by Telegraph Travel, The Telegraph, April 12, 2019
An expert guide to the best spa hotels in Bali, featuring the best places to stay for hot stone massages, body scrubs, hydrotherapy, reflexology, Ayurvedic treatments and Balinese healing rituals, in locations including Ubud, Seminyak and Canggu.
COMO Shambhala Estate Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
8Telegraph expert rating
The reigning queen of Bali, and a key player globally when it comes to destination spas. Few places do it better. The setting is knockout, the yoga top-notch and the fitness classes double as glorious sightseeing tours, incorporating cycle rides through the paddy fields and treks up smoking volcanoes. There are nine treatment rooms (including three for couples) where you can dabble in everything from acupuncture and Ayurveda to hot stone massages and reflexology. On-site experts include dieticians and doctors and there are frequent visiting masters. There is also an outdoor heated hydrotherapy area and a chemical-free springwater pool. Read expert review. From £460per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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Fivelements Abiansemal, Bali, Indonesia
9Telegraph expert rating
Everything you dream about for a wellness holiday in Bali: a beautiful retreat in a river valley, a huge bath alongside a river, an outdoor shower in a private garden, a restaurant serving delicious vegan food, and a spa offering massages and cleansing treatments. Fivelements was created as a wellness sanctuary, and the facilities here – including a healing pool, beauty sanctuary and laboratory (where traditional home-made treatments are created) – are superb. The dreamy rooms in the Healing Village open to a jungle valley, and yet maintain their privacy. The staff, carefully chosen for their healing and wellness skills, are exceptionally discreet and treat guests like royalty. Read expert review. From £177per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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Soori Bali Kerambitan, Bali, Indonesia
8Telegraph expert rating
Meticulous attention has been paid to the visual appeal of the elegant resort, which is contemporary and slick while maintaining a restful feel. Horizontal and vertical lines, natural textures and shades of grey, plus stone and water dominate the design. Gardens have been landscaped to maximise the flow of cool air through this resort, and water pools around the property add to the sense of calm and coolness. Every villa has its own outdoor lounge/dining area and private pool, but there is also a communal beachfront pool that guests can enjoy. The resort has two restaurants, a well-equipped gym and a beautiful spa that offers acupuncture, meditation and massages, among other treatments. Read expert review. From £484per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
9Telegraph expert rating
Bali brims with a unique and a positively infectious hippy healing vibe, which may be why at this spa you find yourself hanging upside down doing anti-gravity yoga in a stunning yoga bale made from sustainable Balinese bamboo in the middle of a paddy field. Or having a philosophical debate on the meaning of life and mindfulness, and meditating with smiley Ibu Fera, a former Buddhist monk and resident Wellness Mentor. Yes the muscle-melting massages and facilities are fabulous; it’s Bali. But these treatments for the soul are the real deal and leave such a long-lasting sense of serenity you’d be a fool to miss out. Read expert review. From £446per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
Amandari Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
9Telegraph expert rating
This is one of the longest established and most elegant hotels in Bali. Set within the lush green grounds, overlooking the Ayung River, are a selection of simple yet sophisticated villas, all with pretty garden courtyards, chic separate living rooms and indulgent indoor/outdoor bathrooms. There’s a gorgeous crescent-shaped infinity pool cleaved into the hillside, tucked-away tennis courts, and complimentary bicycles. For those in need of a little restoration, there’s a tranquil spa staffed by a team of self-assured therapists. Service is cooler and more low-key than most luxury hotels, but staff will happily arrange anything you wish, from local art tours to hikes up volcanoes to appointments with local healers. Read expert review. From £665per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Mr & Mrs Smith.
W Bali – Seminyak Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia
8Telegraph expert rating
W Bali is an invigorating tropical playground in the heart of one of Bali’s most popular tourist areas. It’s a luxurious hotel that makes for a wonderful place to relax, yet offers enough to satisfy fun-loving travellers’ appetites. The terraced swimming pools – well attended by staff, who are on call to serve drinks and ice-creams from amply-stocked trolleys – often serve as the focal point of music and fashion events. W’s spa, meanwhile, is open all day and night. Guests are offered complimentary access to the hot stone bath and cold plunge pool. Also within the spa complex, casually sophisticated Chill Bar offers Mediterranean fare and fresh juices. Read expert review. From £270per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
The Bulgari Resort Bali Uluwatu, Bali, Indonesia
9Telegraph expert rating
Banish any thoughts of naked lady fountains and gilded cupids; The Bulgari Resort Bali is deliciously smooth and subdued. A blend of Balinese architecture and contemporary Italian design might sound like an odd combination, but, in fact, it works surprisingly well, with cobbled paths showered by pink bougainvillea blending beautifully with volcanic stone walls, rich exotic woods and thatched roofs. For a fairly small resort The Bulgari packs a good punch; there’s a wonderful spa with sea-view treatment rooms, a pretty infinity pool perched on the cliff-side, and a boulder-studded patch of beach which can only be reached by riding the hotel’s private funicular 100-metres down the mountainside – molto Italiano. Read expert review. From £499per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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Desa Seni Canggu, Bali, Indonesia
8Telegraph expert rating
You can't fail to feel calmer after a stay at this magical resort, the design of which is inspired by a traditional Indonesian village. Everything is geared towards health and wellbeing: there's a large swimming pool with a charming thatched sala for shade and open-air yoga studio (classes are available throughout the day). At the Merapu Svaasthya Spa, holistic treatments vary from Chinese Medicine-inspired practices such as acupuncture and reflexology, through to a chakra opening ceremony with an Indonesian healer. The Suite Houses are ideal for honeymooners with a four-poster bed, twin sinks in the bathroom and spacious living area which leads onto a porch. Read expert review. From £118per night.
Alila Manggis Manggis, Bali, Indonesia
7Telegraph expert rating
Alila Manggis's complex of two-storey villas overlook an immaculate lawn with a square, ice-blue pool at the centre edged by a striking row of tall coconut palms. For anyone wanting to relax away from other guests, there are two bales down by the beach where a menu of spa treatments is on offer. This includes the likes of aromatherapy, facials, massages and body scrubs. Traditional Balinese healing is also available, using natural herbs and spices, holistic therapies and ancient wisdom to cure physical and mental illness. Exhilarating bike rides down from the volcano are also a must – the guide is super and speeding through hillside villages and brilliant green rice paddies is great, scenic fun. A beginners’ dive in the pool is free twice a week. Read expert review. From £101per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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