Enjoy relaxing massage time after a long vacation in Laos with Wat Sok Pa Luang

Vientiane is not as famous as Luang Prabang, Laos where hides several architectural masterpieces in the World Heritage List, however it still attracts a number of visitors with package tour Laos by its ancient cultural temples, or Wat in Laotian language. In Wat Sok Pa Luang, travelers will have a unique experience of massage and sauna in a peaceful natural space.

Oil and herbal steam are two popular kinds of massage in Lao

Massage culture in Laos

Massage and sauna services are plentiful in Vientiane, the interesting capital of Laos. Traditional massage in Laos with sauna is the best therapy to soothe your body after a long trekking or walking journey in the forest.

Massage in Laos usually uses oil. Another option is the mixtures of herbs (or herbal steam) which are key to the success of this therapy. The oil massage consists of long rubbing and stroking motions, and is more similar to European-style deep tissue massage. The cost for oil massage is at least kip 80,000. Herbal steam massage uses a cloth compresses in the size of a small ball which are filled with various aromatic herbs. The compresses are pressed on guests’ skin and are especially beneficial if they find themselves with a chest cold or some other sort of congestion.

Spas in Laos (pinterest.com)

Many spas in Laos will also offer massages for specific parts of the body, like head and shoulder, hands and arms or foot massage, for 30 to 60 minutes. The head and shoulder massage helps cure the headache, while the foot massage can help organs recuperate from a heavy night of drinking, and also make mental health better.

Wat Sok Pa Luang

Considered as the forest temple, Wat Sok Pa Luang is located in Muang Sisattanak and well known for its herbal sauna and expert massage. The masseurs are usually lay people who reside at the temple.

Different from the convenient and modern air-conditioning or the luxury spa treatment in hotels, in Wat Sok Pa Luang, guests will have chance to breathe the cool and airy atmosphere in nature space with the healthy herbal sauna Laos style in the leafy grounds. This is a rustic wooden slatted outhouse where the fumes of the witch’s broth of eucalyptus, lemongrass, basil, and lime stirred in a giant cauldron fed into. These ingredients are mixed in water that is heated on an open fire burning below the shed. Tourists will feel hard to breathe at first because of steam, but they will quickly acclimatize and the herbs will work their magic to open up pores and cleanse lungs in every deep breath.

Relaxing with the massage in Wat Sok Pa Luang

What to do in Wat Sok Pa Luang

Massage and sauna

For the sauna, tourists get a sarong-like loincloth (like the traditional costume of Laotian people). When they come out, guests are supposed to drink herbal tea and not to wash off the sweat for at least several hours - some say six - to allow the herbal steam to soak into them pores. When experiencing the traditional sauna in Wat Sok Pa Luang, visitors have sauna with traditional herbs such as lemon grass, lemon, cinnamon, mint, rosemary, grapefruit leaves, melaleuca leaves, etc. This is a traditional sauna method that removes sweat and toxins from the body, bringing the excitement to spirit and wealth to body. All tourists need to do is just breathing deeply and relaxing.

After a relaxing sauna, guests can take herbal tea on the veranda while cooling off or  continue to repose all the body with an experience expert massage in Laos style. The massage therapists squeeze herbal to their hands and heat it by rubbing, then massage the skin with the therapy of point acupuncture. This unique experience in Laos will help reduce your pain and relax your muscle at the same time after a long forest journey of walking or trekking. The costs are around $1 for use of the sauna, about $2 for one-hour massage. The temple operates sauna and massage from 1pm to 7pm daily.

The gate to Wat Sok Pa Luang (ahpekbiker.blogspot.com)

Meditation

Except from massage and sauna services, Wat Sok Pa Luang also offers tourists with its courses and instruction in Vipassana meditation, which is a process of self observation, aiming to clear the mind from negativities like anger, hatred, greed, and fear. As the influence of these negativities become weaker, positive things like love, compassion, and joy will start to develop. These meditation classes occur every Saturday afternoon. This kind of services is for free, using its gardens as meditating places where guests will be peaceful in mind. Besides being led by monks at Wat Sok Pa Luang, foreign travelers are also directed by the English-spoken guide.

Tourists will be immersed in nature here

Though services like the herbal sauna and traditional massage at Wat Sok Pa Luang is slowly being lost and replaced by a number of modern spas with all the latest facilities and amenities, they are exactly the kind of Laos therapeutic treatment that brings tourists the truly experience of mystical charisma. If you need more information about best tour companies Asia, don’t hesitate to contact us. Thank you.