KAMALAYA KOH SAMUI WINS PRIME MINISTER’S EXPORT AWARD 2011

Koh Samui, Thailand… Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa on 19 September was named ‘The Best Service Provider – Spa Category’ at the 20th anniversary of the annual Prime Minister’s Export Award ceremony in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Best Service Provider is one of four overarching categories, and Kamalaya was pitched against 43 other entrants including Day, Resort, Destination and Medical Spas to win the Best Service Provider Award – Spa Category. Other categories include Best Exporter, Best Thai-Owned Brand and Design Excellence Award. The Prime Minister’s Export Award (PM Export Award) was initiated in 1992 by the then Thai Prime Minister, and is the Thai government’s highest official award annually granted to outstanding Thai exporters of products and services, showcasing and acknowledging their top quality and high standards. The Awards are designed to raise the competitive ability of Thai products and services and maintain their sustainability and recognition in international markets.

“We honour the very best that we have – our best exporters, manufacturers, producers and service providers – for their commitment to excellence and especially their exemplary achievements”, said Her Excellency H.E. Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand.

“Thailand continues to gain more and more recognition on the world stage for its contribution to the spa and wellness industry and we are delighted to be at the forefront of that,” says Karina Stewart, co-Founder of Kamalaya. Karina continues, “It is with enormous gratitude to all our supporters both in Thailand and around the world that we accept this award and pledge to continue to raise the bar in terms of providing service to our guests.”

Kamalaya is located amid a lush, tropical landscape on the southern coast of Koh Samui, Thailand. The resort integrates healing practices and treatments from East and West, a beautiful natural environment, inspired healthy cuisine, customised programs and wellness retreats to offer a unique concept in personal wellbeing and holistic lifestyle possibilities.

For bookings and enquiries please visit www.sanctuaryspaholidays.co.uk or call 0870 243 1972.

The BodyHoliday wins Best Destination Spa in the World Award

St Lucia resort wins coveted award at the Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards 2011

Simon Leadsford (Publishing Director of Condé Nast Traveller) with Eve and Craig Barnard (President and Founder of The BodyHoliday)

1^st September 2011 - The BodyHoliday was last night crowned the Best Destination Spa in the World at the prestigious Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Award.

This is the second award this year for The BodyHoliday having won “Favourite Spa” at the Condé Nast Traveller Readers Spa Awards earlier this year. Considered by many as the travel bible, the Readers’ Traveller Awards is based on readers’ votes on criteria including spa facilities, individual approach, ambience/design, body and facial treatments, amenities and products, exercise programmes, cuisine, as well as quality of service and staff, which highlights the finest spots to relax in the UK as well as around the globe including the best hotel spas, spa retreats, day spas and thermal spas, with the highest scorers then making it into the World’s top 25.

On receiving the award at The Royal Institute of Great Britain, President and Founder Craig Barnard said, “We are thrilled to receive our second award this year from such a major and influential travel magazine. We are especially pleased that the accolade comes directly from the readers, we work very hard to exceed our guests’ expectations and it is very rewarding to see this recognised. I look forward to welcoming guests, returning and new, from the start of October to see the extensive renovations which we are all very excited about. The BodyHoliday continues to deliver on its promise – give us your body for a week and we’ll give you back your mind.”

The BodyHoliday reopens at the start of October following a three month close for a £10million transformation of its public spaces, including an upgrade of the Wellness Centre, to create a more luxurious experience for guests. The BodyHoliday will be hosting various events on resort including Octoba Yoga – a month dedicated to yoga classes and courses; and the November WellFit Retreat – a week of intensive fitness training and workshops with Olympic legend Daley Thompson and former Gladiator Kate Staples.

For more information please call Sanctuary Spa Holidays on 0870 243 1972 or visit www.sanctuaryspaholidays.co.uk

Stress Management at Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa

Rajesh Ramani, Spiritual Teacher and Life Skills Trainer, recently joined the team at Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary and Holisitc Spa, Winner of the Award for Enduring Excellence at the Tatler Spa Awards 2010 and Destination Spa of the Year in the Asia Spa Awards 2010.

Here he talks to us about stress management and personal mentoring – a key element of Kamalaya’s Stress & Burnout programmes – and why we are increasingly seeking this kind of therapy.

“In order to manage stress, first of all we need to understand it.  Whether it is in our work, family life or relationships stress is a natural mechanism of the body and mind. On a physical level, the body’s reaction to stress is protective as seen in an animal’s fight or flight response.  Normal levels of stress include pain and hunger and are required for growth and progress.  Even in work and relationships normal levels of stress are constructive and encourage us to perform to our best both physically and mentally.

Normal stress can be solved through rest, breathing and meditation, or by simply enjoying yourself, reading and having fun. But beyond constructive stress is destructive and self-created stress which can manifest as inner conflict, destructive and hurting value systems and illogical decisions and habits.  These conflicts create stress that we make for ourselves where it needn’t be.  Beliefs of not being good enough or unattainable perfection can result, leading to a downward spiral of mounting stress.

So how do we become free of stress?  At Kamalaya our Stress & Burnout programmes use a combination of stress management – physical processes that can help to reduce stress and its effects including stress releasing exercises and breath work; and stress dissolution – an inner journey that addresses the root of the stress and where it was created.  It’s by discovering these stress triggers and through this dual approach of management and dissolution that we can break destructive habits and patterns, enabling us to achieve a new balance between constructive and destructive value systems and bringing our lives back into harmony emotionally, mentally and physically.”

Click here to find out about Stress & Burnout Programmes at Kamalaya