When was the last time you did absolutely nothing?
Not nothing while answering WhatsApp.
Not nothing while checking emails from a sun lounger.
Not nothing with a podcast playing, three tabs open and an internal list of things you should probably be doing.
Actually nothing.
It sounds easy.
It has somehow become a luxury.
In Ubud, deep within the rainforest of the Ayung River Valley, Hanging Gardens of Bali makes a rather persuasive case for bringing it back.
There are spa treatments beside the river, private infinity pools suspended above the jungle, botanical rituals created from ingredients grown on the land and breakfasts that deserve nowhere to be afterwards.
But perhaps the real wellness experience begins when you stop asking:
What are we doing today?
And discover that the answer can simply be:
This.
Not nothing while answering WhatsApp.
Not nothing while checking emails from a sun lounger.
Not nothing with a podcast playing, three tabs open and an internal list of things you should probably be doing.
Actually nothing.
It sounds easy.
It has somehow become a luxury.
In Ubud, deep within the rainforest of the Ayung River Valley, Hanging Gardens of Bali makes a rather persuasive case for bringing it back.
There are spa treatments beside the river, private infinity pools suspended above the jungle, botanical rituals created from ingredients grown on the land and breakfasts that deserve nowhere to be afterwards.
But perhaps the real wellness experience begins when you stop asking:
What are we doing today?
And discover that the answer can simply be:
This.
Your Out-of-Office Has Entered the Chat
The first stage of doing nothing is accepting that the world will continue without you for a few days.
Remarkable, really.
Emails will be sent.
Group chats will remain unnecessarily active.
Somebody will mark something “urgent.”
Meanwhile, you are in a private villa in Ubud with your own heated infinity pool overlooking the rainforest.
We know which situation deserves your immediate attention.
Hanging Gardens of Bali sits within the Ayung River Valley, surrounded by tropical forest and the sound of the river below.
The landscape does something rather useful to one's sense of urgency.
Everything slows.
Morning light moves across the valley.
Mist hangs between the trees.
Water disappears over the edge of your pool.
Breakfast arrives.
And suddenly 10:37am feels like perfectly reasonable progress for the day.
Remarkable, really.
Emails will be sent.
Group chats will remain unnecessarily active.
Somebody will mark something “urgent.”
Meanwhile, you are in a private villa in Ubud with your own heated infinity pool overlooking the rainforest.
We know which situation deserves your immediate attention.
Hanging Gardens of Bali sits within the Ayung River Valley, surrounded by tropical forest and the sound of the river below.
The landscape does something rather useful to one's sense of urgency.
Everything slows.
Morning light moves across the valley.
Mist hangs between the trees.
Water disappears over the edge of your pool.
Breakfast arrives.
And suddenly 10:37am feels like perfectly reasonable progress for the day.
The Itinerary Is That There Is No Itinerary
Wellness travel has become surprisingly busy.
Wake at 6am.
Meditate.
Juice.
Yoga.
Breathwork.
Cold plunge.
Journal.
Another class.
Congratulations, your holiday now has a performance review.
There is another way.
At Hanging Gardens of Bali, a wellness escape can be wonderfully unstructured.
Wake when you wake.
Open the doors.
Step outside.
Swim.
Or don't.
Order coffee.
Have breakfast slowly enough to notice what you are eating.
Read three pages of a book and then spend twenty minutes looking at the jungle instead.
This is not laziness.
It is a skill many of us appear to have misplaced somewhere around the invention of push notifications.
Ubud is an excellent place to find it again.
Wake at 6am.
Meditate.
Juice.
Yoga.
Breathwork.
Cold plunge.
Journal.
Another class.
Congratulations, your holiday now has a performance review.
There is another way.
At Hanging Gardens of Bali, a wellness escape can be wonderfully unstructured.
Wake when you wake.
Open the doors.
Step outside.
Swim.
Or don't.
Order coffee.
Have breakfast slowly enough to notice what you are eating.
Read three pages of a book and then spend twenty minutes looking at the jungle instead.
This is not laziness.
