RAKxa: An Immersive Wellness & Medical Retreat In The Heart Of Bangkok

Thailand’s long been at the forefront of Asia’s wellness scene, offering a unique blend of traditional Thai therapies with world-class hospitality. While travellers are at no shortage of options when it comes to holistic holidays in the nation, a brand-new gamechanger has just arrived in time for the border reopenings: meet RAKxa. As Thailand’s first integrative medical wellness retreat, it does raise the question—what makes it so unique among its saturated wealth of competitors? Its on-site medical clinic run by Bangkok’s best hospital, for starters.

Opening in December of last year, the immersive wellness retreat takes self-care to a whole new level, from its personalised programmes to the on-site VitalLife medical treatments. Compare Retreats’ editor Faye Bradley checks in for two nights of total bliss.

Location

RAKxa sits in a secluded location within bustling Bangkok. While that may seem like an oxymoron, the retreat is truly away from the crowds within the “green lung” of Bangkok on Chao Phraya River, only an hour’s drive from the airport and even closer to downtown. But to be honest, you won’t need to leave the RAKxa grounds during your stay when you’re busy with the chosen programme. The 32-hectare property is among the biggest in Bangkok, spread across lush gardens and city-facing river views.

See also: Hong Kong’s Top Spa Hotels For An Urban Wellness Staycation

Accommodation

There are 60 private pool and garden villas and two residences to choose from. During our stay, we were in the private garden villa. The beautiful 80-square-metre spaces are rendered in calming earth tones with fabrics furnished by Jim Thompson and fitted with everything you need for a restful afternoon or a deep sleep. In accordance with the retreat’s high-tech offerings, the villa itself uses smart technology so you can set the temperature and lighting via a tablet to ensure comfort at its best. Another device is your digital concierge for everything you need during your stay—from the comprehensive pillow menu and itinerary to an online chat service with the concierge. Moreover, the mini-fridge is stocked daily with fresh juice shots, one for the morning, and one for the evening.

The private garden villa has a dining area, living room, bedroom and bathroom, but the best part, besides the plush bed, is the huge garden where we spent most of our mornings for meditation.

Nutrition

There are two restaurants—Unam Restaurant and Ukhao Restaurant—but we had all of our meals at Unam Restaurant, which sits next to the outdoor swimming pool. There’s also the tea lounge, which is a playful spin on a hotel bar. It focuses on offering its collection of decadent teas, and is a popular stop between treatments.

As a health retreat, nutritional menus are carefully planned out for guests to enjoy a balanced diet to clear the mind and body during their stay. Before and again upon arrival, guests are advised to declare any allergies, dietary restrictions and general preferences for the meals ahead, to ensure a seamless and delicious experience ahead. Everything is catered for and you needn’t worry that any request is too big for the accommodating team.

See also: The Leading Luxury Wellness Retreats & Spa Resorts In Thailand

Ingredients are unprocessed and anti-inflammatory and free from sugar and preservatives. At every meal, the tea sommelier prepares a range of infusions to pair with different dishes, while the fresh juices and kombuchas were, to our satisfaction, very much in abundance. We weren’t on a detox or special diet plan, but for those opting for a particular weight goal or fitness menu, the team will arrange meals accordingly.

If you’re still hungry, as my gym-junkie partner was after the three-course meal, the chef will happily serve another dish without hesitation—in fact, we didn’t even have to ask, and it was something new every time. We had a variety of Mediterranean-inspired meats, salads, soups and vegetables during our stay, with the lunch and dinner menu changing daily. For breakfast, you can choose from a variety of western and Asian options, and it features a nutritional breakdown of each course. Alcohol is discouraged at the property, but there’s coffee if you need it. To be honest, though, we were naturally energised by the endless roster of tea and fresh juices.

Wellness Offerings

The most significant feature of RAKxa is its integrative wellness offerings. After checking into the retreat, guests are invited to discuss wellness goals with an expert advisor, who curates the itinerary to follow. Each person’s experience is different. For me, after nearly three years of lockdown in Hong Kong and a subsequent overwhelming anxiety to return to the city, my goal was simple: to relax and recharge. And it was the perfect place to do so.

