Colombo Court Blog Wellness
Arriving after a long flight: what actually helps
Colombo is where most journeys to Sri Lanka begin, often at four in the morning. How to use the first day, and which treatments at The Court Spa reset the body fastest.
Most flights into Bandaranaike land between midnight and six in the morning. By the time you reach Colombo 3 you have been awake for a day, your back has been in a seat for twelve hours, and your body clock is somewhere over the Arabian Sea. The first day sets the tone for the trip. Here is how we would spend it.
The first six hours
Check in from 14:00 is our standard, but tell us your flight number when you book and we will do what we can to have a room ready earlier; if it is not, the pool, the showers and the garden are yours from the moment you arrive. A swim is the quickest way to wake up the body. Then breakfast beside the pool at Amber Poolside, which runs from seven until half past ten, with hoppers and fruit rather than anything heavy.
Stay awake until at least nine in the evening, local time. Daylight in the garden helps; a nap does not.
The treatments that help
The Court Spa is open from nine in the morning until nine at night, and our Balinese therapists see a great many people on their first day. These are the treatments they recommend for it.
Back, neck and shoulder massage. Forty-five minutes on the parts of the body that a long flight punishes most. If you have only a short window, this is the one.
Traditional Balinese massage. Long strokes, gentle stretching and acupressure with warm oil, for a full hour. It improves circulation, which is exactly what sitting still for half a day has undone, and it is deeply calming.
Foot reflexology. Feet swell on aircraft. Thirty minutes of reflexology brings the circulation back and, for reasons nobody fully explains, makes the whole body feel lighter.
Aromatherapy massage. Lighter pressure with essential oils chosen for the moment: citrus and cinnamon to wake you up in the morning, lavender to help you sleep at local time that night.
Couples
Two people can be treated side by side in the same room, which is a good way to arrive as a couple. Book before you land; the first day is a popular one, and your first spa visit explains what to expect if it is your first time.
