Bali has long been known for its affordable luxury and is now getting more and more well known for 5 and 6-star rock star luxury escape options. There is perhaps no luxury more indulgent than a spa treatment that takes several hours to complete, and the resorts of Bali have plenty of those on offer. In fact, some of the spa treatments in Bali on offer are increasingly creative.
Give in to the tranquility of Bali's spas
Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay - Biorhythm-Restoring Waters
At the Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay, your private villa comes complete with a plunge pool overlooking the bay, nestled in front of a suite that is bigger than most Balinese village compounds. You’re also provided with your own personal butler (or village chief), who’ll turn down your bed, run you a bath, serve you dinner and run you up to the spa in a little electric buggy (if you can’t be bothered to walk the 200 metres).
On the spa menu you’ll find a couples treatment called “Biorhythm-Restoring Waters”, which starts with foot wash before you’re laid side by side and scrubbed all over with a mix of Himalayan and local sea salts, painted with marine algae and left to marinate for half an hour.
Then it’s off to the steam room before plunging into the outdoors bath, full to the brim with rose petals and frangipani. Once you’re sufficiently clean, it’s back to the massage table for a 60-minute kundalini crystal healing back massage and an ayurvedic marma face massage. Your skin may never feel this soft again.
Peaceful indulgence at the Four Seasons Jimbaran
Spa on the Rocks at Ayana Resort and Spa - Thalassotherapy
Spa on the Rocks at Ayana Resort and Spa, is perched on the rocks looking over the sparkling Indian Ocean, and is famous for its Thalassotherapy treatments, an ancient treatment apparently dating back 5,000 years. The term ‘thalassotherapy’ was coined in France in the 19th Century from the Greek ‘thalassa’ meaning sea and ‘therapeia’ meaning healing. It’s meant to increase blood circulation and restore vital minerals lost as a result of stress, pollution and poor diet or lifestyle.
Your treatment starts with a two-hour session in the Aquatonic Pool, which contains 700 million litres of water pumped up from the Indian Ocean and warmed to an optimum temperature to rebalance your mineral deficiencies. Effortlessly exercise your weightless way through 12 hydromassage stations containing over 60 individual therapeutic jet streams, micro bubbles and geysers, before indulging in an underwater massage. As you float (with the assistance of a floatation device), your arms and legs are massaged and stretched by an attentive therapist.
So now that you’re completely detoxed and de-stressed, hop on a nearby buggy and make your way to the nearest cliff-top bar, perhaps to enjoy a martini at the Martini Club or maybe a glass of champagne at Rock Bar Bali, which teeters on the edge of the cliff practically overhanging the sea.
Four Seasons Sayan - The Muladhara
If you’d rather your spa treatment was surrounded by lush tropical rainforest, head for the Four Seasons Sayan, in Ubud. Seemingly hidden away in a valley, the resort overlooks the Ayung River, and in fact, some suites practically overhang it. To your right, there’s rainforest, and to your left, brilliant green rice fields.
At the Spa Villa here you can indulge in a three hour traditional Balinese spa treatment called The Muladhara. The ‘muladhara’ is the root chakra, located at the base of the spine, anchoring you to the earth and apparently it’s important for frequent flyers to have this chakra well balanced, to calm the body and mind creating inner peace.
It’s Balinese tradition to cleanse the body of negativity twice a month to bring good health – a tradition that makes complete sense when you think about it; out with cynicism, in with positive thoughts. After your feet are washed, the ritual starts with a traditional smoking ceremony, which involves sitting over a smoking chimney, while looking out on to lily ponds as the sun sets.
Once cleansed you’ll then experience a hour of deep and incredibly relaxing massage using locally grown ginger, cinnamon and a blend of patchouli, vetiver and jatamansi oils. Once you have awoken from this semi-slumber, stroll (or call for a buggy) and head to your room where hopefully your pre-ordered bottle of bubbly will be waiting for you to clink and sip as you relax in the plunge pool overlooking the river.
Calming natural environments set the perfect stage for your rejuvenation at the Four Seasons Sayan
Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort - Balinese Healing Massage
A little further south at the Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort, you’ll find a blend of Balinese culture and French elegance. The menu at the spa actually reads like a menu, reflecting the mix of cultures with a mix that includes treatments such as Shiatsu and Balinese healing massage to non-invasive French anti-aging and facial sculpting treatments.
For starters, perhaps opt for a body exfoliation, and follow this up with a main entrée like the 90-minute Balinese Healing Massage, a traditional treatment that dates back to the Majapahit Empire, which achieves balance with acupressure reflexology. The dessert menu then includes treatments like the Luminous Eye Scrub, waxing and Milk and Spice Body Wrap.
Once cleansed waxed and massaged, toddle off to L’oh Pool Bar for a glass of champagne or maybe take part in a Wine Flight tasting session.
bali nusa dua
