Kenko Reflexology & Fish Spa, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

I was really excited when I heard that the Kenko Reflexology & Fish Spa had opened at the new Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. I had read about how it was previously offered in Japan and Sentosa, Singapore and was really looking forward to trying it. It is a really interesting spa where little fish called Garra Rufa exfoliate the dead skin on your feet by EATING them! The fish originate from a hot spring in Turkey where they are commonly known as “Doctor Fish” for their effectiveness in assisting eczema and psoriasis patients in their healing process.

I finally managed to pay a visit there recently and it is actually quite hard to find. It is near the GSC cinemas, tucked away into a little corner. When you enter, you will see a reception table where you can register for their reflexology services which are done in small, comfortable rooms. If you are there instead for the fish spa, simply make your way to the barrier where you will be very quickly attended to by one of their friendly staff.

First, you are requested to wash your feet in the washing area where little hand-held showers and Ikea brushes (which I thought were for washing plates!) are provided for you to throughly scrub your feet.

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Once your little tootsies are clean, dry them with a huge blower and make your way up to the spa area.

There are two areas - an inner “beginner” area and an outer area. The beginner area is filled with smaller fish and is prettily done up with a nice little fountain. We started with the outer area and very gingerly lowered our feet in. Almost immediately, a big shoal of little Garra Rufa dashed over to start their feeding frenzy!

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The fish are actually toothless (thank goodness!) and nibble in quick, sucking motions. With the bigger fish, it feels a little more uncomfortable as you can actually feel their sharp snouts as they nibble frantically away. The smaller fish, on the other hand, nibble with a sensation that feels more like pins and needles which are more tolerable if you’re sqeamish.

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Once your 30 minutes are up, a staff will come around with towels for you to dry your feet and back you go to the washing area to clean your feet again. The fish are actually quite cute and I personally found the spa quite enjoyable once I got over the initial ticklish feeling of the fish around my feet. However, some who are more sqeamish found the experience quite nerve-wrecking as they kept having the vision of piranhas around their feet! I also heard from them that they may be starting special treatment pools soon which will be specially catered for eczema and psoriasis sufferers.

Did my feet feel any smoother? It surprisingly did and felt really nice, smooth and silky after my 30 minute fish spa treatment! :) Will I be back again? Definitely! This fishy experience comes with a price tag of RM38 for 30 minutes of feeding treatment.



March 9th, 2008 | General, Skin Care