I recently had the pleasure of staying at the most stunning retreat/resort In Ubud. Nestled in amongst the rice fields about a 30 minute drive out of Ubud central it's the perfect little get away. The moment you arrive you are greeted by the friendly accommodating staff with a glass of kombucha, and by the time you have been given the tour and taken to your room it's easy to see why Fivelements is considered one of the healing hotels of the world.
The grounds are in pristine condition, the staff are friendly and you are always greeted with a smile. Our hut was adjacent to the continuous flowing river, which provided for the most soothing sound to sleep to. The bathroom and shower was an outdoor set up yet still within your own privacy. Stepping out of the hut when you open your door you are greeted with the most spectacular outdoor bath, it's deep enough to comfortably accommodate 2 adults plus more. With fresh salt supplied daily it makes for the most relaxing bath one could imagine.

We made our way over to the wellness centre onsite to investigate the options available. With options such as traditional massages, access to traditional Balinese healers, colonic irrigation, fire meditation rituals, facials plus more it was tricky to choose what to go with. In the end we chose one of the immersion packages which included a session with a Balinese healer, couples massage, fire ritual, sacred bath ritual and a 3 course meal at the onsite restaurant.

We both had a session with Pak Made a local traditional healer who learnt under his grandfather a local medicine man in his time who lived to 115 years as well as his uncle who was known for setting broken bones. The service offered was that called "invigorating massage" and that it was! Pak Made's confident hands definitely know their way around the human body. Being a chiropractor myself I'm always sceptical going into massage or any bodywork, but can confidently say this fellow knows what he's doing. I enjoyed it so much I booked another session, I was also fortunate to spend some time with Made and learn a few things myself, he was more than willing to share his knowledge which I am very grateful for!

The 3 course meal most certainly will not be forgotten, the love and effort that goes into the cooking and preparing of food is witnessed as soon as you lay eyes on the food and taste the love that comes through. The chefs are meticulous with the presentation of the food. For me personally I do find after about three days of primarily raw vegetarian food which is what is on offer I start to find it difficult working out, which for this trip wasn't such a big deal as I only hung the rings up once and did a session, but if I were Intensely exercising I'd struggle I think. But all in all I didn't feel the need to exercise too intensely as the environment was one that promotes peace, rest and rejuvenation! There are some fantastic, natural material constructed huts dedicated for yoga, which I did manage to do some body weight locomotion training and were perfect for that

Following the 3 course meal when we made our way back to our hut the bath was already prepared like magic! This was part of the sacred bath ritual which included fresh fruit, spices and salts that were added to the bath. Was a bath like no other, words and pictures can't really describe it.

We then shared the couples massage first thing in the morning, and again I couldn't fault the massage. You start with a foot scrub with natural salt, fruit and flowers which sets up of the perfect start. The lovely Balinese ladies were very talented and skilled with their hands. The massage is finished with a natural salt scrub then you jump in the outdoor shower and conclude with a fresh ginger tea on the patio with the river underneath. Only pure coconut oil is used with the massages no toxic chemicals. In fact the whole resort is chemical free, the soaps, shampoos etc are all consciously chosen with health and healing in mind.What was most appealing to me I guess was the healing centre where the massages and healers worked.

Pictures and words truly don't give it the justice it deserves. The rooms are large and open yet still private, the continuous flowing river is running just underneath, the tables are large and comfortable, it seriously was the perfect setup. I certainly took good note for my own clinic back home and was inspired!

The stunning pool and healing waters also deserve mention, the perfect way to cool off when the weather is warm, or just relax on the layout beds. Of course this review wouldn't be complete without mentioning the 3 adorable resident kittens, these little cuties definitely won me over! I spent quite a bit of time with them, and was incredibly sad to say good bye to them.

All in all I certainly recommend Fivelements if you are after the ultimate resort to relax, recharge and have some world class massages and healing sessions. I'll be going back for sure!

Fivelements can be found at:

w: http://www.fivelements.org/en/

fb: https://www.facebook.com/Fivelements.PuriAhimsa

Here is a random assortment of pictures for you to enjoy: