A wellness expert recommends her favourite spa experiences on the paradisiacal island of Bali

Bali-based Kathryn Romeyn knows the island's best spas inside-out and shares her picks, from romantic couple's treatments at Ayana Estate to sleep therapy at Capella Ubud.

Lush jungles, majestic Hindu temples and idyllic beaches: the only thing that could possibly make visiting Bali even more incredible is immersing yourself in its world-renowned spa culture.

Many visitors to Bali – nicknamed "The Last Paradise" – gravitate towards the colourful markets and temples found in the town of Ubud, but incredible spas can be found all over the island's eight kabupaten (regencies). To find some of its best spa experiences, we spoke to Kathryn Romeyn – a Bali-based travel and wellness writer whose very job description involves visiting the island's best spas.

"Something you never want to turn down in Bali is a spa treatment," said Romeyn, who first visited Bali 10 years ago. "It's just unlike anywhere else in the world."

The magic of the Balinese spa experience lies in the trifecta of Indonesian spirituality; masterful healing techniques; and spectacular island panoramas of jungles, rice terraces and mountains. "[The Balinese technique] tends to be quite flowy and really soothing, sort of transformative," said Romeyn. "You end up feeling like you're floating in the clouds half the time."

Soothing is the keyword for a typical Balinese massage, which often starts with a gentle foot washing and ends with a soothing cup of ginger tea, whereas classic spa treatments traditionally involve naturistic elements, like flower petals floated on the surface of a bath or rice powder scrubs and soaks.

Here are Romeyn's seven favourite spa experiences in Bali.

Looking for romance in Bali is like looking for water in the sea. Romeyn's pick for a couple's spa escape is Spa on the Rocks at the sprawling Ayana Estate; a complex of four adjacent five-star luxury resorts perched on a cliff straddling the white Jimbaran coastline and swathes of Balinese jungle.

"They have these two spa villas that are built atop rocks," said Romeyn. "My husband and I once did a whole three-hour treatment that included a bath that was filled with hundreds of roses. And then there was this body scrub and massage for both of us… We finished our treatment and the sun was setting, and it was just like this brilliant blaze of an orange red sunset as we were wrapping up. That definitely is a great couple's [spa experience]."

Romantic and spiritual Balinese flower baths like the one Romeyn and her husband experienced are a frequent feature at high-end spas like Ayana. "You can either order a flower bath to be filled in your bathtub," said Romeyn. "Or occasionally, I've gone and they've just had it as a welcome thing where they have frangipani filling the bathtub… I don't think there's any aesthetic benefit per se; you're not going to look different after a flower bath but you may feel very relaxed and you're going to smell really good."

Couple's treatments at Spa on the Rocks are just one type of wellness experience visitors can enjoy at Ayana Spa, which also offers a full menu of thalassotherapy, Balinese healing, Nakatsuji method, marine rituals and therapeutic face and body treatments. Afterwards, guests can retire to Ayana Estate's various clifftop and ocean view villas for the ultimate in relaxation.

Website: https://www.ayana.com/bali/spa/

Address: Jalan Karang Mas Sejahtera, Jimbaran, Bali, Indonesia

Phone: +62-361-702222

Instagram: @ayanaresort

In Bali, spa rituals are more than skin-deep – they frequently incorporate elements of Balinese Hindu spirituality designed to purify the soul as well as the skin and balance the body's seven chakras (its main energy points). Romeyn's favourite holistic Balinese spa experience is found at the Sacred River Spa at the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, a village 15 minutes from Ubud.

"They have a series of chakra rituals," said Romeyn. "My favourite is the Muladhara Chakra [grounding] treatment. At one point, you're sitting on a box with a hole in it that has burning incense and things underneath it and it's sort of cleansing you from the inside out … They recommend it after a long flight because they use all these spices and herbs and things that are grounding you in place. It's your root chakra. It's supposed to make you feel settled somewhere."

The Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan is situated on the idyllic Ayung River Valley and surrounded by lush Balinese jungle, offering its guests a sanctuary-like stay immersed in local cultural experiences. The beautifully appointed villas and suites are decorated in breezy fabrics and feature exquisite wooden details. After a day of river rafting and rice field cycling tours, guests can unwind in the sauna and jacuzzi, then try the Sacred River Spa's bespoke CODAGE "cellular workout" facials, body scrubs, massages and browse their full menu of chakra-balancing ceremonies.

"[The Muladhara Chakra treatment] is just completely different from anything else I've experienced elsewhere in the world," said Romeyn.

Website: https://www.fourseasons.com/sayan/spa

Address: Jl. Raya Sayan, Sayan, Kecamatan Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia

Phone: +62 (361) 977577

Instagram: @fsbali

Feeling relaxed is an expected by-product of a fabulous spa treatment, but to reach ultimate relaxation nirvana, Romeyn recommends the Deep Sleep Therapy treatment at the tented rainforest camp oasis, Capella Ubud Resort Bali.

"That one's really fantastic," said Romeyn. "It's something you do at night just before bed… Their resort is just 22 tents, these kind of stilted tents that are like permanent tents, very flamboyantly, beautifully designed, [and] the therapist comes to you and does the treatment in your bed. It's focused around the lower legs and shoulders and neck and head and face… I was so lulled into sleep [and] slept beautifully after that… It was a really beautiful experience."

Auriga Wellness designs their extensive menu of wellness, massage and face-and-body treatments to align with the phases of the Moon, encouraging guests to embrace celestial rhythms before retreating into the opulent jungle-glamp setting, designed by world-renowned landscape architect Bill Bensley.

Website: https://capellahotels.com/en/capella-ubud

Address: Jl. Raya Dalem, Banjar Triwangsa, Desa Keliki, Kec. Tegallalang Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80561, Indonesia

Phone: +62 361 2091888

Instagram: @capellaubud

"That's so hard!" protested Romeyn when asked about her favourite outdoor spa experience on what is arguably the world's most paradisical island, finally settling on Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape. "[It's] about 40 minutes north of Ubud," she said of the adults-only luxury jungle resort with its 16 thatched-roof villas with their private pools and dramatic views of Bali's seven peaks. "It's a place where there are no doors or walls on the accommodations or anything in the resort so it's all very open to nature and it's in this very remote part, [so] you're not going to see tourists around."

Buahan Resort's Toja Spa – toja means "water" in Indonesian – also utilises an open-air approach to its massages and body treatments. Toja Spa's offerings take their cue from local culture and wellbeing techniques, using locally sourced products in their signature Buahan Bliss detox body treatment and Energy Healing singing bowl session.

"The thing that struck me about [my] treatment," said Romeyn, "is that the therapist, before she started, looked me in the eyes and said she was grateful to be giving me this massage. I was, like, 'Wow, no one's ever said that to me before.' It really struck me and stayed with me."

Website: https://escape.banyantree.com/wellbeing

Address: Banjar Salat, Buahan Kaja, Payangan, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80572, Indonesia

Phone: (+62) 361 6208181

Instagram: @banyantree.escape

Romeyn has luxuriated in Bali's most beautiful beaches, so for a truly breathtaking beach spa experience, take her advice and head to Amankila Spa at Amankila Hotel Bali – a five-star luxury hillside Aman resort on Bali's east coast set between idyllic rice paddies with stunning panoramas of turquoise sea, sprawling coastline and sky.

"It's on a black sand beach," said Romeyn. "I had a massage there in one of their beach bales – [that's a small] beach pavilion where you would just sort of hang out while you're at the beach. The therapists come down there and they send you treatments on this raised platform over the beach."

Amankila Spa takes its cues from the resort's tranquil luxury setting of stilted suites nested between frangipani-lined paths, so in addition to performing traditional Balinese baths and body treatments in beach bales, guests may also enjoy spa services in the resort's guest suites, the massage pavilion or open-air locales under tropical canopies.

