Sun, Salt and Sore Shoulders: The Right Massage After a Coast Day
A day of sun, sea and safari leaves the body in a particular state. Here is which massage to choose after a coast day, and which to avoid on sunburnt skin.
A day on the Kenyan coast is wonderful and, quietly, quite demanding on the body. Sun, salt water, hours in a boat or a safari vehicle, and the particular stiffness that comes from doing nothing but relaxing in the sun all leave their mark. A massage is the perfect way to reset, but the right choice depends on what the day did to you. This guide helps you pick well.
Sunburn changes everything
If you have caught the sun, be honest with your therapist before the session. Firm pressure and oils on burnt or tender skin are uncomfortable and can make things worse. On sun-exposed skin, a gentle, cooling treatment is far better than deep tissue. Save the firmer work for a day when your skin has settled.
For water and beach days
Snorkelling, diving and kitesurfing load the shoulders and neck more than people expect, and a long swim tightens the upper back. A relaxing full-body or a targeted neck and shoulder massage usually hits the spot. If the tightness is deep and you are not sunburnt, deep tissue on the shoulders can be worth it.
For the safari and the long drive
Many coast trips pair with a safari or a long road transfer, and hours in a Land Cruiser leave the lower back and hips stiff. Here a firmer back-focused massage, or a session that opens up the hips and lower back, does the most good. Tell your therapist where the drive settled, and they will work it.
A quick guide to choosing
- Sunburnt or tender skin: gentle and cooling only, no deep pressure.
- Tight shoulders from swimming, diving or kitesurfing: neck and shoulder focus, or deep tissue if the skin is fine.
- Stiff back and hips from a safari or long drive: firm, back-focused work.
- Just generally weary: a relaxing full-body massage, which suits almost any coast day.
Before the session
Rinse off the salt and sand with a warm shower before your massage, drink some water, and give the therapist the honest version of your day. On the coast a hotel visit makes all of this easy, since you finish already back in your room.
Read the day before you choose the massage: the sea, the sun and the safari each ask for something different.