SG/KL Chronicles : Fish Spa

Now, I first read about this 'Fish Spa' on Mich's blog and I immediately knew I had to try it out once I got to KL. To sum it up, the fish spa is where doctor fish (Garra rufa), nibble at the dead skin on your feet (and/or legs, whichever's in the water), to naturally 'exfoliate' your skin. Sounds icky right? A bit I guess... but it fascinated me so I just had to try it. :D

The Kenko Reflexology & Fish spa is located at the 5th floor of the Pavilion Mall, in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. This was our first stop after settling at our hotel. We had a hearty Satay and Thai dinner at Food Republic before heading to the spa.

First off, we were asked to clean our feet before proceeding to the 'fish spa' area. We would be submerging our feet and legs into the water and let the fish do their job. There were 2 types of fish, some were very small, and the others were quite big. Now, Maitz and I are pretty much 'at ease' with fish, so we chose the bigger ones, thinking they would be more effective, as far as cleaning our feet would go. But I was told the smaller fish were also quite effective, so if the pic of the bigger fishes scare you, don't worry, there are smaller ones available. :D

Let me tell you... it was ticklish as hell! I've always been ticklish, but this was bordering on torture! I guess there's also the thought that these fish were actually eating me up! No matter how you sugarcoat it... images of piranhas and flesh eating fish ran through my brain as I felt each nibble on my feet as I gingerly put each foot in, and then took each foot out coz I kept laughing.

It took about 10 minutes for me to tell myself to just get the hell on with it. It helped that Maitz was already calmly observing the fishes as they feasted on her toes. It didn't help that Tita Nina was screaming and laughing her head off beside me. But I just took a deep breath and plunged my legs in, and resisted the urge to take them back out. A mere minute later, I was already used to the sensation.

And it was very relaxing... the constant nibbling felt like a light current that stimulated the feet. And I couldn't help but be mesmerized by the way the fish kept nibbling at me... it was really interesting... in a sick sort of way. ;)) I remember Louie saying she tried to catch a few fish with her toes... I did the same... and in some way, felt satisfaction that I was getting even, hehehe.

Afterwards, we also got a foot reflexology treatment...and on our way there, I slipped on the steps and landed on my knees! Geez! I'm not safe even in KL! Hahahaha! For those who don't know, I am incredibly clumsy... but it was really quite embarrassing to slip in front of all the other patrons of the fish spa. But hey, I'm so used to falling I just laughed it off. Thankfully, my reflexology therapist was very good, and she was able to soothe my bruised legs (but there was nothing to be done about my ego though). :D

The fish spa is also available at the Manila Ocean Park. I'll definitely do this again, just for fun. The fishes did a pretty good job at lifting some of the dead skin away, but I think you have to do it regularly to achieve noticeable and lasting results. Nevertheless, the sensation and the succeeding humiliation was more than enough to make this a memorable KL moment. :)

For more pics, check out my KL album on Multiply.
http://vanaque.multiply.com/photos/album/16/Kuala_Lumpur_-_June_2008

SG/KL Chronicles : Genting Highlands

June 2, 2008 - We flew to KL from Singapore via AirAsia. It's my first time riding a plane that had a free seating policy ;)) Just thought I'd mention it.

On our first day in KL, we went straight to Genting Highlands. To sum it up, it's a theme park on top of the mountains. What I loved about this place wasn't the rides, nor the Dreamz show but the amazing 15-minute cable car up (and down) the mountains. It was a very serene experience, set on top of a canopy of trees, with fog to add to the whole experience. I absolutely loved it.

We had an overnight stay in Genting, the ambience was different from the city, in a nice way... but aside from the cooler weather, I'd think a day trip would be enough to experience this place. I really think that the main come on is the cable cars. Oh, and the flying coaster (in the Outdoor theme park) is a definite must try. You have to pay a few extra ringgit to ride it, but it's an experience worth trying. Think, riding a roller coaster while standing up. :) There's a camera on the way up, don't be like us who were caught unaware, so we weren't able to smile, which is a capital sin for a cam whore like me.

But all in all, Genting was a pretty nice place. :) So I may have been put off by the people climbing over iron railings to cut in line, the total topsy-turvy nature of the place's layout, and the Dreamz show with all the passe magic was pretty much a disappointment save for some acts, and the worst of all, that the Sky Venture ride was closed off (for two months already with no mention on the site). But I did like the Gems of the World exhibit (since we also got it a discount), and some of the rides were fun. There's also an Asian expo there somewhere, where different countries supposedly sold their wares. Kinda weird that the Philippines booth didn't sell anything remotely 'native' in nature though. There was also an Archery field we wanted to try... but we couldn't find it coz the signs were a bit misleading, and sometimes downright confusing. But, with all these complaints, I still can't deny there were some fun moments (aside from the cable car which I just love, love love). :)

For more pics, check out my KL album on Multiply.

SG/KL Chronicles : Singapore Night Safari

OK, so I was on vacation from May 31-June 8, took the time to visit Kuala Lumpur and Singapore! I know the post is long overdue, but better late than never, right?

I took a page out of Louie's blogging style, making a lot of short posts instead of one very long one. So I decided to put up one post at a time, of each memorable moment of my 9-day vacation.

So, for memorable moment #1 (btw, this is in chronological order), is the Singapore Night Safari.

Having visited more than enough zoos in my lifetime, including the San Diego Zoo and Avilon here in Manila, the Singapore Zoo didn't strike me as a must see during my short visit, but the night safari was a different story. Imagine, seeing nocturnal animals up close in a semblance of their natural habitats. Interesting.

Now, I pretty much suck at taking night mode pictures... but the tram ride was a really great experience. With the cool night breeze, and the crisp air, it was a very pleasant experience traveling from one spot to the next. And it's really the closest I've been to animals, with some of them close enough to touch. Granted, they were just deer, but hey, it's a new experience for me not seeing them locked up in cages.

Aside from the tram ride, the real adventure lies with taking the walking trails around the night safari. However, with Maitz being night blind, Jeng and tita Nina tired, and me, pretty much terrified by the thought of encountering frogs in the dark, we abandoned the idea.

Other things to see are The Creatures of the Night show, and the fire dancers, who were very entertaining. :) Check out the video below.

For more pics, check out my SG album on Multiply.