It is a skill many of us appear to have misplaced somewhere around the invention of push notifications.
Ubud is an excellent place to find it again.
Water First
There is something about being around water that immediately changes the rhythm of a day.
At Hanging Gardens, you are rarely far from it.
Every villa has its own heated infinity pool, giving you the wonderful freedom to swim whenever you feel like it.
Before breakfast.
After breakfast.
At 2:17pm for no identifiable reason.
There is also the resort's famous twin-tiered infinity pool, inspired by Bali's cascading rice terraces and suspended dramatically above the Ayung River Valley.
It is one of those places that has been photographed countless times and still manages to feel different when you are actually standing there.
Or, ideally, floating.
The jungle stretches beyond the edge of the water.
The curves of the pool seem to follow the valley.
For once, there is no particular benefit to being efficient.
Stay longer.
At Hanging Gardens, you are rarely far from it.
Every villa has its own heated infinity pool, giving you the wonderful freedom to swim whenever you feel like it.
Before breakfast.
After breakfast.
At 2:17pm for no identifiable reason.
There is also the resort's famous twin-tiered infinity pool, inspired by Bali's cascading rice terraces and suspended dramatically above the Ayung River Valley.
It is one of those places that has been photographed countless times and still manages to feel different when you are actually standing there.
Or, ideally, floating.
The jungle stretches beyond the edge of the water.
The curves of the pool seem to follow the valley.
For once, there is no particular benefit to being efficient.
Stay longer.
Follow the River
Eventually, you may feel ready to accomplish something.
Excellent.
Walk to the spa.
Spa by the River sits beneath the jungle canopy beside the Ayung River, where the sound of flowing water is not being streamed through hidden speakers.
It is simply there.
The setting feels almost purpose-built for surrendering an afternoon.
Treatments take inspiration from Balinese wellness traditions, nature and the island's relationship with water.
And Hanging Gardens takes that connection to nature quite literally.
Fruits, herbs and botanicals are grown on the property's own land and incorporated into its approach to wellness, allowing ingredients cultivated within the surrounding landscape to become part of the rituals experienced there.
There is something beautifully circular about that.
The garden grows.
The garden becomes ritual.
And you happen to be lying in the middle of it all having a very good afternoon.
Excellent.
Walk to the spa.
Spa by the River sits beneath the jungle canopy beside the Ayung River, where the sound of flowing water is not being streamed through hidden speakers.
It is simply there.
The setting feels almost purpose-built for surrendering an afternoon.
Treatments take inspiration from Balinese wellness traditions, nature and the island's relationship with water.
And Hanging Gardens takes that connection to nature quite literally.
Fruits, herbs and botanicals are grown on the property's own land and incorporated into its approach to wellness, allowing ingredients cultivated within the surrounding landscape to become part of the rituals experienced there.
There is something beautifully circular about that.
The garden grows.
The garden becomes ritual.
And you happen to be lying in the middle of it all having a very good afternoon.
Let Bali Come to You
Of course, true luxury eventually asks an important question:
Why go to the spa when the spa can come to you?
For guests seeking greater privacy, wellness experiences can become part of life within your own space.
A treatment without restructuring the day around an appointment.
A ritual followed immediately by your own pool.
No transition required.
This is particularly true within Hidden Palace, Hanging Gardens of Bali's ultra-luxury private residence, where in-residence wellness can form part of a completely personalised stay.
There is something wonderfully decadent about a day in which the furthest journey required for a spa treatment is across the room.
The robe-to-real-clothes transition has always been overrated.
Why go to the spa when the spa can come to you?
For guests seeking greater privacy, wellness experiences can become part of life within your own space.
A treatment without restructuring the day around an appointment.
A ritual followed immediately by your own pool.
No transition required.
This is particularly true within Hidden Palace, Hanging Gardens of Bali's ultra-luxury private residence, where in-residence wellness can form part of a completely personalised stay.
There is something wonderfully decadent about a day in which the furthest journey required for a spa treatment is across the room.
The robe-to-real-clothes transition has always been overrated.
