Working at the World's Most Beautiful Spas
Over several years, I had the extraordinary privilege of working three times as a guest therapist for the YTL Group, one of the world's most celebrated luxury hospitality organisations, whose properties include some of the finest spa resorts on earth.
The first visit was to Tembok Spa Village in Bali: an immersive, deeply restorative experience in one of the world's most spiritually rich environments. The second and third were returns to Pangkor Laut Resort in Malaysia, a private island in the Straits of Malacca, where the rainforest reaches to the water's edge and the spa is genuinely unlike anything else on earth.
Each visit was a privilege. Each one changed something in me.
Pangkor Laut - A World Apart
Pangkor Laut remains as breathtaking as ever, alive with the sights and sounds of the rainforest, from colourful tropical birds to mischievous monkeys who have absolutely no interest in respecting personal boundaries.
Days began with peaceful morning yoga as the sun rose over the island and ended with freshly prepared, vibrant food that was super nourishing. In between, there were guests to care for, treatments to deliver and the most remarkable natural environment to absorb.
The bathhouse rituals at Pangkor Laut are extraordinary: immersive, multi-sensory experiences that draw on the healing traditions of the region and the very best of contemporary wellness practice. Being able to both learn from and contribute to that environment as a guest therapist was one of the most professionally formative experiences of my career.
The JustBe Botanicals Tree
On my first visit to Pangkor Laut, along with guests I was invited to plant a tree with the invitation to come back and see it grow. The JustBe tree - a beautiful, entirely unexpected gesture from the YTL team.
Returning to see it on subsequent visits, standing among the rainforest, with its plaque still in place was special. A piece of JustBe, growing on a private island in Malaysia. Rooted in one of the most extraordinary places on earth.
What the YTL Experience Brought Back to JustBe
Every visit to the YTL properties deepened my understanding of what exceptional spa therapy looks and feels like: the rituals, the intention, the environment, the quality of human connection between therapist and guest. That understanding has shaped everything we've built into the JustBe spa treatment range.
The belief that a treatment should engage all the senses, that the space matters as much as the product, that genuine care cannot be rushed, these are principles I brought home from those islands and wove into every JustBe spa experience that followed.
Four FreeFrom Skincare Award Shortlistings & What Happened Next
On returning from Malaysia, there was equally exciting news back in Scotland. After two months of evaluation by the Ultimate Natural Beauty Bible testing panel, JustBe had been shortlisted for four FreeFrom Skincare Awards.
The results were announced on 3rd July at the Love Natural, Love Organic Show at Olympia. We brought home two Bronze Awards: for the Eye Makeup Remover and the Cleansing Gel. The full story of those wins is told in our FreeFrom Skincare Awards post.
Armathwaite Hall - Continuing the Spa Story
Around this time, JustBe was also running spa workshops at Armathwaite Hall in the Lake District.
From a rainforest island in Malaysia to a country house hotel in the English Lake District, the same philosophy, the same care, the same intention to create genuinely restorative experiences through natural aromatherapy.
It was also a busy time with herbal tea and chocolate tastings at Margiotta’s in Edinburgh, 181 Deli in Bruntsfield and an uplifting day at the Mhor4 Festival in Balquhidder.
Explore JustBe Botanicals further:
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JustBe Spa Treatments
- Read: JustBe Botanicals Wins Double Bronze at FreeFrom Skincare Awards
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Read: A Natural Path Back to You - The JustBe Botanicals Story