My last experience at a Turkish hammam was, to put it mildly, brutal.
My moustached therapist, a man of few words, viewed every muscle knot of mine as a personal insult. That’s what you get for choosing to save money by going to a ghetto hammam down a side street in central Istanbul.
In contrast, my hammam hour at the Rixos Bab Al Bahr spa was totally the opposite.
After a small glass of thick Turkish tea, I was led – by a smiling therapist – to the lavish treatment room, a luxurious space in white and blue marble (there are separate areas for men and women).
At one of the six basins around the room, half a dozen buckets of warm water were poured over me, after which the therapist pulled on a pair of coarse, soapy mitts and thoroughly scrubbed me down from head to toe. The soap was then rinsed off.
Next it was off to the marble platform in the centre of the room, where I lay face down and was scrubbed down three times, followed by a good long rinse. The hour-long session concluded with a soothing massage.
The quality of the experience made reminiscing about it easy. Then again, it also helps when you are relaxing in a small, outdoor heated pool that’s exclusive to spa customers.
• A 60-minute Turkish Bath Massage at SPA at Rixos Bab Al Bahr in Ras Al Khaimah is complimentary with an overnight stay. Visit babalbahr.rixos.com or call 07 202 0000
sasaeed@thenational.ae
