Empowering Women's Surf & Yoga Retreat in Uluwatu, Bali

The week is structured around two surf sessions most days, usually one in the morning and one in the afternoon, with a yoga class either before breakfast or in the late afternoon. Where you surf depends on swell and tide — Uluwatu has reefs for more advanced surfers and gentler beach breaks nearby for beginners, and the instructors pick the spot each morning based on conditions. You're paired with a group at your level, so a first-timer spends more time in the whitewater learning to stand up while someone who's been surfing for a year works on turning.

Water time is the backbone, but the week isn't only surfing. There's a Balinese cooking class where you make a few of the dishes you'll have eaten all week, a visit to a local school in the area, and a beach clean-up. One afternoon is usually kept free for a massage or a trip to the Uluwatu Temple for sunset, which is a 20-minute drive from the villa.

The retreat is run by women and all guests are women, which is the main thing that separates it from a standard surf camp. That shows up in how the coaching is done — more time spent on the specific things that hold women back in the water, like paddling strength and pop-up mechanics, and less of the macho posturing that can make a mixed surf school unpleasant. Instructors are Indonesian and international surfers who've been teaching for years, and they're in the water with you, not just shouting from the beach.

Accommodation is a private villa in Uluwatu, walking distance from Padang Padang Beach. The villa has a pool, air-conditioned rooms, and shared living space where the group eats breakfast and dinner together. You can share a twin room or pay extra for a private room if you'd rather have your own space at the end of a long day in the sun.

The food is plant-based, local where possible, and cooked at the villa — smoothie bowls and fruit in the morning, big salads and Indonesian dishes at night. If you eat fish or meat that's fine, you just won't find it on the villa table, and the cooking class focuses on the vegetarian dishes. Dietary requirements are handled if you flag them at booking.

What's included

- 7 nights accommodation in a private Uluwatu villa with pool - Daily breakfast and dinner at the villa - Daily surf sessions with qualified women instructors - Surfboard and rash guard hire for sessions - Video analysis of your surfing - Daily yoga classes - Balinese cooking class - Visit to a local school - Beach clean-up activity - Group airport transfers (on arrival and departure days) - Welcome pack on arrival

What's not included

- International flights to/from Denpasar - Travel insurance (required) - Lunches and any meals not listed - Alcoholic drinks - Spa treatments and massages - Scooter rental - Uluwatu Temple entry fee - Personal expenses and souvenirs - Optional additional surf sessions - Tips for instructors and villa staff