How to get an exotic foreign spa experience . . . in Britain

While the misery of January might be behind us, February is still a fearsome prospect. Yes, it is the shortest month, but it’s still cold and dark outside and holidays feel a very long way off.

Thankfully, the homegrown spa industry is stepping up to offer plenty of affordable and accessible UK retreats that have all the authentic experience of a foreign holiday.

The Good Spa Guide reports a steady increase in UK spa-break bookings in general but particularly in breaks offering a taste of Thailand or a massage Moroccan-style.

‘People still want an exotic or international feel to their spa experience but they want to stay closer to home,’ says Caitlin Dalton, editor of the Good Spa Guide.

But the biggest increase in searches has been for traditional Moroccan hamman experiences. Demand for this steam bath and soap down has shot up by 130 per cent.

So, if you fancy an exotic getaway that requires no more than a bus ticket, step right this way …

BANGKOK IN BROCKENHURST

SenSpa retreat, Carey Manor Hotel, Hampshire (senspa.co.uk)

Sen means forest and it’s in the new Forest that you’ll find this authentic Thai Spa. ‘Sen’ also means ‘line’ in Thai and the traditional treatments are designed to move energy, which is said to flow along ‘Sen’ energy lines in the body. in one of four Thai treatment rooms, you’ll be handed a pair of Thai pyjamas which you are massaged ‘through’ as you lie on the futon-style mat.

Avoiding oils allows them to get deep into your tight spots without slipping. More gentle oil treatments are also available; almost everyone buys a bottle of lemongrass-scented SenSpa body oil.

Book in for: Thai-Tox package £159 (until end of February), including detoxing light breakfast, a 60-minute Thai massage, time in the hydrotherapy pool, a relaxation class in the Thai Temple Studio, two- course lunch and a bottle of SenSpa Detox Body Wash & Muscle Soak to take home.

INDIA IN ICKHAM

Tor Spa Retreat, Ickham near Canterbury (torsparetreat.com)

The ancient indian mindbody health system of Ayurveda offers a personalised approach to managing stress based on your ‘dosha’ or constitutional body type. At this pretty and good value lakeside retreat, where you can drop in for the day or stay longer for a specialised Ayurvedic ‘Panchakarma’ detox retreat, you can be seen by an Ayurvedic doctor (£60 for one hour), who will prescribe traditional treatments. Try one of their four-handed abhyanga massages, an exfoliation and steam to help you lose weight or to shift cellulite.

Book in for: Traditional abhyanga body massage with herbinfused oils, followed by a steam bath to cleanse and remove toxins; £60 for one hour.

A MOROCCAN MUD BATH ON THE THAMES

The Spa in Dolphin Square, London (spa. dolphinsquare.co.uk)

WiTh its white stucco terraces, london’s Pimlico couldn’t be more British — until you step through the doorway into a Moroccan hammam to experience cleansing rituals involving soap, steam and mud. The decor and treatments at this spa are authentically sourced to recreate the essence of north Africa.

Book in for: A 55-minute luxury hamman (£ 90), where you slather yourself in rhassoul lava clay from the Atlas mountains and let it purify your skin.

A TURKISH HAMMAM IN HARROGATE

Turkish Baths Harrogate (turkishbathsharrogate.co.uk)

DATinG back to 1875, this fully restored Victorian Turkish bathhouse harnesses the power of hot and cold water to rejuvenate and heal. Beneath the Moorish arches and exquisite vibrant tiling, you can spend a blissful two hours sweating out toxins, boosting circulation and clearing your mind — from just £19. Sessions are either mixed or single sex and involve three increasingly hot sauna- style rooms, which start at 40c and go up to 70c, as well as a steam room. in between, you can take a dip in the cold plunge pool.

The baths are not much changed since Queen Victoria’s granddaughters were regulars here, but you can add on the latest body massage treatments from neom as well as reiki and indian head massage, plus beauty treatments such as lash tinting and waxing.

Book in for: A 15- minute hammam body scrub tacked onto your Turkish bath session costs £15.

BUDDHAS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

The Thai Spa, Lough Erne Resort Northern Ireland (lougherneresort.com) in the heart of the Fermanagh countryside lies this ray of tropical sunshine — an authentic Thai spa staffed by Thai and european therapists. Wearing traditional dress, they usher you around the fragrant woodpanelled haven as Buddha statues look beatifically on. in Thailand, massage is a daily part of wellbeing and massage techniques, which tend to be strong, are passed down through generations. expect to be deeply pummelled and stretched, but feel so relaxed you can barely peel yourself off the couch.

What to choose: The blissful Thai Oriental Scalp Massage (£59) will calm headaches and help send insomniacs off to the land of nod.

KIEV BY WAY OF KENSINGTON

The Russian Banya at the South Kensington Club (southkensingtonclub.com)

AT ThiS exclusive london members’ club, where celebs such as David Beckham and liv Tyler rub shoulders with royalty, a nonmembers day pass (£50) will transport you to Russia, where the banya has long been part of wellbeing culture.

Step into the aromatic wooden steam room where a banschik (banya therapist) uses a venik — a leafy birch, eucalyptus or oak branch softened in cold water — to stroke your body to release natural essential oils in this ritual known as ‘parenia’ or Russian Dance of the leaves.

Book in for: A 10- minute bamboo massage in the banya (£ 35), where you’re gently whipped with bamboo. Great for cellulite and pain relief.