Visiting a spa is the ideal holiday activity, or more accurately, the ideal non-activity. Being massaged, creamed, steamed generally pampered is the ultimate indulgence, and the best possible way to relax and unwind.

And Bali is the ultimate spa destination. With a vast range of exotic tropical ingredients to spice up your spa experience, the most luxurious environments natural wood, clay and stone, and the most caring an genuinely warm attendants to assist you, there is definitely no better place to indulge.

Often hand ground by mo and pestle, the traditional Indonesian herbal concoction that form the basis of most s treatments are a sensual feast. More creative modern adaptations also make use of a smorgasbord of delicious ingredients such yogurt, papaya, coconut, and variety of essential oils.

In the popular Java “lulur” bath, for example, an exotic blend of spices is used cleanse and nourish the skin while it is being massaged.. The bright yellow mixture has a soft, sweet smell that is conducive to the positive relaxation experience. The spice blend can be showered with yogurt, leaving your feeling cool and fresh.

Spa design has become specialized art in itself, with marble and stone, coconut wood and teak, woven cottons and silks commonly being used to decorate the spa area and create an inspiring ambience. The rooms themselves are often spacious and tastefully appointed, sometimes with large sunken spa baths, often with soft lighting and gentle piped music. Some spa resorts are set up like villages, with thatched spa huts lining pathways of stepping-stones through water lilied fish ponds. Each of these huts may have its own garden with waterfall and open but private outlook.

The Balinese make wonderful masseurs, too, with a strong tradition of therapeutic care and a gentle but firm approach to massage. Traditional Balinese massage techniques have been passed down through the centuries, but the range of massages available in Bali is not purely Indonesian. In fact, all corners of the massage world are represented here on this tiny isle. It’s possible to have Eastern, European, Swedish and Hawaiian lomi-lomi massages as well as Japanese and Thai techniques. Long firm strokes, circular rubs, acu-pressure, muscle manipulation, and movement of the joint4 can all be combined to create the ideal massage routine. Massage that makes use of these techniques should relieve muscle tension and improve circulation of the blood and lymphatic systems, helping to oxy genate vital organs and remove toxins.

It’s easy to feel comfortable and at home when you are greeted with a bright smile and some appropriate words of welcome, which comes naturally to the Balinese. If you travel along the main route linking the tourist areas, from Nusa Dua to Jimbaran, to Kuta and finally Sanur, you will see a number of spa establishments along the way. This is a clear indication of the huge popularity of spas. You will also notice that many hotels are no longer simply hotels, but several have become transformed into a “Hotel and Spa”.

One of the most opulent spas in Bali is Spa At The Villas in Seminyak. Consisting of 40 individual private villas in luxury furnishings. The Spa At the Villas com bines the traditions of the royal palace court baths of Yogyakarta and the old Moorish harems to create an exotic center of health, beauty and rejuvenation.

All treatment programs and products are the exclusive creation of spa management group, Jamu -Jamu. The products are made from fresh fruits, vegetables and other indigenous ingredients. Guests can also partake of a selection of Jamu-jamu juices, herbal teas and tonics.

While all treatments are outstanding, a few deserve special mention. The foot Shiatsu massage is effective for relieving aches and pains; the Java Herbal Wrap combines deep body massage and exfoliation; the Herbal Steam Bath uses volcanic mud for cleansing and rejuvenating.

Kuta Paradiso Hotel Bali, close to the heart of Kuta, offers effective and rejuvenating treatments in its Arena Spa. The traditional therapies one can indulge in include flower bath, aromatherapy, body scrub, Balinese boreh, lulur, traditional massage, hand and foot treatment and many others. Touched by delicate hands and wrapped with traditional ingredients, guests soak in fresh tropical flowers and inhale aromatherapy essence oils in a burning jar. Conducted with tender care and attention to restore the balance of body, mind and spirit, all treatments are designed to pamper and rejuvenate. Arena Spa also boasts of a fully equipped gymnasium and sauna.