The Garden Is Doing More Than Looking Pretty
One of the most interesting elements of wellness at Hanging Gardens is that the surrounding landscape is not treated merely as scenery.
It participates.
Fruits, herbs and botanicals cultivated across the property are incorporated into wellness products and the resort's own fragrances.
The same landscape you see from your villa becomes something you can experience through scent and ritual.
This matters.
Luxury wellness is at its most interesting when it belongs to the place where you are experiencing it.
You did not travel to Bali for something that could happen identically in London, Singapore or Los Angeles.
You came here.
So the herbs should come from here.
The rituals should feel like here.
The view should most definitely look like here.
At Hanging Gardens, Ubud is not the backdrop to wellness.
It is one of the ingredients.
It participates.
Fruits, herbs and botanicals cultivated across the property are incorporated into wellness products and the resort's own fragrances.
The same landscape you see from your villa becomes something you can experience through scent and ritual.
This matters.
Luxury wellness is at its most interesting when it belongs to the place where you are experiencing it.
You did not travel to Bali for something that could happen identically in London, Singapore or Los Angeles.
You came here.
So the herbs should come from here.
The rituals should feel like here.
The view should most definitely look like here.
At Hanging Gardens, Ubud is not the backdrop to wellness.
It is one of the ingredients.
Lunch Is a Wellness Activity. We Have Decided.
At some point, doing nothing makes one surprisingly hungry.
Fortunately, wellness does not require pretending lunch isn't one of life's great pleasures.
Near Spa by the River, the Spa Café sits beside the Ayung River and offers a beautiful place for a light lunch or high tea among the tropical greenery.
There is no need to rush.
This point cannot be stressed enough.
Order.
Talk.
Look at the river.
Order something else.
The modern world has done enough to convince us that meals should be fitted between other activities.
On holiday, the meal is the activity.
Especially when there is tea involved.
Fortunately, wellness does not require pretending lunch isn't one of life's great pleasures.
Near Spa by the River, the Spa Café sits beside the Ayung River and offers a beautiful place for a light lunch or high tea among the tropical greenery.
There is no need to rush.
This point cannot be stressed enough.
Order.
Talk.
Look at the river.
Order something else.
The modern world has done enough to convince us that meals should be fitted between other activities.
On holiday, the meal is the activity.
Especially when there is tea involved.
The 3pm Problem
At approximately 3pm on a good resort day, something interesting happens.
You have already had breakfast.
You have swum.
Possibly had a massage.
Definitely had lunch.
And there are still several hours before dinner.
This is where people accustomed to productivity become vulnerable.
Should we do something?
No.
Resist.
Return to the villa.
This is prime nothing time.
Read.
Nap.
Swim again.
Lie beside the pool and have the sort of conversation that only happens when neither person is checking the time.
Order a drink.
Move from one chair to another because the light is nicer there.
Watch the jungle.
There is an entire ecosystem outside being extremely productive on your behalf.
You may rest.
You have already had breakfast.
You have swum.
Possibly had a massage.
Definitely had lunch.
And there are still several hours before dinner.
This is where people accustomed to productivity become vulnerable.
Should we do something?
No.
Resist.
Return to the villa.
This is prime nothing time.
Read.
Nap.
Swim again.
Lie beside the pool and have the sort of conversation that only happens when neither person is checking the time.
Order a drink.
Move from one chair to another because the light is nicer there.
Watch the jungle.
There is an entire ecosystem outside being extremely productive on your behalf.
You may rest.
A Different Kind of Happy Hour
Eventually, afternoon begins doing that lovely tropical thing where everything turns softer.
Now you may get dressed.
Nothing strenuous.
At Three Elements Bar & Lounge, the infinity pool and surrounding jungle provide the backdrop for cocktails as daylight changes across the valley.
There are creative drinks incorporating Balinese Arak alongside wines and spirits.
And because balance is important to wellness, we see no reason a spa treatment and a very good cocktail cannot coexist within the same day.
One nourishes the body.
The other nourishes holiday spirit.
We will not be taking questions.
Now you may get dressed.
Nothing strenuous.
