Where Chamomile and Cabs Mix

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‘Pause. Detox.Refresh. 150 metres ahead', screams a bus stop hoarding, announcing the arrival of RichFeel Spa and conjuring images of blessid peace on a noisy street intersection. Who could help but follow?

The Doors

I opened the single door that stood between busy Bhulabhai Desai Road and the serene, all-wood spa, crossing over into a world redolent with the smell of eucalyptus oil and music from a bubbling brook. I relaxed almost instantly, but my tranquility lasted only until the next bus screeched by. Soundproofing the space would have probably been a good idea. Until then, bergamot with strains of BEST it was.

Will You Go to Ped With Me?

RichFeel's wellness menu features a range of treatments including relaxing massages, crystal therapy rituals and the more serious physiotherapy healing. I was scheduled for a basic foot relaxer, which began with a selection of the lighting that best suited my mood - nice touch!

Booth and Nail

Next, they brought out a giant finger bowl for my feet, complete with hot water and lemon. My peds were dunked, scrubbed, and prepped for a nice rub. The masseurs at RichFeel, I discovered, though not very discreet with doors and chatter volume, are deft, gentle and good at what they do. They capped off the massage with a Caterpillar Walk, which put pressure on key stress points. Meanwhile, my face was treated to a super-smelling tissue face pack and a relaxing eye mask.

Noisy Finish

If only the eye mask were replaced with earmuffs, I thought, as a spate of angry honking punctured my massage-induced haze. Too bad bpb isn’t into shameless plugs!

My final verdict: Experience value-for-money services in a space suspended between calm and chaos.

Getting there: RichFeel Spa 1 Sagar Mansion, 40, Bhulabhai Desai Road, call 23516228 or visit http://www.richfeelspa.com/.

Aditi Patil, our visiting Secret Scouter tried and tested RichFeel Spa, delish sandwiches and our in-house swing on her visit to the bpb office. She is a hotelier-turned-banker and when she’s not running herd on her four year old son, loves reading bpb.