Celebrating the Goddess in YOU in Seminyak, Bali!

Seminyak in Bali is synonymous with vibrant, bohemian chic. Off the high street, on a much quieter byroad, are an array of spas and eateries. And on a drive-in of this byroad lies a hidden gem. A little Aladdin wish-fulfilled like magical place. 

Exclusive and luxurious villas line the drive in, at the end of which lies the epicentre of rejuvenation. An outdoor living area for informal lounging opens into this oasis-space. In front of the living area is an open-plan kitchen overseeing a long dining table that overlooks a cobalt swimming pool. Diagonally above the pool is a spa and below the spa a yogashala. The yogashala became a space where I experienced very meaningful yoga classes with the American instructor Jess.

Photo credit: https://en.wikivoyage.org/

Fragipani and Palm trees, Garden Croton, and Bird’s Nest Fern edge the serene garden in front of the yoga shala. This calming garden completes the quadrangle of tranquility to make it fit for a retreat space that celebrates the Goddess in you. Goddess Retreats in uber fashionable Seminyak Bali is a perfect place for women to nurture themselves to fuller radiance. 

A cuppa of ginger and fresh mint tea awaited me on my arrival. Tea-sipping, I was given a tour of my enchanting villa. Creepers prettily lined the quaint wooden villa door. Birds of Paradise – amongst the most enthralling flowers in the world, were lined outside the entrance. 

Photo credit: booking.com

The door opened to an indulgent swimming pool, the pool floor tiles giving it an electric blue colour. Facing the pool were three turquoise loungers with umbrellas. Behind them, an idyllic outdoor living area with swaying white muslin curtains draped to the sides framed a three piece cane sofa set in a relaxing colour scheme of white and murmuring blue. A mini library of travel and well being books and a Bose sound system playing soothing music upped the tenor of serenity.

Though all meals were catered for, the villas came replete with thoughtfully stocked kitchens. A fruit basket on the kitchen breakfast table was each day replenished with sumptuous local fruits - snake fruit, mangosteen, pineapple and dragon fruit.

As I entered my villa room (fit for a princess) I was most touched by my name inscribed on the bed with flower petals together with a personal note and a goody bag with useful items for my stay. The bathrooms had an indoor shower and the novelty of an outdoor one too. 

The attention to detail throughout the property was striking. Doors carried beautiful notes – like the placard to the entrance to the yogashala garden said, ‘You are now entering a stress free zone’. The sign on the spa door read, ‘This is our happy place.’ Myriad powerful words were inscribed with marigold petals on the yogashala floor each day. On my first day 'love' and 'namaste' were writ large. On a following day, ‘harmony’ and ‘peace’ and on my last day, ‘Bali’ and ‘Goddess’. 

Packages at Goddess Retreats include unlimited spa treatments from facials and foot reflexology to manicures and pedicures and an array of nurturing body scrubs and massages. I loved the wonderfully welcoming spa staff and on my last day I was most touched by their gesture of a frangipani flower crown handmade by them and a sarong that they gifted me. We interacted with such ease that we were often in peals of girly laughter before and after the treatments.

During the week’s retreat, three days were marked as Bliss Days, that is, days when I could avail of any of the amazing activities on offer from among a list of thirteen. I chose snorkeling, surfing and a visit to a temple that sits perched on a beach. 

Snorkeling in Bali was a magical experience. The ocean waters were crystal clear. Hundreds of fish of different colours, sizes, shapes and patterns swam alongside me. I wondered if the fish had any hubris about their prettiness. Nature, as a carpenter, in the coral reefs had its most stunning marine furniture on show. Sighting a slow moving manta ray that allowed me the time to marvel at it, was a highlight. 

Photo credit: escape.com.au

My first surf lesson was also a lesson in life. The waves were especially gutsy that morning. Surfboard in hand, as I approached the waves, my surf instructor said. "The waves are very powerful but so are you. Don't fight the power of the waves, go along  with it, then you will see how beautifully you will ride the waves." This to me, was a takeaway for life - to work in harmony with our own/life's power and not resist it. 

For my temple visit, Yuni, the assistant manager at the retreat dressed me up most beautifully in the traditional sarong and top. Entry is allowed only if the traditional attire is worn. During the beautiful drive to the temple I noticed the clouds making mountain shapes on the sky as they too were dancing to the music of the island's charm. 

Every villa room had a jar of lush cookies. Made with just organic brown sugar, dark chocolate and coconut they were a metaphor that well-being is not about deprivation but about nurturing oneself and making the right choices, on a daily basis. Time at the retreat left me with a greater sense of mindfulness and resolve to keep making these small, right choices every day.

Photo credits - Goddess Retreats

This article was written by Dr Priya Virmani - who is an author, travel expert and well being therapist.