BALINESE BLISS

From water purification ceremonies to traditional herbal massages, Bali is renowned for its plethora of wellness experiences. With so many great spas across the island, it’s hard to narrow it down, but here are some of our favourites.

By Helen Dalley

Popular with celebs – actress Keira Knightley has stayed here – the 31-room Spa Village Resort Tembok Bali on the northeastern coast offers bespoke wellness programmes that focus on healing, rejuvenation, wellness and spirituality. An upcoming retreat to be held this June, September and December is Return to Yourself, a four-day, three-night yoga and wellness journey that gives solo female travellers or small groups the chance to explore speciality yoga classes, guided meditation, and unique spa treatments. The other retreat you can book for April, July, October and December is the five-day, four-night Spa Village School of Life, which supports the path to renewal with a schedule of healthy life practices; guests are taught how to practice these skills long-term and redesign their daily lives. Guests not on a retreat can book in for spa treatments including Napak Pertiwi (a clay body wrap to cleanse and nourish), Lapis-Lapis (a spicy herbal wrap to reduce water retention) and Massage Under the Stars, a herbal oil treatment performed at the ocean’s edge. spavillageresort.com

At the Ubud-based Fivelements, signature retreat Panca Mahabhuta offers rituals for purification, rebalancing and regeneration, a diet of plant-based cuisine, and sacred arts including yoga, somatic therapy and vibrational healing music to work on inner strength and alignment. Meanwhile, signature cleansing programme Tri Kaya Parisudha works on purifying the physical body, sekala , and the nonphysical mind and soul, niskala , with retreats from seven to 14 nights. Wellness day experiences include The Secret of Balinese Wellness, where you’ll discover the healing powers of traditional herbal remedies like turmeric facials and Balinese massages, while Beauty Spa Rituals include the Balinese Boreh, with local herbs such as cinnamon and coffee combined with powdered rice applied to the body to remove dead skin cells and boost circulation. The resort additionally offers culinary retreats that explain the benefits of a vegetarian diet, with workshops covering juicing, sprouting, fermenting and low temperature baking. fiveelementsbali.com

At Raffles Bali, in upscale Jimbaran, each guest is assigned a wellbeing butler to address their wellness needs, and they may factor in some yoga and meditation or perhaps some reiki and sound healing during your stay. At the spa, you’ll find couples treatment suites, an outdoor infinity pool with access to the hotel’s private beach, plus a meditation terrace, fitness centre, and nail and reflexology lounge pavilion. For a bespoke experience, book a wellness journey at the resort’s remote hillside treatment suite, The Sanctuary, such as the two-hour Royal Javanese Lulur Experience, a body massage designed for royals on their wedding day that incorporates massage, exfoliation and a flower bath. Other spa treatments include the Royal Gold Age Defying Facial for younger-looking skin and the Ancient Hot Stone Massage to soothe aching muscles. The resort additionally offers sunrise and full moon yoga at the beach and Tibetan singing bowl meditation at a nearby cave. raffles.com

Situated in a calm bay along three miles of sand, Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay’s Healing Village Spa houses the Illume Room, Bali’s first “surround sound” spa suite, which is sealed from outdoor sources of light to maximise the power of its colour therapy treatments. Featuring a heated quartz-sand bed made of crushed crystals, alchemy crystal singing bowls enhance the experience. Treatments include the Celestial Light Ritual, which draws on the vibrations of gemstones and the transformative effects of light, colour and sound, and the Celestial Light Facial, which utilises sound and light vibration, exfoliation, and a crystal wand massage to uplift the face. Tucked away at the back of the spa, the Longevity Garden offers a treatment of the same name where you can enjoy a Balinese-style steam hammam — alone or with a partner — with a coconut soap scrub, volcanic mud body mask, a shower and an ice tub immersion to release endorphins, tighten pores and reduce muscular recovery time. fourseasons.com

If you’re craving the chance to properly get away from it all, then consider booking into COMO Shambhala Estate, a residential retreat offering holistic wellness that’s enjoyed from multi-suite residences or stand-alone villas. Situated just north of Ubud, the location is a spiritual enclave of jungle, river and sunrich clearings. Specialists in yoga and Pilates work alongside guides for mountain biking, hiking, climbing, white-water rafting and outdoor circuit training to come up with the best plans for you. In the gardens, you’ll find an ancient spring steps from the Ayung River, where a priest splashes participants with holy water to cleanse the mind and soul.

