Top Ubud Hotel Highlights The Wonders Of Bali’s Original Wellness Practices To Guests

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The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism has recently announced that gastronomy, wellness, and maritime tourism will be the three focus points of tourism development nationwide over the next few years.

In Bali, gastronomy, wellness, and maritime tourism have been central pillars of the hospitality sector for decades, and one hotel is proving that these travel trends will never fade. 

Global tourism trends show that wellness tourism is a leading factor for tourists choosing their destinations. Data shows that more than 70% of travellers are opting for destinations that offer a wide range of wellness activities, including healing experiences, meditation, and nature-based activities. 

One Ubud Hotel is going above and beyond to integrate wellness and holistic health into every aspect of its offering. The teams from Sanggraloka Ubud have spoken to reporters about the efforts being made to promote sustainability within a wellness tourism offering, since both are inextricably linked. There is no human health without planetary health. 

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Sanggraloka Ubud’s General Manager, Komang Kariyana, told reporters how the whole resort area was originally a local vegetable garden fed by the Tukad Oos River.

This meant that the whole resort landscape was in pristine condition when the hotel team took over guardianship of the land. Karyiana told reporters how, together with I Wayan Lanus, a development partner, the area was redeveloped without losing its natural character.

He explained, “It used to be just a vegetable garden with a clear stream. We’ve designed this area to blend in with nature. The approximately 2.5-meter-high waterfall, now a major attraction, emerged naturally after the stones were arranged to form a dam.”

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Karyiana explained how the hotel’s messaging is as important as guests’ stays. He shared how the main message in developing the land into a sustainable tourism resort is about preserving nature, the environment, and community sustainability.

The resort has been built on non-productive land, while the surrounding residents’ gardens and rice fields were maintained. Even the local vegetable gardens were developed into organic gardens without the use of chemicals.

This garden is managed in the Balinese traditional way, as is still seen in rural communities province-wide. 

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This means that guests’ meals are created using garden-grown and organic tomatoes, ginger, turmeric, eggplant, celery, long beans, and even moringa. One of the most important aspects of wellness is nutrition, and it doesn’t get much better than homegrown organic veg!

It is true farm-to-table dining. The Head of Food & Beverage, I Wayan Eka Arsana, is proud of what the team has achieved in bringing lovingly grown ingredients directly to the plates of guests. With ingredients sourced directly from the organic garden, Chef Arsana prepares a diverse menu of local, national, international, and Mediterranean dishes.

Rather than a classic hotel breakfast buffet, breakfast at Sanggraloka is served as a ritual dining concept, with a personalized appetizer and dessert course for each guest.

To ensure that sustainability doesn’t eclipse the wellness offering, Sanggraloka offers a variety of nature-based wellness activities for guests.

These include outdoor yoga and meditation, sound bath therapy incorporating the resonance of natural sounds, organic gardening classes, and a melukat ritual on the Oos River. 

For a little more cleansing, guests of Sanggraloka Ubud can also visit the hotel’s very own natural pool. Surrounded by tropical jungle, the crystal clear natural spring water gives guests the chance to rest, recharge, and rejuvenate away from the busy crowds of central Ubud.

To help ensure that the wellness offering at Sanggraloka is accessible to everyone, especially for elderly guests, the team is installing an outdoor escalator leading to the river area. 

Wayan Lanus, director and partner of Sanggraloka Ubud, explained to reporters that the future of tourism should not only pursue growth but also preserve Bali’s natural and cultural heritage.

He wants Sanggraloka Ubud to become a beacon of inspiration for how sustainable tourism can be profitable and protect the environment.

When fully operational, the local economic turnover is estimated to reach IDR 1.2 to IDR 1.6 billion per year, and 70% of the staff have been employed from neighbouring Bresela and Payangan Villages. 

Lanus shared, “Our goal is not just to build a resort, but to create an ecosystem that nourishes the land, empowers the community, and keeps Bali’s cultural heritage alive.”