Spas and Meditation Retreats in Ubud

Spas and Meditation Retreats in Ubud 

Here is an updated list of spa and meditation retreats in Ubud by a TA contributor.
You can book your Ubud hotels at www.itravelindonesia.com

Check out these Bali yoga and Meditation studios:

Yoga Barn in Ubud
Desa Seni in Canggu
Intuitive Flow in Ubud
Taman Hati in Ubud (Balinese meditation)
Ketut Arsana at ashrammunivara.org in Ubud

Taksu Spa (many classes now) in Ubud
bali-yogashala.com in Seminyak
beyond-the-asana.com Olop's Iyengar classes in Seminyak rock!

Trainings:

Denise P. at Yoga Barn
Kat Kabira at Yoga Barn

Retreats

highvibeyoga.com,7 day high vibe yoga immersions by 2 of Ubud's coolest yoga teachers 
oneworldretreats.com 
balispirit.com - all retreat listings

Massage

Sara Spa in Ubud
Cantika in Ubud (all organic)
BodyWorks in Ubud
Body n Soul in Ubud

Have a healthy time and Heal.

www.itravelindonesia.com

Bali is Top Asian Holiday Destination

Bali is Top Asian Holiday Destination

The readers of an online travel magazine have named Bali as the top holiday destination in Asia for 2011.

The poll, conducted by Smart Travel Asia, also picked out several Bali resorts as the top places for a relaxing break.

Bali took the top spot from Kerala, India, which was bumped down to No. 4. Phuket, Thailand, and Hong Kong were the runners-up, respectively. 

In terms of top places to stay, a number of Bali resorts were included in the top 25 list, including the Bulgari Resort Bali and the Four Seasons Resort Bali at spots 2 and 3, respectively.

The poll also reported on preferred budget airlines, with AirAsia getting the gold star. Indonesia’s own Lion Air failed to chart.

The poll did not specify the number of voters, but the demographics skewed upscale. According to the magazine, voters took an average of 15.75 air trips over the past year and earned an average annual income of $150,000

read about our Bali hotels and Bali travel information at http://www.itravelindonesia.com/hotel/bali/bali-information.aspx 

 

The Year of the Rabbit. The Chinese New Year begins on Feb 4 this year

The Year of the Rabbit conjures images of fluffy bunnies, but fortunetellers in Asia predict that the coming year on the Asian lunar calendar will be anything but cuddly.



Among key predictions for the new year beginning Feb. 3: terrorist threats, continuing tensions between China and the United States, natural disasters around the world and wobbly global markets.

Even Hollywood celebrity couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie is not immune from the grim predictions. Both were born in Rabbit years, and one fortuneteller sees their longtime relationship coming under increasing strain as the year wears on.

As the Lunar New Year approaches, Asians from Hanoi to Harbin put great stock in the soothsayers' predictions using feng shui - the traditional practice of foretelling events through dates and classical texts.

In feng shui lore, the Year of the Rabbit is associated with the natural elements of metal and wood. This is a likely recipe for conflict, according to Hong Kong-based feng shui consultant Raymond Lo.

Taipei-based colleague Tsai Shang-chi goes even further.

This year the West will suffer from a vicious energy and will be prone to more terrorist attacks," Tsai said. "The East will also be affected by a negative energy, reflected in ongoing tensions on the Korean peninsula."

While Tsai and Malaysian prognosticator Rev Yong offer assurances that the problems between North and South Korea won't escalate into all-out war, Yong is less sanguine about the chances for avoiding an onslaught of natural disasters. He foresees severe flooding around the world, a powerful earthquake in Japan and the emergence of a number of worrisome new diseases.

One of the upshots, he says, will be big problems for the global economy and the possibility of a major stock market plunge toward the middle of the year.

"People think the rabbit is very gentle, but it's not going to be a mild year at all," Yong said. "It won't be a good year. There will be a lot of world conflicts."

www.itravelindonesia.com

Go South if You Must, to Kuta.