Como also organises a water purification ceremony at the Tirta Empul, a 10th-century temple that plays a key role in Balinese mythology and religious history, where you’ll go through a series of cleansing processes in several of the 30 water sources. Each water source has its own meaning and purpose, ranging from protection against nightmares to clearing one’s chakras. Want to go all-in? Then consider booking an Integrated Wellness Programme, with an eating plan, therapy schedule and wellness activities drawn up according to individual needs. Como has two other properties in Bali: Como Uma Canggu and Como Uma Ubud, where similarly immersive wellness experiences await. comohotels.com

Taking a holistic approach to mental and physical health, the Sukhavati Ayurvedic Retreat & Spa uses yoga and meditation to address stress and anxiety and a vegetarian diet to assist with weight loss, with diet plans designed to stimulate your metabolism once you’ve understood your body shape. The retreat offers several rituals, including The Detox Wellness Program that incorporates Ayurvedic treatments such as massages and scrubs alongside daily meditation sessions. Meanwhile, the specialised healing programmes include Ayurvedic treatments for osteoarthritis, insomnia and sleeping difficulties and chronic pain and pain disorders. We like the sound of the Luxury Ayurveda Program, which includes cultural experiences and workshops on Ayurveda, yoga and Vedic science. Guests are also offered the chance to visit the renowned spiritual healer Ida Pandita Mpu Dharmaya, who can perform water purification ceremonies, energy reading, energy transferring, and balancing and opening of the chakras. The retreat is home to eight traditional Bali villas with thatched roofs, four of which have their own private pool. sukhavatibali.com

Revivo Wellness resorts offers six signature retreats designed to shake up your routines and rituals and create sustainable, healthy habits around wellness, nutrition and exercise, including De-Stress and Relax and Longevity and Anti-Ageing. Its Emotional Balance and Mind Training will teach you to harness the power of the mind so you can increase motivation, transform attitudes and experience a more positive outlook on life with reiki, chakra balancing, personalised yoga sessions and Pranayama breathing sessions. It’s not all hard work, as retreats include facials and aromatherapy massages and tasty meals centred around foods high in iron, B-vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids — think whole grains, soy and avocado with a side-order of liver-supporting foods including onion, garlic and turmeric.

Treatments at the Remissio spa revolve around its signature spa circuits, which are half or full days, with the half-day featuring a Moveō (movement) class, a steam and infrared sauna session, massage, a foot cleansing ritual with express pedicure, and a healthy lunch. The spa also offers IV infusion therapy and a herbal pouch massage utilising warmed botanical plants and herbs to get rid of aches and pains. revivoresorts.com

A self-styled sanctuary for the mindful traveller where guests experience wellness beyond their treatments throughout the surroundings, The Asa Maia in Uluwatu is a short walk away from acclaimed Thomas Beach, where you can begin your wellness journey by taking an invigorating dip in the sea. Wellness options include Soma breathwork workshops (popular with pro surfer Kelly Slater) that introduce the benefits of slower, deeper breathing, while contrast therapy conducted in the cold/hot plunge pools rehabilitates mind and body. There are also private pilates and fitness training sessions in addition to yoga (Hatha, Yin and Vinyasa classes available) and an infrared sauna.

There are ten guest suites, known as gladaks — traditional wooden Javanese homes that feature contemporary touches like copper or Belgian Bluestone bathtubs and Bose sound systems, while resort amenities include a yoga and meditation shala, library, an infinity pool, and koi pond for some quiet contemplation. At the resort spa, treatments include the Gua Sha Body Detox Treatment to boost circulation and the Mandi Rempah, an aromatic Indonesian bath of healing herbs and flowers, including rose petals and frangipani. theasamaia.com

This adult-only resort is located 64 kilometres north of Ubud in a quiet enclave next to the Ayung River and waterfall. It’s all about connecting guests to nature and its surrounds, with a “no walls, no doors” concept adopted throughout the property. The wellbeing journeys reflect this, with a three-day, two-night retreat helmed by botanical artist Lucinda Law that encourages guests to reconnect with nature. The open air Toja Spa celebrates the wellbeing traditions of nearby Buahan village, with signature treatment Buahan Bliss incorporating a dry body brush, massage and detox body wrap using local herbs and spices. All spa products are handmade using natural ingredients sourced locally or grown on the resort’s farm. Wellness experiences include moon yoga and aerial silk yoga, and if you really want to find yourself, book the Enlightenment Journey and receive blessings and astrological readings from a priest from the local Hindu temple. Active types, meanwhile, can hike up Mount Batur and explore its 20km of jungle trials by bike. escape.banyantree.com

Claiming a gorgeous stretch of the East Balinese coastline overlooking the Lombok Strait, Amankila resides on a lush hillside beneath Mount Agung, with buildings connected by frangipani-lined walkways through the treetops. The resort’s specialty treatment is Cinta — Love, a full-body exfoliation followed by a warm bath scented with rose and flower essences to open the chakras, and an aromatherapy body massage, while the Amankila Cream Bath applies coconut cream to hair to boost elasticity and growth and includes a scalp and foot massage. Yoga classes include hatha, pranayama and vinyasa flow, and if you’re feeling light-hearted or just need cheering up, then consider the Laughing Yoga classes, which are held in the resort’s yoga bale next to the beach. Spa treatments can be conducted in the massage pavilion, beach bale or a secluded open-air spot with tropical canopy in addition to rooms. aman.com