A sacred mountain in Hindu mythology, “Mandara” is formed by the two words “mana” and “dara” which means mind and single line. This is where The Mandara Spa derived its name – one of my new favorite spa destinations in town.
When I started travelling, I discovered my hidden love for spa and massage that I would be happy to do it on a more frequent, regular basis. If I have the time to get a massage during my trip, I would definitely get one. If not, I make sure that I’ll have it when I got home. This is why I was so excited to visit The Mandara Spa.
Together with some beautiful bloggers, Marge, Karla, Lara, Pancake, and Lou, I went to the fourth branch of Mandara in Parañaque. As we arrived, we were warmly welcomed by the spa’s lovely owners, Ana Carmela Magdamit and Heart Badilla-Africa.
The Mandara Spa Interiors
Going around, I like the cozy and intimate vibe of Mandara. There are three massage rooms that can accommodate five persons. They also have a space for hand and foot services like Hand Spa with Manicure. The interiors encompass relaxing earth tone colors – brown, green and red.
The Mandara Spa offers a variety of massage rituals as well as body scrubs and wraps. More interestingly, they offer a combination of these premium services for guests to have a complete relaxation experience.
The Mandara Body Rituals Massage Therapy
For massage therapy, Mandara offers the following:
- Swedish (1HR – PHP600 | 1.5HRS – PHP850)
- Shiatsu (1HR – PHP600 | 1.5HRS – PHP850)
- Combination (1HR – PHP600 | 1.5HRS – PHP850)
- Mandara Signature Massage (1.15HR – PHP850)
- Hot Stone Massage (1HR – PHP900 | 1.5HRS – PHP1,300)
I was able to try their Combination massage. I would also definitely want to try Mandara Signature Massage (Read Karla’s review here) and Hot Stone Massage (Read Marge’s review here) when I come back.
Body Scrub and Wraps
For premium scrubs, Mandara offers the following:
- Lavender Glow (Whitening + Relaxing)
- Coffee (Anti-oxidant + Enlivening)
- Green Tea (Hydrating + Detoxifying)
- Lemon Grass (Soothing + Energizing)
- Mandara Signature (Healing + Nourishing + All organic)
A combination of Body Scrub, Wrap and Massage (2 hours) costs PHP1,800. A Body Scrub and Massage package (1.5 hours) is also available for PHP1,200. For scrub only, Mandara offers the Scrub Ritual (30 minutes) for PHP700.
Body Scrub, Wrap, and Massage
I was able to try Mandara’s Body Scrub, Wrap and Massage package. The attendant named Grace assisted me in the couple’s room in the first floor. The couple’s room had an optional divider that can be spread out to separate the room into two. The other half of the room was occupied by Lou (Read her experience here).
They previously prepared our beds with plastic cover. To start off, Grace gave me a robe and a disposable underwear to change into. She also asked me to wear a shower cap.
As soon as I was ready, she started the procedure with a body scrub. Because of its anti-oxidant effect (and also because I’m a coffee lover), I chose the coffee scrub. I can still remember the sweet scent of the scrub Grace gently applied in my body. I felt the microbeads of the scrub gradually peeling off dead skin cells. She let me be for 30 minutes after which I was asked to take a shower. As the hot water washes the scrub off of my body, I was amazed with how softer my skin felt. I use a scrub at home and it didn’t felt as soft in my skin compared to the coffee scrub I had in Mandara.
After the shower, Grace proceeded with my Combination massage. I went for a “medium” massage with stretching. You can opt not to have stretching if you are not comfortable with it. I love how Grace applied pressure in my body especially in my upper back. I had a good stretch, too.
Mandara SPArty
One of the cool trends to celebrate special occasions nowadays is to hold a SPArty. And Mandara offers one, too! We had this fun and short SPArty after our spa and massage treatments.
They prepared delicious finger food for us with Pandan drink. Even the food was fantastic! Note that you can customize the SPArty you want to have at Mandara.
I will come back for sure! The massage I had was a revitalizing send-off for my Pintubo trek and Lakbay Norte Trip (Nueva Ecija and Cagayan five-day press trip) scheduled on consecutive days right after my visit at Mandara.
TIP: Better to make a reservation because slots get easily full.
The Mandara Spa
Operating Hours: Mon-Thurs: 2PM-12MN | Fri-Sun: 2PM-2AM
Address: #13 President’s Avenue corner Rufino Avenue Tahanan Village, Parañaque
Contact No.: +63 925 556 8858
Disclosure: My spa and massage treatment was courtesy of The Mandara Spa. Nevertheless, I wrote this article with my own insights influenced by my personal experience.