Kuta and Kuta Hotels

Depending on your idea of a holiday, you will either love Kuta or hate it! Jalan Raya Kuta and Jalan Pantai Kuta form an L shaped stretch of bars, seafood diners and souvenir stalls. If being in the thick of things is for you, there is no better place to be than Kuta. It has a perpetual beach party atmosphere to it. Others find it overcrowded, tacky and loud. Many travelers avoid it like the plague.

Yet, even critics admit that Kuta has a great beach. The sunsets are spectacular and the surf is perfect for beginners. Surf schools abound or just lounge on the soft clean sand. One perpetual complaint is the persistence of the beach hawkers, others say it is nice to meet with locals and chat with them.

Hard Rock Hotel has two excellent watering holes playing Top 40s and the Kamasutra is a cavernous R and B club. Wander through Poppies Lane to chance upon designer beachwear, massage spas and specialty restaurants.

PRICE GUIDE
Hotel rooms under USD $ 50	Hotel rooms between USD $ 50 - $ 100	Hotel rooms above USD  $ 100

Book Kuta Hotels at Discount rates online

OUR CHOICE KUTA HOTEL LIST
Suji Bungalows (Jl. Poppis I, Kuta Bali-Indonesia -Kuta-Bali) Located in famous Poppies lane, the Suji Bungalows are in the heart of Kuta ...more
Melasti Kuta Beach Bungalow & Spa (Jalan Dewi Sartika, Kuta Beach, Denpasar - Bali - Indonesia-Kuta-Bali) Jalan Dewi Sartika, Kuta Beach, Denpasar - Bali - Indonesia...more
Kuta Seaview Cottage (Jl. Pantai Kuta, Kuta Bali-Indonesia -Kuta-Bali) The Kuta Seaview Cottage is one of the few hotels actually beach side. Smac ...more
Hotel Lusa (Jl. Pantai Kuta Gang Benesari Kuta - Bali -Kuta-Bali) Hotel Lusa is in the Kuta area. This is a budget place popular with long te ...more
Hard Rock Hotel (Jalan Pantai, Banjar Pande Mas, Kuta, Bali, Indonesia -Kuta-Bali) The Bali Hard Rock Hotel must be one of the most fun and enjoyable hotels t ...more
Grand Istana Rama Hotel (Jalan Pantai Kuta - Bali-Kuta-Bali) $$. The Grand Istana Rama is an older, but large, modern hotel sitting squa ...more

Visit our main site at www.itravelindonesia.com 

Chinese New Year in Bandung with www.itravelindonesia.com

We offer special price for your accommodation in Amaroossa Hotel, Aston Tropicana Hotel, Grand Serela Hotel, Kedaton Hotel, Anggrek Shopping Hotel, Sheraton Hotel, Scarlet Dago Hotel Bandung. For your reviews about Bandung please visit www.itravelindonesia.com

Eat Love Pray

EAT, PRAY, LOVE

SIT, WATCH, YAWN.

 
The film is a chick flick on hormones.

Regarded by its fans as a Bible for the modern woman, Eat Pray Love is beloved by many. This means the usual built-in audience theory applies (ala Harry Potter and LOTR), with the enormous box office appeal of Hollywood darling Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman/Closer) thrown in to up the ante.

All chick-flicks need some decent eye candy to please the masses and the box office, and Spanish hottie and Oscar-winner Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men/Before Night Falls) leads that charge, with some much welcomed back-up from James Franco (Pineapple Express/Milk) and Billy Crudup (Almost Famous/Watchmen).

So the story for the uninitiated few, and a true one no less, sees journalist Elizabeth Gilbert (Julia Roberts) chucking in her New York marriage and life for a year in Rome, India and Bali, in order to "find herself". Enough said. Nothing else actually happens, which is infuriating for the rest of us hoping for some kind of plot.

