In case you didn't know, I regularly go to waxing parlor every month for two main things: eyebrow threading and Brazilian waxing. Ever since I moved back to my hometown, I've become a member of Waxhaus to get some extra benefits from being a regular customer in the parlor.
However, on my last trip to Indochina, I spent almost 2 months on the road that I had to find an alternative place to do this form of self-care.
After I did my last waxing session in Bandung before I flew to Kuala Lumpur, I figured I needed to get some Brazilian wax again when I reached Phnom Penh.
The reason for that was crystal clear, I didn't like to be bushy down there, and I matched with someone on Bumble that I felt like I might have a holiday hookup at the time. LMAO.
When I first googled Brazilian wax in Phnom Penh, Anna's Spa came at the top on the search engine that I strongly consider the wax parlor to be my option to go for waxing by the time I reached the capital city from Kampot.
On my first day in Phnom Penh, I only spent half the day for the tour to Choeng Ek Genocidal Center and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. I'll talk about this in a separate post, but I ended having a not-so-good day because of my tuk-tuk driver at the time, so I just decided to finish the tour and came back to my hotel. Initially, I searched for the nearby waxing parlor close to the hotel.
I strolled around following the Google map direction only to get frustrated under Cambodian heat, so I gave up trying to find the right address and just ordered a tuk-tuk through Grab app to Anna's Spa.
They got the address on the app, so I just had to type it on the app and wait for the tuk-tuk driver to pick me up. From Yugoslavia Street to Anna's Spa, it cost around $3 USD with Grab. While the parlor is located in a quiet area, the salon is easily recognized.
The welcome drink and the cold towel when I arrived at Anna's Spa.
My First Impression at Anna's Spa
When I entered the parlor, two receptionists were sitting on the desk, and they welcomed me in such a friendly way. You see, if there's anything that amazed me when I arrived in Cambodia, it was the fact that most people speak English very well that communication is not a problem when traveling around.
When I told them that I'd like to have Brazilian wax, they gave me a book with the services they offer at the parlor. When I checked the services and the prices, one of the ladies came with a cup of tea and a cold towel. It was a welcome drink served by the staff at Anne's spa, along with the towel that was so refreshing after having to struggle with Cambodian heat.
I found the services quite pricey if I compared them to what I usually pay for the same services back home. But then again, so is everything else in Cambodia, especially since almost everything is in USD, so everything is more expensive multiple times.
However, it didn't stop me from my willingness to try Brazilian wax outside my home country because I'm open to trying anything new.
The Services I Had at Anna's Spa
After checking out the price, I even decided to add an hour service for Khmer massage since I didn't get a chance to do it when I was in Kampot. Now don't get me wrong, will all the difficult things about traveling, especially crossing the border overland around Indochina, I felt like I deserved some massage at some point.
Since there's no fixed price for Brazilian wax as they state from $26 to $30 USD for Brazilian wax service for women, I asked what variables set the price for the service, and they said that it depends on the situation of your hair down there. LOL.
I was hesitant to pay $30 USD for Brazilian wax since I usually pay for around $10 to $20 USD for the same service back in Indonesia. But the hell of it, I had the budget, and I really needed to do it since I had a date the next day. 😛
For Khmer massage, there are some options where we can choose to have it for an hour, which costs $10 USD, and there are also the other options to have it 1.5 hours for $14 USD and 2 hours for $18 USD.
I thought an hour would be enough for me since I had to stick to my budget to pamper myself at the time. Besides, I just wanted to have a different experience in Cambodia's capital city, so there I had it!
Brazilian Wax at Anna's Spa in Phnom Penh
To be fair, I think the interior design around Anna's Spa was quite classic in a way it gives a sense of luxury around the parlor. However, when I entered the room where I'd have the Brazilian wax, it didn't look fancy, although it still looks okay and convenient to have it done there.
The room comes with a toilet where we could wash before we started the procedure. There was nothing fancy about the toilet, it just came up with soap that is enough for us to prepare for the Brazilian wax.
In Anna's Spa, they use hot wax for the procedure. All the tools needed for the service are displayed around the room. It was actually my first time having Brazilian wax with hot wax since all of the waxing salons that I've visited do it with sugar wax.
I'm not sure whether sugar wax is mostly more hurtful than hot wax in general. Or maybe it is the therapist in Anna's Spa that was super professional in what they do… But I could assure you that it's the least painful waxing procedure that I've had in my entire life.
My Verdict on Brazilian Wax at Anna's Spa
I'm not sure whether the therapist who did my waxing procedure was the owner of the spa parlor or not, but if I remember it correctly, her name is Anna. And she was super friendly, as well as spoke perfect English.
During the procedure, we had a really nice chat about a lot of stuff. From getting to know each other, and she also asked me some things about Indonesia and my travel plan after Phnom Penh.
I also told her that this is the best waxing procedure that I've ever had because I almost couldn't feel the pain of getting rid of my pubic hair. LOL.
In our chat, she told me that Anna's Spa has started the business since 2014, and it is quite growing ever since. I'm not sure how it is now since the Coronavirus hit the region, but they did a really great job running their parlor before then.
When I told her that I'm a blogger, and I would love to write a post about their spa and my experiences using their services, she was super excited that she showed me around.
Khmer Massage at Anna's Spa in Phnom Penh
After I finished waxing, Anna showed me around first and asked whether I wanted to have the massage with or without oil.
With oil, I can use the first room with an attached bath tube where I could wash after the massage. However, since I went there using makeup, I decided to just have one without oil because I didn't want to ruin my makeup. LMAO.
After telling Anna that I would have a massage without oil, she told me that I could do to the next room, and she asked me to wait for a bit since another therapist would come afterward.
While waiting, I was asked to change my clothes as they already prepared a loose t-shirt and pants to wear for the massage. I had a hard time finding out how to wear the pants, but I eventually managed to wear it for the whole massage service.
The massage therapist came around 10 minutes after Anna left, and just like Anna, she was friendly too. If anything that I should highlight from Anna's spa, their hospitality is bang on!
Unlike Anna, the massage therapist introduced herself as Sranet (so I'm not sure whether I wrote it right!), and we also had a simple chat about some other things during the massage. She said she was only 21, and she told me that I looked much younger when I said that I'm 10 years older than her… Which totally made my day at the time! LMAO
My Verdict on Khmer Massage at Anna's Spa
Since it was my first experience to have a traditional Khmer massage, I'd say that I had an excellent first impression. The massage was super relaxing, and the vibes in the massage room were really suitable to relax a little and release the stress.
While Sranet was quite friendly, I spent half of the massage session closing my eyes and almost taking a nap. It was THAT relaxing. I loved it!
Sranet told me when the session is almost over, and I'm glad I decided to give traditional Khmer massage a try. It was great, and I totally deserved some relaxing session at the time.
My Verdict on Anna's Spa in Phnom Penh
After I finished, the total price of both services, excluding the therapists' tips, was $37 USD. And I think it's worth the money!
They provide the right atmosphere for all spa services. Their hospitality is on point from the first time I arrived at the parlor to the time when my tuk-tuk picked me up to come back to the hotel.
After the session was over, while waiting for the change in the front desk, they served a cup of hot tea again. This time, they served chamomile since it was already around 7 PM when I left the parlor.
If you're planning to have some relaxing session for massage, or just beauty-related stuff like waxing or facial treatment in Phnom Penh… I'd recommend Anna's spa anytime!
Do you have a favorite spa place around Phnom Penh that is not Anna's Spa? Let me know in the comment and cheerio!
Pingback: The Beginner's Guide to Your First Turkish Hammam - The BeauTraveler