Cheapest Foot Massage "Fish Spas" in Malaysia
Budget Garra Rufa Pedicures in Kuala Lumpur and Penang
Oct 19, 2009
The fad for a pedicure by the skin-eating Turkish Garra rufa fish is spreading throughout Southeast Asia, but seems to be most popular in Malaysia's capital. For tourists, that means there's a variety of venues to try out a treatment from genuine multi-service spas with traditional trappings to the streetside massage shops that have become so familiar to tourists in developing Asia.
First off, with a range of prices and treatments is the pioneering Kenko in the Pavilion shopping center. Starting out in Singapore, Kenko Relexology & Fish Spa is a regional franchiser, even though the future of fish spas in Singapore is iffy because the government there has shut down several spas that it feared could spread skin diseases.
Videos of the Garra rufa pools (with feet) at the Pavillion Kenko branch can be seen on Youtube. There's the option of a women-only pool and the full body treatment. But the standard 38 ringgit ($11) for a 30-minute "Doctor Fish" pedicure is still a good deal. It's the same price at the Kenko in Penang, although there are often promotions at this outlet.
Kenko Fish Spa in Kuala Lumpur and Penang
- Kenko Reflexology & Fish Spa
Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Level 5 (near GSC Cinema)
168 Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur
Phone: (60) 3 2141 6651
Hours: 10 am to 10 pm daily
Price: 38 ringgit for 30 minutes
- Kenko Reflexology & Fish Spa
4F, GSC Gurney Plaza
170-04050/51 Gurney Road
Penang
Phone: (60) 4-228 3707
Hours: 10 am to 10 pm daily
Price: 38 ringgit for 30 minutes
Bukit Bintang Road’s Discount Fish Spas
The Pavilion shopping mall, site of Kuala Lumpur's Kenko Reflexology, is on Jalan Bukit Bintang (Bukit Bintang Road) but at the posher end, close to the Westin, Marriott and Dorsett Regency hotels and Planet Hollywood. Head in the southwestern direction, toward Jalan Sultan Ismail and beyond to Jalan Pudu and the street becomes a jumble of budget and mid-market hotels (such as the Shuttle Inn and Hotel Cadogan, respectively), open-fronted luggage stores, small Middle Eastern and North African restaurants—and reflexology cum fish spas. These are three of them.
With so much competition, there are often daily specials and these outlets typically don’t charge young children at all. For example, on a recent day, Best Friend was offering a 19 ringgit rate for a 30-minute fish treatment. Morino Kaze also does ear candling along with the usual traditional massages. Reborn isn’t the only fish spa in this area open until the wee hours, but bear in mind that by that time of the day or night, the fish aren’t very hungry.
- Best Friend Foot Massage & Fish Spa
73, Jalan Bukit Bintang
Phone: (60) 2 2143 7373
Hours: 9:30 am to 4:30 pm.
Price: 38 ringgit for 30 minutes
- Morino Kaze
2F Piccolo Galleria (near Piccolo Hotel)
101 Jalan Bukit Bintang
Phone: (60) 2 2141 1918
Hours: 1 pm to midnight
Price: 28 ringgit for 30 minutes
- Reborn
18, Jalan Bukit Bintang
Phone: (60) 3 2144 1288
Hours: 11 am to 3 am
Price: 28 ringgit for 30 minutes
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