Nestled amidst lush tropical gardens in the high land town of Ubud, Ubud Sari Health Resort is dedicated to pampering you. There are several package options available, which combines a variety of treatments from its spa and beauty salon. The beauty salon uses only the highest quality products such as Phytomer seaweed products from France, Beauty Mineral Dead Sea products from Israel, and Neways personal and skincare products from America. The treatments which guests can indulge in include, amongst others, Phytomer facial, mud bath, mandi lulur, seaweed body wrap, Neways shampoo and comb-out, firming and reducing body wrap, total body detoxification and body shampoo.

Many people already regard the spa in Hotel Tjampuhan as the best on the island though it only opened recently in April 1999, these unique resorts have become part of the local heritage. Designed by a member of Ubud’s Royal family and a descendent of the founding prince. Occupying a cave-like hollow cut out of the sandstone river bank, the spa is cool and dark from the canopy of the surrounding jungle; stalactites, stalagmites and stone carving form part of its many features. Stone paths lead off here and there, over which water constantly trickles.

Some of the carvings in the spa are made on huge sandstone boulders that were once part of the rock face, and now surround the hot and cold Jacuzzis that overlook the river. In front and on either side of the two m Jacuzzis are two private Jacuzzis. The latter allowing guests to enjoy the view of the river and the opposite bank in solace as they bathe.The massage rooms are hollows cut into the cliff face, which can accommodate singles, couples or groups. Here, expert masseuses perform their fluid movements to the sound of the river rushing over centuries old volcanic boulders in the valley. A wide range of aromatherapy treatments and herbal remedies provide the perfect opportunity for holistic health and healing.

Just up the road from Tjampuhan Hotel lies the luxurious boutique hotel Pita Maha. Situated opposite the river, it is also owned and run by the local family. Pita Maha’s spa offers all the uniqueness and the serenity as that of Pita Maha, with the added plus that it can only be booked by a couple for two hours at a time.

Advertised as a” Tjampuhan Spa”, the spa at Pita Maha specially caters for those seeking complete privacy thoughout the two-hour treatment. The view from the hotel across the river is panoramic, and is uninterrupted by Ubud’s urban sprawl.

The spa itself is a quaint, cozy complex on two levels that is built on a terrace on the steep bank. It consist of two buildings and a steam room and sauna cut into the rock face in the style of that of the Tjampuhan Hotel.

The massage room is a closed space, complete with a large, king sized bed, TV and stereo system. Two large, floor and ceiling windows offer a full view of the breathtaking surroundings. Beneath one of these windows outside lie three small pools which are perched right at the edge of the precipice.

These are hot and cold Jacuzzis and a whirlpool, where guests may relax after their one hour treatment in a massage room. Pita Maha’s small spa complex include an open air bale which, like the pools, is perched at the edge of precipice and offers the same incredible views as the massage room. The steam room and sauna are tucked into the cliff face alongside it.

Treatments at Pita Maha include, a variety of massages, scrubs, facials, manicures pedicures, and acupressure.Guests book the spa for a two-hour period, which is taken up with the treatment of their choice.

Fairly new on the spa scene in Bali, but stemming from a well-established tradition in Indonesian natural cosmetics, is Martha Tilaar’s Salon and Spa, in a convenient location on the by-pass at Nusa Dua. Martha Tilaar herself has won many awards for her ingenious approach to bringing traditional treatments to the modern environment. With the wonderful interior to highlight these treatments and enhance the opportunity for relaxation, your cosmetic makeover, massage, or general spa treatment will be complete.

Mandara Spa is a well-established chain of spas with salons that originated in Indonesia but are now found throughout Asia, and indeed further a field. The Chedi Ubud, The Serai are two of the exclusive hotels that have spas run by Mandara. Most of the treaments used by the spa have Indonesian origins, but the preparations are constantly evolving with the influence of each country in which Mandara operates. Mandara ensures that each spa reflects its environment, but also offers a consistent quality of service and products in every spa. An ancient Sanskrit legend gave birth to the name ‘Ma and this name carries with itthe gods’ search for the elixir of immortality and eternal youth.