At Three Elements Bar & Lounge, the infinity pool and surrounding jungle provide the backdrop for cocktails as daylight changes across the valley.
There are creative drinks incorporating Balinese Arak alongside wines and spirits.
And because balance is important to wellness, we see no reason a spa treatment and a very good cocktail cannot coexist within the same day.
One nourishes the body.
The other nourishes holiday spirit.
We will not be taking questions.
Dinner Without Somewhere Else to Be
The pleasure continues at Three Elements Restaurant, where Indonesian culinary traditions and ingredients meet contemporary influences against panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.
There is also a carefully selected wine collection for those wishing to continue their commitment to balance.
What makes dinner particularly lovely after a day like this is how different time begins to feel.
There was no frantic sightseeing schedule.
No rush back to change.
No checklist waiting to be completed tomorrow morning.
Just a day that moved naturally from breakfast to water, from water to wellness, from wellness to lunch, from afternoon into evening.
Perhaps we have overcomplicated holidays.
There is also a carefully selected wine collection for those wishing to continue their commitment to balance.
What makes dinner particularly lovely after a day like this is how different time begins to feel.
There was no frantic sightseeing schedule.
No rush back to change.
No checklist waiting to be completed tomorrow morning.
Just a day that moved naturally from breakfast to water, from water to wellness, from wellness to lunch, from afternoon into evening.
Perhaps we have overcomplicated holidays.
Your Nervous System Would Like a Word
We talk a great deal about wellness as something we need to do.
A treatment.
A class.
A ritual.
A product.
And these things can be wonderful.
But there is another form of wellness that requires considerably less equipment.
Space.
Quiet.
Privacy.
Nature.
Time.
A few days in which nobody needs anything from you immediately.
A morning with no alarm.
An afternoon without an objective.
A dinner that ends whenever it ends.
These are not particularly revolutionary concepts.
That may be exactly why they feel so good.
Hanging Gardens of Bali provides the setting.
The rainforest.
The river.
The private pool.
The spa.
The food.
The rituals.
What you choose not to add is entirely up to you.
A treatment.
A class.
A ritual.
A product.
And these things can be wonderful.
But there is another form of wellness that requires considerably less equipment.
Space.
Quiet.
Privacy.
Nature.
Time.
A few days in which nobody needs anything from you immediately.
A morning with no alarm.
An afternoon without an objective.
A dinner that ends whenever it ends.
These are not particularly revolutionary concepts.
That may be exactly why they feel so good.
Hanging Gardens of Bali provides the setting.
The rainforest.
The river.
The private pool.
The spa.
The food.
The rituals.
What you choose not to add is entirely up to you.
How Many Days Does It Take to Properly Do Nothing?
We recommend at least three.
The first day, you are still adjusting.
Your hand may instinctively reach for your phone every seven minutes.
This is normal.
By day two, things improve.
Breakfast becomes longer.
The pool becomes more interesting.
You begin saying things like, “What time is it?” without urgently needing an answer.
Day three is where the magic happens.
You wake up and genuinely have no idea what the plan is.
Better still, you don't care.
This is progress.
Book the treatment.
Or don't.
Have lunch beside the river.
Or stay by your villa pool.
Order another coffee.
Read.
Nap.
Talk.
Swim.
Repeat as required.
The first day, you are still adjusting.
Your hand may instinctively reach for your phone every seven minutes.
This is normal.
By day two, things improve.
Breakfast becomes longer.
The pool becomes more interesting.
You begin saying things like, “What time is it?” without urgently needing an answer.
Day three is where the magic happens.
You wake up and genuinely have no idea what the plan is.
Better still, you don't care.
This is progress.
Book the treatment.
Or don't.
Have lunch beside the river.
Or stay by your villa pool.
Order another coffee.
Read.
Nap.
Talk.
Swim.
Repeat as required.
The Souvenir You Actually Want From Ubud
Eventually, you will have to leave.
We apologise for bringing it up.
The suitcase reappears.
Shoes become relevant.
The outside world begins gently making itself known again.