"It was high tide, [during my treatment]" said Romeyn. "And so, the waves were coming and crashing underneath us as [my therapist] was doing my massage. You're in this beautiful paradise of a deserted black sand beach and the waves are crashing under you. It was just a completely natural environment that was really beautiful."

Amankila Spa's therapies are performed by highly trained specialist practitioners and utilise nature-derived ingredients. Guests can try the body scrubs and wraps, or the spa's special cinta therapy – a purifying and cleansing full-body exfoliation followed by a warm chakra-opening flower bath and aromatherapy body massage.

Website: https://www.aman.com/resorts/amankila

Address: Jl. Raya Manggis, Manggis, Kec. Manggis, Kabupaten Karangasem, Bali 80871, Indonesia

Phone: +62 363 41333

Instagram: @aman

In general, spa treatments in Bali are blissfully solitary adventures. "You definitely will see girlfriends going to the spa together but they're pretty much going their own way," explained Romeyn. However, she does recommend one spa experience that encourages interaction: the Longevity Garden at the oceanfront Balinese village-inspired luxury resort, the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay.

"It's kind of like a DIY experience," said Romeyn of the treatment, which is offered at the resort's spa, The Healing Village. "It's for two people, so you could do it with a girlfriend, you could do it with a partner, you could do it solo."

The Longevity Garden is a tranquil outdoor space featuring a hammam steam room and cold plunge, where visitors perform their own treatment using the provided coconut soap, pumice and volcanic mud masks, following the prescribed process. "First you do the scrub, and you go into the steam room," explained Romeyn. "And then you put on the thermal mud and then you lay on these stone beds that heat up because they're radiant heated… so you're hanging out there; that's where it's a social thing. You're talking with your partner or friend or whoever you're doing it with. And then you're at the end jumping into full plunge."

The Longevity Garden is just one innovative spa experience visitors can try at The Healing Village, like the Illume Room – a surround sound spa dedicated to colour therapy healing – as well as chakra, crystal and detox treatments utilising holistic Jimbaran therapeutic techniques. Traditional massages and beautifying facial and body treatments are also offered. 

Website: https://www.fourseasons.com/jimbaranbay/spa/

Address: Jimbaran Bay, South Kuta, Badung Regency, Bali 80361, Indonesia

Phone: +62 363 41333

Instagram: @fsbali

Raffles Bali, a hilltop luxury resort on Jimbaran Bay with breathtaking views of the Indian Ocean, is Romeyn's pick when she needs to decompress – physically and mentally. "It has such a wellness focus," said Romeyn. "They have full bespoke wellness journeys that they'll help organise. Their butlers are considered wellness concierge guides."

Raffles Bali's Wellbeing Butlers serve guests 24/7 and act as cultural and emotional guides, whereas the sanctuary-like Raffles Spa offers treatments inspired by Balinese and Southeast Asian healing practices. Romeyn recalled a memorable retreat she enjoyed at the all-villa resort: "I went there for a couple of days and ended up doing Reiki with a Balinese master," she said. "I did Tai Chi at sunrise one morning on the beach with no one around. I had a Melukat ceremony which is like a Balinese purifying cleansing ceremony at their temple. And then at the end I had the most incredible massage on the edge of this cavern, looking out to the ocean with just green everywhere… the experience was just so well rounded and immersive and healing and pampering."

For even more pampering, try the spa's antioxidant facials and hot stone massage, as well as indulgent aromatic steam rooms to perfectly prepare you for holistic wellness experiences like full moon yoga on the beach or Tibetan singing bowl meditation.

Website: https://www.raffles.com/bali/

Address: Jalan Karang Mas Sejahtera 1a, Jimbaran, South Kuta, Badung Regency, Bali 80361, Indonesia

Phone: +62 361 2015800

Instagram: @raffles_bali

BBC Travel's The SpeciaList is a series of guides to popular and emerging destinations around the world, as seen through the eyes of local experts and tastemakers.

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