Fish Foot Spa Treatment, Central Market, Kuala Lumpur
The idea of having a beauty treatment date with a school of flesh eating fish scared me a little.
Childhood piranha nightmares coming true.
Apparently the latest fashion in pedicures is to have a fish foot spa treatment.
That’s right. A fish foot pedicure.
It’s the best form of exfoliation around apparently. Just put your crusted and caked up feet into a pond of flesh eating fish and when you pull them back out again they’ll be smooth and ready to show off in your best pair of heels.
Problem is you have to be able to withstand hundreds of tiny little mouths feasting on your feet.
And they feast alright.
Their bulging eyes poke out of the water like a crocodile on watch, while their mouths open wide and close again in anticipation of the dead skin to come. I swear some of them were turning into flying fish just to get at my feet.
Why would another living thing want to eat dead skin?
That is all I could think about as a I slowly lowered my feet inside the fish foot spa.
Well they weren’t really lowered, they were pushed down by my traavellign companion, Thang. He found it hilarious and wanted to capture my reaciton on video.
I have really ticklish feet and they went into overdrive when all those little mouths lurched onto my feet and began nibbling.
It was gross.
They were slimy and wiggly and were pushing each other out of the way for the chance to amke me feel squirmish and sick.
I could only stand it for a minute at time before taking them out and having them pushed back in again. I couldn’t believe the calm composure of the people around me while I squirmed and squealed and giggled.
(Thang thought he was funny capturing it on video for all of you tube to see. Little did he know I had my own camera spies out filming myself, but also sneaking in footage of how much he enjoyed it!)
Press play to see our reactions to the flesh eating fish foot spa treatment in action.
Pretty disgusting right?
Do you think you could handle the fish foot spa treatment?
Or have you already had the fish pedicure?
P.S. After having the flesh eating fish devour my feet I learned what a unhygenic practice this is. Germs can be easily spread from one foot to the other. So please save yourself some infectious diseases by avoiding fish spa treatments. I really don’t think you are missing much anyway.
I traveled to Malaysia courtesy of Malaysia airlines and Tourism Malaysia. If you’re inspired to check out Malaysia just as I have, head to travel.com.au for more info
Caz
Caz Makepeace is the co-founder of y Travel Blog and has been traveling and living around the world since 1997, first solo, then with her husband, and now with her two daughters. Don't miss her 9 best tips to help you travel more. Follow her on Google+
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14 comments on “Fish Foot Spa Treatment, Central Market, Kuala Lumpur”
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I think you found the cheapest and most popular place in KL to do this. Just out of curiosity, were you in the tank with the aggressive or more docile fish? I agree with you on it not being worth it, even for 5 MYR. Real spa treatments can be so inexpensive here that I’d rather just go get a real pedicure.
Katie recently posted..The time I spent a week in a Malaysian hospital
They seemed pretty aggressive to me, although I have nothing to compare it to. I heard that they were much larger than usual. I’d rather stick to a real pedicure
I saw people doing this is Prague – was hilarious to watch through the window but I could not bring myself to do it! When I am done the Camino de Santiago, I think I will go the spa route! (Given the shape of my feet – the fish would be full for a month after a visit from me!!!! I could be bad for business!)
Anita Mac recently posted..Baptism By Fire: Camino de Santiago
I think if I had of stuck it out the fish would have been really full on my feet too. Gross!!
Wow, I couldn’t do this! I’m far too ticklish and creeped out by the idea of fish feeding on my feet!
Cassie recently posted..Our Next, NEXT Stop: Ecuador + Colombia!
Yep. It belongs in the far-too-creepy basket
Yeah I tired it also in KL because my sister was curious to try it, but she couldn’t keep her feet in the tank as she was too ticklish
My feet felt refreshed after it… poor fish 
Jarmo @ Arctic Nomad recently posted..Ha Long Bay – Where Ground Rises Sky High
I could not get beyond the tickle so had no real results! I did feel sorry for the fish
Haha! I used to live in Seoul, South Korea, and there were a bunch of places that offered this. They called it Doctor Fish. I went to one a couple times at a coffee/ice cream shop of all places! It was much more sanitary than yours in KL. We had to rinse off/clean our feet first. Such a strange feeling!
Alexa Hart recently posted..The Revamp of Atlas Sliced is Live!
Now that sounds a little better. I couldn’t imagine doing iin a coffee shop though!
LOL! The video is hilarious, Caz. Love it! But there is no way I could do it. I struggle to have “people” touch my feet!
Kellie @ Three Li’l recently posted..The day I thought I was having a heart attack – emergency plan for kids
You wouldn’t survive it then. I can usually see the good side of most things, but this one I could not stick out. I couldn’t believe how calm everyone else was around me!!
it’s such a shame that the press started saying negative things about these foot spas. they were so unique, everytime someone has a great money making idea someone has to go a ruin it for them… i think these things are great, small risk but doesnt everything have a risk factor! inform people of the risks correctly and stop taking business from people.
I think it’s up to each person to make their own decision about the risks they take. But they need to be informed about the risks first no matter how small. I know lots of people that still do it regardless. Which is fine. Each person is entitled to make their own choices.