives you a little exercise), and as I pedalled across the little bridge to the RAKxa Jai Wellness Centre I had to remind myself again that I was in the heart of one of Asia’s busiest metropolises.

The food was exquisitely prepared and, it goes without saying, supremely healthy. One morning whilst enjoying breakfast, I watched as two otters popped their heads above the wall and took a peek at the magnificent Olympic-sized swimming pool, and for the umpteenth time had to remember that I was sitting in a city of 11 million people and not out in the wilds of the countryside.

The days flew by until it was sadly time to depart and to re-join the rest of the real, noisy and congested world across the water. Not only had the accommodation, treatments, therapists, facilities, doctors, staff and, of course, the location, all exceeded my already high expectations, but it was the small details which, for me, really puts RAKxa right up there against the very best which the world of wellness has to offer - the ever-changing Kombucha cocktail which is offered before every meal; the free healthy shots which are replenished every day in your minibar; the way the kind staff were so attentive to those guests who had limited mobility; how the changing room attendants would whisk away and dry your wet swimmers before they had barely hit the floor; the complimentary laundry service which allows you to travel as light as you like; the handmade soap which lathers like nothing before.

My conclusion having now stayed at and experienced RAKxa? Well the sceptics will just have to trust us at Healing Holidays and take our word for it when we say that although RAKxa may be located in Bangkok, it certainly doesn’t feel like it. Believe me when I say the words location, location, location have never been more relevant.