Swimming and kneading

It's a sunny Sunday but the skies were pregnant with potential precipitation (I love saying those two words together). The air is heavy and thick with humidity and the best escape for me today was to The Palms Country Club in Alabang. My girl friends Danielle and Feanne and I were excited over some pool time. I love being in the water because it's the one place throughout this pregnancy where I feel weightless and free. It felt so good being able to do laps and get my cardio up. The restaurant at The Palms serves fresh coconut juice and the best part is that they chill the whole coconut before serving it so you don't have to suffer drinking room temperature coconut water. The Palms, however, is a private, members-only country club.

After a poolside lunch, we headed to Alabang Town Center for some air conditioned comfort. A long walk in a buzzing mall on a hot day deserves to be rewarded with a little spa time. We found a quaint little Balinese-inspired spa that turned out to be more than a spa. It's called Kartini and it was a spa, al fresco cafe/resto and herbal garden.  The entrance is a gorgeously-carved wooden door with elephant statuettes flanking it on both sides. As you enter, you are greeted by a stone pathway cutting through the grass which leads to the main reception area.

The services are varied and the masseurs seem to know their stuff. I opted for a neck and shoulder 30-minute massage which we had to sort of discuss because they were apprehensive about taking in a very pregnant client. I explained to them that my doctor had advised only against massages from the waist down (and especially around the legs and feet) due to the risk of bruising and blood clotting that may endanger my baby. It was a good sign for me that they didn't just take me in without firs tasking how far along I was in my pregnancy and telling me about the precautions they needed to take.

Once you decide on a service, they take you down the stone pathway and into a separate room with massage beds lined up. Because I'm pregnant, I was made to lay down on my side while the masseur kneaded my back gently--she refused to put any more pressure on my back in order to avoid any complications or danger to my pregnancy. She did, however, indulge me in my request for a harder kneading on my shoulders and neck. The service cost me P490. Not bad. My friend Danielle got a 30-minute foot spa with leg massage for P300+ which she says she was happy about.

They serve you either a cold beverage or hot tea (depending on what you prefer) after your session. Danielle and I walked around the place to check it out and admire the place. It had such a relaxing ambience, you wouldn't have realized it was chaotic and busy outside with all the cars driving past and the flurry of people walking about. They have these lovely herb gardens that grew Oregano, Chives, Peppermint and a slew of other fresh herbs. They also sell organic skin products like oils, scents, etc. 

Another thing we noticed about Kartini is that nearly all the beautiful wooden furniture in the place were for sale--even the antique mirror in the bathroom! They sell plants, stones, have landscaping and flora services AND you can get all that green-thumbing and massaging done in a place that offers meals and refreshment as well. So if you feel like that massage left you a little too relaxed and you find that you have other errands to run, you can sit outside where the air smells of flowers and herbs and a quietly flowing fountain numbs your senses to the buzzing of the outside world and order yourself a coffee. 


Check them out if you find yourself down south in the Alabang area. You can visit their website or email their president and design principal, Nina Malvar at kartini_nm@yahoo.com. Their contact numbers are: (632) 8074356; (0917) 9080386 / (0915) 8770454.