The Sheraton Hotels offer some wonderful spa experiences, with their new Frangipani Spa and Health Club at the Sheraton Laguna in Bali, and the Laguna Spa at the Sheraton Senggigi in Lombok. The Frangipani Club recently received training from the prestigious ‘Germaine de Cappuccini’ spa company from Spain, and now offers an even wider range of beauty and therapeutic treatments.

The Radisson offer Asia Spa and Fitness consulting combines interior and exterior fitness, activity and relaxation, in its comprehensive range of services. The traditional Balinese acupressure massage and unique combinations of herbs and spices help to rejuvenate and redefine total body health.

In fact most of the larger hotels have gymnasiums, pools and tennis courts conveniently located near the spa, so it’s possible to make the most of a workout. The Nusa Dua Spa at the Nusa Dua Beach Hotel can add squash courts and a climbing wall, as well as a lap pool with underwater music - all in an exotic environment that beautifully blends traditional elegance with smart modern convenience.

The Bali Hyatt has four double villas and four single treatment rooms in a village setting. Each private villa has a lovely outdoor garden and semi-covered seating area, shower and massage beds, and there are also sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi facilities. The “Path to Swarga Loka” package is a complete service that is designed to take you to “the heavens”, and very popular with guests.

The Warung Djamoe at Hotel Tugu is one of most authentic traditional spa experiences, still using therapies practised centuries ago in Bali and t parts of South-East Asia. The spa itself is part of wonderful living museum that makes up the hot complex, and authentic South Eat Asian antique grace the rooms.

The Uluwatu Villa Retreats at the Intercontinental Hotel in Jimbaran offer lifestyle experiences appeal to all senses. All private villas offer the bale beds and private pools, as well as individual music systems. One of these villas has full audiovisual facilities, with a sound system, video and library. “Ultimate Retreat” offered here lasts for six hours, starts and finishes with leisurely drinks and snacks.

Cloves, chilies and pepper are blended together with other local spices to produce a curative body mask for a Balinese Boreh, at Le Meridien Nirwana Golf and Spa Resort at Tanah Lot. After massage with these ingredients, the body is wrapped in a warm blanket to ensure they are actively working to relief muscle pain. Bali coffee and tropical fruits, such a papaya and coconut, are used elsewhere.

The use of fabulous aromas, and sometimes more carefully crafted aromatherapy sessions, has usually become part and parcel of the total modern massage and spa treatment. Thermo therapy and aqua aero bics, hot spas and cold plunge pools, saunas and steam baths are also fast becoming compulsory addendum in the therapeutic process. Massage treatments using saltwater, seaweed and special jet sprays are part of the invigorating approach at the Thalasso Aquamedic Centre at the Grand Mirage Hotel in Benoa.

Moksaartam Jagatdhita Tachaity Dharma is an ancient Sanskrit phrase of the Balinese which is taken from the Holy book of Sutasoma. It means “the harmony and happiness is the unity of two differences, Lingga and Yoni, Yin and Yang, heaven and earth.” This philosophy is manifested in the Kalaspa Health and Healing Spa— the first of its kind in Bali— where health and healing are combined in total harmony to create a myriad of unforgettable rejuvenation methods. The therapy is conducted amidst a romantic atmosphere, elevating your vacation to great heights of relaxation.

Many spas have cafes attached, and it is possible to cleanse the body internally as well as externally with a range of healthy treats. Calorie controlled, fat conscious foods are available at these special cafes, so it’s possible to indulge healthfully.

For example, the Ubud Sari Health Resort also combines the services of a vegetarian restaurant and an alternative care health clinic so that a holistic approach to health is introduced to its guests.

There is certainly no shortage of opportunities in Bali for that once-in-a- lifetime indulgence - although the options here are so attractive it’s more likely to become a regular event. Enjoy the experience!

Tags: Bali Activities, Spa in Bali, bali tourist information