Healing Journeys

A short trip across the Badung strait from Bali, the island of Nusa Penida is a world apart. Though separated from the larger island by strong currents half of the year, Nusa Penida has long played an integral role in the spiritual life of the Balinese people. Traditionally seen as having strong ties to the underworld, the steep cliffs and mountainous terrain of this limestone island are closer to the dry rocky terrain of Lombok and eastern Indonesia than to that of Bali. Now famous for its vibrant seaweed farming culture, as the home of a bird and wildlife sanctuary, and as a spiritual pilgrimage destination, most Balinese will visit Nusa Penida at least one time every ten years.

Join one of our Fivelements guides as we board a speedboat in Kusamba for the journey across the strait with the majestic Mount Agung an ever-watchful custodian our crossing. Meet resident assistant of the honourable high priest, Ida Rsi Bhagawan Darma Cadhu Sakti at his home, a distinguished high priest and leader of the spiritual community in Nusa Penida, Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Lembongan, three Balinese islands off the east coast of Bali. He is also guardian of the sacred cave temple, Goa Giri Putri, in Nusa Penida, which is considered among the most sacred pilgrimages in Bali. Ida Rsi Bhagawan Darma Cadhu Sakti or his assistant will then be our guide on a ritual walk through the Goa Giri Putri, the cave temple, said to be a womb from which spiritual pilgrims are re-born. We will stop at sacred sites along the way for blessings, ritual cleansing and a short meditation at the heart of the cave.

In the afternoon, following a Balinese picnic prepared from our Fivelements Sakti kitchen, you are free to enjoy the rest of all the island has to offer with the help of your guide. See local co-operatives where women collect and dry seaweed for export, visit a breeding program for rare and endangered birds, or continue your pilgrimage with visits to the temples of Ped, famous for their white stone architecture. Before the sun sets behind Mount Agung, we will reboard the boat for the return journey to the Island of the Gods.

Duration of this healing journey: 1 full day +

* 10% of the proceeds from each Healing Journey are contributed towards building social programmes for the local villages and temples involved and Balinese cultural preservation.

* Healing Journey is depending on the sea conditions, should we not able to make it we will substitute with the option.

Sudaji means holy knowledge. This small farming village in North Bali is a perfect removal from the congestion and traffic of urban Bali, a place where some of the island’s oldest traditions endure through practice daily. As the story goes, the people of Sudaji were blessed by a beautiful princess with clean water and fertile soil after they treated her with extraordinary kindness and hospitality.

Join Fivelements and your host as we discover what it means to live in a Balinese village. Wander the many paths of Sudaji through ricefields and food forests where trees are heavily laden with mango, rambutan, bananas and other fruits. Visit the workshop of a member of the ancient Pande caste of blacksmiths. Join local school children and your host for yoga, meditation and vegetarian meals prepared with local ingredients. At the end of the day, retire to a guest room in the home of one of Sudaji’s residents.

A village stay in Sudaji is an unforgettable experience for anyone looking to discover the authentic Balinese way of living.

Duration of this healing journey:  1 night / 2 days +

* 10% of the proceeds from each Healing Journey are contributed towards building social programmes for the local villages and temples involved and Balinese cultural preservation.

Water is considered the “lifeline” of Bali. From ritual purifications with holy water to the famous subak irrigation system, the flow of water guides daily life on Bali. Blessed with four stunning crater lakes in the central highlands, which act as reservoirs for the entire island, Bali has historically always had an abundance of clean water. With the spectacular growth of tourism and the rigor of modern lifestyles, this precious resource is slowly becoming threatened. 

Join Fivelements as we follow the story of water as it flows from the mountains down to the sea. We begin our journey with an afternoon drive to the village of Munduk, a small coffee growing community near Lake Tamblingan. Before sunset we will pray in the lake temple and explore the surrounding jungle paths. The next morning, accompanied by a guide, we will hike through protected forest with the hypnotic sound of rushing water following our every footstep. On the way, we will visit a sacred spring, hidden waterfalls and a village-built micro-hydro plant.

To conclude a beautiful day, you may choose to stay for a seaside dinner along the stunning northern coast of Bali. Perhaps you will even extend to an overnight stay on a traditional, handcrafted, wood Phinisi boat and awaken to the site of dolphins on the tranquil Bali Sea.

Duration of this Healing Journey:  1 night / 2 days +

* This journey includes 3-4 hours of medium to strenuous hiking. Participants should be in good physical condition.
* 10% of the proceeds from each Healing Journey are contributed towards building social programmes for the local villages and temples involved and Balinese cultural preservation.

Rwa Bineda is the Balinese philosophy that describes the continuous play between opposing forces. This is the concept that gives us masculinity and femininity, creation and destruction, yin and yang and all the interactions between these forces. The Balinese people understand this concept as integral to maintaining balance and see it in all aspects of life, even in the way they interpret the very land that they live on.

Spend the day with us in the mountains of northeast Bali. Travel from the feminine heart of the island at Lake Batur to the masculine peak of Gunung Agung. This journey brings you to two of the most sacred temples in Bali:  Puru Ulun Danau Batur and Pura Besakih, the Mother Temple for the Balinese. We pray in both temples in the same day in order to bring balance to the opposing forces in our lives.

For a perfect end to the day, you may choose to relax in one of our riverfront healing suites with our Ida Pinggala massage while one male and one female therapist join in harmony to deeply relax and massage your body back to its natural equilibrium.

Duration of this healing journey:  1 full day +

* 10% of the proceeds from each Healing Journey are contributed towards building social programmes for the local villages and temples involved and Balinese cultural preservation.