                                                                     

From a cinematic perspective, the one clever move these filmmakers made was getting the budget to shoot on location. We start off in New York City before an emotional epiphany or two leads us on to a trip to Italy to eat, India to pray, and finally Bali, for some love. The highlight of the movie are the gorgeous locations. Photography is superb and the Indonesian tourism authorities should take a leaf or two on how to promote Indonesia.

Gilbert encounters all sorts of characters on her journeys, the most resonant of which is Richard from Texas, who she befriends in an Indian ashram. The main reason Richard becomes the most memorable is because of the class actor who plays him – Oscar-nominee Richard Jenkins (North Country/The Visitor). He becomes the dramatic centre-piece for this somewhat lacklustre movie, and a definite highlight.

Gilbert finally arrives in Bali, and its here she meets Felipe, and where the “love” chapter of this story unfolds. Bardem has an air of gentle resignation about him in the role. It's one he could play in his sleep and you sense he might be doing exactly that. The Indonesian actors were marvelous with charm and impeccable comic timing.

While Eat Pray Love was a little too indulgent and bland for me, it's far from offensive and certainly pretty. For those who loved the book (I did not), I suspect this lengthy adaptation may mostly deliver. It will also work on some level as a postcard travelogue, with some gorgeous destinations captured in their big screen glory.

Biography of Elizabeth Gilbert.

   

Elizabeth attended New York University, where she studied political science by day and worked on her short stories by night. After college, she spent several years traveling around the country, working in bars, diners and ranches, collecting experiences to transform into fiction. She also worked as a journalist for such publications as Spin, GQ and The New York Times Magazine. She was a three-time finalist for The National Magazine work, and an article she wrote in GQ about her experiences bartending on the Lower East Side eventually became the basis for the movie COYOTE UGLY.

In 2000, Elizabeth published her first novel, STERN MEN (a story of brutal territory wars between two remote fishing islands off the coast of Maine) which was a New York Times Notable Book. In 2002, Elizabeth published THE LAST AMERICAN MAN - the true story of the modern day woodsman Eustace Conway. This book, her first work of non-fiction, was a finalist for both the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award.

Elizabeth is best known, however for her 2006 memoir EAT PRAY LOVE, which chronicled her journey alone around the world, looking for solace after a difficult divorce. The book was an international bestseller, translated into over thirty languages, with over 7 million copies sold worldwide. The book became so popular that, in 2008, Time Magazine named Elizabeth as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.


                                                                                                                                           

Bali Kembali Sanur Cottages - All Authentic Balinese Oasis At Affordable Family Rates

Bali Kembali is set in majestic gardens with a beautiful and ornate swimming pool. Only two minutes walk to a vast array of shops & restaurants and a five minutes walk to Sanur Beach which boasts clear white sand and a beautiful coral reef. Traditional Balinese Style Bungalows with all the Western comforts. Sone of the private bathrooms have even been created to give the effect of natural waterfalls. Kembali means to return. This hotel in Sanur Beach is a good choice for sea sports and lazy days on child friendly Sanur Beach. This is an older hotel but is reasonably well maintained.





ROOMS



The rooms are fairly sized and decorated in traditional Balinese style. There is a TV in each room but no cable. It is a quiet hotel with a swimming pool and lovely landscaped gardens. The Bali Kembali Sanur Cottages is good value in a good location. The two story bungalows are well suted for families looking for economy accomodations. There are five double rooms, including two connecting room for families, all air conditioned and with fridges provided. TV is optional.

Villa & Bungalow



Traditional Balinese style bungalows (doubles) with all the Western comforts. The private bathrooms have been created to give the effect of natural waterfalls. There are three double storey bungalows and one single storey 'Honeymooner's Suite' available, all with AC and fridge. TV is optional.

Room Features :

Air condition Shower Balcony

Wake up service TV

Minibar Room Service

FACILITIES

This simple hotel has no restaurant, although a short stroll outside easily solves this problem.

Swimming Pool



Garden



LOCATIONS



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