The Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa commands a beach front site at Karon, yet its location within the midst of 75 acres of rich tropical gardens provides a sense of seclusion and serenity. Walking over the wooden bridge that leads to the Spa, I was struck by how quiet and peaceful it was. There was hardly a soul around. All I could hear were the sounds of running water from the waterfalls and the river itself. Even the Spa, designed in the style of a traditional Thai village, is set beside a silent emerald lake sheltered by palm trees and rolling hills.

Facilities at the spa include the Well Being Salon, herbal steam rooms, Tao Garden Juice Bar and the Spa Source retail outlet. There are a range of treatments on offer, including Thai and international massages, herbal body wraps, French facials and body scrubs. Recommended treatments include the Yin Yang Massage that uses lavender to soothe a tired soul, or the Collagen Velvet Facial by Thalgo for an intensive hydration. Try the Thai Fruit Wrap body treatment with its use of exotic fruit extracts to draw out impurities, or the Glowing Body Plus scrub to rejuvenate dull skin with its blend of sea salt, mineral salts and essential oils.

I was recommended the Hilton signature treatment, which is called the Equilibrium. The Hilton aims to provide an �oasis where people can escape the pressures of modern day living and restore their balance�. With this in mind, and using their own philosophy (�putting back a little of what life takes out�), the Spa created the Equilibrium Therapy. Created in 2004, it�s a combination massage designed to release tired muscles and help bad circulation through a mixture of Thai natural herbs and the Spa�s own brand of wild mint massage oil.

I was met at reception and led through to the landscaped gardens, guided to my very own private massage villa. There are 15 luxurious spa villas hidden away, the perfect hideout if you�re looking for some time alone. Each villa is unique; some are specifically for different types of massage, while others are designed for manicure and pedicure treatments. My villa was suitably named �the Sanctuary�, and had the fragrance of peppermint and honey in the air.

I started off with the honey sesame body scrub, which is a mixture of Thai royal honey and black sesame seeds applied all over the body to exfoliate and remove dead skin cells. The texture was perfect, as it felt and smelled good and left my skin feeling soft and smooth. After washing the scrub off in the open-air shower, I was led back inside for my massage. The therapist first worked the wild mint massage oil lightly into my muscles before applying deeper pressure using a Thai natural herbal pack. The herbs are a combination of tamarind leaf, turmeric powder, bergamot and camphor that works to relax tired muscles. The wild mint provides a cooling effect. The treatment finished with a face and head massage. The total privacy the villa allows for the lingering aromas of the oils and herbs, and the extravagance of the treatment was a pure delight. Altogether the treatment lasted 90 minutes, but if I had been asked to stay longer I would have willingly obliged.

If you really want to indulge yourself before a treatment, you can soak for 30 minutes in a luxurious bath of herbs or natural flowers to re-hydrate the skin. Or enhance your senses with an aromatic herbal steam, the perfect starter to any treatment. The Spa treatments are designed to offer true relaxation, rejuvenation and total indulgence. Afterwards I sat with a glass of ginger tea by the side of the lake in the Tao Garden Juice Bar, and this described exactly how I felt.

Just before I headed home, I called into the spa shop where they sell a range of exquisite smelling creams, lotions and aromatic oils made locally or imported from France. The local products are made at Lemongrass House, which hand blends massage oils by adding fragrant pure essential oils to nourishing, vitamin-rich sweet almond and jojoba-based oils. All their ingredients are fresh and derived from safe and renewable resources. The French range is produced by Thalgo, which draws its richness and effectiveness from marine-based products. The power of marine therapies is renowned for its remarkable effects in revitalizing, rebalancing and healing the body.

I was reluctant to leave the spa and its tranquil surroundings and return to the real world, but after my intense pampering I left feeling well-balanced and already planning my next treatment.