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Detox and Wellness at
the Sianji Wellbeing Resort Bodrum
Views across the main pool
Fancy a relaxing detox and wellness break without breaking the bank? Well maybe you might like to consider a stay at the Sianji Wellness Resort in Bodrum. A few months ago I entered a photo contest run by Tuerkei Tourismus in conjunction with with Turkish Airlines, and amazingly won two return flights to Turkey from Zurich! So the other week I headed to Bodrum with a friend to try out the Sianji’s detox and wellness holiday options.
The main pool with cabanas all around
Sianji does of course offer the regular “sun, sea and sand” holiday experience, with a normal dining menu, but the hotel specializes in running wellness holidays designed to detox, cleanse and rejuvenate both body and mind – so we decided to give the “Detox” option a go! In fact the hotel has won 22 awards for its wellness offerings including the World Travel Award’s “Europe’s Leading Spa and Wellness Resort for 2016”.
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Located outside Bodrum about 45 minutes from the airport, the Sianji occupies a beautiful beachside location. Luxuriant with colourful bougainvillea contrasting against the mainly white villas and rooms, the resort, we were told by owner Recai Çakir, was modelled on the theme of the “hanging gardens of Babylon”, making for a lush vibrant landscape where you feel connected to nature with beautiful views over the Aegean Sea, and across to nearby islands, including the Greek island of Kos.
Indeed, as well as offering accommodation in a variety of beautiful rooms and suites you can also stay in (and even purchase) the beautiful villas. We stayed in a King Suite which was spotlessly clean and well equipped with a lounge area, a mezzanine bedroom, two bathrooms and a balcony with views over the sea.
The villas
Well Equipped Beachside Resort
The resort has plenty to offer with a well equipped gym, tennis courts, a number of swimming pools both outdoor and indoor, (one of which is a sea water Thalasso pool), a hammam, steam and sauna (including ozone sauna and infra red saunas too). There is a whole host of pampering treatments available from massages and facials to body scrubs and Ayurvedic therapies.
The resort is situated directly on the beach
Starting the Detox
When you arrive for the program you are met by the Detox Manager Duygu who weighs and measures you before putting you on a machine which gives an in depth print-out of your body composition – the percentage of muscle, fat, water etc and then you are sent for a consultation with the doctor, Dr Metin Ulusan, who explains the readings to you and discusses your goals. You are also equipped with a loofah brush for daily skin brushing too!
Nature Walks, Pilates, Yoga and More
Yoga classes in the pavillion in the gardens
Each day there is a program of about 4 events from which you’re encouraged to choose at least 3. The day starts off with a Nature Walk (or a power walk) through a variety of routes in the capable hands of Duygu or Serkan and this is to be highly recommended.
Afterwards you may find a pilates or yoga class, circuit training or Tabata on offer. If none appeal you’re encouraged to walk or maybe swim or hit the gym – but it’s all up to you. There are also a number of talks and I attended an excellent one about Raw Food by the owner’s daughter Çisem Çakir, who has studied the subject in the US, and it was really engaging and extremely informative.
Medical Centre
In addition to the Detox clinic, the hotel’s doctor, Dr Metin Ulusan, also operates a medical centre in the hotel. As well as offering general medical advice he also runs a number of cosmetic procedures and treatments from Botox to Robolex to lipolysis, all of which are available at extra cost.
Photos of the medical centre courtesy of Sianji Wellbeing Resort Bodrum
Easy to Follow
The key advantage of this detox program for me was the fact that everything is prepared for you and it’s easy to follow. Plus you never feel hungry! You are in the company of like minded people who are there to improve their health and are looking for results. We met all types of people from burned out city guys with high pressured jobs, to builders, people recovering from operations, and others just wanting to do something different or simply enjoying a healthy break in the sun. Some were there for just a week but many were there for 3 weeks or even longer. What’s more we met many repeat visitors – some we spoke to had been there six times or more! There were couples, solo travellers and groups of friends – all going to detox and rejuvenate!
The Master Detox and Raw Food Diet Options
The two basic programs which we tried were the Master Detox and the Raw Food plans. There is also an Alkali diet option – but most people we met were there for the Detox or Raw Food. After a consultation with the Detox Manager Duygu, you can choose which you prefer to follow. The first, Master Detox is the stricter option and is based on juices and shakes only.
Surprisingly you don’t feel hungry at all with on the Master Detox and most of the juices and shakes are delicious. In fact you have so many shakes and juices to drink that you are always heading back to the juice bar for your next supply. My favourite was the strawberry and chia seed but the green one with ginger was also delicious. The juices and shakes have psyllium, chia or flax seeds added to them which helps you feel full. On this diet you are also offered an optional, but recommended, daily hydra colon therapy.
Delicious Raw Food
The Raw Food option is a combination of the former with the addition of meals, all of which consist of raw vegetables in a variety of mouthwatering guises. On the Raw Food program the food was fresh and tasty and some recipes were sensational – so much so that I will be recreating them at home! I loved the raw food burgers, the raw food pizza (see photo) and everything was so fresh and colourful. Amazingly I didn’t even miss wine or coffee!
The Importance of Water to the Detox
You are also encouraged to drink at least 3 – 4 litres of water daily, and ideally the water equivalent of 6% of your body weight.
Visiting Bodrum
Bodrum harbour with Bodrum castle in the background
Tip – you can take a taxi to either the village of Turgutreis for around 70 lira or to Bodrum for around 90 – 100, but there is a Dolmus bus stop right outside the hotel entrance which takes you to both these locations for a bargain price of about 5.5 lira! Bodrum is a beautiful city with lots to see and do and I will cover it it a future post.
In Summary
The whole resort was clean, well maintained and the staff were very friendly and helpful.
Some shots of the staff and guests at the Sianji
I had experienced some trepidation at the idea of a detox holiday at first, but I must say I really enjoyed my stay at the Sianji Wellbeing Resort and would definitely love to go back. 5 days was great to get a taster but to get optimum results, I think a stay of 10 – 14 days days would be ideal. However, despite the brevity of my stay I definitely felt lighter, more relaxed and energised after this wonderful break. In comparison to many wellness and detox resorts, the Sianji is very well priced. Please see below for details on their website.
Sianji Wellbeing Resort
Address: Turgutreis Bodrum, Turkey
See the location on Google Maps here.
Tel: +90 252 382 82 17
Visit the Sianji Wellbeing Resort website here.
You may also like to see this short video here.
Turkish Airlines flies to more countries in the world than any other airline and you can visit their website here.
Türkei Tourismus have information on all the key destinations to visit in Turkey. You can visit their website here.
Photos by Carmen Sirboiu and Christina Fryer and article by Christina Fryer
We were kindly hosted at the Sianji Wellbeing Resort but all views and opinions are strictly our own.
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