Spas in Bali

Bali abounds in health and wellness centres. There are luxurious massage and beauty spas in the upscale resorts, but many visitors swear by the skills of the nimble beach vendors who offer everything from massages to face masks and pedicures right on the sand for unbelievably reasonable prices.

Traditional Balinese spas specialise in local traditions like fragrant petal baths and hair cream treatments. More expensive outfits will operate courtesy shuttles between the spa and popular tourist destinations like Kuta, Legian, Denpasar and Nusa Dua. In most cases bookings are not required but the more upscale spas will usually take bookings several days in advance.

Full and half day treatments and wedding packages are available and these should be booked at least a day in advance. As with most everything in Bali, prices fluctuate wildly, with full day treatments at five star resorts in Nusa Dua and Ubud costing upwards of USD100. On the other end of the scale are the beach vendors who will give excellent full body and foot massages for just a few dollars.

This is a good option and a novelty for a lot of visitors to Bali since getting an expert scalp or foot massage, or both, while basking in the sun is both a real pleasure and an excellent photo opportunity. All the popular tourist beaches in Bali are over stocked with vendors and hawkers and most wear laminated identification cards that show their licenses and credentials.

Balinese massage is gentler than its Thai counterpart and uses oxygen flow and gentle stretching of muscles rather than pummeling and bending. There are numerous places that specialise in Swedish and Shiatsu massage too. The most renowned spa in Bali is the one at the Ritz Carlton in Nusa Dua and the cascading hill terraces of the resorts in Ubud are right on that venerable spa’s heels when it comes to range and quality of services.