An aerial view of the resort which is in Samui, an island off Thailand’s east coast. Photo Credit: Banyan Tree Samui
Free aromatherapy workshops are now available at the 88-villa
beachfront Banyan Tree Samui, a luxury resort off the east coast of
Thailand on Samui island.
The new workshops for all guests are held twice weekly and are
conducted at Banyan Tree Gallery Samui, the resort’s on-site boutique.
The Gallery team suggests combinations of oils to suit guests’
individual goals, whether it be health and overall wellness or a
fragrance to help with a good night’s sleep.
When completed, each participant takes home the fragrant concoction,
when it has been bottled and presented as a room mist spray.
Workshop participants produce their own blends which will be presented in a spray bottle. Photo Credit: Banyan Tree SamuiUnique concoctions
The hotel sources many of the aromatic ingredients at local markets
on Koh Samui. Extracts from plants - flowers, twigs, leaves, bark,
roots, wood, fruits, seeds and resins - are obtained using either a
process of expression or steam distillation, yielding aromatic oils that
can be used for healing. The other ingredients are distilled water and
ethyl alcohol.
Guests are advised which essential oils are the most effective for a
range of elixirs and emotions. For example, lemongrass is considered a
tonic for alertness, stimulation, and reducing anxiety, and can be
combined with rose to accentuate an uplifting and soothing sensation.
Cedarwood, rosemary, lavender, ylang-ylang, bergamot, peppermint and
pine are among the other ingredients that can be refined into
stimulating essential oils at the Gallery classes.
Banyan Tree Samui’s evening turndown service includes oil burners and
incense in each villa, with a daily rotation of fragrances.
The resort is targeting high-end and niche meetings and has versatile
event spaces. It has a ballroom for 80 pax round-table style. Its other
meeting spaces seat between 30-350 pax. The Marquee seats 900 pax
theatre-style.
The resort’s manager, Events Sales and Weddings, Athichol Mahachai
(Fai), said: “We are looking for groups with (bookings of) a maximum of
around 40-50 villas. We have a meeting ballroom suitable for 60 persons
in a classroom setup and up to 100 persons in a theatre setup. For 2023,
we have mostly had incentive and management meeting groups.”
The ballroom seats 60 pax classroom-style. Photo Credit: Banyan Tree SamuiThe resort boasts a wealth of activities, many of which are connected
to its natural setting or rooted in local culture. The free
aromatherapy workshops are a bonus for guests since they are able to
pick and choose from the essential oils on offer and create a special
keepsake to bring back memories of their visit to the resort, said
Mahachai.
Wellbeing activities include morning yoga or meditation sessions,
followed by a half-day excursion visiting islands or experiencing the
local community. Dining functions can be interspersed between activities
and meeting functions. During leisure time, they can also enjoy the
resort’s marine activities or nature walks.
The resort is renowned for its sea turtle conservation
efforts. It is now eagerly awaiting the return of the mother sea
turtle. “The period to return is between 2-4 years, so we are holding
out hope that she might return within the next half year or so. We
continue to be caretakers for the marine ecosystem of our private bay
and to ensure there are no deterrents which might prevent a return to
our beach,” said Mahachai.
The resort is about 5 km away from the main area of Lamai and 15 km from the main area of Chaweng.