The Amala is one of the most exclusive and intimate wellness and detox retreats in Asia, a perfect oasis of calm and harmony situated in the heart of Seminyak, Bali's most fashionable and exciting area.
We spent four relaxing and beautiful days in the Amala and loved the sense of peace, incredibly friendly staff and the delicious and very healthy food. It was just what we needed after overindulgence in champagne and wedding cake over the past four months.
A wellness retreat might seem unusual for a honeymoon, but we chose one in Bali for our actual honeymoon in 2009 and we loved it. It was the perfect way to unwind after our wedding, and then we experienced the rest of a traditional Bali holiday afterwards.
Villas for privacy and relaxation
Balinese architecture combines the best of the indoor and outdoor with beautiful clean lines and style dedicated to wellness, relaxation and peace of mind. The Amala is a collection of 12 luxurious and tranquil private villas, each designed to impress.
Each villa comes equipped with a beautiful private pool which is a seamless part of the living room and open to the sky. The dedicated 24 hour butler service can help you enhance and personalise your stay, and you can decide to take any meal in your room at no extra charge. Complimentary drinks and snacks are topped up daily, and the equipped kitchen has a filtered water system for all day fresh water.
The wood and stone en suite bathroom boasts a large jacuzzi, natural body products and a selection of hand-made luxury soaps made from wild and organic ingredients. The incredible rain forest shower, combined with living green plants in the bathroom, make you feel like you're showering under a tropical waterfall.
It's fairly tempting to stay in your villa the whole time, especially since the private pool is so lovely. The living space has a huge flat screen TV, complimentary wifi and an ipod docking station. The TV swivels, so you could watch it in the pool if you desire!
The common areas include the gorgeous Bamboo restaurant, a pool with outdoor relaxation area, a library for holiday reading and the treatment rooms.
The healthy ethos of the Amala also extends to their choice of "Colloidal Silver" mineral water filtration system in the main swimming pool, solar panels for electricity generation, recycling systems for plant watering, and the use of local natural materials such as Bandung marble.
Wellness and relaxation
Amala means "pure and unspoiled" in Sanskrit and everything at the Amala is specifically designed for your body and mind to experience harmony and wellness, using ancient Asian medicine and Western holistic therapies, natural philosophies and mostly organic produce.
We highly enjoyed our couples massage in the beautiful wellness spa. The massage therapists are highly trained and it was a joy to watch them work in seamless tandem. Every treatment begins with a fresh cucumber, lime, mint and honey juice followed by a relaxing foot bath. Balinese massages tend to be quite vigorous so make sure you ask for your preferred pressure, otherwise a therapist who looks quite small can really surprise you with her strength.
The Amala offers a daily yoga class in the Wellness Studio, with visiting yoga teachers and Masters in residence. Private lessons are available, or you can borrow a mat and practice in your own room. We loved doing our private class beside our pool, especially since there is a full length mirror along side the living room.
Yoga on holiday is a brilliant way to balance your mind, give you a lot of energy and to strengthen your body and mind.
Also on offer is a range of beauty treatments, water pilates, CranioSacral therapy, meditation, Tai Chi, Qigong and Martial Arts. Your programme can be personally adapted for your needs and requests.
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Cleaning and delicious nutrition
The menu is focused on clean, healthy and incredibly delicious food and is organic where possible. We felt nourished and satisfied after each meal, rather than stuffed full because the meals are so full of vitamins and minerals. Each course includes a raw, vegan or vegetarian option accompanied by detox juices, cleansing mocktails or your own customised healthy drink.
We particularly recommend the fruit salad for breakfast with ginger glazing, and for lunch or dinner, the incredible quinoa salad with chopped almonds and tasty dressing or the tofu ricotta eggplant rolls.
The staff arranged a romantic, candlelit 3-course healthy dinner to be served inside our villa. Even the desserts feel like an indulgence but are really quite healthy.
Within 5 minutes walk, there is a huge range of restaurants, bars and noodle bars. Staff can recommend the most popular restaurants in Seminyak, the best seafood bars, healthy organic stores or just the best cheap local cafe. The hotel concierge can organise a complimentary drop off, or order you a taxi, which are very reasonably priced.
A gourmet supermarket close to the resort carries fresh fruit, gourmet Western food, a cafe, bakery and with a huge range of every day items. We grabbed lunch there before heading to the nearby beach.
A healthy honeymoon
A honeymoon or romantic stay at the Amala is the best of both worlds. You can experience all the excitement and vibrancy of Seminyak, with it's great bars and amazing shopping and you can be pampered and indulged in the privacy of the Amala.
Seminyak is a wonderful place and honeymooners must go home with a piece (or three) of traditional artwork or sculpture. It's also easy to ship larger furniture items back (virtually every shop can arrange it for you), so you could furnish your new house with beautiful Balinese items, home-wares and textiles.
The Amala is also very popular for individuals or friends coming to experience wellness together. Anyone who is looking for a haven away from their busy lives will love to visit. The staff really make you feel like a part of their family, they will remember your name, your preferences and really make an effort for your stay to feel personalised and special.
Honeymoons in Bali are relaxing, romantic and leave you with a feeling of peace and well-being. The Amala is highly recommended as a world-class relaxation retreat, sure to give you the peace of mind you need after your hectic wedding.
Many thanks to Lifestyle Retreats and China Airlines for sponsoring our trip to the Amala. Runaway Bride and Groom can help you organise your entire package to Bali for a wedding or honeymoon including flights, transfers, insurance and activities.
Want to get married in Bali?
We did three vow renewals in Bali, including one at the Amala. Bali is a fantastic place to get married, guests will love to come and have a tropical holiday, and you're already on honeymoon!
Check out our weddings in Bali
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