Fivelements Retreat Bali

Fivelements Puri Ahimsa Retreat is situated on the Ayung River, considered sacred in Bali. The lush tropical grounds include croton plants, colorful and fragrant frangipani and orchid flowers, palm trees, butterflies, birds, and koi ponds dotted with lotus flowers. The buildings are constructed of wood and bamboo and have thatched roofs, making them blend in well with the surrounding greenery. The Fivelements is a holistic wellness retreat that promotes Balinese culture and lifestyle, and offers programs to help with spiritual enlightenment and harmony with nature. The atmosphere is relaxed and serene, with an emphasis on healing and purification. Traditional Balinese spa treatments, vegan and vegetarian cuisine, clean water, fresh air, natural light, and garden areas for meditation and peace dialogue all contribute to this. A sacred temple provides a space for fire purification ceremonies with a Balinese priest. It's not all spiritual journeys, though, as there are enough modern trappings here to keep everyone happy. Guests tend to gather around the large free-form swimming pool, which is bordered by a wood deck with white lounge chairs and umbrellas. The retreat draws mostly Australian and American couples.

Fivelements Puri Ahimsa Retreat is on the Ayung River in the quiet village of Mambal, which is a scenic spot for a morning stroll. A few shops and restaurants are within a 15-minute walk or a five-minute drive. The Pasar Mambal traditional Balinese market is about a 15-minute walk from the hotel. As the Ubud area is famous for its artistic culture, there's plenty to do in the area. The Agung Rai Museum of Art displays Balinese, Indonesian, and European artists, and has lovely botanical gardens -- it's a 15-minute drive from the hotel. Blanco Renaissance Museum is a 20-minute drive, and it will also take 20 minutes to reach the center of Ubud, with its shops, restaurants, cafes, and yoga centers. The retreat offers a free daily round-trip shuttle to central Ubud. The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, another popular local sight, is a 30-minute drive away.  Ngurah Rai International Airport, outside of Kuta, will take an hour to reach by car.

All nine villas at Fivelements Puri Ahimsa Retreat are spacious and set on a lush forested hillside with waterfalls. Each villa has a veranda overlooking the Ayung River, making for a lovely start or finish to the day. Villas are clean and quiet, with good natural light and the pleasant smell of Balinese incense. Designed in the shape of a sacred spiral, villas have a rustic yet refined look, with high grass-roofed ceilings, bamboo walls, rattan screens, and recycled timber floors. The teak beds are made with white cotton linens and have brightly patterned bed runners and throw pillows that pick up the subtle colors in the traditional Balinese handwoven fabrics that are used for Balinese weddings and royal ceremonies. 

One of the more special features here is the lighting, which can be customized to the seven colors of the chakras. Guests control the lights via a bedside tablet that also controls the music, as all villas come with stereos and iPod docks. Villas also come with air-conditioning, in-room safes, and free Wi-Fi. In keeping with the quiet, natural feel of a stay at the Fivelements, there are no TV sets. Villas also lack minibars or coffeemakers. Each villa has a private bamboo enclosure with an open-air soaking tub carved out of river stone. Adjacent indoor/outdoor bathrooms have tropical gardens, rustic stone walls, and private outdoor rainfall showers. Bathrooms are clean and spacious, and all come with premium bath products sourced from local farmers. Villas are all non-smoking.

Fivelements Puri Ahimsa Retreat offers an excellent selection of facilities and amenities, most unsurprisingly centered on health and wellness. The full-service spa has eight private riverside healing rooms with river-stone healing bathtubs. The wide variety of Balinese treatments include holistic massages, aroma massages, aromatic flower baths, deep healing reflexology, and acupressure. Guests can also rejuvenate in a circular, heated Watsu therapy pool with massage jets. The large free-form swimming pool is long enough for laps, and features massage jets, underwater music, and chromotherapy lighting. The beauty sanctuary offers body, face, nail, and hair care, while a laboratory creates natural remedies from fresh herbs, flowers, and spices from the on-site medicinal gardens and surrounding area. It also houses a traditional organic medicine apothecary and hosts training and workshops. A boutique shop sells Balinese antiques, artifacts, textiles, healing crystals, meditation beads, jewelry, and Balinese Usadha herbal remedies and essential oils. The hotel's well-liked restaurant serves innovative raw vegan and lightly cooked plant-based dishes like curry laksa and beetroot and red rice risotto. The restaurant also has a lounge and high-tech kitchen with cooking classes and health coaching. Keep in mind that while breakfast is offered, it's only included in certain rates. Fivelements also has a temple with fire purification ceremonies, extensive wedding and honeymoon services, meeting rooms, free parking, and free shuttle service to central Ubud. Wi-Fi is free throughout.