USP Named after an elegant species of tree found in the Asian rainforests, the Angsana Resort and Spa brings a touch of Thai indulgence to Palm Cove, near Cairns, on the east coast of Australia.

Thai flourishes are present in each of the 67 apartment-style suites that make up this restful hotel, but in the spa the Asian influence goes deeper than the furnishings. Each therapist has graduated from the Banyan Tree Spa Academy in Phuket before heading across the Pacific to tend to the needs of Palm Cove’s tired and aching muscles.

AMBIENCE The hotel sits at the top of the palm-fringed beach, with the spa and swimming pool in front of its white, art deco buildings. With the sunlight striking the glassy water and crisp, white walls, it takes my eyes a few moments to adjust to the subdued light of the spa reception. Once inside, Angsana's leafy connotations are drawn out in earthy hues of brown and green, while silken drapes continue the Thai theme.

EXPERIENCE The extensive spa menu features a recently expanded range of options for men, including warm paraffin back treatments, male facials and foot therapies, during which the feet are bathed, scrubbed massaged and masked.

Each treatment begins with a foot wash and massage as the therapist discusses your treatment with you. After flying in from London, my back, shoulders and neck were in need of some attention, so I opted for the “power back” massage followed by a head and neck treatment with hot oil.

The petite therapist managed to exert impressive force as she kneaded my back into submission, at times climbing onto the massage table for a better angle of attack. I had requested firm pressure, which was just as well – struggling against jetlag, I was on the verge of sleep a couple of times when a renewed bout of pummelling brought me round again.

Then it was time for the head and neck treatment. After a few minutes of Indian head massage, the therapist began to daub hot, thick oil along my hairline, working it into my scalp. Each drop felt piping hot as it landed waxily on my skin, but the brief shock of it invigorated and re-awakened me after the extreme relaxation of the massage. Whether it will, as promised, help to impede hair loss remains to be seen.

After the treatment, I had 20 minutes or so to spend in my private Jacuzzi, drinking ginger tea and preparing to re-enter the real world.

FOOD The hotel restaurant sits between the accommodation and the beach, so visitors can tuck into the simple but devastatingly effective Australian cuisine while they watch the Moon rise over the Coral Sea. The excellent local seafood is much in evidence.

IN-CROWD Palm Cove attracts a lot of Australian southerners fleeing the relatively chilly winters of Sydney and Melbourne for the tropical north. Britain, Japan and the US provide most of the foreign visitors, and Russians are beginning to venture this way too.

WALLET WATCH Treatments start at just over £30 for one-hour session, including foot wash, 30 minutes of massage and relaxation time afterwards. At the top end of the scale, £110 will get you a half-hour body polish, 90 minutes of body massage and a facial.

NEED TO KNOW Angsana Resort and Spa Great Barrier Reef (00 61 7 4055 3000; www.angsana.com/gbr)

For more than 245 independent spa reviews click here: timesonline.co.uk/goodspaguide

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