A gifted masseur
Healing through traditional massage therapy
MELANIA Lavekau is a pampering connoisseur. That means that if you ever get the chance of visiting Koro Sun Resort and Rainforest Spa, in Savusavu, your health and comfort would be her top priority.
The mother of two is in charge of the resort’s prestigious spa, whose products include the world famous banana leaf body wrap.
Melania’s interest in spa began in the village, when as a young girl she used to watch her grandmother heal sick people through traditional massage treatment.
“As a young girl growing up in the village, I remember seeing sick people coming home all the time to get a massage from my grandmother who was a gifted masseur,” Melania said.
“I used to watch and copy what she did. Little did I know that those childhood exposure and experiences would one day influence me to take up massage therapy as a vocation,” she added.
Melania had to undergo a few overseas courses in beauty and massage therapy to complement her natural massage talents and allow her to handle the professional demands of a luxury resort spa facility.
In the recent past, spa therapy has been an integral part of the products and services offered by Fijian luxury hotels and resorts.
It has added value to tourists’ Fiji experience and integrated modern concepts of wellness into the tourism industry.
“My job is an important one because it helps with the renewal for guests body, mind, spirit. It helps them recover from jetlag, get rejuvenated and removes stress and tension. Without being revitalised, a tourist can never really enjoy his or her holiday,” she said.
Melania has been in the tourism and hospitality industry for 15 years. During this time she has worked in top notch resort spas at the Warwick Fiji, Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort & Spa and Namale Resort.
“I love my job because I get to pamper tourists and help make their holiday experience rewarding and unforgettable.
“I get to meet new people all the time, learn about their cultures and share knowledge and experiences of my own culture with them.”
She boasts that Koro Sun Resort and Rainforest Spa employs one of the most authentic Fijian experiences in its spa treatment, which is done in the outdoor under forest trees, besides running fresh water streams and amid the sound of forest birds.
For more information on the famous banana leaf body wrap spa treatment, check out this week’s Sunday Times SOUL LIVING section.