Health Spa Reviews - De'Vara Spa

   

Review by Rebecca Dodd

De'Vara Spa - heaven on the 11th floor

Located in Cape Town's Blouberg, de'Vara is the perfect spa for a pamper day with the girls...

I am a completely spoilt Capetonian. I don't often venture out of the Southern Suburbs, but I was so happy I did on one miserable, grey Saturday morning - only to find a gorgeous, sunny day waiting for me on Blouberg side.

If that wasn't enough reason to take a day trip outside of my comfort zone, a morning at de'Vara Day Spa definitely converted me.

Situated on the second-highest floor of the plush Aquarius Suites, de'Vara opened in August of this year and has fast become a popular destination for both guests of the self-catering suites and locals alike. The spa's decor is modern and peaceful - a soothing water feature provides the soundtrack as you enter.

I was booked into the Ocean Pamper package

This begins with a light continental breakfast in the spa's light, airy restaurant area (see image below). After changing into a fluffy robe and slippers, I was welcomed with a glass of champagne, a cup of delicious coffee and an array of breakfast offerings: croissants, muffins, muesli and fresh fruit. They even had Nutella for my croissant! I stirred some into my coffee while no one was looking.

After breakfast I was ushered into a treatment room for my Purifying Foot Ritual

Clearly not all treatment rooms are created equal - this one had a completely unobstructed view over Blouberg beach towards Table Mountain (see main picture). I was seated in a cushy reclining chair and my feet treated to a detox seaweed soak, sea salt scrub and moisturising foot and leg massage.

What's great about this package is that the treatment room seats up to four clients - making it ideal if you want a spa day with the girls.

The treatment was very relaxing, and given an eye mask, I would easily have drifted off. You don't actually realise how much strain your feet take until you put them up for a while and let them be pampered!

Next was the Ocean Memory Massage

This is de'Vara's signature treatment, and includes wave and rocking techniques to emulate the movement of the ocean. Designed to alleviate stress and soothe tired muscles, this massage was so relaxing, and the room so warm and peaceful, that I nearly rolled off the table onto the floor when the time came to get up.

De'Vara restaurant areaThe treatment room I was in had two massage tables - perfect for a couple's massage (anniversary gift, anyone?). In fact, group treatments seemed to be the staple at this spa on the day I was there - groups of friends, BFFs and couples alike.

At R510 for the whole package, including the breakfast, foot treatment, massage and an anti-ageing eye treatment, it's easy to see why the packages are so popular.

There is also a full-day package, including breakfast, lunch, and five treatments followed by a languishing session in the spa's relaxation room (which boasts an infrared sauna and six-seater Jacuzzi). De'Vara does, of course, offer the usual waxing, tinting, manis, pedis and facials, but it's definitely the pampering treatments that I'd go back for.

I prolonged my visit by taking a leisurely shower to wash off the massage oils and blow-dry my hair, and was bade farewell by the spa with a little choccie and glass of lemonade. I will definitely be back with a girlfriend or two.

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