In Bali, a Four Seasons Spa Offers Healing Rhythms and Relaxation

Tim Chan

31 January 2025 at 3:15 pm·5-min read

There are two ways to get to the Four Seasons Resort Bali At Sayan, and whichever path you choose often sets the course of your experience there.

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For us, the path to the property took us by raft through the Ayung River, which winds and weaves itself through lush greenery and open cliffs, until the gentle rapids lift your inflatable boat onto the welcoming shores of the resort. The Four Seasons Sayan is the world’s first hotel to offer arrival by river raft, and on our recent visit there, it immediately kicked off a week of another big “first,” as the property unveiled a new expansion of its Sacred River Spa.

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First opened as part of the resort’s arrival to Sayan in 1998, the spa was given a complete overhaul in October, with a focus on incorporating both “the visible and energetic worlds” of Bali into “soulful, healing rituals.”

The new spa is now the crown jewel of the resort, and it’s both spectacular and understated, with an earthy palette and natural materials that reflect the colors and energy of the river valley down below, while paying tribute to traditional Balinese culture. Local artwork and Indonesian ceramics line the walls and nooks of the space, which was rebuilt atop a lotus leaf-lined pond, set under a jungle canopy.

The original space, which welcomed the likes of Julia Roberts, Taraji P. Henson and Michelle Obama, featured two small pavilions and a nail salon. The newly-unveiled spa has expanded to include a seating area, retail shop and “post treatment resting areas,” where guests can unwind with a cup of tea while taking in the views and fragrant foliage. The new space measures more than 53,000 square feet in total, yet the spa manages to still feels intimate, with seven private “Spa Villas,” each equipped with modern massage beds, and individual open-air changing areas complete with soaking tubs hand-carved from Indonesian stone.

The spa menu, meantime, is curated for optimal relaxation, with options that “promote holistic well-being, healing and detoxification through sacred Balinese elements” — think a traditional foot soak at the start of each treatment, and the integration of quartz crystal singing bowls, crystals, weighted coins and even a gong (inspired by ancient temple bells).

On our visit, the treatments included the resort’s signature “Restu Bumi,” a two-hour gemstone massage using Indonesian moss agate, aromatic herbs and natural oils. Massages are always intentional of course, but while most are intended to help dig out tight knots, this one was designed to promote calm — and elevate the spirit. After all, our therapist explained, “For people to truly relax, they must quiet the mind, body and soul.”

On another day, we sat down for the spa’s “Holistic Buccal Lift and Sculpt Facial,” a non-surgical facelift that brought instant tone and brightness to our skin (ask about the spa’s line of Synthesis Organics products, which Four Seasons Regional Spa Director Luisa Anderson personally sourced from Australia for the property). I felt lighter and tighter after the combination facial and buccal massage, which included an at-first awkward but ultimately relaxing intraoral stimulation, and now I can’t stop recommending it to guests.

Perhaps the most unique treatment we experienced during our time at Four Seasons Sayan was the spa’s “Tirta Ening” treatment, which is a cleansing ritual that channels the healing power of Bali’s revered waterways. As I lay on a massage bed, a steady stream of warm water began cascading up and down my back, in varying intensities and rhythms. The simultaneous massaging from my therapist’s hands and the multiple nozzles, coupled with the sounds of water and the spa’s specially-curated playlist, created an experience that was unlike anything I had felt before. My senses were fully enveloped, like being outdoors in a rainstorm, and it made for one of the most serene and liberating moments I have ever experienced.

The Sacred River Spa says its practice is inspired by the ancient Balinese philosophy of Niskala (unseen energy), with a goal to “unite body and mind with the rhythms of nature and help restore primal balance.” The water-centric treatments we had, meantime, are said to harness “the power of the energetic flow from the intangible realm to the physical realm.” Whether you’re into exploring “energies” or not, there’s no denying the transformative experience you’ll have.

Of course there are other things to do at the resort, like a sunrise stretch at the new riverside yoga pavilion, or perhaps an afternoon “air nap” suspended from aerial silk hammocks (which was surprisingly relaxing). Food and beverage options run the gamut from inventive cocktails at the lobby Jati Bar, to the weekly Sokasi chef’s table, which features a seven-course Balinese meal cooked in front of you by Chef Wayan Sutariawan (a.k.a. “Suta”). You wouldn’t go wrong if you just wanted to indulge in the tranquility of your room either, with most of the property’s 18 suites and 42 villas offering private indoor-outdoor spaces and elegantly-appointed amenities.

And yes, there are indeed two ways to get to the resort — one by raft and the other by car, which gets you from Denpasar International Airport to the Four Seasons in just under two hours. The drive to the resort provides a nice overview of Ubud, the closest town to Sayan, which is lined with shops and cafes (and a popular market) just steps from working rice paddies and local Hindu temples and shrines.

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I had arrived to the property on the river but we departed on the road. As we drove away from the hillside sanctuary that we had called home for a week, our affable driver posed a pensive parting thought: “It’s important to always take time for reflection and introspection,” he said, “and there are only two questions: What did you do before? And what do you want to do next?”

I couldn’t give him an immediate answer, but all I knew was that I wanted more of this.

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