Most swank modern beach resorts boast spas with experienced masseurs. At Holiday Inn Sanya Bay Resort on Hainan Island, guests get 'massages' from fish. 'It's like they are kissing you,' explains general manager Uwe Lukas as he watches thousands of tiny fish nibble on the skin of bathers.
The fish eat away dead skin. Local doctors claim they also devour bacteria in wounds; the result is said to be beneficial both mentally and physically. 'Fish massage therapy stimulates your blood and removes the dead layer of outer skin,' claims the hotel's public-relations manager, Jessica Zhang. 'It boosts blood circulation and improves the overall nervous system.'
The fish, about the size of a little finger, are native to the hot-spring pools of Hainan Island. 'They're too small to bite you,' said a Spanish woman immersed in the natural hot-spring water, who had the close attention of several hundred piscine masseurs.
Gingerly, I put a foot in the pool. Attracted by the new dining opportunity, scores of tiny silver and grey fish darted towards my toes. It was a weird sensation, something between a tickle and a minor electric shock. My first impulse was to whip my legs out of the water. But I persisted.
Gradually, I eased down into the water. I was a little nervous. It's all well and good to have fish nibbling about your toes, but when they head north and start to flash between your legs, anxiety levels soar. 'They can't bite through your bathers,' I was assured by an immersed man.
After 30 minutes in the pool, I emerged feeling regenerated. Whether this was because of the attention of several hundred small silver fish or the natural relaxation of the hot mineral water, I was not sure. The fish massage, which is free, has become a major attraction at Sanya Bay, the newly developed stretch of beach to the west of Sanya city on the south coast of Hainan Island. New resorts and condominium developments are blossoming along this stretch of coastline.