A Balinese Massage in Mustique

I was just in Mustique, the Caribbean's most exclusive island, visiting an old friend who became fabulously wealthy the old-fashioned way -- he started his own publishing company, not a hedge fund! While I was there, I checked out The Cotton House , a small luxury hotel at the northern end of the island. It has a lovely small spa near the beach and keeps things interesting with guest therapists from around the world, including a women from Bali. I thought Balinese massage might be something completely new and different, but it was essentially Swedish massage, with some elements of Thai massage and Shiatsu.

To start, the therapist, Dewa, had me sniff three different bottle of Espa aromatherapy oils -- detoxifying, relaxing, or energising? I chose energizing because I was having dinner with friends afterwards. She used some of the long, gliding strokes of Swedish massage, starting with my back. But she also "compression" movements -- pressing on your legs and spine -- that are common in Thai massage . (It's a little like going to a very gentle chiropractor.)

The Shiatsu came into the picture because Dewa used strong thumb pressure on knots and was working along the body's energy pathways, or "meridiens," which is common with Asian-style massage.

I liked Dewa's gentle presence and skill, and that the massage was a little different, but not disorienting for someone used to Swedish massage. I liked that the room was decorated with fresh palm leaves and a bowl of flowers beneath the face cradle. I loved the beachy style of the spa -- the whitewashed wood ceiling, the pale blue walls with white trim and green accents. The only problem was the treatment room was right off the entryway, and I could hear a phone ringing once in a while.

The next day I went snorkeling off The Cotton House beach and saw my first coral reef -- so otherwordly and magical it was almost as good as a spa treatment.

As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with a complimentary spa treatment for the purpose of reviewing the service. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.