It's something of a tradition for me and my sister, Annette, to have a spa break in January. We feel a treat is in order after Christmas and the New Year, and we can catch up on the gossip while enjoying some serious pampering

This year, we decided to try SenSpa at Careys Manor Hotel in Brockenhurst, in the heart of the New Forest. The hotel is a 17th century hunting lodge, with new rooms built around the lawn. The rooms in the Garden Wing, where we stayed, overlook a manicured lawn and have either a balcony or small terrace outside where you can enjoy the peace, if the weather's warm enough! Although not enormous, the cosy rooms are comfortable, with excellent en suite bathrooms.

Once kitted out in our robes and slippers, we set about the serious business of relaxing. A quick tour of the spa reassured us that we'd chosen well. As hotel guests, you can use the health club facilities which include a fully-equipped gym, an ozone-treated swimming pool with Jacuzzi, sauna and steam room, which are all very lovely, but the spa is where you really want to be. The huge hydrotherapy pool kept us occupied for hours as we worked our way around the walk-in Jacuzzi and bubble racks on which you could recline and relax. In late afternoon, candles were lit around the pool which added to its magic, and I literally had to prise Annette off the bubble rack before we turned into prunes.

Experience a storm shower
The spa is home to a herbal sauna and crystal steam room, which boasts an enormous amethyst (a crystal believed to have strong healing and cleansing properties, as well as powers to enhance spiritual awareness). There is also a laconicum, tepidarium (with heated loungers), Rhassoul mud room and Hammam. If that wasn't enough, it also has 'Experience Showers' where you can opt for a tropical, sea or ice storm, as numerous jets shoot mainly cold water at you accompanied by thunder and lightning effects.

I'm dubious about this having any health benefits, but it did make us laugh as we jumped in and out of the way of the colder jets. And judging by the shrieks that emanated from the room, we weren't the only ones! I also tried cooling off after the steam room by rubbing ice chips over myself and then, rather bravely I like to think, drenched myself under the kubel douche, which, basically, is a bucket of icy water that you pull down over yourself.

Relaxing treatments
A choice of treatments is included in the price of many of the spa breaks and Annette opted for the Wai Huunene, a hydrating facial using organic herbs and flowers from New Zealand, together with warm Manuka honey to nourish and smooth her skin. Manuka honey is well-known for its healing properties and is a powerful antibiotic. Annette loved the gorgeous smells of the flowery honey, but grumbled that it made her want crumpets for tea!

I chose the Sen Fusion Signature Massage, an hour and a half of pure luxury. My Thai masseuse, Pao, combined traditional Thai, Shiatsu, Ayurvedic, Swedish and aromatherapy techniques to work out any post-Christmas tensions left in my shoulders. Using her hands and elbows, she kneaded and pummelled me, focusing on the energy lines (or Sen) of my body. The combination of hot towels and a delicious cocktail of macadamia, bergamot, jojoba and lime oils soon had me calm, and the gentle stretching with which she finished off left me refreshed and feeling a little taller (always a good thing when you're just shy of five foot).

It's always lovely to rest after a treatment and there are quiet rooms in the spa area where you can sit and read a magazine or doze gently on the Thai beds. There's Thai green tea on tap, so you can just kick back and while away an hour or two very pleasantly.

Also included in the cost of your spa break is a Mind and Body class. Ours was a Body Conditioning class, which was a mixture of Tai Chi, Pilates and Yoga designed to stretch and tone your body. I'm hopelessly uncoordinated, so was out of time with all the other participants, but it must have done some good as my tummy muscles certainly felt stretched the following day.

Going green
In January 2007, Careys Manor launched its 'Green Team', a group of employees working together to make the hotel and spa more environmentally friendly. So far, they have installed more efficient loft insulation, are replacing lights with energy-saving bulbs, use electricity generated from wind farms and conserve water by installing butts. They also use local, organic and free-range produce in all of their three restaurants, so you can feel virtuous as you enjoy your pampering.

All the food we ate was absolutely delicious. In the spa itself, there's the Zen Garden restaurant which serves Thai food. This haven of tranquillity is heavily influenced by Thai culture, with its bamboo ceiling and full-length windows that open on to a courtyard with water features. It's open all day, so if you fancy a fresh fruit smoothie after one of your treatments, or even a cream tea if you're not on a health kick, this is the place to hang out. In the evening we ate at the Manor Restaurant, where there was a good choice from the set menu, and an impressive wine list to complement the food.

For more information about the hotel and spa breaks visit www.careysmanor.com or www.senspa.co.uk

SenSpa is at:
Careys Manor Hotel,
Brockenhurst,
New Forest,
Hampshire, SO42 7RH
Tel: 08707 512307