This luxury getaway in Bali lets you choose your own path to wellness
Does a regimental wellbeing retreat sound like too much work? At Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Ubud, you can detox then retox without feeling a smidge of guilt.
When it comes to a wellness retreat, you can be forgiven for feeling tired before it even begins.
After all, most of us probably envision having to follow a strict, low-calorie diet while adhering to a physically intense schedule of fitness and yoga classes. Add various wellbeing sessions ranging from sound bowl meditation to the downright uncomfortable sounding colonic cleansing and one starts to wonder if even a few minutes of lazing by the pool needs to be scheduled in as well. But as they say, no pain, no gain – right?
Thankfully, the good folk at the plush Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve resort in Ubud, Bali believe otherwise. This is why their newly launched Disconnect to Reconnect wellness programme is designed to feel more like a “pick and choose” wellbeing buffet where you can do as much – or as little – as you like in your personal quest to achieving balance.
What the luxury resort does is to offer a daily timetable of four different wellness sessions (there are a total of 20 different activities, all-inclusive) and it is up to guests to choose which they would like to attend. No doubt, with life resuming full throttle in the past year or so since the world shook off the worst of the pandemic, I was certainly looking forward to setting my own (slow) pace at a wellness getaway.
So, off I went to the Island of the Gods, weary enough that I slept my way through the traffic-plagued 1.5-hour chauffeured drive from Denpasar International Airport into the hills of Ubud.
As it is, stepping into the verdant grounds of the resort, which is one of the few Ritz-Carlton Reserves in the world, immediately feels healing. Perched on the edge of a hill and overlooking a rainforest valley through which the sacred Ayung river flows, I ignore my overflowing inbox and turn off my phone so I can fully luxuriate in these lush surroundings.
I definitely had no regrets about disconnecting when shown to my ludicrously capacious one-bedroom villa, which has its own generously sized 7-metre lap pool, standalone bathtub and even a separate living and dining room. The latter is especially ideal for room service since the dining team can let themselves in discreetly to set up and clear the dishes without interrupting whatever it is you are doing in the main villa.
After a deep sleep to the white noise of chirping insects, I awoke naturally just after dawn, raring to give the resort’s Disconnect to Reconnect wellness activities a go. Some sessions like breathwork, vinyasa flow yoga and mandala art colour are beginner-friendly and aim to relieve chronic stress for a calmer and more relaxed state of mind.
There are also interactive activities like Balinese cooking and a medicinal plants workshop for those seeking to learn something new.
Others, like the quantum healing visualisation session, as well as the women circle healing and unveiling masculine healing are perhaps more suited for those who may be more ready to face their emotional and mental “blockages” head on.
The first session of the day was vibrational sound therapy, where metal Tibetan singing bowls are used to create healing sounds at specific frequencies. When done well, proponents of this practice swear by its therapeutic benefits. Unfortunately, I found it impossible to get anywhere close to nirvana because the well-meaning instructor had placed the metal bowls right next to our ears, so each chime felt like an alarm clock jolting me right back to my senses.
Thankfully, the next chakra balancing activity, which featured a gentle series of stretching and strengthening exercises as well as another shorter sound therapy session, worked wonders at resetting my jangled nerves.
(Tip: Those who would like to maximise their wellness activities should check out the timetable of sessions before making reservations to ensure their stay overlaps with the classes and workshops they are interested in attending.)
After all that activity, it was time to visit the crowning glory of Mandapa’s wellness line-up – its spa. Besides a range of facilities like steam rooms, saunas and a rooftop vitality pool which is open to the resort’s guests, there is also an extensive treatment menu of facials, scrubs, massages, and all manner of beauty treatments. As its name implies, the Blissful Marma Massage, which features firm, flowing strokes, worked like a charm in soothing muscular tension.
Or, for a first-hand glimpse into Bali’s famed and somewhat mythical holistic practices, ask for the traditional healing menu featuring some of the island’s most well-regarded practitioners. I managed to snag a coveted 60-minute session with blind healer Ibu Ketut Mursi, who not only intuitively fixed some niggling pains in my fatigued body, but also left me gobsmacked when she offered spot-on advice about my emotional and mental health via a translator.
Thankfully, there is nothing quite like a good meal to soothe the senses. This is why even though one can certainly get by on a veggie juice diet, it would be more satisfying to book a table at Kubu, the hotel’s contemporary dining restaurant set in an architectural bamboo structure. Here, Ubud local and executive sous chef Eka Sunarya showcases a wholesome take on modern Balinese cuisine through his elegant plates featuring local ingredients like moringa and quinoa risotto and Lombok grouper with tomatoes and green olives.
And for sundowners or a nightcap – yes, alcohol is permitted on this retreat if you choose so – head to the Japanese-inspired Ambar where head mixologist Ariyadi Saputra aka Adi holds court. Like Eka, Adi has a penchant for incorporating local and foraged ingredients in his tipple. This means his complex concoctions, like My Grandma, which is inspired by the traditional loloh kunyit drink, features herbs and spices like betel leaves, turmeric and wild honey mixed with homemade Andaliman liquor and rum. Suspend your disbelief and this cocktail is practically medicinal.
Ultimately, what may be the most restorative of all is having access to a dedicated Patih, which means the King’s attendant in Sanskrit. A cross between a personal assistant meets butler, the Patih single-handedly paves the way to a seamless stay at Mandapa. From being a personal buggy chauffeur to making spa and dining reservations and even organising excursions through the Balinese countryside in a vintage VW convertible, it feels like having a genie on call.
Best of all, no detail is too small to escape notice. After a passing remark about my love for cheese, I was surprised by a thoughtful platter of Balinese cheeses in my villa – the perfect late-night snack as I lounged lazily by my private pool.