But perhaps the best thing to take home from a luxury wellness retreat in Ubud is not a complicated new routine you will faithfully follow for approximately nine days.
Perhaps it is remembering that rest does not always need to be earned.
That an afternoon can be allowed to remain empty.
That breakfast can take an hour.
That doing one thing at a time feels surprisingly good.
And that sometimes the most luxurious answer to “What did you do in Bali?” is:
“Very little. It was phenomenal.”
Book here.
We apologise for bringing it up.
The suitcase reappears.
Shoes become relevant.
The outside world begins gently making itself known again.
But perhaps the best thing to take home from a luxury wellness retreat in Ubud is not a complicated new routine you will faithfully follow for approximately nine days.
Perhaps it is remembering that rest does not always need to be earned.
That an afternoon can be allowed to remain empty.
That breakfast can take an hour.
That doing one thing at a time feels surprisingly good.
And that sometimes the most luxurious answer to “What did you do in Bali?” is:
“Very little. It was phenomenal.”
Book here.
F.A.Q.
Is Ubud a good destination for a wellness holiday?
Yes. Ubud is one of Bali's best-known destinations for wellness, combining tropical nature, Balinese traditions, spa experiences and luxury resorts. Its rainforest and river landscapes make it particularly suited to travellers looking for a relaxing wellness escape in Bali.
What is a good luxury wellness resort in Ubud?
Hanging Gardens of Bali offers a luxury wellness experience within the Ayung River Valley, combining private infinity pool villas, Spa by the River, botanical wellness experiences, dining and extensive tropical surroundings.
What wellness experiences are available at Hanging Gardens of Bali?
Guests can experience treatments at Spa by the River, enjoy wellness rituals inspired by Balinese traditions and nature, spend time in private heated infinity pools and arrange personalised wellness experiences during their stay.
Does Hanging Gardens of Bali use locally grown ingredients in its wellness products?
Hanging Gardens of Bali grows fruits, herbs and botanicals on its own land and incorporates ingredients from the property into its wellness story, products and fragrances, connecting the experience directly to its Ubud surroundings.
Can I have a private spa treatment at Hanging Gardens of Bali?
Private wellness experiences can be arranged depending on the accommodation and experience selected. Hidden Palace, the property's ultra-luxury private residence, can incorporate in-residence spa and wellness treatments into a personalised stay.
Does every villa at Hanging Gardens of Bali have a private pool?
Yes. Every villa at Hanging Gardens of Bali has its own heated infinity pool, allowing guests to enjoy private swimming and relaxation surrounded by the Ubud rainforest.
What is Spa by the River at Hanging Gardens of Bali?
Spa by the River is the resort's wellness setting beside the Ayung River. Surrounded by tropical greenery, it combines Balinese-inspired treatments with the natural sound and atmosphere of the river and rainforest.
How many days should I spend on a wellness trip to Ubud?
Three or four days allows time to settle into a slower rhythm while enjoying spa treatments, private pool time, nature, dining and the cultural surroundings of Ubud. Longer stays allow for an even more relaxed wellness itinerary.
Can I plan a wellness honeymoon in Ubud?
Yes. Ubud is particularly suited to wellness honeymoons and romantic escapes. At Hanging Gardens of Bali, couples can combine private infinity pool villas, spa experiences, nature, dining and romantic experiences during their stay.
What should I do on a relaxing day in Ubud?
A relaxing Ubud day might include a leisurely breakfast, a swim in a private infinity pool, a spa treatment beside the Ayung River, high tea or lunch, time surrounded by nature and cocktails followed by dinner overlooking the jungle.
Is Hanging Gardens of Bali suitable for a digital detox?
Its private villas, rainforest setting, river, spa and nature-focused experiences make Hanging Gardens of Bali well suited to travellers who want to spend less time online and more time enjoying their surroundings during a Bali holiday.
What makes a luxury wellness holiday in Ubud different?
Ubud combines wellness with a strong sense of place. Balinese traditions, tropical landscapes, local botanicals, water, food and nature can all become part of the experience, creating a wellness holiday that feels distinctly connected to Bali rather than simply centred around spa treatments.