Butlers, private pools and volcanic mud baths: The side of Bali you’ve been missing

I’m floating in the stillness of my private infinity pool at the plush Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Ubud, the water mirroring a quilt of rice paddies. The scent of incense drifts across the valley and somewhere in the distance I hear the rhythmic chant of a temple ceremony, a reminder that in Bali, even the air feels sacred. It’s early in the morning and already the island’s magic has begun to work its restorative spell.

Designed to resemble a local village, Mandapa’s 35 suites and 25 private villas are anchored between a century-old temple and rice terraces, guaranteeing both sanctuary and stunning views. Indeed, Mandapa translates to “temple” in Sanskrit and every ritual here, from the placement of frangipani petals to the evening turndown, feels almost spiritual.

Guests are cared for by a 24-hour personal “patih” (butler), ensuring that service feels both seamless and soulful and the resort’s expansive “Disconnect to Reconnect” wellness program underpins the entire experience. Add a vitality pool, yoga studio, sauna and steam rooms, and Mandapa becomes less a retreat than a rebirth.

Between sessions, I wander through the resort’s rice fields, where farmers in conical hats tend the paddies – a living reminder that luxury here is rooted in the rhythm of the land. And the verdant paddies that frame the resort are more than beautiful scenery, they are the foundation of its kitchens too.

Ingredients from Mandapa’s organic gardens and nearby farms infuse every menu, none more so than at its fine-dining riverside restaurant, Kubu (recently recognised in the 2025 Michelin Guide). Here, almost everything is sourced within a 100-kilometre radius. As the sun dips, Ambar Ubud Bar – a semi-open-air perch serving Japanese-fusion plates, live jazz and handcrafted cocktails made with local arak – glows above the valley. The view here is pure cinematic gold.

Just up the Ayung River, tucked into a dramatic jungle ravine, the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan is not so much a hotel as an awakening. Guests arrive by crossing a sky bridge suspended above a sea of emerald green, a symbolic act of leaving the world behind. This is, after all, where Julia Roberts holed up for three months while filming Eat Pray Love and where the Obamas took respite after leaving the White House.

It’s easy to see why, too, as lotus ponds float above rice paddies and lavish villas curl around the river like secret temples. Mornings begin with guided yoga and meditation and afternoons dissolve into lavish spa treatments courtesy of the newly expanded Sacred River Spa. Days are topped off by traditional Balinese multi-course dinners at Sokasi.

If Four Seasons Sayan is about reverence and renewal, Samsara Ubud is about intimacy and immersion. Hidden deep in Payangan’s highlands, this cluster of only 17 villas offers a sense of solitude that feels almost secret. A heated infinity pool hovers dramatically over the treetops, and dinner unfolds under the stars in a valley lit only by lanterns and moonlight. At the Chakra Spa, every treatment begins with a ceremonial foot cleanse and in-house activities include an open-air cinema and painting classes with a resident artist.

After days of mountain mist and meditation, the coast beckons. Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay, once a sleepy fishing village, remains a definitive statement on beachfront luxury. Guests are welcomed with a blessing before being shown to one of 147 villas laid out like a traditional Balinese settlement.

My Premier Ocean Villa comes with its own plunge pool and a glittering sea view. The Healing Village Spa raises the stakes with the Celestial Light Ritual in the Illume Room, where a bed of crushed quartz crystals warms beneath me as coloured light shifts and sound bowls hum. For a more primal approach, the Longevity Garden allows guests to create their own steam-and-ice ritual with volcanic mud and a plunge that kick-starts every muscle.

At sunset, I claim a seat at the rustic-chic Telu Bar and follow it with dinner at Sundara, where chef David Gavin’s sublime seafood degustation expertly reinvents Jimbaran’s classic beach-barbecue tradition, being high end without losing its toes-in-the-sand soul.

Finally, on Nusa Dua’s perfect arc of white sand, The St. Regis Bali Resort commands attention. Guests glide between the palm-lined pool, a vast salt-water lagoon and the calm Indian Ocean. As the sun begins its dramatic descent, I join the daily sabrage ritual at The St Regis Bar, glass in hand as I watch the theatrical removal of a champagne cork with a sword that signals the transition to evening. Dining options include pan-Asian fine dining at Kayuputi and the famous Sunday brunches at Boneka. I end the night enjoying a candle-lit Indonesian “rice table” dinner under a gazebo at Dulang, a serene finale to an evening of pure, unapologetic theatre.

As my journey draws to a close, I return once more to the sound of water – this time, waves folding onto white sand. From Ubud’s jungle silence to the ocean’s lazy rhythm, Bali has a way of dissolving whatever weight you arrived with.

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