This picturesque resort in Bali is the ideal introduction to wellness retreats

For those who like to dabble in wellness, or simply want to dip their toe in the AUD$650bn wellness tourism industry, Revīvō Wellness Resort in Bali offers a welcoming and surprisingly delicious introduction to slowing down and feeling well

After five days in the sticky heat and always-on bustle of Bali’s pre-eminent tourist magnet, Seminyak, it’s a relief to know I’m on my way to a destination where a much slower pace – and far fewer people – will define my days. I have the afternoon’s schedule, some healthy home-made crackers and a cool bottle of water in-hand and, as I sit back and let the gentle gusts of cool air fan my body, it’s clear my wellness journey at Revīvō Wellness Resort began the moment the car’s driver closed my door.

Revīvō is in leafy Nusa Dua, where the resorts are behind high walls and the tropical palm-lined driveways seem to extend for miles. The area is considered a more exclusive and private part of Bali, and one of its drawcards is a whiter, sandier beach the likes of which you certainly will not find in lively Seminyak. Not that I, or any of the other guests at Revīvō Wellness Resort – many of whom are travelling alone, like me – have beach adventures front of mind during their stay. Rather, I intend to spend a lot of time lying down: sleeping in bed, doing Savasana, with a book on the pool loungers, and while covered in jasmine-scented oil atop a massage bed. Rest is something I am craving after a particularly stressful period – even more than another serving of crackers with spicy sambal.

Start here

Revīvō Wellness Resort is considered an entry-level health retreat in the wellness world; the kind of place you go to if you haven’t experienced a wellness retreat before, so this non-dieter and passionate foodie fits the bill. It offers a handful of user-friendly Signature Retreats (that require a minimum three-night stay) such as Detox and Cleanse and Organic Weight Loss & Re-Shape, along with more focused ones like Mindfulness & Emotional Balance, and a retreat for improving sleep. While the latter would have served me well, I opt for the De-Stress and Relax retreat, and resolve to not take it personally when my husband tells me I made the right choice.

An extensive online pre-arrival questionnaire, emailed ahead of check-in, kicks off the experience for all retreat guests, and the questions range from the expected – What are you doing in terms of exercise? – to the more introspective: Do you consider yourself a happy person? It’s these answers that are discussed in each guest’s Arrival Consultation, which also includes a high-tech Visbody Screening that scans your body and spits out the nitty gritty on body fat percentage, muscle mass, hydration and postural imbalances (like my curious head tilt). This is also an opportunity to discuss emotional burdens and stresses with the dedicated therapist who, in my case, is incredibly experienced and knowledgeable, having previously worked at some of the world’s most esteemed wellness resorts.

The inclusion of some Revīvō recipes at the back of my journal is particularly appreciated, not because I enjoy cooking (which I do), but because the food is so incredibly delicious, each dish deserves to be immortalised in ink.

Four pillars of wellness

Back in my spacious and elegant villa after my first poolside repose, a knock at the door reveals one of the lovely Balinese staff. He hands me a luxe Retreat Journal featuring my full retreat schedule, which has been tailor-made to address my specific physical and emotional needs and includes a Daily Journal section, with prompts for reflection and mindfulness practices.

The rhythm of each day at Revīvō is determined by four guiding concepts: Moveō (movement classes), Nutriō (dining, and the name of the restaurant), Remissiō (wellness treatments, and the name of the spa) and Nocturno (sleeping). Because my arrival consultation indicated I am experiencing burnout, the activities that pepper my schedule focus on slow and calming experiences like hatha and yin yoga, meditation and relaxing massages. The resort offers plenty of high-intensity fitness classes and even aerial yoga, but these are deliberately omitted from my timetable, and the chefs have been instructed to provide extra protein at each of my meals, even adding grilled meat to the vegetarian dishes.

Feed the body to feed the mind

The inclusion of some Revīvō recipes at the back of my journal is particularly appreciated, not because I enjoy cooking (which I do), but because the food is so incredibly delicious, each dish deserves to be immortalised in ink. No-one is more surprised than me to discover that dining at the peaceful open-air Nutriō restaurant is the highlight of my stay at Revīvō. Because I am on a dedicated retreat, the menu I enjoy is set after my Arrival Consultation and features two healthy and nutritious courses at each meal. Guests also have the option of booking a standard nightly rate at Revīvō, and then ordering a la carte at Nutriō.

I enjoy the golden elixir that is the Tonic Broth (nutrient-dense chicken broth with chilli), as an entree on my first evening. It feels instantly restorative, while the salad and vegetable-rich mains are as beautiful to look at as they are, surprisingly, bursting with flavour. I don’t crave sugar or feel hungry even once during my stay and feel completely satisfied after each meal – a testament to the well-rounded and nutritionally complete Revīvō menu.

The staff at Nutriō are, like the food, exceptional, and quickly remember each guest’s name (“Good evening, Miss Madelin”), welcoming us to the restaurant like old friends, and the dedicated meditation and yoga teacher, Gusto, radiates a golden aura that makes me reflect on my own stress-infused energy field. “You have a problem with your heart.” he says, during my private meditation session, propelling me into a mental panic about my physical health. But to my relief, Gusto elaborates that simply when I am stressed, my heart beats very fast. “You must breathe. You must slow it down,” he says.

Slow down, I think. What an easy resolution to keep while at Revīvō.

Rates at Revīvō Wellness Resort Bali start from USD$300 (about AUD$450) per night single occupancy, or USD$580 (about AUD$875) per night for a minimum three-night Immersive Retreat inclusive of all meals, one-to-three daily movement classes per day (depending on the retreat booked) and one spa treatment per day.

revivoresorts.com