Eat Pray Shop! Why We Love Bali
Draped in an orange sarong and standing under a powerful jet of water I’m hopefully washing away all negativity from my earthly body. I’m at Mengening Temple in Ubud, Bali and my daughter, Nicole, and son, Mark, are at my side. We are waist high in the icy pool and edging our way along to the next offering. I’ve read Eat Pray Love and appreciate how travel touches the soul but I didn’t realise how profoundly moving we’d find this spiritual island in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
Ubud, is thronged with visitors year round but we are staying in a more secluded part of this mountainous region in the newly opened Anantara Ubud Bali Resort.
Caroline from the resort has joined us on this trip and brought the incense and flowers necessary to perform the water purification ritual. After reciting prayers at the temple we’ve worked up an appetite for dinner. Kirana Restaurant at the hotel offers mouthwatering twists on traditional cuisine including Rendang Daging and Babi Gulang – a popular roast pig dish. Balinese food is a cornucopia of exotic fruits and vegetables that will feed the soul as well as the stomach.
Although the majority of Indonesia is muslim, Bali remains an outlier with its own blend of Hindu and Buddhism. The spiritual offerings of flowers and rice are placed everywhere – outside every village, compound, shop or place of work. Constant references to the ancestors and the gods make it easier to embrace this dimension of the island than ignore it.
Activities are plentiful at Anantara Ubud. We wake next morning and go straight to a yoga class that gets our day off to a fresh start. Followed by a hearty breakfast and twenty minute drive we arrive at the local waterfall at Ulu Petanu. Ubud boasts an abundance of lush rice terraces and waterfalls to visit in the surrounding landscape.
Along the way we stop off in a town and meet craft makers selling carved stone Buddhas. We couldn’t choose between two of the designs so buy one each – at €20 we’ve picked up a bargain.
Probably the highlight of our time in Ubud is the Agni Yajna (fire ceremony) excursion to meet Idha Guru, a local Holy Man. There’s no fee for this experience and it’s coordinated by the health leader at Anantara Ubud. Caroline fits us out with sarongs and sashes, then we are ready to meet the man himself. We start by sitting cross legged on a mat where Idha Guru performs the traditional fire ceremony and invites us to sprinkle handfuls of rice into a fire pit and offload our worries.
After receipt of blessings he includes a palm reading each. This is done without skirting around any issues. I’m told I have good karma from a past life (which is nice to hear but doesn’t mention karma in this one). He asks my age and tells me to mind my back area and blood pressure – good advice for anyone at my stage in life. Nicole is keen to hear about her career and he feeds her with a couple of anecdotes that show he has a certain amount of insight from another realm into her situation. She can rest assured that she will be successful in her future. Mark was the only one of us to get a special blessing from the Fire God so we will watch this space!
Since arriving at our beautiful two bedroom villa we have been met with a humility and sense of calm that is difficult to find in the world these days. The staff has been waiting five years for the ambitious build to be finally ready for guests. It was worth the wait because clinging to a cliff face it offers the most exceptional vista over the lush jungle. 
Our villa is kitted out with a private pool that hangs over the edge and accessible from our living area and both bedrooms.
The spa is an oasis of calm where the Balinese massages are sensational. Offerings of fresh fruit and herbal teas abound with aromas of flowers and perfumes to thrill the senses. Even the foyer is filled with a sculpture of sounds to clear the air of negative energies.
Next day we hop into a bright yellow jeep and are brought to Alas Taro to experience an authentic village and farm. Here we are greeted by Iwayan, the village leader, who shows us around the buildings and describes how communities have lived for centuries.
The Balinese love rituals and celebrations, so much so that each person has two birthdays per year. The second is celebrated 210 days after the first and part of their belief in the existence of reincarnation.
After meeting Iwayan’s mother and enjoying pancakes made by his sister he takes us to a laboratory where some local scientists are currently trying to reintroduce fireflies into the locality. He believes their presence has waned due to the use of pesticides over the last twenty years and he wants to bring them back so that his grand children will be able to enjoy the spectacle of fireflies for generations to come.
Before leaving Ubud for Uluwatu we make a special stop at Merlin’s Restaurant in the center of Ubud. Set in fantastical décor with gold embellishments on the tables and cutlery, not to mention the luxurious bathrooms, we were given a choice of three tarot cards to choose that would decide what we would eat for lunch.
It’s as if the cards read my mind when they told me to go for the prawn starter and beef main course. A favourite for Instagrammers and tiktokers this is more than just a quirky spot with a gimmick – the food is superb and it’s reasonably priced for a truly special meal. www.merlins-magic.com
We pop into the Art Market and Water Palace before setting off on the three hour drive to the island’s south-western coast. The Water Palace is an easy stop and only a couple of euro entrance but for that you get kitted out in gorgeous purple traditional Balinese dress. Although it’s a holy place its an instagrammers haven set in lush greenery with fountains, ponds and even a couple of thrones.
The drive from Ngurah Rai Airport on our arrival was hectic, windy roads filled with chaotic driving, and the transfer on a Friday evening to Uluwatu is equally so. Uluwatu buzzes with action so it’s lovely to arrive at the oasis of calm that is Ananatara Uluwatu. We are met with blessings, a bracelet, refreshing hand towel and fruit drink before being shown to our suite overlooking Pdang Pdang Beach. This coastline is a favourite with surfers and we can watch them from the hot tub on our balcony. The Botol Biru Ocean Front Bar is one of the best spots to see the sunset while sipping on a cocktail.
We dine in Sono the hotels teppanyaki restaurant on our first night and being a big fan of Japanese food Nicole was enthralled by the chef’s theatrical and culinary skills. Yellow fin tuna, steaks and scallops thrill our tastebuds with hand-rolled sushi and sides of miso soup. Even though we’ve been eating our way around Bali we feel healthy and satisfied.
A range of classes and excursions are offered at Anantara Uluwatu. We sampled the Pilates next morning that set us up nicely for the day ahead. Another popular excursion is to Uluwatu Temple to see the naughty monkeys that will rob your sunglasses straight from your head if you’re not careful. Indeed they hang around the cliffs and beaches in Uluwatu so it’s best to not leave any personal items out loose. If you go with a guide they will bring along sweeties to distract any boisterous monkeys.
We are equally excited next day to experience a Balinese Massage at the spa where we learn how to make Boreh, a traditional body scrub made from natural ingredients. 
The mixture of cloves, cinnamon and ginger improve circulation when applied to the skin. With a generous range of treatments that take up much of the day we fit in swimming at the infinity pool before shopping. The Sunday Market at Hatch is not to be missed and we found a selection of great food and drink spots all close to Anantara Uluwatu.
We’ve all been slaves to tiktok fads and before we leave Bali Nicole insists we take a trip to Uluwatu Leather to check out the handbags she’s seen on social media. I reluctantly jump in a cab with her, (ubers are super cheap) and set off to the other end of town. I have to admit she is right – the store is enthralling and we end up buying a bag each. We may have started off our trip soaked in spiritual goodness but in Bali we found the whole package – you can Eat Pray and Shop!
Factbox
Michelle was a guest of Anantara Ubud and Anantara Uluwatu. If you would like to book a trip from Ireland check out a bespoke package made by Sunway Holidays – link below
To find out more see www.anantara.com
Package holiday to Bali with www.Sunway.ie
Flights Ex Ireland with Malaysia Airlines,
Hotels on a B&B basis 6 nights in the respective Anantara Properties,
Including Transfers
October 2025 departure
Price from €2475pp
