Following the map to Khatt Springs, Ras Al Khaimah city starts fading out behind me, making way for date palm plantations, villages, homes, farms and schools - the Hajar mountains towering over it all.
After about ten minutes, and nearly as many roundabouts, a golden sandcastle-shaped building pops into view high up on a rocky outcrop about 100 feet above road level - Khatt Springs Hotel and Spa.
From the outside the hotel looks mysterious and self-contained, like someone has plucked it out of a children's fairytale book and plonked it in this remote location.
From it's high perch a 360º view takes in the flat Ras Al Khaimah plains stretching out towards the sea at front, and the barren, rugged mountains behind. Yes, this really is the perfect place for a relaxing and spiritual spa immersion.
What's the spa like?
Located down in the basement of the hotel, the gender-segregated spa includes fitness suites, hydrotherapy pools, heated loungers, saunas, steam rooms, ice caves, snail showers where you are hit from all angles with water, and various treatment rooms.
The spa menu offers some truly unique treatment options. One of the most popular is the Cleopatra treatment (Dh250, 60 minutes), which involves bathing in camel's milk to moisturise and nourish the skin before a relaxing massage eases away any stresses.
Feeling a bit stressed out and low on energy, I chose the exclusive Precious Stone Massage (80 minutes, Dh350), which is offered in only nine other locations around the world and nowhere else in the UAE.
Before the treatment, I was handed an extensive questionnaire to determine my yin and yang state and my element type. Questions included whether friends would describe me as a hothead, my ability to eat an unlimited amount of sweets, and if I lie awake at night pondering things. It turns out that my element type is Earth - the calm element, which is surprising given that I answered yes to all of the above!
The treatment starts with an intensive full-body massage to relax the muscles, balance energy and open the chakras for energy healing by the precious stones. Head therapist Mary Jane combined knowledge from various schools of massage into a 40-minute award-winning treatment that relieved stress from my perma-tensed shoulders, cricked my neck and re-aligned my spine with chiropractic techniques.
She also massaged tension away from my inner organs with a reflexology massage of my feet. At the end of this massage, not only did I feel relaxed, but I felt as if I'd been given a new body.
From here, Mary Jane led me through to the Precious Stone chamber, which holds two throne-like chairs. The back panel of the chairs are removable pieces, with spaces for smooth round precious stones to be lined up in rows along the spine.
She explained that, based on my date of birth and the questionnaire, stones, music, lighting and aromas had been picked out to suit my personality and my needs. The stones included rose quartz to support the heart and blood and help me solve any problems; sodalith to increase absorption of liquids and ease a croaky throat; and carnelian to increase metabolism and circulation.
In the oil burner I had ginger to remove stress and boost mental freedom and cypress to reduce exhaustion and boost idealism. The music was very interesting - it started off with what sounded like a piano accompaniment to a dramatic 1920s silent movie, and ended with spiritual, floaty spa sounds.
The lighting in the room was orange, which was warming and comforting. The 40 minutes passed ridiculously quickly, aided by a hypnotising revolving crystal display. When Mary Jane came to fetch me, I was dreamy and calm, and that night I slept deeply and peacefully.
The next morning began early with a sunrise yoga and meditation session on the outdoor pool terrace. As the sun's rays started to crawl over the mountains, a strong south-westerly wind raced along the side of the mountain range, hitting us face-on, buffeting our hair and billowing our T-shirts - it was a moment of feeling very connected to nature and of being washed over with spiritual tranquility.
The plus factor
The natural thermal springs sit a little distance away from the hotel - down 175 steps. These springs have been known for their healing properties for generations and are popular among local residents, but are currently managed as part of the hotel facilities. Since then, the springs have remained open to members of the public who are not staying at the hotel for Dh25.
Inside the springs complex there are separate areas for men and women. The pools were built directly on to the actual rock that the water seeps from, using the rock face as the floor of the pools.
At 40º Celsius the water is like a hot bath, which rises to the earth's surface from approximately 90 feet under. The high mineral content and temperature of the water mean that they need to be emptied and scrubbed down once a week. It then takes six hours for the pools to fill up again.
According to Wilma Josline, Khatt Springs' friendly spa manager, the thermal springs' healing properties are good for skin complaints, asthma, nerve pain, joint pain, and much more.
The thermal springs compound also houses the hotel's Ayurvedic clinic. Ayurvedic treatment rooms look very different from traditional spa treatment rooms - the massage table is high and wide, made entirely of dark wood, and at one end of the table, a wooden stand holds a copper funnel, to be used in certain treatments where hot liquid is dripped over the forehead.
Ayurveda is based on the use of medicinal herbs, either in the form of the herbs themselves, but more often in the form of warm herbal oils, or even warm milk, which has had herbs steeped in it.
I opted for a choorna kizhi (Dh325, 45 minutes), to relieve stress from aching muscles and joints. Using warm herbal oils and heated linen pouches of herbs and powders, my therapist vigorously massaged and kneaded my muscles and joints until they were relaxed and smooth.
I am not sure if it is the heat of the compresses, the intoxicating smell of the oils or the thermal springs, but while the treatment was mentally relaxing, it also felt physically invigorating.
Wellbeing tip
Boost your detox experience at the La Palmeraie Restaurant with their specially-designed healthy menu, which includes honey-drizzled mint and bitter gourd juice and blackened salmon with wasabi mash and steamed vegetables. At breakfast, make your own smoothie combo, opt for camel's milk on your muesli, or have your choice of eggs on a low-cal muffin.
Fact finder
Price: The Khatt Springs Stress Relief package includes room, breakfast, a 30-minute massage (head and shoulder, back or reflexology) and two yoga sessions - Dh499 for one person in a single room, or Dh599 for two people in a double room, both enjoying a massage and two yoga sessions.
Contact: Call 07-2448777 or visit www.khatthotel.com.
Getting there: The journey takes about 90-minutes to two hours without traffic. Check out their website for a detailed map of how to get there from the Emirates Road.
