I wanted to put together all the things I would walk you through anyway,
so you can browse at your own pace, take notes, and come to our call
with the questions that matter most to you.
Please treat this as a starting point, not a prescription. Bali has a remarkable amount to offer and there are far more great places than we could ever list here. These are spots we have personally stayed at or enjoyed over the years. They span a range of styles and budgets. What works for one person may not work for another, and part of the joy of this island is finding your own rhythm.
If you have somewhere in mind that is not on this list, ask me. I have probably been there or know someone who has.
You fly into Denpasar Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS). From there, Ubud is approximately an hour and a half by car depending on traffic. If you are arriving early to explore, see the transport section below for how we can help.
If you are booking for the first time, the itineraries can look overwhelming at first glance. Long total travel times, one or two layovers, and a lot of hours in the air. This is just the reality of getting to Bali from most parts of the world. Once you do it, you realize it is very manageable and the destination is more than worth it.
Everyone's situation is different. You may have airline points, preferred carriers, or routing constraints that make one option better than another. These are simply the routes that have worked well for us over the years, shared in case they are helpful as a starting point.
For the first several years before COVID, we flew EVA Air from New York via Taipei. Roughly 16 hours to Taipei, then 5 hours on to Bali. A clean and comfortable itinerary. On some trips we chose an overnight layover in Taipei to see the city before continuing, which is a nice option if you have the time.
After COVID, we flew Qatar Airways via Doha once, which was also a very pleasant experience. For the past three years we have been flying Turkish Airlines, which for East Coast US travelers splits the journey into two comfortable chunks, roughly 9 to 10 hours to Istanbul and 12 hours on to Bali. We have personally used the Istanbul layover to visit friends and family for dinner. If you have the time and interest to explore Istanbul on your way through, I am happy to give you pointers on that as well.
Over the years I have helped people traveling from all over the world navigate their way to the retreat. If you want guidance based on your specific situation, I am happy to help on the call.
For the days before the retreat, Ubud is where we always return. It is the cultural and spiritual heart of Bali. There are two areas we tend to point people toward depending on what kind of experience they want.
The first is the central Yoga Barn area. You can walk to almost everything from here, the cafes, the restaurants, the studios, the market. It has a natural community feel and is especially good for solo travelers. The second is the quieter area around Alchemy Yoga, slightly outside the main center. Less tourist density, still very accessible, with coffee shops, restaurants, and small stores nearby without the heavy crowds. Hava Ubud is a great and well-priced option in this area.
There are countless hotel options at every level in both areas. The ones below are places we have personally stayed at or visited. Do your own research and you will find plenty more.
Like New York, Ubud is abundant with great restaurants. These are the ones we return to consistently.
Yoga Barn and Alchemy are the two anchors of the Ubud wellness community. Beyond regular Vinyasa classes, both offer many different modalities. Their cafes naturally bring like-minded people together, which makes them especially good for solo travelers. Yoga Barn is in the vibrant central area. Alchemy has a more laid-back energy on the quieter side of Ubud.
There are massage parlors on almost every corner in Ubud, ranging from street-level to full resort spa treatment. For a truly elevated experience, properties like Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton offer exceptional service that is still more affordable than comparable treatments elsewhere.
For deep bodywork specifically, I personally appreciate Itong. He has deep anatomical knowledge and his work is exceptional. His space is clean and simple, not luxurious. That said, this is not a one-size-fits-all recommendation. Read his Google Maps reviews, see if it sounds like your kind of thing, and if you want to book, reach out to him on WhatsApp, listed on his Google Maps profile. Tell him you found him through Emre and Bee. He is popular so reach out early.
Itong Bodywork — find him at maps.app.goo.gl/5494VerbxtryxJN5A
Bali has ceremonies happening almost every day of the week somewhere on the island. Combined with the volume of tourists, a 10-minute distance by car can easily become 40 minutes. Traffic is a real factor here.
The ride-hailing apps Gojek and Grab are your best option. Both operate in Ubud and Canggu and offer either a car or a scooter ride. The scooter option means a driver meets you exactly where you are, hands you a helmet, and you ride on the back. It is fast, affordable, and cuts through traffic that stops cars entirely. Far better than negotiating with a street taxi. We will help you get set up when you arrive.
If you are a seasoned rider and comfortable with busy traffic flowing from the left, scooter rentals are available everywhere and very reasonably priced. Worth noting though: Bali traffic is nothing like riding in a quiet town. Motorcycles come from every direction, tourists and locals mixed, and the pace is relentless. Do not experiment here unless you are genuinely experienced on a bike.
For getting around Ubud and beyond, we can connect you with our trusted drivers and guides, people we have worked with for nearly a decade. They are reliable, honest, easy to communicate with, and know the island extremely well. They will take you wherever you want to go and offer their own recommendations along the way. Just let me know and I will make the introduction.
The southwest coast and Canggu are not our personal base camp of choice. We visited in our earlier years and still stop by Canggu on occasion for a restaurant or a boutique. Our personal preference for beach time has been the Gili Islands, not because south Bali is lacking, but because the Gilis offer something genuinely different. A different culture, a different pace, a different island entirely. South Bali beaches are beautiful and the properties here are world class. Both are worth your time.
The beach clubs in Seminyak and Canggu are genuinely impressive. The quality of food, drinks, and ambience rivals what you would find in Miami or Ibiza, at a fraction of the price. Potato Head in Seminyak is the iconic one. W Hotel Bali is a beautiful property in the area. If a high-energy beach club experience is on your list, this is where to go for it.
Canggu itself is worth a day or two for the boutiques, restaurants, and energy. About 20 minutes outside the main area is Lodge in the Woods, a stay that is an experience in itself.
In Canggu, Yuki is a great spot for Japanese food with a fun atmosphere.
For a genuinely tropical experience, the Gili Islands are the answer. No cars, no motorbikes. Bicycles, horse carriages, and the ocean. The pace changes the moment you arrive. Of the three islands, Gili Air is our choice. It strikes the right balance between vibrant and quiet. Great food, a drink at sunset, and real stillness when you want it. Everything is bike distance.
Pink Coco is our hotel there. We love checking in and not moving much. After a retreat, that is exactly what we want. It sits in a quieter spot on the island, away from the most active areas, but nothing is far. Mowies, whether you stay there or not, is a must for sunset drinks and food. Exceptional on both counts.
Beyond relaxing, Gili Air is one of the best places in the region for scuba diving and snorkeling. There are still healthy patches of coral worth seeing. Group tours run daily but we personally book a private boat through Pink Coco and go as our own little group. Worth considering. Horseback riding at sunrise or sunset on the beach is also a beautiful thing to do here.
Getting there requires a fast boat. The journey from our recommended port is approximately 90 minutes. Lines at boarding require some patience and the boat is not a luxury cruise, but once you arrive you understand completely why people keep coming back. It comes with the territory.
A helicopter is technically an option and it is on our list of things to one day do as a group. It has not happened yet simply because you need enough people to make a charter worthwhile. When we connect on your travel plans, I will walk you through the best way to get there based on your timing.
As part of the retreat package, airport transfers are included for arrivals March 18 to 20 and departures March 26 to 27. That is the formal scope of what is included.
Beyond that window, our support does not stop. Over nearly a decade of facilitating retreats in Bali, we have built long-term relationships with trusted drivers and guides who know the island well. If you are traveling before or after the official transfer dates, I am happy to connect you with them directly so you do not have to figure transportation out on your own.
These are our personal choices, shaped by years of returning to this island. Read through, look things up, and find what calls to you. Whatever you are curious about that is not covered here, bring it to the call and we will work through it together.