It’s no secret that Hubby and I love to venture into the Midlands Meander.  We do it at least once every couple of months, whether it be for a night or two’s stay, or just a day trip.  Often we go with the intention of breakfast (usually at Granny Mouse) and sometimes we head off with a mind to just go where the wind takes us (often ending up at The Boma for a drink on the deck, overlooking the dam).

This past weekend, however, we went with a mission in mind – a relaxing couple’s spa treatment at Brahman Hills Spa.

Have you been to the Spa at Brahman Hills?  To be quite frank, I knew about Brahman Hills as a wedding venue, and very little else.  I had always figured it was strictly guests attending a wedding on the grounds.  But, it turns out you can stay there as a regular hotel guest, and you can even get some pampering at their gorgeous spa!

Now, if you know Durban during February, you’ll know how hot, sticky and humid our weather is.  The day we headed to the Brahman Hills Spa, it was 13º centigrade, rainy and misty!  Odd weather for February, but I couldn’t imagine a better day to be in a warm spa treatment room, with heated massage oils.

We arrived at Brahman Hills Spa a little early to fill in the requisite spa forms.  This is good manners when attending a spa or salon for the first time – they always have a form for you to fill out, entering your details and any preferences and allergies you may have.

Hubby and I were welcomed in, and after we’d completed our forms, were given a selection of essential oil-infused salts to choose from for our treatment.  I had no idea what part of the treatment this was for, but we had a sniff of each of them.  I went for the Rose Geranium, and Hubby opted for the Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Mint and Lavender.

We were taken downstairs to a seating area with big plush blue chairs, to wait for our therapists to call us into the treatment room.  We didn’t have to wait for long at all, and then we were whisked away for our treatment.

What followed was hands down the best pampering I’ve ever received.  And I’ve been for my fair share of massages and spa treatments!  We were asked to select an essential oil from a large variety set out.  I stuck with my Rose Geranium theme, but Hubby went for Cinnamon.  Before the massage began, we were told to breathe in and out deeply three times, and each time we breathed in, our chosen essential oil was held by our faces.  The ladies weren’t shy about the amount of oil used (I’ve had a few massages where it’s felt like they’re on a strict oil ration, and it’s not pleasant).  The oil was so warm too, which was amazing in the chilly weather.

My therapist (who’s name I was too drowsy and relaxed to get) had magical hands, and managed to find every part of my back that had knots or tension in it, and focus until that had melted away.  I dozed off several times, waking up with a start, and once (gasp) a slight snore.  Hubby also had a little nap during his massage.

Once the full body massage was complete, it was time for a full body exfoliation.  The ladies informed us that the scrub was made of white sugar and sweet almond oil, and then we were buffed down with the mixture.  It was coarse enough to do the job well, while still not being too rough and leaving me feel completely devoid of skin.  Absolute perfection!

I genuinely thought this was the end of the treatment.  When we were told that it was finished and we could follow them into the next room, I thought we’d maybe have space for a shower to rid ourselves of the sugar from our scrub-down.  But no!  We walked into a room with adjoining baths, filled with hot water, rose petals and each bath contained the salts we’d chosen before our treatments.  We were left there to soak the remaining stresses away, and rinse off the sugar and excess oils from our massage and exfoliation.

We were both so relaxed, as we lay there chatting and sipping on the chilled lemon water left for us.  Hubby couldn’t quite believe how incredible the whole experience had been, and he really isn’t usually one for spa treatments.  I mean, he LOVES them during and afterwards, but always gets all weirdly worked up and anxious before.  He had walked in with a bit of a frown from the stress of the week, and lay back in that bath a changed man.  You could see the relaxation on his face, and for me that made the whole thing more worth it than anything else.  He also kept marvelling at how much smoother his skin was!

On reentering the treatment room to change and gather our belongings, we found the ladies had opened up the doors to a balcony with this beautiful circular water feature.  I’d heard water during the course of our treatment, and hadn’t know where the sound was coming from.  It was so lovely to breathe in the fresh, crisp Midlands air after the steamy bathroom.

I was also THRILLED to bits to find a hair dryer stored in the outer bathroom too.  I popped in to fix up my makeup, and my hair was slightly damp from the bath.  I didn’t want to walk out into the 13º air with damp hair, so I was happy to dry that off.

I noticed that the chosen toiletries at Brahman Hills Spa are also Charlotte Rhys as well.  In the shower there you have the brand’s shampoo, conditioner and shower gel, and in by the sink you have hand wash and hand cream.  I love the Charlotte Rhys brand, so this was a big plus in my books!

We were invited back into the plush, warm seating area and offered warm drinks.  I went for my regular cup of tea, while Hubby opted for a cappuccino.  We gazed out of circular windows at a beautiful downward-running water feature and basked in the final moments of our pampering.  I felt healthy and happy and completely at peace with the world – the first time I’d felt like that in quite some time.

Our afternoon at Brahman Hills Spa was truly magical, and I cannot thank them enough for taking such great care of us!

P.S. How gorgeous is this artwork hanging in their hallway?  It’s so beautiful that Hubby and I want to get something similar done up for our new home.  The art with the navy wall is just so striking!

Have you ever enjoyed some pampering at Brahman Hills Spa?  Does it sound like it’s something up your alley?  You can make a booking on reservations@brahmanhills.co.za or alternatively, you can call 033-2666965.

You can even take a look at their spa menu HERE.

You can read some of my other spa and salon reviews here: –

A fabulous pamper at Skinsation, Westwood with GoBeauty

Indulgent Esse Facial at Simply Tipped Salon

Spalicious pampering pedi at Simply Tipped

SKIN by dr.dermal

Pampering at the Granny Mouse Spa

**DISCLAIMER – while we were treated on behalf of Brahman Hills Spa, all opinions are honest and my own.**