A virtual tour of the Tirta Spa in Boracay.

BORACAY - No stay at the beautiful island of Boracay is complete without a relaxing experience at a first-rate spa - and the Tirta Spa comes highly recommended.

Tirta Spa treats its clients to opulent facilities and a peaceful atmosphere through its natural settings and Zen-inspired decor of East Asian sensibility.

The complex boasts of a Zen garden, pavilions, and private suites for spa treatments.

Located at Sitio Malabunot, Manoc-Manoc, Boracay Island (Station 3), "Tirta" (from the Hindu word for "Holy Water") was conceptualized by its owner En Calvert.

Calvert named her spa "Tirta" after her successful retreat in the Himalayas, where she realized the benefits of spiritual healing and hope -- the same things she wants her clients to feel when they visit her spa.

"We have a lot of spas here and abroad but what makes Tirta different from all the rest is its good ambiance and its spiritual touch," Calvert said.

In an interview with abs-cbnNEWS.com, Calvert shared that her "haven of the senses" started from her personal pleasure to give massages and go to spas.

Armed with sufficient knowledge in starting and maintaining a spa business, Calvert opened her spa resort in Boracay in 2007, with the help of a friend who offered her a lot on the island.

Tirta offers packages like the "Before and After Sun" treatments and "Secrets of Egypt" treatments. Services at the spa cost from P2,750 to P3,250 for single treatments and P5,500 to P11,000 for spa packages.

As a world-class establishment, Tirta was awarded several times already. "We started [in] 2007 and in 2 years time, Tirta already received recognition as one of the best spas in Asia," Calvert said.

In 2008, Tirta Spa received the "Most Outstanding Health and Beauty Spa in Philippines" award from the Consumers Union of the Philippines.

In March this year, Tirta bagged a Gold Award as one of the five "Best Day Spa" from Asia Spa & Wellness Festival Gold Awards 2009 that was held in Bangkok, Thailand.

Currently, Calvert is in Singapore as her Tirta Spa has again been nominated for "Spectacular Spas -- Asia Pacific for 2009/2010" by the well-renowned Asia Spa Insitute in Singapore. Report and photos by Reyma Buan-Deveza, abs-cbnNEWS.com.