Imagine you are being driven through a marked stone and wood entrance and down a long, quiet road flanked with green grass hills, palm trees, flowers and banyan trees for as far as your eyes can see. In the distance you can see the thatched rooftops of 3 symmetrical buildings and as you come closer, there is a courtyard with a stone path that leads over water to a set of steps up to an open air platform, from which point you gaze through to the other side and see the two facing rows of bungalows with the stone path set into grass that run straight down to the horizon. You are drawn to follow that path, and as you walk, you smell the frangipani flowers and the green of the grass. You hear the birds and the frogs and the sound of water. You see the beautiful modern take on traditional Balinese architecture, using temple-like elements, thatched roofs, wood and stone. And as you walk, you are aware that your horizon line isn’t changing, yet the sound of water is getting louder. The path ends at a balcony. You can go left or right down the steps, or you can look straight over the balcony and down to the Ayung River below, where you will find heaven waiting for you at the spa.
This is the Bali of my dreams. So it does exist. I just had to find it.

The entrance to Maya Ubud Spa and Resort

Maya Ubud Spa, voted best Spa in Indonesia!

Maya Ubud

One of the pools

The long path down to the spa

Walking the path to the spa

Bungalows on either side of the path

So pretty

Close up of a door to a bungalow

The end of the path, looking down at the spa and beyond.

The River cafe and pool

A lite lunch before treatment.

The spa awaits…

The Spa at Maya Ubud

Waiting at the spa for my treatment.

Ice cold towel and iced mint tea

Walking down to the River for a reflexology massage

Down by the river…

Now this is more like it!

Ah yes…….

And the final result is….

Relaxed & Rejuvenated!

10 pushups, 10 situps, 10 squats, 10 lunges.  Done.