Lifestyle, Spas and Salons

Tryin’ out a foot spa at Sawasdee Siam

The Phase 3 branch of Sawasdee Siam, featured here, is no longer operating. But the branch in Phase 1, near Bacolod Chicken House, still seems to be open.

I’ve always been rather proud of my feet. Most Pinoys like to commemorate visits to foreign lands and new places with pictures of themselves standing next to sign boards (I’m told, anyway; my reference for this particular statement is my mother, who has tons of pictures next to resort signs and place markers). I like to take pictures of my feet standing on foreign soil or provincial sand (if you’re all alone and don’t have a tripod, it’s the next best thing), so as far as I can manage, my feet have to look pretty presentable for my pictures.

Recently, though, I haven’t been taking much care of my feet. Since vacation started and I haven’t been required to wear closed shoes, I’ve more or less been living in flip flops and sandals, the end result of which is that my feet have gotten a bit wider (think pregnant and barefoot, without the pregnancy) and a hell of lot drier. I’m not a foot spa and pedicure person, either, although my first foot massage at Mandarine might have yet turned me into a convert. So it was a bit out of character for me, when, faced with the prospect of an empty day with my sister, I suggested getting a foot massage at one of the many massage places in BF.

We settled on Sawasdee Siam, mainly because I wanted to stop associating the place with Thai *food* and acknowledge it as a massage parlor. We also wanted to stay clear away from the sleazy places (which will remain unnamed here), so we chose a place that looked relatively kikay, somewhere your typical DOM would seem out of place. Bear that in mind when selecting a place to get a massage; bear in mind too that the safest and most non-committal way to try out a place would be through a foot massage, something that doesn’t require you to take your clothes off (though apparently even for a full body Thai massage you won’t need to anyway). Apparently we chose well: Sawasdee Siam’s flyer specifically indicated that it offered “family type” massage, code for “We are not sleazy. ”

Turns out their Thai Foot Spa (P250 for 1 and a half hours) was just the thing I needed. It was indeed more on the foot spa side than a hardcore massage. They started out by filing the rough edges off our feet after a foot soak, something I found very helpful (though it made me think I was about to get a pedicure). The massage itself was a bit light, calming and relaxing, though not necessarily therapeutic. It was rather like a superficial version of the massage at Mandarine, which is not a bad thing, just different. Cheap enough to do on a whim, I imagine this is the sort of foot massage you get once a week (or whenever you’re feeling sucky and need a treat), followed by a more heavy massage elsewhere at the end of the month.

Sawasdee Siam also offers authentic Thai Massage (P450 for 1 and a half hours), though I wouldn’t really know what to compare its authenticity to, since I haven’t tried the real thing yet. Most of the Thai Massage websites I’ve seen compare it to yoga, only without the work, since the massage therapist does the pushing and pulling to get you in position. All in all, it looks like an interesting thing to try the next time around.

The foot massages take place in a single room; massage chairs and cubicles all face a walled-off rock garden with love birds fluttering about. The full body massages, from what I gathered, take place in another room with a view of the same birds. It’s certainly not The Spa, but it’s relaxing enough in its own way, and for the price, it’s a pretty good value (although on really bad days, I think I’d rather spring for the extra P230 to get a foot massage at Mandarine). Think of it as a small indulgence, and leave the big indulgences and *real* treats to the fancier places. They also have transferable packages which come with free foot spas, which you can share with friends on days when you can’t think of anything else to do.

Hmmm… I guess I am becoming a massage convert after all.

Sawasdee Siam Authentic Traditional Thai Massage and Foot Spa Center
294 Aguirre Avenue (fronting PCJ Church), Phase 3, BF Homes Paranaque
826-5595

« Previous Post: Sanctuario - Great expectations (Maybe too great…)

Next Post: Bizhan Shawarma - The secret is out! »