I have spent some 30+ years working. HARD. Never once having the opportunity to take and extended holiday far away from home. Let alone focus on true wellness. This year, all the stars aligned: time, money and mental readiness (or fatigue). When my job was unexpectedly eliminated, I had the choice of jumping right back into the deep end of the corporate pool or taking a step way from it all to give myself the gift of renewal. I chose renewal. No place felt more right than Bali, Indonesia.
If you’ve ever thought about taking time away for yourself, Bali is the destination for you. With a large number of wellness resorts, there are few places better designed to help revitalize your mind, body and soul. Don’t think that just because you step off the plane in Bali, that you will somehow be transported into a magical land of wellness. No, you will need to work a bit harder than that. Read more about traveling to Bali in my First Timers Guide to Bali blog.
Choosing the Best Wellness Resorts
Searching for the right wellness resort probably does nothing for your peace of mind. There are so many choices to make and you want to make sure you get it right the first time. I’m not a pro at Bali so I’ve just listed a few of the top ones that I found during my search.
COMO Shambhala Estate
Como is a recognized brand in wellness. The property is spread across nine hectares just north of Ubud which is about a 1 hour drive from Denspar International Airport. Here you can participate in fully integrated programs that combine modern science with ancient practices.
Fivelements Retreat
Chakra cleansing and cave meditations are only the start of your journey at this resort set in the foothills of central Bali.
Revivo Wellness Resort
Hidden away from the bustling city you’ll find 22 private villas carefully placed on a 3 hectare teak forest. This resort takes you away from the everyday distractions of life and sets you out on a tru journey of renewal.
Alila Manggis
On the east coast of Bali between the ocean and Mount Agung, you will find one of several Alila branded resorts that dot the island, Alicia Manggis. Here you’ll find black sand beaches, money filled jungles and far less tourist than other parts of the Bali. Don’t skip ‘Spa Junkies Paradise’ offer where you get as many treatments in that you can manage in 48 hours.
Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan
Set in the lush jungle of the Ayung River Valley of Ubud is Fivelements. This retreat has everything including the Sacred Nap where you are suspended in a silk hammock and lulled asleep by the songs on the native birds.
My journey took me to Revivo Wellness Resort Nusa Dua. From the moment I stepped out of the car and they rang the ceremonial gong, I knew this was going to be different than anything I had ever experienced. My bags disappeared, a personal journal was placed nearby and my hostess gave me the lay of the land.
This property is impressive. With only 22 private villas most with private gardens and some with their own private pool, you can already guess that your peace of mind is the #1 objective. We opened the gates to my private retreat and I immediately felt at home. TVs don’t exist on site. I had both an indoor and an outdoor shower, a sunken tub and a very large dressing area. There was an outdoor daybed and an indoor lounge. I found everything designed for total relaxation.
Two things gave me pause: the schedule and no restaurant menus (apparently these were choices I made at booking). But after my first 24 hours, I relinquished control and let the resort take me away. I received a schedule to abide by every day which was a bit more than I wanted. However, it simply provided times for meals, a few optional wellness activities and my scheduled daily spa treatment. At any point, you can change the schedule to meet your own needs. That said, I chose to go with the plan since that meant I didn’t have to make any decisions.
Nourishment
The chef here must be a magician. Meals are designed based on information provided at booking. All ingredients are organic and some even grown in the garden at the resort. I had three full meals, snacks, fruit in my room and wellness shots in the morning. Everything was absolutely delicious.
Wellness
Morning yoga, ice baths, early afternoon fitness, late afternoon meditation and spa treatments daily. What else does a girl need? Did I forget to mention the bedtime rituals. The light yoga in the morning was just what I needed to reconnect with myself for the day. Listening to the singing birds, the sweeping of the leaves from the ground crew and the calming drops of water from the fountain was a very soothing start to my day.
The spa treatment menu was full of delightful experiences from chakra healing oil to foot massages to body wraps there was just so much to choose from that you could stay for weeks and still not explore everything.
After dinner each night, I would return to my villa to find bed netting in place, dim lights and a personalized bedtime ritual to provide a restful night. Sound therapy, tea and my personal favorite herbal baths are all a part of the tools to help lull you to sleep at night without the use of digital devices. At first I thought going to bed by 9pm was a bit early but after a few days of getting 8-10 hours of sleep I felt renewed.
Pool Days
While it may seem that the schedule was jam packed with activities, there was actually quite a bit of time allocated to simply relaxing. I would spend hours by the pool(s) reading my book and enjoying nature. Each time I visited a pool, it felt like I was there alone with personal attendants.
Overall View
I’m no expert, but I know a good get-away when I find one and this was definitely a great find. Not many resorts are so small that you never have to fight for a mat at yoga or a lounge by the pool. I love kids but not at my wellness resort. This place does not have kids. A definite win. I felt totally safe and never felt alone. Other guests welcomed you to join them for meals to chat and then went on their way to provide you with peace when you needed it. The staff was accessible when you needed them. All of my needs were attended to throughout my stay including bringing my lunch to the pool or my morning wellness shots to my room.
I give Revivo five big stars.
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