Our First Time at Bali Palace

It’s no secret that Curls and I are massage enthusiasts. A month isn’t complete without us meeting up to indulge in our favorite relaxing activity. We usually hunt for new Thai massage places to try but decided to give something different a go one Sunday night.

We went to a joint that specializes in Balinese massage therapy, Bali Palace. Balinese massage is an ancient traditional massage technique from Indonesia. What makes Balinese massage unique is that it brings together several practices such as massage therapy, acupressure, reflexology, and aroma therapy.

Here’s an account of our experience at Bali Palace.

INTERIORS
CURLS: I was so impressed with the interiors of Bali Palace. It may look expensive since the interiors were superb making me hesitate to go inside at first. Good thing the security guard was very helpful and informative.

GLUTTON: Indeed! Bali Palace looked good with its Balinese inspired interiors. Dum and I have had our fair share of seedy massage places; thank God this was not one of them.

WAITING GAME
CURLS: We had to wait for at least 20 minutes because there was no massage girl available. I was just wondering why because the customers were not as many that we had to wait that long. But well, I am on my understanding mode that I did not even complain.

GLUTTON: Bali Palace earns the dubious record of letting me wait the longest out of all massage parlors I’ve been to. Good thing Dum was entertaining enough to make me forget that we were waiting for a long time as patience is not one of my virtues.

ROOMCURLS: The room we had was perfect for tomboys...not for us! At least the cushions on the floor were soft.

GLUTTON: It was too late when we realized that we were billeted in a couples room! As we were already settled, we no longer requested to be transferred to individual rooms. The couples room was at least big.

THE MASSAGE
CURLS: When having a massage, I always choose the oil massage rather than the dry massage because I think it's more worth it. My Balinese Oil Massage (1 hour at 220php) was more expensive by 20php compared to Dee’s. At first, the massage was weird. She was concentrating on my toes and fingers which I found super weird. But as it progressed, I was satisfied with everything- massage girl's strength on me, ginger oil which heats up after being applied on your skin, and the strokes which are quite new compared to the usual Thai Massage in Tonton's and Pattaya. Unlike Thai massage, no participation required from the customer which means you can take a nap while having the massage except when you have to flip to the other side.

GLUTTON: I, on the other hand, have always preferred my massages to be dry so I chose Balinese Dry Massage (1 hour at 200php). Unlike Dum’s oil massage, I soon learned that Balinese and Thai techniques are somewhat similar except that Balinese massage involves less stretching. Balinese massage also gives much importance to the fingers and toes which I didn’t appreciate. I felt that other areas of the body which are prone to aches and pains should have been given more priority. My 1 hour Balinese massage, sadly, left me feeling bitin. I didn’t want the massage to end not because of pure bliss but because I felt that some kinks in my body were not given the proper attention.

AFTER THE MASSAGE
CURLS: The massage ended with a yellow/rice tea which is what I miss in Ahavia.

GLUTTON: A tip bag with the name of your massage specialist is also thoughtfully placed on the tray with the tea.

VERDICT
CURLS: Overall, I was satisfied with the massage! I can't wait to go back to Bali Palace next month.

GLUTTON: While I still prefer the techniques of Tontons, I see myself going back to Bali Palace because of its cheap rate and superior interiors. Next time, I’ll just opt for a longer massage.

Update: Here's Bali Palace's list of services:

Bali Palace is located at107 D. Tuazon Avenue, Sta. Mesa Heights, Barangay Lourdes, Quezon City. Call them at 3536182.