On an island famed for its treatments, there is no more decadent and rejuvenating experience than a stay at this exclusive property.

It’s the standard soundtrack of spas, the world over: the lulling and trilling of nature. Except that at the Raffles Bali Spa’s open-air Sanctuary treatment suite, the bird song is not being piped in via speakers – it’s the real deal. 

The Sanctuary is something like a treehouse for grownups, a suite built off the side of a mountain overlooking the waters of Jimbaran Bay. Stretch out here for an incredible massage, have the knots and tension kneaded out of you, and you will be surrounded by flitting birds and butterflies as you are bathed in the soft, warm breeze. 

On an island famed for spa treatments, the Raffles Bali Spa is unlike anything else.

Opening only in 2021, the property set out from day one to incorporate a truly holistic approach to wellness. The goal: supporting guests’ physical and emotional wellbeing. 

Exhibit a): all of the hotel's spa therapists are officially accredited in reiki; guests are appointed a personal Wellbeing Butler; and morning yoga and Tibetan singing bowl meditations are held in a secret cave on the beach. 

The treatments on the spa menu are also unlike anything you will find elsewhere. Of course there are the superlative massages, especially the Raffles Bali Signature massage. However, what really distinguishes the Raffles approach is their focus on not just helping guests unwind but to also emerge spiritually renewed as well. 

The centrepiece of this approach is the spa’s 7 Chakra Balancing treatment, performed by a Balinese healer, which focuses on bringing harmony back to the body’s energy centres. 

The healer begins by assessing the state of my chakras using two long thin very particular metal wands that are held over the various points to assess where there may be blockages. Then, over the course of 90-minutes, he uses crystals, a variety of Tibetan singing bowls of different sizes (that therefore resonate at different frequencies) and a distinctive type of Balinese acupressure massage to cleanse and clear the energetic channels. 

It is a deeply - deeply - relaxing aural, physical and spiritual experience that leaves me feeling serene.

Later, the same healer performs a one-on-one Soul Blessing with me at one of the four temples on the property. For the ceremony, I am dressed in a traditional Kamen, similar to a sarong, and selendang or anteng, a long strip of fabric that symbolises the distinction between the celestial and earthly realms.

The hour-long ceremony is an immersion into Balinese spirituality, during which your soul is ‘removed’ from your body, cleansed and returned. It’s a moving experience that feels deeply grounding too. 

The Raffles approach to wellbeing is woven through every aspect of a stay. 

The property is made up of only 32 private villas, all looking out across the Jimbaran bay, and each boasting their own pool and a lush garden. Spread out across a large 56-acre parcel of land, there is also a private beach, a hiking trail, tennis courts and an outdoor infinity pool. 

Guests can start their day on the Raffles’ meditation terrace that overlooks a lush valley with a gentle yoga class and breathing exercises.

If the soul and the spirit are being nourished then, never fear, so is the body too. 

The hotel’s Rumari restaurant is perched on the highest point of the estate and follows the 80/20 rule in terms of sourcing a majority of local ingredients. Integral to Rumari’s ethos is to support Balinese producers and to work with sustainable farms on the island. 

For example, should you enjoy Rumari’s lobster omelette for breakfast, you can be assured that the indigenous bamboo lobster was caught by Jimbaran fisherman Pak Oka, who employs ethical line fishing methods.

Similarly, slather some of the incredible local honey on a slice of toast and you’ll know it comes from kele-kele stingless honey bee breeder Made Cupliz. 

If there is plenty of the yin on offer, then so is the yang. Earlier this year saw the collaboration between Rumari and the avant-garde woodfired cuisine of Raffles Singapore’s Butchers Block as part of an ongoing series of creative culinary partnerships. 

Breakfast is also served at Rumari, with the menu featuring smaller-sized portions meaning that guests can broadly sample from the extensive menu. 

The only part of the entire Raffles Bali experience that I would not recommend? Leaving. But there’s always next time and the birds will be waiting.

Find out more at raffles.com/bali/