> > by Marianne Rogerson
Bali, otherwise known as the ‘Island of the Gods’ has topped the tourism popularity polls for decades. A few years ago its name may have been synonymous with the beach bums and backpackers of Kuta Beach, but with the arrival of several new glamorous bars, restaurants and resorts in the more upmarket areas of Ubud and Seminyak, Bali is now firmly on the style map.
Alongside the island’s transformation from shabby to chic, has been its emergence as the Spa capital of Asia. Almost every hotel, villa or guest house has a spa attached, with massages, scrubs, reflexology and facials all on the menu to help calm the body, mind and spirit. Indeed it is often difficult to walk just a few steps along the street or beach without being offered a massage or foot rub. Traditional Balinese techniques are often utilised, and local ingredients, such as lemongrass, coconut, aloe vera and ginger, are incorporated to heavenly effect. Bali’s varying landscape, from the rice paddies and misty mountain vistas of Ubud, to the dramatic cliffs and coastline of Uluwatu, or crashing waves and beachfront of Seminyak, gives you the luxury to choose from a myriad of stunning natural scenes and soundtracks to form your pampering backdrop.