The end of any year brings with it quite a rush of emotions, not only hope for the future and days to come but also a sense of nostalgia and longing for the year gone by. Shopping trips, meals out, movies with friends, just spending time with the family — the last two weeks of the year is usually the time to wind down, collect thoughts, ideas and memories from the past year and brace yourself for the adventures to come.
Most often, this time is also peak pampering season. Everyone tries to relax, de-stress and generally become more human and less machine. All holiday resorts will be booked out and beaches will be teeming with activity every evening. This is when places like Kenko Reflexology and Fish Spa come to our rescue.
Nestled in a quiet corner in the otherwise overcrowded Express Avenue, you would not find it unless you go looking for it. When the rest of the building is straining under the New Year rush with families, groups of friends, kids and adults alike throng the shops, this spa waits patiently in a corner, for anyone who might take the effort to look for it and go through its doors. And boy, that effort of searching is amply repaid!
For simplicity sake and to avoid being overwhelmed by the entire experience, here is a sneak peak at the spa based on five different parameters.
Ambience
The décor is soothing and welcoming. With plants enhancing the interiors and furniture in shades of beige, brown and cream, the entire space has a calm, unruffled character to it. The staff complement this space well with their predominantly white uniforms. Two television screens border the fish spa area, both playing only movies with subtitles to avoid noise and disturbance. The entire place is quiet, so much so that it is but natural to talk in whispers and keep the cell phones on silent. Thanks to the wonderful ambience, you'd feel guilty if your stomach grumbled aloud!
Customer service
There can be no complaints about customer service at Kenko. From start to finish, there is a therapist by your side assisting you with everything from removing your shoes to navigating through the dimly lit rooms. Courtesy personified, each employee is knowledgeable and happy to answer any spa-related questions.
Hygiene
The water in the fish spa is recycled regularly and they use both chemical and biological waste removal methods. Therapists wear surgery masks during any kind of massage/spa treatment and linen is washed after every use. With the abundant use of water in all their different services, hygiene is a non-issue.
Privacy
The fish spa is pretty much the only service you have in full view of everyone else. Head massages and the like happen in dimly lit spaces with three other chairs, though positioned in such a way that you cannot see anyone else. The reflexology happens in spaces with two beds apiece, though one can draw a curtain between the two for even more privacy. The body massages happen in separate rooms and you can be ensured complete privacy.
Affordability
With services ranging from Rs. 300 to Rs. 3000, this may be the only possible drawback for Kenko. Youngsters in general and students in particular may not be able to afford Kenko on a regular basis. The spa, however, still provides the perfect getaway for a sweet 16, coming of age 18, graduation or any such momentous occasion in a person's life.
The time at Kenko Reflexology and Fish Spa was definitely well spent. Whoever would say no to being pampered from head to toe? With friendly staff, hygienic therapy and welcoming interiors, this one is definitely worth a visit, if not regular patronage. And for all you men out there who associate “spa” with “feminine”, you may just be surprised! The fish spa may tickle a bit, your eyes may take time to get used to the dim lighting and the equipment may unnerve you but these are temporary insecurities. In a quiet corner of Express Avenue, there lies a little piece of serenity. Fish it out!
Yashasvini has just finished Std. XII from APL Global School.
