Kelapa Retreat and Spa

pool, beach,villa

It was beautiful Guilding baby tortoises to the ocean at front of hotel

Nothing

My partner and I came to Kelapa Retreat & Spa after spending a week scuba diving in South Bali, and it turned out to be the perfect place to unwind before heading home. It's peaceful, surrounded by nature, and has exactly the laid-back atmosphere we were looking for. The beach is quiet, the gardens are beautiful, and the villas blend effortlessly into the surroundings. Our plan for the week was simple: slow down and take care of ourselves. I joined the complimentary morning yoga classes and ended up booking several one-to-one sessions with Komang. He's an exceptional teacher who helped me understand my body in a completely different way. Every session combined movement, breathing, and mindfulness, and I came away feeling stronger, more flexible, and much more connected to how my body moves. The spa was equally impressive. We treated ourselves to several deep tissue massages, and every therapist seemed to know exactly where our bodies needed attention. I also decided to try acupressure with Heni, something I'd never experienced before. She has an incredible depth of knowledge and such a calming presence. By the end of the week, the tightness I'd been carrying in my hips and lower back had eased far more than I expected. We also loved that there was always something different to do each day. The cooking class was a real highlight. After preparing traditional Balinese dishes together, we visited the kitchen garden to see where many of the herbs and vegetables are grown. It added such a personal touch to the experience. The hospitality deserves a special mention. Everyone we met was genuinely warm, attentive, and always happy to help. When we mentioned a small issue with our villa, it was resolved immediately, and we were unexpectedly upgraded to a beautiful ocean-view villa with a private pool. It's one of those rare places that stays with you long after you've left, and we'd happily return.

We liked the location, as it was quite remote and surrounded by nature, with great sunset views over the ocean. The food, especially at breakfast, was really delicious, and the menus offered plenty of variety, even for vegetarians. The ocean is truly beautiful, and you can always sense its force. Although the currents are very strong and you cannot swim, you can still enjoy the waves. However, we were able to compensate to some extent by swimming in our villa pool, which was quite large. We really enjoyed the massage sessions we had, including the healing treatment by Heni, and the feel and sound of the ocean was a bonus. The village trekking tour was also a nice touch.

Housekeeping still has work to do to ensure a pleasant stay, such as checking toiletry supplies, removing used plates, emptying waste bins, and at the very least locking the door when leaving the villa. We were unpleasantly surprised by the quality of the towels in the room. At times, the beach was shockingly full of litter. While we understand that the currents were bringing it in, it is expected that staff maintain a clean beach regularly. The most unpleasant experience, however, relates to the way reviews appear to be obtained. Tourists are offered a free massage session in exchange for leaving a review, which the hotel staff then checks before the massage session is booked. This inevitably causes misrepresentation by encouraging biased positive reviews, misleading future guests, as was the case for us. We tried diplomatically to avoid responding to this practice, but we felt pressured to do so. We did not do it, yet this experience left an unpleasant shadow over our stay.