You have been excellent as always. Will book soon.
Love DAF! Debbie always makes everything so easy and seamless.
We were dealing with George who made the whole process easier and enjoyable. Will certainly use again.
Wonderful service. Lloyd could not have been more helpful.
Very happy with the service, thanks to Adam.
Sally was brilliant in sorting the trip out for us
All went well. Kylie was brilliant as always. Really felt she was watching our backs on this trip ,
Jonathan Greaves was excellent. This is why I keep coming back to DialAFlight.
Samuel was very helpful and went above and beyond for us which was very much appreciated
As always great service
Thank you Jordan our trip to Dubai to visit family went well. You never let us down.
Great service as always
Excellent service from Matilda and will continue to book with DialAFlight
Excellent service from our agent Jake.
Thanks to Niall for a wonderful and unforgettable honeymoon.
Very helpful and professional team, rare these days.
Will use in the future .. loved the clear way things were dealt with and the way checks were made. Love the personal service.
Despite difficult times in Sri Lanka we had a great trip and flights were seamless thanks to Mason.
Jake Chudasama is always very polite, efficient and helpful. Thank you
Great suggestions for hotels, flights and timings, all worked out well
Great staff, always on the ball.
As always a fantastic service in difficult times
Extremely helpful and appreciated call prior to departure
Fantastic service as always. Guy stayed in contact at all times to ensure the journey went as smoothly as possible.
With things changing from day to day Darren and staff were amazing. We thank all of you.
Great service as always - very thorough and helpful
Great holiday and good flight with Scoot, but don’t want to fly from Gatwick next time. Heathrow every time with whoever is going at a decent price
Fantastic service from Ryan as usual - already booked next holiday with DialAFlight and looking forward to more.
Really liked the follow up calls and check in's before departure. The App is fantastic, used it every day while I was away and regularly leading up to the trip.
Malcolm was great and extremely helpful with all my questions.
It’s raining and suddenly my terrace is flooded with sound - heavy droplets drum down, frogs chatter, birds hiss and cicadas chant in chorus. A high-pitched wail from some jungle creature pierces the sultry, twilight air and halts my swim. Peering over the edge of the infinity pool into the waterfall and jungle below, I feel like I'm living an episode of Planet Earth.
Ever bewitching, Indonesia has the power to simultaneously arrest every sense. I'm treated to this dusk performance while taking a dip in my private plunge pool, just one of the many fabulous features of the luxurious treehouse-style suites at Four Seasons Resort Bali At Sayan in Ubud.
From an unassuming entrance on a dusty street, guests travel along a road flanked by treetops oblivious to the Bond-style lair that lies beneath the canopy. The main building has been designed to resemble a huge rice bowl laden with unexpected surprises on each level – Jati bar, Ayung Terrace restaurant and a spa all overlook the lush greenery present at every turn.
In harmony with its locale, the hotel offers a day in the life of a Balinese farmer experience - learning how to plant and farm a rice paddy field, followed by a traditional lunch and then a revitalising Chakra ritual.
Our friendly guide Santika leads us to the outer edges of the hotel, which spill into Ayung Valley's green paddy terraces.
After a tour of the herb garden, packed with fragrant and healing plants, we learn about ‘taksu’ a spirit said to dwell within each of us. Then it’s time to don a traditional farmer’s hat and wellies as I vigorously turn over the turf, letting the water swell over my ‘rice patch’.
Following a lunch of rice, fruits and meat, I head to a small spa overlooking the water. Frangipani suffuses the air and after completing a heath survey, I have a Manipura Chakra ritual focusing on my digestive system. I’m given ginger and honey to drink before being scrubbed with Himalayan salt and sea oil and wrapped in mud. Eventually I take an alfresco herbal bath before I’m kneaded with a soothing massage into utter relaxation.
I also try anti-gravity yoga, which involves swinging and contorting myself in a hammock. It involves a lot of time upside down and soaring through the air.
I regain my balance with a Buddhist nun who arrives to meditate with my yoga group. Although she’s only in her thirties emanates an ancient wisdom. Melodiously, she encourages us to appreciate the present, to listen to distant water trickling, chickens clucking and her singing bowl lilting across the incense-infused air. Some of my group are so moved they weep.
It’s hard to deny the island has an intoxicating energy, drenched in timeless mysticism. It’s why there are so many yoga retreats here and travellers following the trail of the cult movie Eat,Pray, Love.
I’m holidaying at both hotels on the island that Julia Roberts stayed at during filming. My contrasting, yet equally luxurious, second address is a laidback beach haven, Four Seasons Resort at Jimbaran Bay, favoured by celebrities including Nicole Kidman, Nicolas Cage and Cameron Diaz.
The dreamy retreat overlooks the bay’s enticing white sands and cerulean waters with the jade outline of Mount Agung in the misty distance.
Guests are housed in villas with private gardens and the resort is built in the style of a Balinese village. Despite there being 147 villas and nine residences, while sprawled out on a sun-lounger I feel like I have this slice of paradise all to myself.
Energetic guests can try paddle-boarding, kayaking and surfing lessons. I opt for Hatha yoga, revitalised as I meditate to a soundtrack of waves crashing against rocks.
Uluwatu monkey temple is nearby. From the lofty pinnacle of the park, you’re rewarded with breath-taking ocean panoramas. Tirta Empul temple in Tampaksiring, bustling with pilgrims, is also worth a visit.
Closer to Jimbaran is Pedang Pedang - the hidden beach of fantasies. After a climb down a winding staircase you’re confronted with a paradise expanse that stole a scene in Eat, Pray, Love.
Blessed with a cinematic backdrop, intriguing spirituality and glamorous hotels, the magic of a spa break in Bali will linger with you long after you've left.
First published in the Mail Online - July 2017
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