If you were offered the chance to be turned into a giant strawberry sundae, wouldn't you take it? 

Before I went to Malaysia, I had never had a spa treatment. The odd office massage, yes, and once upon a time a facial applied by a trembling novice when I tried out a student beauty clinic for a story (the latter leaving me with some not-so-attractive swelling on my eyelids). And now I could add reflexology to my list. But I'd always dreamed of one of those lush pampering experiences you read about in magazines.

So I had high expectations for my next adventure: the three-hour Fresh Strawberry Escapade at the Cameron Highland Resort's Spa Village.

This lush experience consists of a strawberry tea bath, followed by a strawberry body polish and strawberry aroma massage. The spa's booklet promised I would find it the ultimate in relaxation, easing my nervous tension and leaving me rehydrated and soothed with lovely soft skin.

Seeing as I was about halfway through a tour of luxury resorts and hotels I couldn't profess to be feeling a whole lot of nervous tension but I figured it would still do me a world of good.

Before the strawberry overload began, I sat in the spa's foyer sipping chrysanthemum tea and looking out at the surrounding hills. Then I passed through into the beautiful surrounds of the treatment rooms: huge outdoor daybeds under romantic canopies, a rippling fountain and private therapy rooms looking onto a sunny courtyard.

After stripping down to a little sarong and a fluffy robe, I followed my spa attendant to my bath room. It was a tranquil little spot, with an old-fashioned clawfoot bathtub and my fresh warm bath, with strawberry slices and fresh tea leaves floating on top, all ready for me.

While I could have kept my sarong on, the thought of wet fabric flapping around and sticking to my skin didn't appeal, so I stripped off and lowered myself in gingerly, at once exhilarated and confused by the fact that I was submerged in tea.

It was hard to stop myself from nibbling at the all-natural treatments laid out on the tray in front of me: a sugar body scrub, slices of kaffir lime to rub on my knees and elbows, and a tea leaf face 'mask' - actually just a heap of wet tea leaves which gave me the appearance of a grimy street urchin when applied (and when rinsed off into the bath, collected in some unsettling areas).

But it worked - I scrubbed and rubbed and be-masked myself, and straight away my skin felt smoother.

After a suitable interval the attendant returned with a soft "excuse me miss" to place cool tea bags on my eyelids. I lay back onto the welcome bath pillow and relaxed. Every now and then one of the tea bags would plop off into the bath and I'd have to wring it out and slap it back on, but it was still bliss.

All too soon it was out of the bath (sloshing tea onto the floor) and back into my robe to spend a few minutes reclining on a day bed with a heated pillow to soothe any tired body parts.

Then I was taken upstairs to a new room with a massage bed and introduced to my new attire: some rather fetching paper knickers. The attendant solemnly displayed the ingredients of the scrub that would soon be adorning my body: fresh pulped strawberries mixed with natural yoghurt and crushed oatmeal. I was about to be covered in a very healthy breakfast.

After a short but soothing face, neck and scalp massage, my hair was bundled into a turban, a mask was reverently placed over my eyes and we got down to business.

Limb by limb, the warm mixture was rhythmically slathered on. It was a slightly unsettling feeling for someone who'd never had a body polish before; I could feel it oozing and dripping off my body. But I knew I was in good hands, so I lay back and enjoyed it.

Next the plastic sheet I was lying on was pulled up and wrapped around me. A hot towel came next, then something crackly that sounded like a tarpaulin, then... was that a horse blanket? I couldn't tell under my eye mask. The attendant then withdrew and I was left to stew like a strawberry crepe. It was wonderful - I was cosy and warm, a bit sticky, and extremely fragrant.

When my mask was finally removed I peered down to see the layers being stripped away. Under my sheet of plastic wrap I looked like the victim of a particularly grisly murder, covered in red lumps of gore.

After a quick shower to remove the goo, it was time for my full-body aromatherapy massage - a whole hour of heavenly sensation. Any aches and pains I had were removed and when it ended I was floating.

Afterwards I had more tea in the foyer, accompanied by dainty little biscuits with jam, before being sent back into the real world. Feeling frightfully posh (if slightly slippery), I wafted through the resort in a summer frock, spreading the berry aroma and demanding that my companions feel my soft new elbows.

Amy Williams travelled to Malaysia courtesy of Malaysia Airlines and Tourism Malaysia.

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