Matador Network Readers' Choice Awards 2024: Wellness Destination

Few places live up to glossy descriptions, but Bali is one of them. The island’s landscapes, from the flowing banket of rice paddies, the Mount Agung volcano, hidden beach coves, and world-class surf breaks are draped in pastel pink as the sun rises and sets. It’s a place where you can simply be and feel refreshed. For all of the hype and parties in hot spots like Depensar, Kuta, Seminyak, and Nusa Dua, there are many more places to truly escape.

Many retreat to Ubud chasing an eat, pray, love spiritual awakening. Although the town has changed a lot over the years (it’s a far cry from the quiet jungle village it once was), there’s still magic to be found in the chaos of monkeys, mopeds, yoga sanctuaries, and streets lined with vegan cafes. And if you’re a solo traveler who wants to be alone but have the choice of company, it’s a fail-safe base.

Photo: StockFamily/Shutterstock

Ubud’s wellness offerings run the gambit. À la carte wellness warriors can easily create their own retreat and stay in affordable Airbnb villas with infinity pools, attend nourishing workshops at institutions such as the Yoga Barn, indulge in flower baths and Balinese massages, and eat very well from healing-from-the-inside menus.

For those who’d like to skip the planning process, Ubud has attracted some heavy hitters in terms of luxury hotels that offer indulgent self-care packages. COMO Shambhala Estate is one of the island’s most revered wellness resorts. It sits on the fringe of a valley north of the town engulfed by a forest and is your one-stop shop for holistic well-being. The multi-day “Wellness Paths” are individually designed to meet guests’ needs, but all promise to harmonize mind, body, and soul. A staff of world-class yoga and Pilates instructors, spa therapists, nutritionists, and acupuncturists means staying here is not cheap. Still, if you want an amenity-packed (there’s a long list of complimentary activities, too) retreat, you won’t find better.

Photo: Four Seasons

Three miles west of Ubud, the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan is the area’s most stylish five-star resort, and although it’s not technically a “wellness retreat,” the Sacred River Spa had a facelift in 2024 and now offers a revised menu of innovative, transformative water-centric treatments. From the arrival at the hotel via a whitewater raft to the many health and wellbeing activities, the Four Seasons at Sayan certainly lives up to the brand’s reputation of taking care of guests.

Outside Ubud’s offerings, many other hidden paradise spots attract fewer crowds. Balian Beach, midway up the island’s west coast, has outstanding surf and a more low-key vibe with a great selection of affordable surf lodges such as Pondok Pitaya and yoga retreats such as those run throughout the year at Yama Balian.

Photo: Denis Moskvinov/Shutterstock

Palau Menjangan, in the Taman Nasional Bali Barat (West Bali National Park) in the northwest, is my choice if you prefer the noise of birdsong to scooters. Here, you’ll find one of the island’s best dive sites and the wildlife hotel, The Menjangan Resort, with superb nature-driven packages.

Bedugul, in the centre-north region, is one of Bali’s best-kept secrets and worth considering if you’re looking for a quiet place to meditate. The mountain lake resort area is centered around three lakes: Denau Beratan, Tamblingan, and Denau Buyan, which are laced with sacred temples and mountain slopes. Five miles from the lakes is the sleepy small town of Munduk. There’s a selection of yoga retreats here. Munduk Moding Plantation runs multiple daily sessions for guests, and the nearby jungle tree-house resort, Munduk Heaven Luxury Villas, is an excellent option for a honeymoon wellness getaway.

Photo: Elevation Barn

There are a couple of other events and resorts in Bali worth keeping an eye on for 2025. If you want to reset, the Elevation Barn retreat at Jungle House outside of Gianyar Regency in central Bali is running self-belief courses from February 21 – 24 and April 11 – 14. If you are hellbent on visiting the southeast coast near Nusa Dua, Conrad Bali is a haven. It’s another five-star hotel that is upping its wellness program for next year. The signature JIWA Wellness Experience is as holistic as it gets, with spa therapies galore, sound healing, moon ceremonies, air and water yoga, chakra alignment therapy, sleep therapy, and world-class fitness facilities.

In the 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards, the Matador Network audience voted on their favorite adventure destination, sustainable destination, wellness destination, airline, and what they thought will be the next big destination everyone will travel to. The poll included nominations from the Matador Network team as well as a write-in option. Voting took place through November, and the poll was sent out to our 600,000-plus Instagram followers and 300,000 global newsletter subscribers.