Surf & Spa
Bali is a mecca for surf aficionados. Experts and amateurs alike come from all over the world to ride the waves of the Indian Ocean to the shores of the island of Bali. Those in the know say the best waves in Bali are to be found toward the Uluwatu and Bukit areas, but there’s plenty of scope for a great day out with your board off the Kuta, Seminyak and Canggu beaches.
One of our fave surf hotspots is Odyssey Surf School in Kuta, where they’ll not only kit you out (complete with photographer to capture your most glorious moments), but also make sure you get the perfect level instruction for you. Their surf tours and lessons around Bali are a particularly special way to see the island’s natural beauty.
Recently I went out on the board not realising it had been quite a while since my last excursion. The instant I started paddling out I was overcome with the sense of freedom and glee that being out on the water always brings me. I completely lost track of time and 6 hours later as I finally decide to call it a day I realised I might have overdone it a little when I stepped onto the sand and my legs nearly went out from under me. Note to self, moderation is the key, excess anything will cause problems!
I had planned to spend the afternoon working but, suddenly starving as well as a little wobbly, I decided instead to take myself up Batu Bolong to one of the best cafes in Canggu, Amo Spa Café; for one of their delicious fresh juices, smooth rich coffee, and flavour packed Canggu Veggie Omelettes, served with rocket, avo & feta – seriously good food.
I decided to designate the day a self-care day and avail myself of the Amo Spa & Sauna facilities as well since I was there and thus I discovered the perfect form for a day in Bali, whether you’re on holiday or an expat in residence this plan will leave you feeling detoxed, refreshed, extremely relaxed and very, very happy…
It’s the recipe for a perfect island living kind of day really:
Step One:
Hit Old Man’s Beach at sunrise before the traffic gets crazy and the mercury gets too high, spend a few hours just you, your board, the rhythmic undulating waves, the shoreline and the endless horizon of sky. If you’re a newbie to the surf world take an instructor with you, I highly recommend the gang at Odyssey Surf School; they can provide you with an awesome board, excellent quality wetsuit & gear and even fit your board with a camera for those instagrammable images you need for your feed…
Step Two:
Ride up Jalan Batu Bolong to Amo Day Spa, check in and head straight for the Sauna area. As you spend time in the sauna or steam room you will feel the heat seep into your pores and your whole body will give a sigh of relief. Any tension your muscles have from all that time in the surf will ease away. You will feel loose, limber and supple. Refresh yourself after the intense heat with a dip in one of the ice or salt plunge pools to open pores and release toxins, the clear cool waters work to cleanse, hydrate & revive after the heat. Now it’s time to relax in the Jacuzzi and let the warm bubbling waters ease any muscle aches, gaze out over the rice paddies and let your mind drift away, far from the cares and worries of daily life.
Step Three:
By now you should be feeling loose and limber so stretch out on a lounger overlooking the rice and enjoy a hydrating coconut, alkalising green smoothie, and a deliciously nourishing breakfast. Try the Quinoa Buddha bowl, packed with fresh healthy avocado, poached egg, pickled zucchini, carrot, broccoli, roasted pumpkin and the Amo signature orange, ginger dressing. Or if you have a sweet tooth check out the Caramelised French toast, with flambéed banana and fruit popsicle – so good!
Step Four:
A day out in the full Bali sun being periodically immersed in salt water, while excellent soul food and great exercise, is not the kindest treatment for your skin so take yourself off the inner sanctum of the best Spa in Canggu & get a full body scrub. The AMO Body Scrub is the perfect treatment for skin that needs some pampering after being dried by the sun and the sea. Choose either the sea salt or the coconut scrub or a combination of both for an exfoliant that will be vigorously rubbed over your whole body to remove dead skin and reveal a fresh, smooth and softer you. The scrub is followed by a cooling full body mud mask that is cleansing and moisturising simultaneously. As the mask cools and the active properties of the alkalising volcanic mud engage to work their magic on your body, your therapist will apply a cleansing cucumber mask to the skin of your face and give you a stimulating head massage to complete the treatment. Your whole body is left glowing and tingling – a truly revitalising experience.
Its days like this that can make your Bali experience truly magical. It’s days like this that contain the perfect combination of time spent moving your body to stretch and strengthen muscles, time spent in meditative contemplation of the beauty of Mother Nature, excellent nourishing nosh at one of Canggu’s best cafés and some indulgent pampering delivered by professional therapists at one of the best spas in Bali. All our days off and holidays should be like this – pure bliss.