BANYAN GROUP OPENS NEW BALINESE WOMEN’S RETREAT
The Banyan Tree Group hosts a new women’s-only retreat at Buahan in Bali
The magical island of Bali attracts tourists from across the world, many seeking spiritual meaning from its rice fields, hillside temples and rich culture – and there is nowhere better to escape to than the Buahan luxury jungle resort which offers guests the tranquillity and spiritual rejuvenation long associated with Bali. Nestled in the chlorophyll-heavy Buahan Valley (just 40 minutes north of Ubud but a world away from its traffic and souvenir stores), the retreat has been called “Bali’s wildest hotel” by The Times, surrounded as it is by rice fields, virgin jungle and waterfalls. The resort also has a “no walls, no doors” concept, which further enhances its communing with nature ambience.
Owned by Singaporean hospitality group, the Banyan Group, Buahan will be hosting a week-long women’s only retreat at the resort next month. Nature & Self Growth takes place from 22-29 March and will see female guests engage in activities such as ice baths, restorative yoga, fire rituals and jungle-trekking.
Billed as a “celebration of womanhood”, Nature & Self Growth will be led by life coach/psychologist ‘Beata’ and yoga/meditation expert ‘Kimberley’. Both Beata and Kimberley will guide guests through wellbeing-oriented activities such as breathwork, ice baths, evening meditation and something called a ‘Soul Freedom Journey’ (“a body and mind cleansing ritual” at a local waterfall).
As with the rest of Bali, yoga is inescapable: some of the unique yoga activities taking place at Buahan include grounding vinyasa, restorative firelight yoga and chakra-aligning ‘moon yoga’ which takes place during a full/new moon. The resort even offers an ‘Insight Journey’ where guests can learn more about themselves though a high priest who will conduct personal readings through the stars.
Nature & Self Growth also aims to improve the mental wellbeing of guests, including mindset reframing and mind training.
The mainly plant-based dishes at the Buahan’s Open Kitchen restaurant continue the wellness aspect, while even the alcoholic cocktails at its Botanist Bar come with nutrients included: arak flavoured with blue pea flowers, green-coffee martinis, bitters using smoked fruit. Most ingredients in the kitchen/bar (and even the bamboo and pebbles used in the spa for massages) are sourced from within a one-hour radius of the resort.
Sustainability is also important at the resort. Buahan was built using ironwood reclaimed from boat piers and fishing boat decks, while the resort operates a zero-waste policy with villas free from plastic. Meanwhile, Nature & Self Growth guests can take part in local cultural experiences which engage with the local community, such as following a local farmer on a foraging tour of his land (chewing raw coffee cherries and trying raw honey from stingless bees).
All villas have private pools and unrestricted views over the Balinese mountains.
Women’s retreats have risen in popularity in recent years, offering female solo travellers safety, reassurance and the chance to make new friends. The number of people going on holiday by themselves has soared from 6% in 2011 to 16% in 2023 according to the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA).
A place on the seven-day Buahan Women’s Retreat starts from £4,600 based on two sharing. The retreat includes: accommodation; daily brunch, dinner and refreshments; roundtrip airport transfers; a pre-retreat wellbeing assessment call; daily group sessions and workshops; wellbeing activities; one massage and local Balinese cultural experiences.