Thanyapura, Phuket: Hip Hop, Raw Food and an Ayurvedic Eye Bath at a Sports and Health Resort

As you plan your next holiday, if staying fit and healthy at a state-of-the-art wellness retreat is at the top of your mind, don't look past Thanyapura Sports & Health Resort in Phuket. In my experience the staff will go the extra mile to curate an incredible experience for you, and the service is exceptional.

This extraordinary sports and health hotel, just a 15-minute drive from Phuket airport, offers a range of modern, contemporary rooms and award-winning food, but what sets it apart are the facilities. There is world-class sports infrastructure and expert coaching, and when I visited there was also an integrative health centre with mindfulness training and a holistic mind, body and spirit approach to health, complemented by traditional Ayurvedic treatments. It's an athlete's paradise.

A consultation, a swim and a juice

It's mid-morning and the temperature is almost 28 degrees. Walking out of the gym, the warm breeze hits my face and I head straight to the café for a refreshing coconut water on my way to the health spa. I open the glass doors and the first thing I notice is the silence. Staff greet me with a smile as I wait for my appointment with Doctor Gupta, the Ayurvedic medicine specialist at the health centre during my visit (Ayurveda is a tradition that aims to rebalance the body's energies). After checking my general health, he recommends the Ayurvedic eye treatment, Netra Tarpan, then on the centre's menu, which he says will cleanse my eyes and ease stress, so I book the treatment for the following day.

The warm tropical heat increases as the hours pass, and it's a good time to take a leisurely swim in the crystal waters of the hotel pool, joined by only a few other guests soaking up the sun on the sapphire-blue loungers. After a refreshing dip I make my way to the Booster café overlooking the Olympic-sized pool, the ideal place to chill and get your daily dose of inspiration as you watch the athletes train. The café has an enticing menu filled with cold-pressed juices, divine chia puddings and other healthy dishes. I order a juice lovingly squeezed with beetroot, ginger and carrot, an energising elixir with a sweet pop of apple.

Hip hop, New York style

Checking in with the friendly staff, they show me the extensive fitness class schedule. The hip hop dance class caught my eye, and I was just in time. I arrived at the studio dressed in my brightly coloured yoga gear, ready to go. The teacher, who looked strikingly fit and dressed like he was straight out of a New York-style dance video, started the music and I knew it was game on. The moves, although simple with a few pops, were quick and in perfect sync with the soulful beat of the music; clearly the teacher had a real talent for choreography. It was fun and energetic, and at times we all missed a few steps but laughed our way through. As we wiped away the sweat, I realised this class was far more enjoyable than I had expected, and I finished with a kick in my step.

A raw-food cooking class

The next day, after an invigorating morning yoga class followed by a private session with one of Thanyapura's head coaches to improve my running style, I head to the DiVine Restaurant to meet the Executive Chef for a raw-food cooking class. I watch closely as he creates spectacular-tasting macadamia raw cheese and pea patties coated in pistachio crumbs, garnished with pretty lavender flowers to artfully contrast the bright green, freshly sourced herbs and inspired flavours.

A taste of summer follows, with vibrant raw vegetable wraps in carrot, beetroot and spinach filled with creamy hummus and avocado, teamed with juicy mango; a scattering of pomegranate and baby rocket makes this dish a tasty invention. Here, the team of chefs focus on nutritional value and create dishes that reflect an extensive knowledge of food combining, flavourful innovation, impeccable technique and precise presentation to thrill the tastebuds. You may well find yourself closing your eyes to savour the magnificent mix of tastes and textures.

Netra Tarpan: the Ayurvedic eye bath

It's time for my long-awaited Ayurveda experience, the Netra Tarpan that Doctor Gupta recommended on this visit, and I am ready to be pampered. The spa room is dimly lit, and my therapist places soft pieces of mung bean dough, shaped like a doughnut, around my eyes; all I can focus on is the fragrance of sandalwood that fills the room. Slowly she pours the warm medicated ghee over my eyelids and into my eyes. It's an unusual sensation, and it took me a moment to relax. I could see golden circles of light forming as tiny dark specks started to lift off the surface of my eyes and float before being washed away.

Moments passed, and my therapist poured sweet almond, geranium and jojoba oil over my body. The massage began and I sank into a peaceful, dreamy state, my remaining muscle tension melting away, as this two-hour indulgence came to an end, leaving me feeling deeply restored. If you're planning a stay at this renowned resort, I highly recommend this blissful ritual. For me it left my eyes feeling bright and gave me a sense of clarity and a profound serenity that I will remember for a long time.

Editor's update: Treatment menus change; check current availability and seek appropriate professional advice before booking eye-related therapies.

More from UTM: Amity Wellness, Phuket: Raw Food, Yoga and Tibetan Bowls at a Boutique Retreat and Beach Republic, Koh Samui: Steam, Massage and Sunrise Yoga on Lamai Beach.

Thanyapura sits in the island's leafy north, handy for days out to the national parks, beaches and Phuket Town's old quarter, and Pack Ya Bags puts together guided excursions and ground itineraries across Phuket for Australian and New Zealand travellers. Drop a line to info@packyabags.com

Editor's note. This article brings together UTM's original Thanyapura Health & Sports Resort, Phuket feature, first published in two parts, into a single piece. Consolidated and fact-checked on 22 September 2026.