Beachfront yoga, sunset meditation, poolside boxing and gourmet barbecues beneath the stars - all of this and so much more at these iconic clifftop abodes
Ever since our first steps inside The Ungasan Clifftop Resort, we’ve found every excuse under the Bali sun to return to this iconic clifftop destination. When we’ve needed a strong dose of sun, sand and sea, we’ve headed straight for Sundays Beach Club. When we’ve craved gourmet cuisine from award-winning chefs, we’ve dined at the fabulous Selatan Restaurant. And when we’ve wanted a glamorous girls getaway with million-dollar views, you can bet your rupiah that we checked into one of The Ungasan’s dazzling six-star abodes.
Well, we just found one more reason to pack our bags and head for the clifftops, because The Ungasan Clifftop Resort has just launched its brand new Wellness Retreats, and we were one of the first to experience them. In true Ungasan-style, these aren’t your usual retreats. Laced with luxuries and blessed with some of Bali’s most breathtaking views, these three-day retreats are on another level – literally.
There are two Wellness Retreats at The Ungasan to choose from. The first is a pre-scheduled retreat with an already-organised itinerary, where you join a mixed group of mixed retreaters on set dates (the next one is taking place on June 7th-10th 2019). This retreat option is perfect for individuals, couples or a small group of friends who want to join a retreat but can’t fill an entire villa – rather, you simply reserve your own private room.
The second option is a wholly personalised and tailored retreat, available for a group of up to ten friends to design their itinerary as they choose, on dates that suit. You can select leisurely wellness activities like yoga, meditation and healing, or up the tempo with fitness classes, surfing lessons, and water sports at Sundays Beach Club. You also get to enjoy the entire 2500sqm luxury villa to yourselves – the most fabulous six-star escape imaginable.
We were lucky enough to road-test these brand new Wellness Retreats at The Ungasan with a customised itinerary that balanced out both relaxation and high energy. For three full days and nights, our minds, bodies and our souls were nourished, nurtured and healed, complete with unlimited access to Sundays Beach Club (yasss!), all gourmet meals included (double yasss!) and of course those breathtaking panoramic views over the dramatic cliffs of Uluwatu. Here’s what we got up to.
For the Mind
Kicking off the retreat on the right note, we were each gifted a super cute journal to write down our thoughts and intentions for the course of the weekend. This may seem like a fairly simple gesture, but these journals marked the beginning of our wellness weekend – both physically and mentally. They acted as a way to transport us from the strains and stresses of the outside world, to this safe and tranquil sanctuary, surrounded by like-minded wellness lovers.
Continuing on the same stress-free page, next on our itinerary was a meditation session to reflect and nurture our inner selves. It was a time to check-in with our active and frantic minds, and to slowly ease them into a serene state of meditative mindfulness. One of the best bits about these meditation sessions (besides having the serene sounds of the ocean out yonder luring us into pure relaxation) was the opportunity to recognise our mind’s own journey throughout the retreat. With every session that passed, our inner voices and constant chatter of thoughts became quieter and more muted until complete, soundless bliss.
With our minds now well and truly rested, what better time to reconnect, reflect, and improve our day-to-day mindful habits than with a Mind Workshop. Offering tips and tricks to take home and to elevate our state of mind on the regular (like making our beds each morning to start the day with clarity, or writing down three things for which we’re grateful) we’ve never felt so at ease after reconnecting and reevaluating our minds in such a stunning setting…
Other mindful activities available: Traditional Balinese healing and a water purification ceremony.
For the Body
With our minds relaxed and replenished, next on the wellness agenda was a reinvigoration of our bodies. Taking us from soothing yoga sessions to high-intensity boxing and fitness classes, there’s something for every ability and body type here.
One of our fave physical activities over the weekend was the sunrise Vinyasa Yoga session on the beach at Sundays Beach Club. Offering VIP access to this oh-so famous beach club before it’s open to the public (you have the silken white sands all to yourself!) this is one yoga session we won’t forget in a hurry. It was then blissfully followed by a gorgeous sunset Yin session in the evening, where the candy-coloured sky slowly turned from picturesque pastels to a cloak of black, splashed and speckled with twinkling constellations, lit up only by a few flickering candles.
Upping the tempo was a morning HIIT session with the personal trainers of Uluwatu’s Bali Training Centre. With tropical greenery all around and our villa’s sparkling infinity pool ever present, our heart-rates were raised higher than our luxury clifftop abodes! From punching and kicking to kneeing and blocking, the class ended with some core exercises to really engage our bodies and challenge our minds. And thankfully, this was all followed by a blissful massage at The Ungasan’s gorgeous Vela Spa, where the professional therapists rubbed, smoothed and kneaded any remaining tension with naturally fragrant essential oils.
Other physical activities available: Tennis, surfing, detox sessions at Yoga Searcher, water sports at Sundays Beach Club and Ubud bike rides.
For the Soul
They say that the way to the soul is through the stomach, and that couldn’t have been more true at The Ungasan’s Wellness Retreat. Throughout our stay, we were treated to fresh and colourful gourmet breakfast spreads each morning, cooked up by Executive Chef Josh Tyler. There were smoothie bowls and fruit plates, smoked salmon and house-whipped avocado – there was even a live cooking station with a la minute eggs. Icy-cold coconuts and fresh-pressed juices were available throughout the day, and a stunning in-villa barbecue beneath the stars proved just how exceptional the dining at The Ungasan really is.
Honestly, it felt like there was something nutritious and delicious at every turn, and we were given a real taste of the culinary expertise here during a private cooking class with the chef himself. The al fresco in-villa kitchen is where our Balinese banquet took place, where we chopped, stirred, pestled and simmered, creating the creamiest and most fragrant Balinese curry we’ve ever tasted, sided by a zesty papaya salad and still-warm roti bread.
And just when we thought the soulful foodie experience at the retreat couldn’t get any more scrumptious, the retreat came to a spectacular close on the sands of Sundays Beach Club, where a seaside feast was served up at dusk, with a crackling bonfire to one side, and the soft lapping lagoon on the other. Now that’s how you tend to mind, body and soul.
Other foodie activities available: Lunch at Mana Uluwatu, dinner at Selatan Restaurant, and trips to other top Bali restaurants.
Want in? Of course you do! Check out the Wellness Retreats at The Ungasan Clifftop Resort here, and psst! Every Saturday morning on the stunning Selatan Restaurant lawn, cliffside yoga will be held for both in-house and outside guests, with package options available that include access to Sundays Beach Club. Want to nab 10% off? Just use the promo code HONEY10!
The Ungasan Clifftop Resort, Jl Pantai Selatan Gau, Banjar Wijaya Kusuma, Ungasan, p. +62 811 942 1110, e. [email protected]