Since
2012, we started to see development plans for Iskandar Puteri that turned brown
fields into buildings for commercial, residential and leisure destinations.
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Facade of Bali 9 Reflexology & Spa
at Sunway Boulevard 88, Sunway Iskandar
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Developed
on a site that spans across 1,800 acres in Iskandar Puteri, Sunway City
Iskandar Puteri is Sunway’s largest integrated township to date.
Planned
with a full range of services that comprise education, hospitality,
entertainment, retail, commercial and residential components.
Sunway
Iskandar, as it is popularly called, became my regular destination for grocery shopping
and dining at the Citrine Hub and Sunway Big Box, the first retail hybrid park,
since 2019.
It
was exciting to witness the opening of Sports Direct.com in 2020 and later,
Sports Direct USC in 2022 but my deepest joy was when BookXcess opened at Sunway Big Box in 2020.
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The reception counter in the lobby
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I
also had the pleasure to participate in food reviews hosted at the Pendas Café
in Sunway Big Box Hotel and joined events held at the Sunway Avianna
Residences.
When
the commercial area dubbed, Sunway Boulevard 88, opened, I was pleased to
discover a range of restaurants, charming cafes and boutique businesses here.
For
those who are unfamiliar with the layout of Sunway Iskandar, Sunway Boulevard
88 comprises rows upon rows of interesting shops, located between Sunway Big
Box and the Sunway International School.
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Bali 9 occupies two shop units plus upstairs
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Readers
may know that I have been busy with my Heritage Walks in downtown Johor Baru in
the past few months, with the most recent Walk on March 23, so the rest in
between the Walks was very welcome.
When
a friend suggested that I should go for a relaxing treatment at Bali 9, I
replied with a deluge of keen questions like, where it was located, what type
of therapies they offer, who are the therapists, among other queries.
With
a name like Bali 9, my guess was that Bali was the inspiration for this place and
I was right because the owners enjoyed their experience in Bali so much that
they decided to bring that experience here for everyone to enjoy.
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A straightforward menu with
Happy Hour rates at Bali 9
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I
could not help but continued to ask, “And what about the ‘9’ in its name?”
Their
reply – which reeks of confidence in their treatments – was that their
professional treatments hold a promise to send guests to Cloud Nine, a
phrase that describes a sense of well-being.
Such
a reassuring explanation simply made me to head out to Bali 9 for my own therapeutic
experience.
To
reap the benefit of not meeting the weekend crowd, I checked for their Happy
Hours and found that it was from 11am to 5pm on weekdays and from 11am to 3pm
on Saturday and Sunday.
I
arranged an appointment for 2pm on midweek Wednesday, right smack in the middle
of Happy Hours to enjoy some 35% off the published rates, and headed out with
Florence, fellow food-taster and trusted assistant who deserved proper pampering
for all her hard work.
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Separate cubicles with "O" windows on side walls
that can be opened by drawing back the curtains
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A
smooth drive from the city along the Iskandar Coastal Highway brought to Sunway
Iskandar. I exited the roundabout adjacent to Sunway Big Box and headed towards
Sunway Boulevard 88 where Bali 9 is located nearby.
I
liked that there were ample parking lots along the shopfronts and parked just
steps away from Bali 9 which occupies two units, plus upstairs, in Sunway
Boulevard 88.
Upon
entering the lobby, the sight of low shelves arranged with pairs of guest slippers
reminded me that we were required to remove our footwear to put on their
slippers.
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Feet washing before foot reflexology treatment
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With
feet shod in comfortably light foam slippers, we looked at the menu to select
our treatments while the receptionist answered my queries about the facilities.
I
was pleased to note that theirs was a straightforward menu of treatments in
choices for Foot & Shoulder and Body Massage either with oil or traditional
massage.
On
the lobby level, I saw cubicles arranged to the left with the Men’s Changing
Room at the rear while the Ladies Changing Room was through an archway in the
unit to the right.
Inside,
there were toilets and lockers complete with keys to store personal items safely
before we started the treatments, beginning with a foot reflexology treatment.
The
therapists invited us to wash our feet before leading us – each to a separate
cubicle – furnished with a comfortable deck chair with foot rest.
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In separate cubicles for foot reflexology
treatment, with the "O" windows opened
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It
was interesting that the row of three cubicles were designed with large round
windows on both of the side walls for guests who may wish to draw back the
curtains and chat with their friends in the cubicles on either side.
As
we sat back for the foot reflexology treatment, we agreed that this was a fun
arrangement to kick-off a Girls-Day-Out activity at Bali 9.
In
addition to these cute cubicles, there were twin chairs in a double room upstairs
for pairs of people to enjoy foot reflexology in the same private room.
Our
therapists, who were from Myanmar and Thailand, could speak/understand basic
English so we could say what pressure was preferred. But if I let out a yelp
when she pressed on a tender point, my therapist certainly understood such
universal language…
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I could not help snapping shots of
my therapist in action
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After
our tired feet and calves received the relaxing pampering they deserved, we
were ushered into a therapy room for the next part of the treatment, body
massages.
Since
Florence chose an oil massage, I picked the traditional massage so as to have a
different experience.
Before
the therapists left the room for us to prepare for the treatments, her
therapist left Florence with disposable items for her to wear after she removed
her clothes.
She
was pleasantly surprised to see that there was a set of disposable panties
complete with brassiere for her to protect her modesty.
I
learnt ahead (from quizzing a friend who had prior experience in Bali 9) that
we need not remove clothes for the traditional massage so I was dressed in
comfortable sports attire with no worries about getting my clothes crushed.
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Skillful therapist at work
on my tired calves
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When
the therapists returned to the room to start our treatments, all conversation
ceased as we surrendered our bodies to the strong hands of the skillful
therapists.
[I
noticed that curtains provided privacy on the doorways for the therapy rooms
and not doors. The shut doors were only for the Male and Ladies changing
rooms.]
When
my therapist worked her magic on my tired body, I felt the fatigue lifting bit
by bit as she undid the knots and realigned my body to normality again.
I
knew she was well-versed about pressure points on the human anatomy as my
therapist systematically exerted bearable pressure on me. Meanwhile the song
playing on a loop in my playlist was John Cougar Mellancamp’s rock tune, “Hurts
So Good!”
Revived
and restored after the treatments, I then understood why Bali 9 claims that
they would send their guests to Cloud Nine…
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A peek into a single
therapy room located upstairs
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Back
in the lobby, we were invited to make our tea from the tea choices available at
the counter and enjoy warm tea before leaving.
And
yes, we remembered to change the comfy slippers for our own footwear. The
receptionist chuckled and told us that some guests literally floated out after
the treatment and left wearing their comfortable slippers!
The
best part about this therapeutic experience was our chat – as soon as we got
into the car – on when we will be back again, with our friends and family, for
the next rejuvenating treatment.
Our
chit-chat continued about our Bali 9 experience which was an interesting mix of
therapies where Chinese foot reflexology paired well with both the Balinese-style
oil massage and Thai traditional massage.
Bali
9 Reflexology & Spa is located at Unit L75 & L76 Sunway Boulevard 88 of
Sunway Iskandar in Iskandar Puteri, Johor. Open
daily from 11am to 1am, with last entry at 11pm.
For
reservations, Tel: +6010 762 5757.
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