If you're in town and want to soothe that aching body of yours, pop into Spa Detour, a leisure spa conceived and launched late last year by the team behind tour company Duck & Hippo.

Located at Suntec City Mall, it's a refreshing entrant into the already flourishing spa scene here, with its hipster vibe and themed massage rooms.

I visited the spa recently for a physical reboot - a 60-minute, full body aromatherapy massage that I hoped would make my stiff frame more pliant.

From the moment that I arrived at the spa's entrance, I knew I was in for a different type of massage experience.

This is not your usual minimalist type of spa, with whitewashed walls or wood-panelling, and delicate flower petals and sentimental music.

Spa Detour proudly announces to visitors that it is a space with a bold and playful attitude right from the outset. Hollywood lights spell out the phrase Live Life, a cafe and relaxation space features quirky furniture, and the words "someone busier than you and I is inside recharging" are plastered on the glass door leading to the treatment rooms.

I am ushered through that door, and what greets me is a dark alleyway with neck and shoulder massage chairs, before I turn the corner and see another alleyway with numbered doors on both sides.

The themed massage rooms have titles like The Barn, Swinging 60s, Red Rose, and Rainforest, each of which is designed to draw users into another space.

I am led into Room No. 12 - Rainforest - which has fake carpet grass, and is wallpapered with images of what looks like a rainforest, complete with a stream, bamboo trees and even a big fat panda that is directly in front of the massage bed.

Once I'm ready, the lights are dimmed.

In comes Bonnie, my therapist who is from Kuantan, Malaysia. With gentle firmness, she begins to knead my body's knots away.

Music drifts through the sound system. In this first track, a bell tolls and birds chirp.

My mind starts to take me into the woods, where in my mind's eye, I wander free and birds fly freely overhead.

With the second track, I am brought into the realms of the deep, where whales sound out with strange, indistinguishable noises.

I also hear the sound of waves crashing on the shore, and imagine myself by the beach, with the water lapping at my toes and the sand beneath my feet.

All this time, Bonnie is pressing, rubbing, and softening me. She detects that the area around my shoulder blades is incredibly stiff, and patiently works on easing the tightness there.

I am so immersed in the whole experience and the music that is being played, so I do not even realise that the massage is nearly over, until Bonnie quietly tells me to sit up, signalling that she is done.
I open my eyes and for a moment, am bemused by the sight of Mr Hello Panda before me.

The animal reminds me that I'm in the Rainforest room, and reality dawns soon after.

My body feels recharged, and I am pleased that my mind has also had a chance to go a-touring, through the delightful tunes that wove a storyline around them.

Outside, a zesty cup of hot ginger tea awaits. I gulp it down greedily, and a new, rejuvenated me steps out to face the world.

This was a detour from everyday routines I'd be happy to make again.

brynasim@sph.com.sg
Join me on my lifestyle adventures, snap by snap on Instagram @brybrybanana
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Besides full-body, shoulder and neck massages, Spa Detour also has a sleep spa, offers foot reflexology and facial services, as well as manicures and pedicures. Prices start from $17 for an express manicure, and the hour-long aromatherapy massage costs $127 before GST.

The spa is currently running the following promotions:
Mondays : 1-for-1 (for Men ONLY)
Wednesdays: 1-for-1 (for Ladies ONLY)
Thursdays: 1-for-1 (for Sleep Spa ONLY)
Fridays: 1-for-1 for couples (1 hour massage + 20mins tub soak)
First timers also get to experience our 1-for-1 offers, regardless of walk-ins, via referrals or distributed post cards at Suntec City.

Spa Detour
3 Temasek Boulevard, Suntec City Mall (near Tower 3), #03-340, Singapore 038983.
(Facing Burger King, we are just 150m to the left)
Operating Hours: 11am - 9pm daily
Contact: (+65) 6733 8687
Email: ask@detour.com.sg