My life has been pretty crazy lately so on the spur of the moment I decided to book a women’s health retreat in Bali for a week. I read a glowing review of one particular women’s retreat in Bali on Facebook but before I booked it I reached out to a friend who used to bring women’s tours to Bali. She gave me some recommendations but I narrowed it down to the one that could fit me in at short notice.
I had previously come to Bali on women’s only tours with the wonderful Cherie at BaliTravel4Women, and enjoyed embracing the healthier side of me. So this time around it was all about finding my inner goddess in Bali. It was high time I did something proactive to improve my wellbeing on both a physical and mental level.
Women’s health retreats are designed for busy and burnt out women who want to relax and unwind whilst enjoying pampering treatments and healthy eating. Some retreats even offer detox programs. The Bali Women Retreats mostly offer daily yoga, meditation, some form of healing treatments, massages and nourishing, healthy and freshly prepared meals.
Some retreats also offer add on activities like surfing, standup paddle boarding, hiking, cycling, white water rafting and snorkelling. Spiritual wellness is also a big deal in Bali with many retreats offering traditional Balinese healers, temple blessings, physic readings, Ayurvedic treatments, water purification cleansing ceremonies and sound healing.
Goddess Retreats have two retreats in Bali – one in Seminyak and the other in Ubud. Founder, Chelsea explained: “The idea behind these places was to create physically, emotionally and spiritually transformative retreats, that are accessible and meaningful for the modern woman. A place to, not only have a healthy holiday, but to renew in an environment with the intention of holding a sacred space for a potentially life-affirming and life-changing experience. A place where a woman can reconnect with her empowered inner Goddess”.
This retreat started as a women’s surfing retreat and then progressed from there to bring in the health and relaxation aspect as well. It’s the complete package for busy women, either young or old, who are burnt out and need pampering. It is also a wonderful way to kick-start a healthy regime into your life with it’s healthy food and optional full detox program. But at the same time offering some interesting and exciting activities and day trips.
I arrived on a late flight and missed the orientation meeting and first dinner with the other guests at the retreat. After I had a good night’s sleep I didn’t make the yoga class at 6.15am, so went to meet up with the rest of the women for breakfast. There were 15 of us in total of varying ages, from 23 to 67 years of age and also of varying nationalities. The majority of the guests were from USA.
I was blown away by the breakfast that was waiting for us. There was fresh fruit juice, jamu (Balinese herbal medicine), fresh tropical fruits, bircher muesli, eggs cooked to your preference, all beautifully presented.
Straight after breakfast I was whisked away to Sanur to have my stand up paddle boarding session with my own private instructor. After an exhausting couple of hours I returned to the retreat for a body scrub and massage at the day spa.
The days ensued with early morning yoga with an experienced yogi, plenty of pampering with a variety of spa treatments like facials, manicures, pedicures, hair treatments, body scrubs and divine massages. There was a cacao ceremony and a meditation session led by the gorgeous Clara.
On the fourth day I was driven to Ubud to the other Goddess Retreat to undertake a Balinese cooking class with the chef at the retreat. I really enjoyed preparing healthy nutritious dishes from fresh ingredients that were hand picked from their permaculture garden at the back of the retreat.
Apart from eating very healthily each night we had two free nights to dine out. The first night a group of us ventured to Potato Head Beach Club for a sunset cocktail. We also shared some pizzas, French fries and dumplings (which was a breakaway from our healthy diet so far!)
There was plenty of free time to go shopping if you so desired. The main shopping area in Seminyak was only 10 minutes walk away. But mostly, it was about relaxation, laying around the swimming pool, reading and napping during the day.
At our very last lunch together as a group we were treated to a decadent high tea luncheon, with chai tea, miniature sandwiches, cakes and savouries all presented beautifully on the table.
The week quickly passed and before I knew it, it was time to go home. We all sadly said our goodbyes because we had become very close knit during our time together. Our hostesses, who were absolutely amazing, were also sad to see some of us leave.
I spent one more night at Berawa Beach in Canggu before getting a red eye flight back to the Gold Coast.
The retreat was all inclusive really, apart from air fares and two dinners. Inclusions were:
For this burnt out and stressed out woman it was just what the doctor ordered. I was pampered from head to toe and managed to get a well earned rest. The Goddess Retreat in Bali was a luxurious and decadent experience that left me feeling rejuvenated and with loads more energy and positivity.
When I returned home my mind and body felt refreshed and when I got on the bathroom scales it revealed that I had lost 3 kilos in a week. My skin was glowing and friends remarked that I looked healthy. This was the kick-start that I needed to change my diet, cut down on the amount of wine that I was drinking and to slow down and relax (meditate) on a daily basis.
