Wellness Escape: 10-Day Yoga & Massage Retreat on Bali's North Coast

The retreat runs over ten days and nine nights at Puri Bagus Lovina, a Balinese-owned resort on the northwest coast of Bali. The property is a 40-villa complex built in traditional thatched-roof style, spread out through tropical gardens right on the beachfront. Each villa has an open-air verandah and an outdoor shower in its own walled garden, so you get privacy even though you're in a hotel.

Your days follow a simple loop: a 60-minute yoga class at 07:00, a long breakfast, free time by the pool, then another 60-minute class at 17:00 before dinner. The classes are Hatha with some Vinyasa and Ashtanga, taught by Kadek, a 200-hour certified instructor who tailors everything to the room — plenty of guests are brand new to yoga. On mornings when you're out on an excursion, the afternoon class still runs.

The cultural side is where this retreat stands out. There's a sunrise cruise to watch dolphins off Lovina, snorkeling at the beach, and a trek to Sekumpul waterfall — Bali's tallest. You'll visit Munduk village, walk through coffee plantations, and see the waterfalls there. A Balinese cooking class starts at the market and ends with you eating what you made. There's also a purification ceremony at the Sudhamala holy fountain led by a priest, a temple blessing, and a visit to a meditation center where you'll interact with orphans.

The food is handled by the resort's Saraswati restaurant, which does both Indonesian and international dishes. You get breakfast every morning and either lunch or dinner, which you can eat at the restaurant, by the pool, or at the seafood grill on the beach. On Saturday evenings there's a free shuttle into Singaraja for traditional Balinese dance performances.

Kadek is the lead teacher — she came to yoga from a career as a spa therapist and started teaching partly to work on her own breathing. Her classes are known for being gentle, humorous, and well-paced for beginners. She's particularly fond of partner yoga, which makes the group feel close by the end of the week.

What's included

- 9 nights accommodation in a Superior Garden View or Deluxe Ocean View villa - Daily American breakfast plus your choice of lunch or dinner at Saraswati Restaurant - Two daily 60-minute yoga sessions (Hatha/Vinyasa/Ashtanga) at the ocean-facing yoga shala - 1 warm stone massage at Jaya Spa - 1 face cleansing spa treatment - Daily mineral water and seasonal fruit in your room - Sunrise dolphin watching cruise - Snorkeling at Lovina Beach - Sekumpul waterfall trek (entrance ticket excluded) - Nature walk at Mayong village, Munduk waterfall and coffee plantation tour (guide fee excluded) - Balinese cooking class with traditional market visit - Purification ceremony at Sudhamala holy fountain in Singaraja - Canang (offering) making, sarong session and temple blessing - Visit to Ananda Seva Dharma meditation center - Jamu herbal drink making and tasting - Free upgrade to ocean view for October - 20 December retreats - 21% government tax and service charge - Welcome drink on arrival

What's not included

- International flights - Travel insurance - Guide fee for nature walk at Mayong/Munduk/coffee plantation - Entrance ticket to Sekumpul waterfall - Optional spa treatments beyond the included massage and facial - Personal expenses (minibar, laundry, phone calls)