There are four retreat programmes on offer:

• Weight Control & Detox
• Rebalance Mind & Body
• Wellbeing & Recovery
• Advanced Aesthetics

We realised quickly though that these are just guiding principles. The retreat programme itself is completely personalised and not restricted, even after curating the itinerary. It’s all about making the guest feel as comfortable as possible.

There are different buildings within the compound, and you can walk, take the buggy (with a driver) or use your in-room bicycles to get around. We mainly walked or used the bike as nothing takes longer than about eight minutes if you’re strolling.

Wellness Spaces

First, VitaLife’s Scientific Clinic. Here, the health clinic’s partnership with Bumrungrad Hospital (Bangkok’s top hospital), is where much of the magic happens. It houses a wealth of internationally-trained medical doctors to perform state-of-the-art treatments on patients. Guests can benefit from cutting-edge diagnostics, including genetic, hormone and micronutrient testing and preventative cancer screening. The main gist is to promote anti-ageing and take preventative measures to increase vitality. Modern technologies include IV nutrient therapy, cryosauna infrared sauna, light therapy and platelet-rich plasma therapy.

See also: 12 Top Luxury Wellness Resorts In The Maldives For A Dreamy Escape

Next is RAKxa Jai, the retreat’s holistic wellness centre. Medical doctors from VitalLife work alongside traditional healers from all around the globe to provide time-honoured therapies in a comprehensive setting. Treatments vary from Traditional Chinese Medicine and Traditional Thai Medicine to Ayurveda and Energy Healing, while the therapeutic spa hosts indulgent massages and healing treatments. Unwind at the vitality pool, which includes hydrothermal facilities like a herbal steam, infrared sauna, experience shower and vitality pool using hot and cold therapy.

Meanwhile, RAKxa Gaya is the medical gym equipped with Olympian-approved equipment and top-notch physiotherapists and exercise physiologists. Guests can expect support from the team to improve exercise, performance rehabilitation and neuromuscular training.

Programme

For my itinerary, it went as follows:

Day One:

Day Two:

Results

Expect to feel…renewed. The comprehensive programme allowed me to address different concerns of the mind and body. I felt more aware of myself and my actions, particularly thanks to the therapists’ advice after each treatment. The incredible thing about RAKxa is its dedication to longevity—it’s about taking care of yourself every single day, and applying wellness tips from home too.

Knowing my health was in the hands of expert doctors and therapists further put my mind at ease, and really the whole retreat is designed exactly for that purpose.

We Loved

It’s difficult to narrow it down, but for me, the mindfulness meditation and singing bowl treatments were the most memorable and I felt the results immediately. I plan to integrate them both into my regular lifestyle. In terms of the medical treatments, I tried the IV vitamin booster and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. As someone who is always a bit dramatic when it comes to the sight of blood, it seemed my fears were conquered for the former, and my energy perked up right after the drip. As for the hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatment, it was surprisingly not claustrophobic—and even if you are, they have a humongous two-person chamber as an alternative option if you’re worried about tight spaces. Nevertheless, I managed to even get some sleep during my time in the chamber.

Since I opted to “destress” during my time at RAKxa, the spa treatments were very well suited to the goal. The scalp massage performed by a registered Ayurveda doctor increased the blood flow in my brain and helped relieve some tension in my forehead muscles from squinting at my screen for many hours over, days before. ZenNaTai was the only treatment where I felt discomfort. But my therapist explained the stress connection between the mind and stomach. After the treatment, I could feel the relief in my abdomen and am definitely prepared to try it again.

Needless to say, I left feeling stronger, healthier and with a clearer mind.

RAKxa is the type of place you stay, rest, and return for. Although my trip was cut short due to my flight meaning I could only stay for two nights, it’s strongly recommended guests stay for at least three nights to receive the optimum results. Moreover, we recommend starting your mornings at the stunning swimming pool, with a few laps, before tucking into breakfast next door.

Contact bookings@compareretreats.com to book your luxury wellness retreat

Faye Bradley

Faye Bradley is the editor and business development manager at Compare Retreats. She is an avid writer, editor, illustrator and yogi who is passionate about all things wellness, travel and the arts.