We had dabbled in Ayurveda at home and decided to go to the Sukhavati Ayurvedic Retreat for fourteen days. The stunning grounds are nestled away in the tiny village of Bebengan. Our villa has a canopy bed, outdoor sunken shower, breakfast balcony and overlooks the lawn.
Our villa was next to the yoga studio and near the library and swimming pool. Down a flight of stairs were the two dining areas and up the long staircase are the offices and other villas. The groups were beautiful.
Much of our time was in treatments, yoga, meeting with the doctor, resting, and chatting with the other guests. There was a 5.7 earthquake about 25 miles away. We got “off campus” each morning for a walk in the local rice fields. Each day was a little different because the days were getting longer and the weather changed often. A few photos from our morning walks and outings are from other guests.
When we first arrived there were two guests: Katia from Brazil and Micheal from Austria. The four of us went the Bali Zoo to give an Elephant a mud bath. Hattie was a twenty-five year old elephant rescued from Sumatra. We had a blast feeding and bathing her. We had a little extra time and visited the Bengal tigers.
At the start of our second week we rode bikes about 10km to Pererenan Beach. Luckily it was a Sunday and the roads were not too busy. The lodge was amazing and sent an employee ahead to stop traffic at a busy intersection where we had to turn right across traffic. We did not have time to swim so we watched the surfers before heading back.
A few days later we visited Pura Luhur Tanah Lot at sunset. Tanah Lot is a Hindu pilgrimage temple built in a rock formation on the coast. It was very crowded with a long line for the holy water and no line for the holy snake. A group of us from the retreat sat on the terrace and drank coconut water as the sun set.
The hotel arranged a banquet and show. Dinner was extra special with an appetizer and dessert. After we ate dinner on the lawn followed by a short music and dance performance. Photos can not capture the two-week experience. What a special place that we hope to visit again and again.
